Taking trips around the globe, having fun, and reporting about it sounds like a great job. That’s because it is. Anyone would love to get paid for telling people how awesome and adventurous his life is. But it’s a tough gig.
Everything started years ago with people posting clips on YouTube while visiting exotic places like Thailand or Bolivia. After that, travelers started blogging and vlogging all across the Internet. Finally, the proliferation of social media made travel writing a lucrative profession for some.
Today, it’s a competitive market. It takes investing in some equipment, editing tools, and planning an interesting journey. But if you have a passion for visiting uncharted territories and meeting interesting people, give it a try.
Requirements to Being a Travel Writer
Having some literary skills plus an inclination toward verbosity is a nice start. Being a talented scribbler surely helps if one wishes to write for a living. But, acquiring a Ph.D. in English literature won’t be necessary.
It’s more about one’s openness toward new experiences. Also, having proper communication skills helps to blend in with the locals. And another thing-voyages don’t come cheap these days, especially when staying in first-class accommodation.
Is It the Same as Writing Literature Review?
Being different and unique is what sets you from competitors. Anyone can describe his itinerary or the restaurants he visited along the way. Telling a compelling story is something different. Seeing a destination from a unique angle tickles the reader’s imagination.
For describing a journey of a lifetime, an author must be relatable. That means expressing the positive and negative sides of any trip without sugarcoating. To achieve that, you need to see the world instead of spending time on writing assignments.
If you wonder, “How to write my literature review?”, you probably need professional help at Edusson.com, and ordering traveling articles will make your life easier. Thus, using writing services is a proven way to save some time for adventures.
Experienced travelers have an advantage. They already have something authentic to talk about. Most people pay a subscription to travel magazines for original stories. So, don’t worry about any special degree or education.
Your life experience plus a talent for painting pictures with words is enough to get started. Of course, it helps if one is a gregarious, open-minded individual who embraces other cultures. And one more thing- an author has to be professional. If he is getting paid, then he’s doing business.
Any business requires schedules, deadlines, and a fair amount of stress. Building a reputation in this game is hard. Publishing the first article is even harder. But, there are many opportunities available. Just keep in mind that:
- No formal education is required to become a great writer
- Communication skills are needed besides writing proficiency
- Business approach and mindset separate successful professionals from amateurs
What It’s Like Being a Travel Writer
It’s common if a traveler manages to make his blog popular or sell some work to high-ranking magazines. It usually starts with making oneself noticeable. Traveling, posting clips or stories on YouTube or Instagram, and writing blog posts.
Making stories original, relatable, and full of useful information will secure a strong following for a while. Knowing what people want is the key. Affordable accommodation, great food, nightlife, and worthy sights are just the beginning.
After covering all the basis, it’s time to pitch some work by sending a lot of emails to publication editors. Just remember, commuting and staying in hotels costs money, so be ready for budget planning. Or perhaps, that’s your niche-traveling on a budget. Make sure to:
- Build a reputation with quality posts on social media
- Have a unique, non-generic voice with a sense of humor
- Describe a personal experience of people, food, and sights, thus making any story relatable
- Plan one’s budget and stick to it.
- Make an honest review of any accommodation or a restaurant
- Don’t sugarcoat anything. Readers prefer honesty.
- Pitch some finest articles to reputable travel magazines
- Be professional and treat everything you do like a business. Separate professional trips from the ones made for personal pleasure.
- Be persistent
Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Travel Writer
Although it seems like a dream job, doing that for a living can be stressful. Articles must be of top-notch quality. Deadlines lurk over one’s head. There’s no medical or pension insurance.
Such is a life of a modern writer — a digital pirate who craves adventure and lives by his own rules. Catching red-eye flights takes a toll after a while. If one lives by reporting his whereabouts, then he is compelled to commute constantly.
It’s not a choice anymore but a grind. Besides, nobody pays for his accommodation or airplane tickets — just his words. So there’s constant pressure to perform and deliver high-quality content. Take these pros and cons into consideration:
Pros:
- Nobody bosses around
- Visiting nice places, eating local cuisine, and meeting interesting people
- Flexible working hours
- Doing something creative and fun
- Getting freebies from hotels or airline companies
- Inspiring others to visit cool destinations
- Doing endorsements and becoming an influencer
Cons:
- It’s hard to build a reputation and portfolio
- Travel expenses are not covered by publicists
- No medical or pension insurance
- Irregular income
- The constant pressure to deliver excellent articles
- Often experiencing loneliness
Wrapping Up
Getting a stellar review from an established travel blogger is worth a lot. Becoming one is hard, even if his talent is apparent. Besides mastering the language and vocabulary, other skills may be useful.
Mastering business and dealing with publicists, editors, and other clients is a part of it. Also, every job is a grind. Be prepared to endure periods of no income. Staying relevant requires producing quality content constantly.
Dealing with pressure is often tough. But, when a man does what he loves, he never works a day in his life. Some folks just have a spirit for adventure. They are the rolling stones – nomads with a curse of a traveler. If people are professionals at something, they really shouldn’t do it for free.
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Thank you for your feedback! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed reading my blog posts. Your support means a lot, and I’m excited to keep sharing more content. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to let me know!