Freelance travel writing has to be one of the most sought-after fields in the field as a whole. Everyone wants to think of themselves as the next person to write a travel guide that is known around the world. Even people who haven’t traveled much will want to be a part of this field.
Rule number one for good freelance travel writing is, of course, that you have to love this hobby a lot in the first place. You can’t just be “kind of” interested in traveling. You have to want to travel so much that it’s in your blood. Only then will you be able to write well-received freelance travel writing.
You should also have traveled at some point in your life. The best freelance travel writing comes from people who have been to many different places and seen many different ways of life. This will give them a chance to compare and contrast different places, which will make their content much more relevant and interesting.
If you’re lucky enough to have experience and a passion for freelancing as a travel writer, you’re already halfway to picking a job you’ll love. When you’re looking for freelance travel writing jobs, this is the topic where your proposal can really stand out. Make a note of the place(s) your client wants to go, and don’t tell them you’ve been there before to get the job. I’ve always found that clients like it when you’re honest, and they’re more likely to give work to service providers who are honest from the start.
If you have never done freelance travel writing before, you should get some samples of your work ready before you start sending out proposals for jobs. As a professional travel writer for many years, I can suggest that you get ready for the following:
Do five city guides for well-known cities that everyone knows about. Each one should be about 400 words and include the following: Overview; Things to See; Useful Information (this will include climatic statistics and information on how best to get to the city). Make sure these guides all look the same and as professional as they can.
Then, it would be a good idea to write a few more articles where you can really show how good you are at freelance travel writing. Here’s a suggestion: write one article about a Caribbean island (if you’ve been there, that’s even better), another about a place that’s really off the beaten path (South America, Cambodia, or Vietnam are popular right now), and the last one about the culture and history of a place. Talk about the history of the area and tell tourists about the best museums they can visit.
I’ve tried to make sure you write the minimum number of free articles before you bid on freelance travel writing jobs. Even with the small amount of work I’ve listed above, you should be able to use this as a sample for any kind of travel writing job. Pick the pieces that fit the work best.
