Become a Published Travel Writer in Less Than 3 Months

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Find more ways to make money overseas in International Living Postcards —your daily escape

Dear International Living Reader,

I live in Ireland; Sandra Kennedy’s home is near Portland in Oregon. We’re both travel writers but we could ply our trade from anywhere. Latin America, Asia, Europe—wherever.

Like me, Sandra doesn’t have a journalistic background. Travel writing is what she calls her “third career.”

“Steenie, it is absolutely amazing what has transpired. My next trip is to Ecuador for a month in September. It includes an invitation for a weeklong cruise in Princess Grace’s yacht that used to be moored in Monaco. No kidding…

“Also, I have an invitation to go to the Galapagos Islands on another yacht for five days, all expenses paid. Unfortunately, the times won’t work out during this trip because my schedule is so full.

“The tourism bureau has sent an invitation to stay at a dozen accommodations, all meals, and a driver for 13 days. In addition, I have an introduction letter to review hotels. This letter opened up a chance to stay at an Amazon lodge for three nights, expenses paid. Also, it opened the doors to a Relais and Châteaux hotel, and two boutique hotels in Quito.

“Recently, I have also been invited to go on a circular tour of boutique hotels in Mexico. I am NOT trying to brag, but wanted to share this information to show how exciting a travel writer’s life can be. Right now, I am busy catching up with articles from the Guatemala trip.”

I first met Sandra at an AWAI Travel Writer’s Workshop in Argentina in 2005. I was an instructor; she was a novice writer with dreams.

Now? Those dreams have come true. Sandra has more than 40 published articles to her credit. She recently enjoyed comped (free) trips to Chile and Guatemala. Many more of her stories are slated to appear in the next few months.

Interviewed by The Right Way to Travel about getting her initial break, Sandra says I “encouraged” her to write about renting a Buenos Aires apartment. Her very first travel article, it got published within three months.

I remember that “encouragement.” It was at breakfast, before the day’s session started. Not being an up-with-the-sun-type person, this is when I’m at my least charming. (Like life, I can often be nasty, brutish, and short.)

Nursing an awesome Malbec hangover, I was gulping down coffee and cigarettes, praying no attendee would disturb me. But along came Sandra with some questions. Being half-civilized, I stubbed out my breakfast into an ashtray. I tried my utmost not to snarl.

Even so, I suspect I hectored Sandra into dropping her original story and writing that Live Like a Local piece. Happily, my advice worked. And she got invited on her first press trip after having only two stories published.

If you can’t make one of our AWAI workshops (the other instructors are human even before 8 a.m.), I’d urge you to get hold of The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Course. It’s authored by former IL Editor Jen Stevens. What Jen doesn’t know about writing isn’t worth knowing.

Once you know the secrets to getting published, the world is yours. You can write full- or part-time from wherever you choose to live. You can get others to fund your trips. Plus, you’ll receive VIP treatment.

Although I haven’t experienced a royal yacht, I’ve sailed India’s Kerala backwaters on the same houseboat as Paul McCartney. (No, not at the same time.) Don’t know about him, but I was hosted for free.

Steenie Harvey
Roving Europe Editor, International Living

Editor’s note: Here in the IL office, we are always asking, “So, where is Steenie this week?” She could be looking for old stone cottages in a remote Italian hill town, sipping pear schnapps in a former communist capital, or getting chatted up by women on the island of Lesbos…you never know what kind of stories she will come back with. You, too, could have this exciting life. Find out more here.

Read related IL Postcards:

- Turn Your Vacation Snapshots Into Cash

- Your Passport to a New Life Overseas

- Cash in on Your Travels: Steenie's Insider Secrets