How to become a travel writer

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First decide what kind of travel writer you want to be. Do you want to write for a travel guide company? Do you want to be a full-time freelancer or do you have another job as well? Or do you want to set up your own travel blog?
If you work for a guidebook company, your writing freedom can be fairly restricted. But on the up side, you have a job with a fairly steady income. You will have to write in a way that fits the format of their guides, and a lot of time will be spend reviewing hotels, bars and restaurants, as well as checking prices, opening times, and public transport directions.

You can also write a novel about your travels. Like Bill Bryson wrote a humorous book describing his travels through Australia. Or how some people have written books about the hardship of traveling around Antarctica. This is difficult though. You could pitch the concept to some book publishers with some first chapter samples. Or you could finish the entire book before you start looking for a publisher.

If you are a freelancer, you will have a lot more freedom, but you miss the guarantee of steady income. You can visit places on your own and try to sell your articles to magazines, or if you are more established magazines will send you places to write for them. When you first start out, prepare to work for free or next to nothing to build your portfolio, and to get some contacts. If a magazine likes you, they might give you more paid work. You can send your work to online magazines, print magazines, newspapers, and absolutely everything else that would publish it. Often editors will send it back to you with some notes, and you will have to change some small things to almost everything. Try to have a look at the magazine or paper you are submitting to, if your article would fit in there. For example if you write about traveling with kids, an elderly magazine or a backpackers magazine is not suited. But a magazine on parenting or general travel, or a newspaper could be great.

A blog is a whole other story. You can write whatever you like, and it is the type of travel writing which gives you the most freedom. But it is usually still wise to pick a more specific topic, like for example 'green travel in Europe', 'backpacking in Asia', or 'sailing around the world'. People are often interested in one or several aspects of traveling, and articles about traveling with kids, and traveling for the elderly don't go well on the same site. It is a lot harder to make a living off of a blog as well. First of all, you do not get paid per article, you will get paid through advertising on your blog, or products you might sell. And where established magazines and papers already have many readers, you will have to build up a readership from the ground. And since there are hundreds of travel blogs out there and nobody knows who you are, this can be really hard. It is also very rewarding if you do succeed!

Now think about your goals. Are there certain destinations you would prefer to write about? Do you need to live off the money you earn, or is it more of a thing on the side. And what about your writing? Is it good, or do you think there is room for improvement? These are all things to consider before quitting your day job to become a world traveller.

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- Travel all over the world
- Write about what you love
- Earn money for it
- Discover many new things like, exotic foods, amazing sights, adrenaline crazy activities, and new cultures
- Meet interesting people from all over the world
- Get freebies like free tours, or free hotels if you write about them

- Being on the road for long periods at a time
- Often not a great salary
- Unsecure income if you are a freelancer
- Lots of time spent at airports and waiting for buses
- Research the boring stuff like prices, opening times, and bus schedules
- It's not all romantic travel all the time, sometimes you gotta work, hard!

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All you need is a backpack (or suitcase) and a laptop. I also like to have a little notebook on me to make some small notes, or write up quick ideas. Back at my hostel, or while on a nice terrace with a cocktail, I can type up my articles. When you set out to travel somewhere, make sure you can connect your laptop to their plugs, if not bring a suitable adapter.
It is also a bit of a must to have a decent camera on you. If you freelance, it is good to be able to take the pictures you think would go best with your article. Be sure to take many though, so your editor has some options to choose from as well. If you work for a travel guide they sometimes send photographers for taking the photos, but if you can do it, it saves them a lot of money, and might make you more appealing to hire.

It is easy to write a short story about your trip. It is more difficult to write it in a way that will interest others (and editors).
Start practicing your writing skills by writing about trips you have taken in the past, or by writing a short travel guide about where you live. Let others read it and give you feedback. Would they visit based on what you wrote? What tips do they have? What could you add, and what could you leave out. It is important to inform your reader about the place you wrote about, and too much about you. So add in personal experiences, but make sure they do not dominate the story.
Decide who your reader is. Do you write for backpackers, for fairly rich travelers, for art lovers or for parents with young children. Make sure your article appeals to your audience and addresses all the questions they might have. Like the best hostels for backpackers, great 3 star restaurants, the best museums, or the most fun attractions for kids. If you want to be featured in a particular magazine, check out who their readers are. If you do not appeal to this particular group, the editor in charge will never publish you.
Give your story some colour. Do not just simply mention all the facts about your destination. Everyone can look that up without even going there. Describe the atmosphere of the place, the people, and the pace of life. Find a unique angle for your piece. Something that hasn't been written before. For example you could write a general article on Barcelona, or you could write about how to see the world through Gaudi's eyes (a famous architect) while in Barcelona. If you find an original angle, it will make for a more focused article and a more interesting read.

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Getting published can be really hard. There are many travel writers out there and this means the competition is fierce. Editors are looking for quality. But they are usually also looking for articles for a specific audience, with a particular angle, and about a certain place. Sometimes your article is just not what they are looking for.
When they do accept something you wrote, be ready to receive some notes and make some changes according to the editor's wishes. You are selling them a product, and they are the boss. They can specify how they want it. Sometimes this goes against your vision or you might disagree. In that case you have to decide if you will just bite your tongue and go with it (and get paid), or if you take your baby elsewhere.
At first you are unknown and you should work on building up a portfolio. Try to get articles published, but don't expect a lot of money for them. You just need a portfolio to showcase your work. And this could be great for building some contacts in the industry too. If you have a good portfolio, editors might ask you to write for them, instead of you offering them articles. They will send you somewhere on assignment. This can be very exciting!