May 12
15
Join Me at TBEX 2012
Want to learn about the art and business of travel blogging from some of the most successful writers and editors in North America?
Then get registered for TBEX 2012 in mid-June. (That stands for “Travel Blog Exchange,” though only the abbreviation seems to live on the new conference site). I’m a featured speaker and will be kicking off the first panel of the conference. I’m teamed up with my buddies Max Hartshorne of GoNomad and Beth Whitman of Wanderlust and Lipstick for a session called “Monetize Like You Mean It.” We’ll be talking about how to actually make a living at this—or at least more than beer money—by publishing quality content and finding the right ways to earn income from it.
None of us has all the answers or a pocket full of silver bullets, but we make a living from working full-time in travel, so we must be doing something right.
Other bloggers I know and respect will also be doing sessions or panels. Considering there are 30+ speakers and registration is a mere $88, you’ll only be paying $3 per speaker and getting advice that could change your writing career permanently, bringing you the kind of knowledge that avoids years of trial and error. And that doesn’t even count all the informal advice you’ll get from your peers and the fantastic networking opportunities, both with fellow travel bloggers and industry/destination people.
Go look at the speakers page or the full schedule to see what kind of household names in the travel blogging world you can learn from. It’s solid.
This year’s event promises to be more robust and more organized that in years past, so if you avoided TBEX before because it seemed like amateur hour, give it another shot with the BlogWorld people applying their conference planning skills. Something tells me there will still be plenty of parties though. Short press trips before and after too if you’re up for it.
It’s all going to kick off with a road rally scavenger hunt from Denver to Keystone Resort and the one I’m on is rumored to involve Colorado microbreweries…
Southwest flies to Denver and it’s a hub for Frontier, so flights are generally reasonable by today’s high-fuel-cost standards. Check other airlines’ rates here.
Go here to register and get Keystone lodging info here.
Posted in bloggers new media travel writers by .
I first picked up Lavinia’s beautiful book, Writing Away, a few years ago after I returned with a suitcase of journals from my travels in Colombia. Five years later, I finally got the chance to sit down with her last month at the Tucson Festival of Books and talk about writing–something I’d been wanting to do for ages! Lavinia, who is also the editor of The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011 (a Book of the Year finalist!), has a lot to say about keeping a journal, about making it in the digital world, and about what it’s been like to edit such a fantastic collection of women writers. Enjoy!
How did you get started as a travel writer? What was it about the act of travel that inspired your work as a writer?
I fell into travel writing by being a writer who traveled. Fresh out of college with a degree in creative writing, I moved to Busan, South Korea to teach ESL. I lived there for six years, traveling at least three or four months of each year. I’d never been exposed to such a bounty of writing material, and I kept journals and wrote constantly—but I was mostly focused on using my experiences as fodder for fiction – short stories, poems, and a novel I plugged away at for about ten years. It finally became clear sometime in my early thirties that even though my education was in fiction and poetry, it was much easier to become a working writer by pitching and submitting nonfiction.
In terms of travel as a source of inspiration, there’s really nothing like it to 
crack open the creative mind. When we leave home, all the conditions necessary to write hand themselves over in one perfect package: foreign scents and sounds and tastes, mysterious customs and concepts, oddball characters, surprises and disasters, the endless curiosities of a new place. Add long stretches of free time and a change of location (invaluable writing tools, both) and lastly, throw yourself in the mix — the attentive traveler with fresh eyes. When you put it all together you’ve got the perfect recipe for storytelling.
Let’s say you’ve got a dear friend who is interested in becoming a travel writer. What advice would you give to this person?
Keep a journal.
And start small—write very short pieces about the town in which you currently live and about past travel experiences. Meanwhile, read travel stories of all kinds – pick up all the Travelers’ Tales anthologies and Lonely Planet collections, subscribe to AFAR, and peruse the travel sections of the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe to online sites that specialize in travel essays, such as World Hum, Gadling, Perceptive Travel, and Recce. Take writing classes to work on your craft. Study accomplished travel writers and develop the habit of rewriting, setting aside your story and returning to it later, revising till it’s something you’re confident will still make you proud ten years from now. And attend a writing conference, such as the annual Book Passage Travel Writing, Food, and Photography Conference. It’s worth every penny because not only will you learn more than you can hope to remember, you’ll also connect with others in the industry—and personal relationships are just as important in this business as they are in any other. Finally—it should go without saying— travel, meet locals, take risks, get in trouble, and turn your journal notes into stories. Be brave and send out those submissions.
You have a degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona (like me!). I’m curious to hear your thoughts on whether or not you believe writers should look into creative writing programs to work on their craft. What are the benefits / drawbacks of pursuing such a degree?
