Travel Writing Guide: 4 Tips for Travel Writing

Travel writing, also known as travel literature, is a broad, loosely defined genre that includes travel blogs, memoirs, journalism, short stories, historical non-fiction, nature books, and guidebooks. The earliest known records of travel literature date all the way back to the second century. Since then, travel writing has provided readers with entertainment, inspiration, and education.

The path for aspiring travel writers is as broad as the genre itself. If you're considering a career in travel writing, learn about a few potential career paths.

1. 1. Travel journalism: Travel journalists travel the globe for the purpose of discovering and reporting facts. Travel articles are objective, reported articles that typically tell the stories of other people and places as opposed to a personal narrative. Travel journalists could be freelance writers or work full-time for a media or news outlet. The Internet is brimming with travel websites eager to publish good travel journalism. If you've had unique encounters on your journeys that have revealed something new or underreported, pitch your story idea to the travel editor at an online publication.
2. 2. Travel blogging: Travel bloggers share first-person accounts of life on the road. Blogs have a low barrier for entry because it's easy to start one for free. Blogging is a great way to quickly publish your travel stories and discover your personal writing style. You can build up enough of an audience to monetize your blog or use it as a portfolio to share with travel magazines, websites, or publishers who might be interested in paying for original assignments.
3. 3. Travel guides: Travel guides are the bread and butter of the travel industry because tourists all around the world rely on guidebooks when visiting a new place. To begin your career writing travel guides, consider starting at home. Explore your own city and make a list of all the places you'd suggest a newcomer should visit.
4. 4. Travel memoirs: Writing a travel memoir involves reflecting on your past travel experiences and how those experiences shaped your worldview. Depending on your purposes, you can self-publish your travel memoir or pitch a synopsis to traditional travel book publishers.
5. 5. Travelogue: This catch-all term is used to reference any film, book, podcast, or essay about traveling. If your words need images to bring them to life, a script or screenplay based on your far-flung adventures may be the most compelling way to present your travelogue to the world.

Good travel writing has the power to transport readers to fantastic new places. If you're looking to hone your writing skills, consider these travel writing tips before penning your next travel piece.

1. 1. Write from a unique point of view. Your point of view is your specific reason for writing a travel piece. What are you hoping to accomplish with your writing? Perhaps you want to inspire people to travel to an overlooked corner of the world, share the stories of a specific group of people, or help first-time tourists navigate a city. Knowing why you're writing and the unique perspective you have to offer is the best way to make sure your piece connects with an audience.
2. 2. Show, don't tell. The best stories do more than tell readers information about a place, they paint a vivid picture. Take detailed notes that include specific descriptors about what makes the place you're traveling to unique.
3. 3. Be a good reader. To avoid common clichés and hone your own perspective, read other pieces of travel writing. Staying up-to-date on the latest trends and themes will help you craft new ideas.
4. 4. Be honest. Not all trips go according to plan. Including moments of disappointment and difficulty will both make your writing more authentic and give readers the opportunity to learn from your experience.

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