Mslexia

Mslexia, the magazine for women who write | www.mslexia.co.uk

Writer's tip

#14: TRAVEL WRITING

It's not easy to crack into mainstream travel writing because staff-writers tend to nab the best trips. But travel is so popular and affordable these days, there are opportunities to place travel pieces in magazines catering for almost every niche market – from architecture to zoology.

• Prove you can write: a portfolio of past cuttings or offering to write you first article on spec is great for this.
• Go somewhere interesting: resign yourself to financing your first travel feature and choose an interesting destination for your next holiday.
• – Travel without leaving home: write about your locality from the point of view of an outsider.
• Study the market: know the magazines, websites, newspapers you want to write for and pick out the articles that reflect your own approach to life.
• Choose a speciality: expertise or passion for a travel-related subject with give you an edge.
• Decide on your metier from the three different kinds of travel writing: basic 'how to get there, what to see, where to stay/eat' pieces for readers who actually want to go there; escapist pieces – jungle trips, white-water rafting, trekking to far-flung mountains – for readers who want to travel vicariously; and specific stories associated with a particular destination.
• Bring your camera: big papers commission their own images but smaller publications will welcome your pictures.