Absolutely they should! I think it’s always worthwhile to further the study of your chosen path, whatever that path happens to be. Even the most experienced writers can benefit from more training, and it’s also tremendously important to build a community of writing peers and trusted mentors. If a degree sounds like too much to bite off initially, consider at least enrolling in an intensive travel writing course to get a taste of what it’s like – and if that works for you, pursue it further.
That said, one of the most accomplished travel writers I know once told me, “A month in Indonesia is worth two years in school.” And I think there’s truth to that, too. The road can be a phenomenal teacher. In the end, you just have to decide what’s best for you and go for it and persevere, even when things start looking dicey and you realize you’d make much, much more money waiting tables.
You’ve written a beautiful book on keeping a journal, Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler. In it, you make the case for the handwritten travel journal. What advice would you give to budding travel writers about the importance of old-fashioned journaling (i.e., not blogging)? (Editor’s note: See Tim’s review of Writing Away here)
Thank you! I actually have nothing against blogging—I have a blog, sort of, and I wish I were better at keeping it up. But I think there’s an enormous difference between blogging and keeping a handwritten journal, so I like to encourage both.
To my mind, there’s something extraordinary that occurs when we put pen to paper. It activates a kinesthetic relationship with the words and connects us to a time-honored tradition. But more than that, it forces a slowing down. Writing by hand can become a meditation of sorts, a ceremony—a practice that brings more measured, focused attention to the moment and the language.
I also believe that in order to write authentically for others, we first have to get intensely honest with ourselves — and a blog is, generally speaking, not where that kind of writing happens; a blog is intended for others’ eyes, so it can almost never match the candor or vulnerability of a private diary. And I believe that vulnerability—that surrendering and telling ourselves the truth—is the gateway to great writing.
Still, every writer is different, and we all recognize what works for us as individuals and what doesn’t. Some travel writers may feel it’s not important nowadays, in our digital world, to keep a handwritten journal. But Pico Iyer and Paul Theroux still do, and that’s good enough for me.
Lastly, I’d love to ask you about the anthology you’ve guest-edited for the past two years: the Travelers’ Tales Best Women’s Travel Writing. Since we’ve already had Larry Habegger (Travelers’ Tales executive editor) give his perspective on great travel narratives, I’d love to hear your perspective on what makes a great woman’s travel narrative. Is there something particular to women’s narratives that make them unique as a genre? How do you decide, ultimately, what goes in the anthology, and what doesn’t?
It was a huge honor to be asked to edit the Best Women’s Travel Writing, and over the last two years, I read more than 600 stories to choose the 65 that would make it into the 2011 and 2012 editions. Narrowing down the submissions was one of the most challenging jobs of my life so far. But it was also one of the most rewarding. One reason is because I do believe there’s something unique and special about women’s narratives (and this is not to say that many men’s stories don’t accomplish the same): the stories I read almost always involved an awakening of sorts; they tended toward not what the author did or saw but what she learned, felt, experienced; the people she met and what she took away from her encounters with them. Even stories involving high adventure also emphasized the inner journey, a relationship to the place and its people that often felt sacred and sensual.
As for how I decided on which pieces to include, at the most basic level, my decisions hinged on two essential elements: great writing and a great story. After that, it became more nuanced. But in the end, it usually came down to one question: did the author make me care? Because ultimately, I think that’s what we’re all trying to do as travel writers. Make readers care about a place they’ve never been and people they’ve never met. If we can do that, it’s a good day’s work.
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Lavinia Spalding is author of Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler (chosen one of the best travel books of 2009 by the L.A. Times), co-author of With a Measure of Grace, the Story and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant, and editor of The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011 (a Book of the Year finalist) and the upcoming The Best Women’s Travel Writing Volume 8. A regular contributor to Yoga Journal, her work has been featured in a wide variety of print and online publications, including Sunset, Gadling, World Hum, Inkwell, and Post Road. She teaches workshops in travel writing and journaling and currently lives in San Francisco. She can always be found at www.laviniaspalding.com.
Interview conducted in May, 2012 by Kristin Mock.
Brice Gosnell, publisher of the Americas for the Lonely Planet guidebook series, talks to us today about what it takes to make it as a guidebook writer. His top three tips? Learn to take criticism, don’t email your editor a million and twenty times a day, and don’t, under any circumstances, annoy your publisher (i.e., miss your deadlines or ask to write about Paris, again). If you’ve ever wanted to get paid for those travel-writing journals, here is the scoop from Lonely Planet’s own Brice Gosnell!
What are you looking for in a Lonely Planet guidebook writer?
