Entering the world of freelance travel blogging can be quite a difficult task, just as it can be with other types of writing. In general, you need to start with small jobs, for instance, writing articles for a local newspaper and slowly finding your way to the top. As you progress, your portfolio also builds up, as you can provide samples of your past jobs to different editors. For a start, you can find market niches that pay a dollar per word and this can support your media and press trips that you can take across the globe. With growth in your client base, you can strengthen your career by initiating a blog page.
Starters have a difficult time adapting into this exciting niche of writing. Any starter needs to learn the practice of telling a story in their own voice as a writer. You can begin by writing short stories about your background or where you live, as this will offer a range of perks thanks to your knowledge of the place’s history, culture and the people who live there, as well as the events on the local scene/arena. In order to become a good-quality freelance travel writer, here are six things you must do:
1. Start small
Use the first few months of your initial career to basically write online articles for anyone and for everyone who can accept your pitch. It doesn’t matter whether they pay you or not, however; it is the best way to start building your portfolio and confidence as well. These articles will work as samples when you feel you are ready to pitch to even bigger and better-paying publications. These small articles will also help in sharpening your pitching style while at the same time building a rapport with well-known editors. There is no problem about being the smallest bird in the big forest, at least for a short period of time.
2. Know your audience
It is very important that you understand the publication and its stories, as well as the target audience of these stories; otherwise, you’ll find yourself sending irrelevant pitches. It might be exciting to send your ideas as soon as they come; however, take your time and be sure it match the publication’s nature. This will also help you find whether there has been past coverage of the story.
3. Be Unique
Coming up with a very unique story—something that has never been done before—is what every writer dreams of. Unique storylines will win you half the battle of breaking into freelance travel writing. Develop a niche that is uncommon and only familiar to you; this will stand you out and growth will be fast.
4. Get a website
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have any published article yet; just show the world how serious you are about writing and make potential editors feel your presence. Create an online profile, for instance, a travel blog on Facebook or Twitter, that will make people follow you and know what you are up to.
5. Study other writers
Study the writings of other successful writers, visit their websites to find out more about them, read their blogs to become familiar with them, see how they do things and model yourself in the same shape.
6. Know when free writing stops
It is not bad to work on free assignments when building your portfolio, following, traffic, credibility and confidence, but once each of them are fully amassed, you’ve got to start saying no.
If you are out there aspiring to become one of the most sought-after freelance travel writers, then follow all these simple six steps to become successful as a free-lance travel writer.