An Interview with Buzzy Gordon

Buzzy Gordon knows how to travel–throughout his 35-year career, he has visited more than 80 countries and written for the likes of USA Today, National Geographic, and The Washington Post, as well as blogs like Totally Jewish Travel and Hotel Scoop. Today, Buzzy shares some of his insights on making it in the freelance writing profession and what he has learned along the way. 

Buzzy, you’ve been in the travel industry for 35 years. How did you get your start as a freelance writer?

I took off to “see the world” for a year after graduate school — and it ended up turning into five years, with stints of working then setting off again. At first, I wanted mainly to share some of my interesting encounters with some pretty remote Jewish communities, and I had virtually a guaranteed audience, as Jewish media outlets did not often get news or portraits from far-flung places.

Keep in mind that this was the 1970s — practically the stone age not only for global communications, but for writing technology in general. I typed my work on a small manual typewriter, using carbon paper  (some of you may have to ask your grandparents what that even is!), had to go to the post office to mail it (with a self-addressed stamped envelope, if I wanted to get rejected pieces back), and wait for weeks for a reply. It would take at least a month, and usually longer, for an article to be published after being submitted. The fax machine was not even invented when I started out! Writers living in the 21st century have no idea how much easier they have it nowadays.

By the way, I still recommend taking off for a year or two at a time, with periods of staying put and working in between travels. There are lot of opportunities for teaching English out there, and organizations like WWOOF (www.wwoof.net). Immersing yourself in a language and culture is a great way to establish a niche, and you’ll learn more in the “university of the world” than you ever did in school (but finish school first!).

What have been the keys to your success, in your opinion?

I think the key to success in most fields of endeavor, not just travel writing, is being professional. In journalism — and travel writers should be plying their craft as journalists — this means primarily getting your facts straight, covering the five W’s, meeting deadlines, and in general being reliable, as well as knowledgeable about your subject matter.

That said, there are a few rules that perhaps pertain more particularly to travel writing.  One that I have learned is that is best not to turn down assignments, even if they might not seem appealing. I have forced myself to accept some pretty dreary jobs that I would prefer to have passed on, because I know that editors like to call on people they know will say yes. Once again, it has to do with that reliability factor.

And don’t forget your peers: make friends — and do favors for — fellow writers you meet. They’ll remember you and recommend you for assignments that are down your alley; and, of course, it’s good karma. :)

What do you wish you’d known when you started that you know now?

Frankly, most of the things I wish I’d known earlier have to do more with the zen of traveling, so to speak, than with the specifics of travel writing per se. Learning how to “go with the flow” in the face of misadventures or bad luck, and trying to turn adversity into opportunity, is good advice for anybody who spends a lot of time on the road. This pays extra dividends for the travel writer.

Similarly, meditating is a life skill that is especially helpful to the traveler and travel writer alike. It organizes thoughts and brings flashes of inspiration, in addition to recharging batteries and being a great balancing mechanism. I encourage everyone to practice it at least once daily. Fortunately, it can be done just about anywhere, on buses, planes, airports, etc.

Finally, a life lesson from the legendary basketball coach John Wooden, which I certainly wish I had heard when I was much younger: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” It rarely pays to cut corners in some sort of misguided attempt to save time or effort. For example, learn everything you can about getting to your destination, and then some. It goes without saying that this extends to having back-ups for everything that might need power or get lost or stolen.

How do you see your income mix changing in the next 5 years? 10 years?

You’re presuming I’ll have income to mix! :)

Seriously, though, I’m afraid I am at the twilight of my career, as opposed to the dawn of it. I’m not complaining: at least I am doing something I should be able to continue to do for as long as I am physically able, as opposed to retiring. But I do not know how anyone can predict how the market will shift over the next 1-2 years, let alone 5 or 10. It was not that long ago when it was unheard of for an editor to have the nerve to tell a professional writer: “I can’t pay you, but you’ll get exposure.” And some of the pay scales I’ve been quoted recently verge on working for free.

To try to give you some sort of answer to your question, I suppose I personally will be trying to get more guest speaker gigs. Other than that, I’ll just have to plug away at doing what has worked to a greater or lesser extent all along: networking, and writing pitches as compelling as I can make them.

By the way, here is where I have to tip my hat to Mr. Travel Writing 2.0 himself, Tim Leffel. He is an editor and publisher who has always understood that a writer deserves to be paid, even if the amount may appear to seem symbolic at times. That is one reason I would continue to write for him; I know he would be fair and pay what he can afford.

You’re the author of Frommer’s Jerusalem Day-by-Day Guide (among plenty of other publications). What’s it like being a guidebook author and what advice do you have for aspiring guidebook writers?

Once again, even the guidebook landscape is shifting as we speak, moving from print to online, and from websites to apps. It is still a demanding discipline, requiring rigorous attention to detail; it is the least glamorous genre in the travel writing business, which to begin with was never as glamorous as most people think it is. There is a great deal of satisfaction in steering people right, but I wonder how much demand there will be when everyone seems to heading to TripAdvisor first. I can tell you with certainty — and a tinge of sadness — that we are witnessing the end of an era, as Frommer’s will no longer be publishing more than a handful of updated guides. Regrettably, mine will not be among those few.

You specialize in Jewish communities, gastronomy, culture, luxury travel, and health and wellness. Of these niches, which would you say has been the most important for you? And what is the hardest part about establishing a niche as a freelance writer?

Jewish heritage travel, which gave me my start, will always be important for me. I also believe it — as well as faith-oriented travel in general — is experiencing an upswing, although I can now detect a distinctly ugly side to it: some European countries with the most horrific records of anti-Semitic atrocities are trying to resurrect aspects of Jewish heritage in an unseemly effort to profit from Jewish tourism.

Luxury travel has proven that it is always going to prosper; ironically, even when economic times are bad and leisure travel slumps, the rich always seem to have money to spend. Gastronomy and health and wellness are popular with baby boomers, so I think those are trends that are worth pursuing.

In my opinion, the hardest part about establishing oneself in a niche — or even in general — is the amount of time, energy and savvy one has to invest these days in what I call “marketing after the fact.” It used to be that you submitted your work, and your outlet took care of publicizing it. Now, authors are expected to be partners — or even initiators — in an ever-increasing frenzy of social media follow-up. It’s becoming more of a grind, without necessarily more dollars being generated for the effort. The race may not always go to the most talented writer, but possibly to the one who is willing to jump through more hoops.

You can either look for a niche that you think still needs to be filled, or relax and let your niche find you; it just might, if you stay out there and keep your eyes and ears open. Finally, it’s OK to have more than one niche: it’s unlikely you’ll ever be the sole authoritative source on any one niche, so don’t be afraid to try your hand in a few areas that interest you.

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Over the course of a 35-year career that has spanned more than 80 countries, award-winning journalist Buzzy Gordon has been a reporter, editor, and travel writer on five continents. His work has appeared in USA Today (where he was a regular travel columnist), National Geographic Traveler, The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post, and other leading publications. Buzzy is the author of Frommer’s Jerusalem Day by Day Guide, a contributing editor at Jax Fax Magazine, and a regular contributor to LuxuryLatinAmerica.com and TotallyJewishTravel.com.

Interview conducted in Feb. 2014 by Kristin Mock.