Many people would love to travel the country, or maybe even the world. Unfortunately, most people only get one or two weeks off per year, so may not get to too many destinations each year, if any. However, if you become a freelance travel writer, you can get not only explore the world, you can get paid for doing so. It is a dream come true for many people, but there are a few things you should know before you embark on this career.
While a regular worker would be an actual employee of a magazine they write for, you as a freelancer would not be an employee, but rather a contractor. You may work with several companies at one time in actuality.
Usually, your boss or editor would give you an assignment, whether you liked it or not. As a freelancer, you would instead have to come up with your own ideas, then schedule a meeting to pitch the story to an editor. The idea could be for a magazine or newspaper column, an ongoing set of articles, or a single article, or even a book.
The person you pitched to can hire you for the one assignment only, or ask that you come back and contribute later. You would still be a freelancer, but with a recurring gig that could help you get some financial stability. You would generally still be able to pitch other ideas to other publications. The assignments could be reviews of specific hotels or attractions, or a city or state. You may even get to travel abroad.
Some pieces have a more specific focus, such as adventures and thrills, ecology, culture, food and more. You will usually have strict deadlines, so as soon as you arrive, you must get to work. You are paid per assignment, and may be asked to pay for your own expenses up front, with reimbursement to come later. In other cases, the editor will make and pay for the travel arrangements up front.
It is helpful in many ways to go to your meeting with copies of published pieces to help the editor decide if they would like to hire you or not. It is also helpful to have a degree, usually in English or journalism, but is not an absolute necessity.
Though you are not necessarily a journalist, when freelancing as a writer, you should still hold your self to the industry standards as observed by the Society of American Travel Writers. They stipulate that you should never copy from anyone else, even partially. You should not receive payment for a positive review, instead only accepting money for an objective review. Finally, always be considerate of hosts.
The life of a freelancer is fun and full of freedom, but it can also be a little more expensive due to extra expenses such as medical insurance. Since you are not an employee of any particular outlet, you do not get the benefits such as medical cover, sick leave, or vacation days. This is why you should think long and hard about how much money you can accept for each article while still having enough to live on. Plan not for an easier time financially later.
While a regular worker would be an actual employee of a magazine they write for, you as a freelancer would not be an employee, but rather a contractor. You may work with several companies at one time in actuality.
Usually, your boss or editor would give you an assignment, whether you liked it or not. As a freelancer, you would instead have to come up with your own ideas, then schedule a meeting to pitch the story to an editor. The idea could be for a magazine or newspaper column, an ongoing set of articles, or a single article, or even a book.
The person you pitched to can hire you for the one assignment only, or ask that you come back and contribute later. You would still be a freelancer, but with a recurring gig that could help you get some financial stability. You would generally still be able to pitch other ideas to other publications. The assignments could be reviews of specific hotels or attractions, or a city or state. You may even get to travel abroad.
Some pieces have a more specific focus, such as adventures and thrills, ecology, culture, food and more. You will usually have strict deadlines, so as soon as you arrive, you must get to work. You are paid per assignment, and may be asked to pay for your own expenses up front, with reimbursement to come later. In other cases, the editor will make and pay for the travel arrangements up front.
It is helpful in many ways to go to your meeting with copies of published pieces to help the editor decide if they would like to hire you or not. It is also helpful to have a degree, usually in English or journalism, but is not an absolute necessity.
Though you are not necessarily a journalist, when freelancing as a writer, you should still hold your self to the industry standards as observed by the Society of American Travel Writers. They stipulate that you should never copy from anyone else, even partially. You should not receive payment for a positive review, instead only accepting money for an objective review. Finally, always be considerate of hosts.
The life of a freelancer is fun and full of freedom, but it can also be a little more expensive due to extra expenses such as medical insurance. Since you are not an employee of any particular outlet, you do not get the benefits such as medical cover, sick leave, or vacation days. This is why you should think long and hard about how much money you can accept for each article while still having enough to live on. Plan not for an easier time financially later.
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