Travel writing is one of the most misunderstood industries in the content writing world. The reason for this is because clients are not always clear on what they want. There are plenty of potential clients who label their jobs as “travel” without explaining that they do not necessarily need a “traveler” to write the piece. Freelancers immediately assume that since they have not ever traveled to the location focused on in the job then they are not qualified to take on this work. Here are travel writing tips to help you become a travel freelance writer without ever leaving home.
Clarify, Clarify, Clarify
Clarification is important in any industry you choose to work for, but it is especially important when dealing with the travel industry. Why? Because there are plenty of clients posting “travel writing” jobs who do not care if you have actually visited the location but there are also plenty of clients who require that you have. The only way to know for sure, if it is not spelled out for you, is to ask. It is never okay to lie to a client just to get the job, so clarify what exactly they want.
Research, Research, Research
If you have clarified with a potential client that actually visiting a location is not required in order to write for them, then you will really need to beef up your researching skills in order to write knowledgably about a location. Visiting city sites and travel blogs by individuals who have visited the area are a great way to virtually acquaint yourself with the destination.
Now and then, I’ll stumble onto a travel blog run by someone who clearly had a blast getting lost in Italy or found some sleepy town in Japan nobody talks about. These random first-person stories can be gold mines for details you probably wouldn’t catch in a destination’s official write-up. I mean, sure, official city guides have their place, but nothing beats a little local flavor and honest, sometimes oddball, opinions—especially if you’ve never set foot there. Trying to piece together the vibe of a place based on someone else’s wild detour or favorite bakery can lend your own writing this weirdly genuine tone, even when you’ve only “traveled” there by reading.
Anyway, if you get really deep into research, you start picking up quirks—how locals actually describe neighborhoods, the slang, that odd event that happens every year but barely shows up on the main tourism site. Don’t skim over those details. They might feel small or even irrelevant at first, but they ratchet up the credibility of your writing (and, weirdly, readers notice). It’s almost like being a detective with a backpack instead of a badge, tracking down the stuff that makes a place stick in someone’s mind, even if you haven’t booked a ticket yourself.
Understand What “Travel” Can Mean
“Travel writing” can apply to a lot of different types of online content. For instance hotels which want to promote their location through blog posts will often identify as being part of the “travel” industry. In these cases a freelancer really only needs to be an expert on that location and particularly that hotel. Travel writing can also mean writing which deals with tips and tricks on traveling well, as opposed to simply traveling to a certain destination. Finding good airfare rates, stress free traveling with children, making long car trips more exciting are all examples of “travel” writing with no particular destination in mind.
Becoming a Real Traveling Travel Writer
If you are interested in becoming a traditional travel writer, you know the lucky folks who wander the globe and get paid big bucks by travel magazines, then you should check out The Shooting Star for travel writing tips.
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