For many, travel writing is pretty much the epitome of a dream job. Not only do you get to travel around the world having great experiences, seeing amazing places and meeting wonderful people, you also get to write about it, and earn a living from doing so. This is a great lifestyle to carve out for yourself if you are able, and it’s hardly surprising that so many people are keen on the idea.
But if you want to do this yourself, there are a lot of things that you might need to bear in mind. In this post, we are going to take a look at how you can get into travel writing in a much easier manner. If you follow these tips, you should find that you are able to make it a reality soon enough.
Build A Portfolio
The best way to get going here is to build yourself a portfolio, and that can be easier than you think. You might be wondering how you can do this, especially if you are not exactly able to afford going on huge trips just yet. The answer is simple: start writing travel pieces about the places near to you. Remember that wherever you are in the world is bound to be a destination for some people, so you can simply write some travel experiences about those local areas first and foremost.
If you do this enough and build up enough of a portfolio, you should find that you are able to start getting interest when you show people your work. This is the very beginning of making a success of it, and it’s the kind of thing that you are going to find to be very simple once you start doing it. It’s also a chance to practice your writing skills, of course, which is hugely important too.
Collect The Tech
There are various kinds of equipment and tech that you will often need if you are going to be a travel writer, and it’s never too soon to start thinking about getting it all together. The two main items that you are going to need are a laptop and a good quality camera. With the laptop, make sure that it is a compact one that you can carry more or less anywhere, and that you are looking after it properly. The last thing you want is for it not to work while you are traveling, so be sure to watch out for common issues that can cause problems: if the scratch disks are full on mac or your laptop is running slow, fix it before you go.
The other item, the camera, is important if you want good quality photographs as part of your travel journalism. You may not need a very expensive camera, but you probably at least want a bridge camera so you can produce some basic effects and generally make the photos look as good as you would hope. These can help to round off the pieces you write very well. Again, take care of the camera and don’t damage it while traveling. Be sure to insure both of these items too.
Hone In On A Niche
Most good writers will have to have their own niche if they are going to start building a career out of this, and that is something it’s never too early to start thinking and writing about. ‘Travel’ is not its own niche, it’s a sector, so you need to hone in more. You might decide to write for a particular audience, such as those on a budget, or you might be more keen on writing about certain kinds of places, such as those with historical value. It’s up to you, but do make sure that you are aware of what niche you are writing in, so that you can start to focus your writing in that way.
Get Networking
Now you need to start thinking about networking, and to start getting your writing out there too. Just meeting people in the industry can be really helpful, and you are going to find that you are much more likely to be able to succeed if you are doing this right and doing it plenty. The best and most important thing though is that you are sending out pieces to journals and magazines, so that you can start getting your name out there and earning some money. Be prepared for rejections, and to have to persist quite a lot before you can make it work.
