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Saturday 16 December 2017

How To Be A Freelance Travel Writer

By Douglas Moore


The world is a large place, full of many countries and cultures that are very different from your own. You may have dreamed of traveling the globe at some point in your life, but found that it may not have been in your budget, not to mention your schedule. It can get costly very quickly, and you may not have enough vacation time to cover the days you will be gone. One way to get around this is to enter the freelance travel writer field, which allows you to traverse the globe and get paid for it, instead of having to pay yourself.

One of the most important things to know is that as a freelancer, you will not be working for one company or publication directly. Instead, you are self employed, and travel on your own usually, visiting cities and attractions.

Instead of getting assignments from an editor, you would instead come up with an idea, called a story pitch. You would pitch that story to various editors, and they will then decide if they wish to hire you or not. The pitch could be for a single story, a series of stories, a column, or perhaps even a book if you have lots of stories to tell all at once.

If the editor in question decides that they want your article, they will hire you. Always do your best work, because based on that, they may ask you back for other assignments as a recurring freelance writer. The assignments they could give you are endless, and may include traveling abroad, or going local and reviewing specific hotels, a new resort, or even a local attraction or restaurant for people who have not been.

Some pieces have a more specific focus, such as adventures and thrills, ecology, culture, food and more. You will usually have strict deadlines, so as soon as you arrive, you must get to work. You are paid per assignment, and may be asked to pay for your own expenses up front, with reimbursement to come later. In other cases, the editor will make and pay for the travel arrangements up front.

It is a good idea to show proof of previous published pieces to the editor, as this will increase the likelihood that they accept your pitch. Having a degree in English or journalism helps, but is generally not required in order to get hired.

You may not be a journalist as you embark on this career field, but you should still hold yourself to journalistic standards. This includes those given by the Society of American Travel Writers, which state that you should not take money for a positive review, but instead only accept payment for an objective story. You should never plagiarize, even in part, from any other piece, published or not.

Since you are a freelancer, you do not get medical benefits, vacation days, sick leave or even a retirement plan. You must pay for these out of your own pocket. That is why it is imperative that you only write for outlets that can pay you a good salary that allows you to meet all these expenses on your own. Your pay will fluctuate from month to month, so set some aside and always be prepared, that way you can continue to enjoy this dream job.




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