We need people who are able to write well, of course, because it means more editing time for us if they cannot. It’s not about flowery language though; we need a journalistic approach, seeing a place or situation from all sides. We will include controversial things, but we strive to provide balance. Even more important, however, is being travel savvy. We want someone who is well-traveled, not someone who just took their first trip out of college. When we look at a writer’s potential, their travel history comes first.
Expertise and experience in a specific area is very important for who we hire. If you know an area well already, you have an advantage. Also, everyone wants to write about Paris. We need someone who wants to write about Kazakhstan or Suriname. If you can identify yourself as someone who wants to go to the lesser-known spots, great. Knowing another language is a great advantage. Having a special expertise in something gives you a definite advantage too–say, a degree in art history. In a case like that we may hire you for a special section. We might go to you for the artwork part, to make it 
more interesting, to connect the dots.
Once someone has the gig, what does he or she need to do?
On the ground, we want you to be observant, to give us those special moments, those things that nobody else would know. Tell us what’s special to do apart from what the crowds are doing. Give us insider tips. Also, be open to feedback, which is often much harder for young writers. Remember, we are giving you feedback because we want to keep working with you. Don’t ask a million and 20 questions by e-mail and annoy your editors to death. Pick up the phone and have a conversation when you need an answer that’s not in your guidelines–it’s far faster.
Meeting deadlines and delivering what you promised is also very important. One writer’s aunt has died four times now I think. It was a running joke in the office until we didn’t use that writer anymore. One time, okay, but when the same person is late multiple times, they’re out.
Do you hire new writers often?
Yes! This is not an impenetrable fortress. Call us with an idea. If it looks like a promising match, we’ll set up a meeting. We’ve clearly identified what we need and know what to expect, so we tend to move quickly on hiring decisions.
How do writers get paid, and does it differ for doing a guide on Bhutan or the Galapagos instead of, say, Guatemala? Are travel expenses part of the total?
The destination, length of the project (in terms of word count and in terms of time), the additional expenses to travel to the destination, etc. are all taken into consideration when we make an offer. The short answer is there is no consistent answer but we do keep large expenses in mind (e.g. expenses that would fall under this could include the cost to rent a boat to take the writer to a remote island that we have asked the writer to review for us). We don’t reimburse day-to-day expenses as it’s up to the writer to manage his or her daily costs once s/he agrees to the fee offered.
You mentioned when we talked in 2010 that digital revenue was a large and increasing part of the mix for Lonely Planet. Where are you seeing the most growth in digital media and is it making up for whatever decline there is in printed book sales?
Digital growth is coming from commercial transactions and content licensing and via ebooks and apps. We still believe print has a valid role to play within 
the travel space and have continued to invest in print in the past year, with three print re-launches in the past year and another one planned for 2013.
Consumers want and expect all formats so we are providing our content in print, digital apps, ebooks and via lonelyplanet.com.
Where are you headed next?
Print is s still an important medium and we’re continuing to invest in it. That said, there’s no denying that digital products are providing new channels for market penetration and revenue growth. To that end, we have an in-house ebook dev team and an in-house app team to help us meet consumer needs with those platforms. We also have a team in London who manages our global web site.
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Interview conducted in April, 2012 by Travel Writing 2.0 author Tim Leffel and edited by Kristin Mock.
Posted in Travel Writing 2.0 book book publishing publisher interviews writing well by .
Apr 12
27
6 Ways to Stand Apart as a Writer
Whether you are a freelance writer, a book author, a blogger, or some other media creator of things people will read, there’s one sure way to stand apart from the pack: act like a professional.
This seems so simple, so obvious. Anybody can do that, right?
Maybe so, but as an editor who pays dozens of writers throughout the year and rejects pitches from a hundred more, a writer who has his or her act together is a woefully rare thing. Most of the writers we have interviewed on this travel writing blog are good at their craft, yes. You could say some of them are exuding talent from their pores like shafts of golden light. But ask any of them, even the most talented, and you’ll find they credit much of their success to doing what others weren’t doing—acting like a pro.
I could give the following nuggets long explanations, with examples of horribly wrong query letters and missed deadlines. I could also show you some of the horribly slanted photos I’ve received, with the horizon going downward at a 45-degree angle. But I won’t. Read these nuggets, apply them to your own situation, and thrive.
1) Match the right idea to the right outlet. (If it’s your own blog or website, focus.)
2) Meet your deadlines. (For your own blog, stick to some semblance of a schedule.)
3) Keep your promises. (To your editors, to your readers.)
4) Take good photos, edit them properly, and follow the editors’ sending instructions. (Hint: e-mailing huge files is always a bad idea.)
5) Spell check and triple-edit everything you write.
