Traveling to new places and writing reviews about each destination is, in a nutshell, the day-to-day job of a travel writer. This job requires a strong personal drive and motivation to visit new places and share your experiences in writing in a way that connects with readers.
However, the journey to becoming a successful paid travel writer can be a bit tricky if you don’t know how to best go about it. Here are several baby steps to start you off in the right direction. Read on to learn about the duties of a travel writer, how you can start searching for jobs, also how much you may anticipate being paid for this type of work.
What Are Travel Writing Jobs?
Travel writing is a dream job for many wanna-be writers. But what does it entail, exactly? Well, travel writing is not writing about your family’s vacation. It is not writing about what you liked or did not like about your last trip (that kind of writing is more suited to travel blogging or influencer blogging that exists on a more personal level).
And it most certainly isn’t about blogging about places to go in order to get free travel, although your job may allow you compensation for certain fares. In other words, travel writing or travel literature is a form of creative factual writing. It often involves conveying useful information about travel destinations in writing with a creative twist.
Nature of Travel Writing Jobs
If you are a professional writer or an aspiring writer, you may be interested in finding some travel writing jobs. Travel writing can be difficult, but it can also be lucrative if you do it right. To write about a destination, you need to have visited it at one point in the past. Or you might need to have resided there or be doing so right now.
Travel Writing Job Rates
This is one of the questions that plague even experienced travel writers. It is not easy to find out what rates you’ll be offered unless you have colleagues who are willing to share their rates. However, most people often don’t, in order to stay competitive within the field. Most online publications pay on the same scale as newspapers, which tend to range from $0.25 to $0.40 per word, depending on your experience, skills, and education level. Some big companies pay up to $1 per word.
Travel Writing Job Eligibility
If you want to become a travel writer, you need to have great writing skills and a wealth of experience in the industry. You will have to visit dozens of countries or live in major tourist sites, in order to make the work convenient and doable. Also, you will need to do your best to produce quality content for your company. After traveling to a certain destination and experiencing it, you will be required to record your observations about the place. You may also be required to take photos that will accompany your write-up. Because of this, having adequate technology is essential, such as a camera, working computer, etc.
It is often not required to have a degree in English or writing to attain a travel writing job, although having at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field can do wonders for helping you increase your rates.
How to Apply for Travel Writing Jobs
Today, with the stiff competition in the freelance writing job market, applicants have become more aggressive. But fear not. We’re here to help you.
Applying for travel writing jobs is a relatively simple process if you look in the right places. Start by networking with other writers. Email or call two or three experienced travel writers, and ask any questions they’re willing to answer. The questions can be about how to get travel writing clients, how to set your rates, etc.
Secondly, it’s useful to know that a never-ending supply of travel writing job postings is readily available on Internet platforms like Upwork, Craigslist, Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, ProBlogger, and Freelancer. On these platforms, you can create accounts and start applying for jobs right away. Note that some websites have more competition to sift through, such as Upwork and Fiverr, which don’t charge any user fees.
Travel writing can be a lucrative career. After all, who wouldn’t want to get paid to travel the world? However, it is not just a vacation. You are working while traveling, which means you should treat it as you would any full-time or part-time job that you rely on for money. If you think you could succeed as a travel writer, what are you waiting for? Get started looking for a gig today!
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