If you’re interested in travel writing, but don’t know where to start, this is the blog post for you. In this post, we’ll give you tips on how to become a travel writer and get your work published. We’ll also discuss what kinds of writing skills you need to be successful in this career. So, whether you’re just starting out or you’re looking to take your travel writing career to the next level, keep reading!
The following post is a complete guide on how to become a travel writer. Use this as your key resource if you want to learn more about job requirements, salary expectations, and tips for getting started!
How much does a travel writer make? Is there a demand for travel writing?
The pay for travel writers tends to be per article and varies wildly. It depends on where you write and the topic you’re writing about. You can expect travel blogging to pay anywhere from $10-20 per hour, while travel magazine articles start at $100 and top out around $3000 for a 3,000+ word travel essay.
What travel writing jobs are out there?
Travel writers can be paid to work for travel companies, travel magazines, tourism boards, travel websites/blogs, or any other travel industry partner looking to spread its message. Be wary of travel writing scams though! Make sure to read my tips on spotting travel writer scam jobs further in this article. It will help you avoid travel writing jobs that promise unrealistic salaries or ask you to pay “licensing fees” to travel writing companies.
What skills are required?
Aside from travel experience, the only other requirement is the ability to write well. Given this, travel writers come from all backgrounds and walks of life; your education level or work experience does not matter. The travel writing industry cares far more about your travel writing skills and how well you can communicate than where you studied or what you did before travel writing full-time.
How quickly should I expect to get travel writing work? What travel experience do I need?
If you’ve got the travel writing skills required for the job, you could start getting travel writing work within a few weeks or months. You won’t need to travel much in the beginning, but once travel companies start seeing your travel articles, they’ll want you to go on trips for them!
If you’re really short on travel experience, don’t worry; there are plenty of ways to begin building your travel credentials quickly. The easiest way is by writing travel articles for yourself and sharing them online through your own blog or travel website. This tells travel companies that you have the skills and that people will read your work! Start a travel blog.
There are some upfront costs such as a domain and web host which can total about $150 to $170 USD. I use Bluehost as my website host and google domains for my domain, however, there are cheaper plans and alternatives out there. If you love to write but aren’t sure where to start, reading up on how to become a travel writer is a great way to help you avoid travel writing scams and get on the right path towards travel writing success!
Is travel writing lucrative? How do I make money as a travel writer?
It’s actually pretty hard to make serious, full-time money through travel writing alone. Yes, some travel writers earn six figures each year by doing freelance travel articles for magazines and tourism boards around the world, There are a few of these jobs for new travel writers, however, they are relatively uncommon. You’re much more likely to spend your time building up your portfolio while working another job that pays the bills.
Travel blogging can very profitable though! If you travel write travel articles for travel companies and tour operators, you’re likely to get a decent salary with full-time travel writing work. Don’t forget about travel blogging! Travel blogging can take a few months or even years to start generating serious revenue. However, once it does, travel bloggers can make up to six figures per year depending on traffic and ad earnings.
What are some tips for finding the best travel writer jobs?
To find travel writing jobs that aren’t scams, do your research first. Check out my blog post on spotting travel writing job scams, then follow these steps:
- Apply directly on company websites. If you want to be paid for travel writing for tourism boards, museums, etc., apply through their website since they list all travel writer jobs there.
- Subscribe to travel writing company email lists. If travel companies have an email newsletter, it will usually feature travel writing job listings that they’re currently hiring for. Just sign up and wait!
- Network with travel writers online. Join Twitter travel chat groups, Facebook pages, Google+ communities, Instagram travel quote sharing accounts, discussion boards for travel writers, etc., so you can stay up to date on what’s happening in the travel writing industry. You’ll hear about new companies hiring for remote work opportunities faster this way!
- Look out for traveling full-time remote work opportunities. Some tourism boards might want you to visit their country frequently during certain times of the year. I’ve even seen some summer or winter travel writer positions that require travel every 2-3 weeks.
- Build your travel writing portfolio. Once you begin to travel write travel articles, you’ll be able to show potential employers the quality of your travel writing. Remember, travel companies will want to see how many people read your travel articles online! Make sure they’re easy to find by using hashtags, linking back to your blog or website, and including keywords (wherever possible).
What are some tips for making money with remote work opportunities?
Avoid scams. When applying for remote work opportunities, look out for red flags that might mean the company is a scam. Some questions you can ask yourself are: Does the job listing charge a fee? Is it offering full-time travel writer positions after a short travel writing course? Does it say you’ll make thousands of dollars overnight? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, watch out! The travel writing industry isn’t as glamorous as it seems at first glance.
Remote travel writing jobs are few and far between. Some companies refuse to hire remote travel writers, but this depends on what countries they’re based in (and which countries you want to travel write for). With that said, there are some travel companies that only hire remote travel writers!
There are travel companies hiring travel writers worldwide, but only a few of them hire remote travel writers. To find travel writer jobs, follow the steps above, check out my post on spotting travel writing job scams, and spend some time building your travel writing portfolio!
What type of travel writer should I be?
Depending on your location, you might want to focus more on digital nomad travel writing work while traveling (passing through places like Thailand). Or stay in one location for a while and pursue regular travel writing employment (like teaching English and building up a travel blog). Not sure where to start? Check out my article on the best cities to become a digital nomad!
Conclusion
Becoming a travel writer is not as hard as one might think. With the right tools and some practice, anyone can write engaging and captivating stories about their travels. We hope this article has given you the information you need to get started on your own writing journey. Are you inspired to start traveling more so that you can write about your experiences? Follow our Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter pages for more tips on how to become a successful travel writer.