6) Answer your e-mails
If you do these things, you’ve automatically vaulted over 90 percent of your competitors.
Posted in Travel Writing 2.0 book writing well by .
Apr 12
24
An Interview with Lori Henry
Here’s a line I absolutely love from my interview with Lori: “Dancing breaks down barriers, allows people to interact with their eyes, touch and impulses.” These words really seem to get at the heart of what Lori aims to do in her writing: connect, share, exchange, and break down barriers. And what better way to do this than through dance? Lori’s career–which began with her first dance class at the age of 2–has led her into an intriguing mix of travel writing and dance awareness, and her newest book, Dancing Through History: In Search of the Stories that Define Canada, showcases her passion for combining these interests. Check out her website here!
How did you “break in to travel writing”? What have been the keys to your success?
While living what I thought was the dream of being a film actress, I began taking freelance writing gigs because I could do the work in between auditions and filming. Every year I would save up for a solo trip somewhere and, after returning from the south of France one year, decided to pitch the Vancouver Sun a story about Avignon. It was accepted.
I didn’t look back after that, racking up as many clips as I could while saving money for my next trip. I was eventually able to join some travel writing organizations (first TMAC, now SATW). By allowing myself to get to know how the industry works over those first few years, when I was getting enough work to go full time, the transition was smooth. Good bye acting; hello travelling the world!
Where do you see your career as a travel writer being three years from now? How will your income mix change and what are you doing to adapt to the changing media landscape?
I don’t know that there will be a lot of “pure” travel writers in three years time. I’m focusing on some book projects, writing shorter e-books, and doing some guest speaking. This variety of work is bringing in cash in the short term, but also starting to build long term revenue that makes for a good balance.
Many writers will probably brush up on or learn photography, video, e-book creation and digital media skills. I am currently 
partnering with others who do all of these things so I can focus on what I know best: telling stories with the written word and on film. I think partnering to create packages of content will be a good way for writers to offer publications the BEST content without having to be an expert at everything.
Knowing what you do now, if you were starting from scratch today to become established as a travel writer, what steps would you take to ensure success?
I would value networking more. As with most industries, who you know and who knows you is an important key to getting steady work. Going to TMAC and SATW conventions always felt like a chore, but even with that lame attitude, I managed to connect with a lot of really great people who have helped me (and vice versa) over the years. If I had of made more of an effort to connect with those in the industry earlier, my network would be even stronger. We’re in the business of communicating, and most business is still done by word of mouth.
I’d love to hear more about your personal niche—you often cover travel through the traditional dances of a culture! Where did this idea initially come from and how has focusing on dance informed your understanding of the places you’ve visited and written about?
I took my first dance class when I was two years old, learning dances from the islands of Polynesia. I learned to explore different cultures through dance before I learned any other way. I find if I bring dance into my travel experience, I cut out a lot of the time it often takes to really get to know strangers (who most likely don’t speak the same language as me).
Dancing breaks down barriers, allows people to interact with their eyes, touch and impulses. When it comes time to chat, even if it’s through a translator, the conversations are always richer and more personal. The small talk gets forgotten. I also love that it usually allows me to interact with women, whose roles within different societies are very interesting to me, adding another layer to the stories I can tell.
Tell us a little bit about your recent book, Dancing Through History: In Search of the Stories that Define Canada, and its relationship to travel writing. Where do you see the crossovers?
My latest book uses the through line of traditional dances in Canada to explore the cultures that make up the country. Instead of covering Nunavut, for example, as just a northern territory in the Arctic where there are cold weather activities to do, I write about learning Inuit drum dancing and throat singing and what it means to the Inuit culture. All of the chapters revolve around an annual cultural festival, so readers can follow in my footsteps, so to speak. A list of travel resources at the back of the book gives readers the websites to help them plan their cultural trip to Canada.
The feedback from even Canadians so far has been that they never knew such neat festivals existed in the country, which is great!
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Lori Henry is a travel writer and author based in Vancouver, Canada. Although mostly covering outdoor adventures, solo travel, indigenous cultures and dance, she gravitates towards wherever she can find an interesting story (ideally one that hasn’t been told before). Her words can be read in publications like WestJet’s up! magazine, Reader’s Digest Canada, Gateways (Carnival Cruise Lines), FLARE, Western Living, Fodor’s, Spa, British Columbia Magazine, and USAToday.com. Her latest book is Dancing Through History: In Search of the Stories that Define Canada, but she has also authored the e-books Churchill: Navigating bugs, belugas and polar bears and Jordan: A Different Middle East.
Interview conducted in April, 2012 by Kristin Mock.
Posted in Travel Writing 2.0 book book publishing travel writers writer interviews by .
