Starting a travel writing career is now much easier than it has ever been. Why? Because of the Internet. It levels the playing field. You can start an online travel writing business from your kitchen table with a laptop, a digital camera, solid expressive skills, and a motivated work ethic.
Say goodbye to: writing query letters, rejection slips from magazines, getting your ideas stolen, photos that do not get returned, impossible deadlines, late payments, and editors that cannot be reached.
You can start a travel blog on the area where you live right now, or provide detailed information on trips you take throughout the year. YOU get to decide what to write and how to write it, YOU get to decide what pictures to include, YOU get to choose where you visit…and YOU get to write off your business expenses.
The only limitations you have are your own creativity and attitude toward hard work.
If You Cannot Join Them…Beat Them
Becoming a published travel writer for one of the magazines you thumb through at the local bookstore is a valid goal, but in reality, breaking into print is extremely difficult because it seems like the elite club of travel writers is permanently closed.
I was once discouraged just like you, until I decided to start my own website about the beautiful Florida Gulf Beaches where I live. It was the best decision I could have made. I write about whatever interests ME here in Paradise, I make money from affiliate products and advertisements on my site, and I save $1000’s of dollars on my taxes because of the tax write offs for my expenses.
Now, I could care less about being published in a travel magazine. I wake up everyday thinking, “How can I make even more money,” instead of “I hope my query letter gets accepted.” Having my own online travel writing business has changed my thinking 180 degrees…to the positive.
Website vs Blog
Blogging has become the instant means of self-expression. It seems like everybody has one and a whole online industry has been born to take your money with promises of riches. Do not buy into it. Blogs are easy to start, but they DO NOT make you money.
- Creating a website takes much more learning. It will be much more frustrating when you first start because you will be on information overload. But…I did it. So can you.
- Websites get indexed in the big search engines far easier than blogs. You make money by generating more traffic to your site.
- Learn all you can about finding the most profitable keywords for your travel niche. Learn all you can about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). You will be writing for two audiences…the search engine spiders and your human audience. You cannot be lax toward either of them.
Grow Your Travel Writing Career With An Online Home Business
You establish a travel writing career with regular and consistent pieces. In order to run a solid home business, you must commit to creating one new page each day on your website. It will be difficult at first. Building one page every couple of days will be taxing, but after six months you will start getting the hang of it.
Tips for breaking into the industry
- Write only positive reviews on the motels, restaurants, or sites you visit. Readers want honesty, but they DO NOT want negativity. If you cannot write a positive piece about some aspect of your visit, do not include it.
- Give your reviews personality, just do not get too personal. Nobody wants to read about digestive problems, how you had to “straighten out” the desk clerk, or that you only packed two pair of underwear.
- Take pictures of everything. Edit them tightly. Provide a one-sentence synopsis for each.
Your dreams of starting a travel writing career can be reached online. There are thousands of people just like us who want solid information on beautiful out-of-the way places, unique little cafes, romantic inexpensive restaurants, and cheap accommodations. You can provide for them with your own online home business.
By Cade Beach
