For those who have the opportunity, getting involved in travel writing can be an experience that provides you with lasting worldwide memories whilst also sharpening your skills as a writer. Travel writing is quite different to other kinds of writing that you may have attempted before, so the best course of action to take before you begin is to read through a few tips and hints for how to get started in the right direction. Luckily for you, we have compiled some of the most useful words of advice to peruse right here. Begin your travel-writing journey with our five expert tips for getting started in this special and exciting sector.
Find A Niche
There are literally thousands of pieces of travel writing online, so to make yours stand out you need to find a niche within your travels. Whether it’s giving your take on the local delicacies wherever you go, specializing in the walking routes on offer or even paying particular attention to the standard of museums, try to become an authority on a certain area of travel and your name might start to become known more widely across the internet as the ‘museum’ guy, for example!
Build A Portfolio
Having more writing available to read online means one thing and one thing alone; that there is a greater chance of your articles being read! If travel writing is a passion, then you take the opportunity to publish something online wherever you go, even if it is only a trip to the next town!
Start Small
And speaking of the next town, it’s a good idea to start small and hone your craft before putting your skills to a bigger test abroad or further afield domestically. A good travel writer can find something interesting to say about anywhere, so do not feel like you have to be in France or Peru to produce something worth reading.
Make Contacts
It’s always a good idea to try to build a network of contacts both in the online and real world. The more connections you have in the travel writing business, the more opportunities may open up to you with regards to visiting different places and being asked to collaborate on bigger, cross-country or even transcontinental projects.
Keep A Focus
There is nothing worse than a piece of travel writing that rambles from sentence to sentence without ever really having a clear focus or story to tell. Make sure that your pieces are not just a play by play description of the town or country, but more a story of your own experiences with important details interestingly weaved in throughout.