Travel writing has always been a popular genre and authors have been writing popular travelogues for centuries. From Faxian to Ibn Battuta to Bill Bryson, travel writing has captured the imaginations of many people. Even in the internet age when people have information about any place at the tip of their fingers, evocative travel writing still has a place. Read on to learn how you too can become a travel a writer.
1. Start local
Travel writing is not all about far-off exotic places, though those are fun too. But they are expensive and you might only be able to take one or two such trips a year. So what do you do during the rest of the year? This is the time you look around you and write about your own city. Every place is a tourist destination for somebody else, even if it is home to you. Talk about the local cultural festivals, the food, the shopping niches and specialties of your city. Visit forts, hill stations and neighboring towns over the weekend and write about them. Slowly and steadily, you will build up a large travel portfolio.
2. Blog away
One advantage modern writers have over the older travel writers is to have your work easily distributed to a large number of people. Start a blog, put up a site, and get an online presence. This is essential when you want to apply for work in magazines and newspapers. Put up your itinerary on your blog and let potential employers see your work. This also works if you want to write a travelogue. Let your readers get a taste of your travels and make them want to buy your books.
3. Discover a niche
A travel writer will find a lot of things interesting on their travels, and might want to write about all of them. But some things appeal more than other things. For some people, it might be food. Different regions can have different varieties of food and culinary traditions, which can be great to explore. Similarly, the same religion is practiced in different ways in different places. There are travel writers who seek out different destinations for adventure activities, while others talk about budget travel. Whatever you choose, there is enormous scope to develop within that particular niche.
4. Travel
This seems like the most obvious thing to say but you would be surprised at how many potential travel writers think you can write from the comfort of your home. Yes, it can be done but it will lack the excitement and emotion that writing about a genuine trip brings forth. Anyone can get information about places from the internet. What makes it truly unique is your personal input. Actually visit the places you are writing about and don’t rely on your family and friends for this. Their travels are their stories, not yours.
5. Take photographs
Travel writing goes hand in hand with travel photography. A photograph is worth a hundred words and it is one of the ways you can connect with your reader. Make sure that you understand the basics of photography, and try out different perspectives. Take photographs with and without you in them. Your photographs need to be high resolution so they can be printed out and published in magazines.
Image credit: Esmar Abdul Hamid on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0
Kavitha is a freelance content writer and French translator, and has been working in this field since 2008. She has degrees in computer applications and international business and has a background in business and international trade. She enjoys learning languages and is currently learning Japanese. Her interests vary from books and writing to travelling and history.