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Issue #404: How to Ditch The Travel Writing Cliches July 25, 2022 |
| Greetings Fellow Travel Writers! . . . and WELCOME all new subscribers. Thanks for joining us.
Featured PostHow to Ditch The Travel Writing ClichesNothing screams “amateur” to an editor more than a story riddled with travel clichés. Hands up if you’ve ever used any of these phrases or words in your travel writing . . .
sun-kissed lush greenery breathtaking beauty stunning landscape crystal clear seas sparkling blue water pristine beaches snow-capped mountains unique charm a quaint village a kaleidoscope of colors off the beaten track / path Worn-out phrases like these read like they were lifted from a destination advertorial. And they’ll effectively block you from breaking out of that bottom-feeding “top ten” and “listicle” travel writing hell. Using travel clichés is unoriginal. If you’re using them in your travel stories, you’re doing your freelance travel writing career a great disservice. And it reveals a lack of imagination to the travel writing world. You’ll prevent yourself from moving up into paying print media. Read this post to understand what clichés are -- and some sound advice on how to avoid using clichés in your travel writing
Upcoming PostsAug 1: Using Executive Summaries for Travel Writing SuccessAug 8: Six Tips to Save Time and Earn More Money Aug 15: Writing Free Travel Blog Content: Should You Do It? PitchTravelWrite.com Success StoriesRey Waters: A Travel Writing Success Story
With Travel Writing, My Life Cannot Get Any Better
“I enrolled in a travel writer’s course and published my first article in Travel Post Monthly. It was not long after, that I discovered Roy Stevenson’s travel writing books. His first book that I read was Get Published Now. It had a section that mentioned getting started in your own back yard. At the time we were living in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. My wife and I walked a two-mile hiking trail around a lake every day for our exercise.
During these walks we met all types of very interesting people. I pitched a story idea to our local newspaper and I guess you can say the rest is history.”
Pitch Travel Write: Most Requested Links About Building Your Travel Writing PlatformFor the professional 21st century travel writer a marketing platform is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ option — it’s become essential. Before the hordes of travel writers and bloggers entered the arena, you could slide by with just a decent story idea and a well-crafted query letter.But now, sales and marketing skills have become increasingly important— even critical — to get your stories published in the highly competitive print media field. What’s a marketing platform and what do you need to do? You’ll find all you need to know in these articles. You need a marketing platform to stand out from the thousands of other travel writers and bloggers that have taken up the freelance game in the past few years.
Inspirational Travel Quote
RESOURCES FOR TRAVEL WRITERSFeatured Book : Rock Star Travel Writers
Have you ever wondered how travel writers get their stories published in the top shelf travel magazines?
Our book, Rock Star Travel Writers, reveals—through a series of in-depth interviews—insider tips, tricks, and secrets that 10 leading travel journalists use to land assignments in the most prominent travel glossies, and be paid well for their efforts. I wish I had this information when I started out on my travel writing journey! If I’d known, early in my career, what successful travel writers were doing to get published in top flight magazines, it would have knocked a couple of years off my learning curve. You might ask, “What qualifies these contributors to offer expert advice on the art and science of travel writing?” The proof is in their bylines. Read through this (partial) list of their bylines. Collectively, these writers have had their work published in the world’s most prestigious and heavy hitter travel magazines like National Geographic Traveler, AFAR, BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, American Express, Robb Report, Business Jet Traveler, Australia & New Zealand Magazine, plus in-flights like American Way, Hemispheres, and Delta Sky, and many other prestigious publications. The detailed interviews get right down to the nitty gritty of travel writing. They tell the personal stories of these writer’s journeys and show how they’ve managed to get their stories published in the world’s most treasured travel publications.
Group Coaching Mastermind CommunityOur first Group Coaching Mastermind Community kicked off in October, 2020, and we’ve got a global group with members living in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Indonesia and the U.S. We're very excited about this group of writers and our new community! We added new members to our community in 2021 and they're getting to know the group and participate in writing activities.If you missed out on the opportunity to join earlier sessions, you can get on the waiting list for the next session starting later this year:
Did You Know . . .Our Complete Marketing Master Class for Travel Writers is ranked #1 on TravelWritersExchange.com’s Top Ten Travel Writing Workshops.Your next opportunity to attend these classes be in 2023. Our travel writing & marketing workshops are highly informative and a blast, socially. Our travel writing & marketing workshops are highly informative and a blast, socially. Get on our interest list for updates:
At Your ServiceCoaching
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Consulting PitchTravelWrite.com, is our information-packed website for travel writers. This e-zine, a series of travel writing books and reference guides, coaching programs, and our workshops all work together to give you guidance in this field. Our aim is to provide you with practical, nitty gritty information to help you gain entry into the travel writing realm and all the enjoyment that comes with it.
Awards and AccoladesWe're thrilled to announce that www.PitchTravelWrite.com is once again on The Write Life’s list of 100 BEST WEBSITES FOR WRITERS!You can see the entire list by visiting their website - click on the graphic to view the list now.
We're proud to announce that our travel writing website has made Writer’s Digest Magazine’s 2016, 2020, and 2021 101 BEST WEBSITES FOR WRITERS. Writer's Digest Magazine also lists us on their Best Genre/Niche Websites for 2021. Writer's Digest doesn’t bestow these awards lightly. And we’re the only travel writing website on their lists!
Friend me on FacebookMy Facebook page is about freelance travel writing. I frequently post about:• links to other well produced travel websites and blogs • links to my travel articles • magazine cover stories and back stories • links to resource pages • links to coaching and mentoring resources . . .and plenty of other useful information to get you up to speed Link to Roy's Personal Facebook page That's all for now. Until next week - just keep pitching! Roy Roy Stevenson |
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