The growth of the internet has provided numerous opportunities for writers to spread their wings and express themselves more fully to a potential global audience. The worldwide scope of the internet is also one of the reasons that people feel more connected and inquisitive about the world they live in – leading to an increased desire to book a plane ticket in order to visit the fantastic destinations that feel only a click away. If you’re looking to save up some money in order to satisfy your internet-inspired wanderlust, then you might be interested in writing travel articles for the increasing number of outlets that exist online. If you’re looking into establishing the foundations of a career in this type of writing, there are a few factors that can give you the edge:
Find a Niche
So, ever since you were in your early teens you’ve wanted to live in Paris and write about it? Well, it’s a cliché, and there are many, many, fluent English speakers who’ve been living in the French capital for decades. You’d have to be incredibly specialised to find an editor willing to take on an unknown to cover the Parisian beat. If you’re a native English speaker, it will usually help if you’re writing travel articles from a location that doesn’t have English as its majority language.
Know the Place you’re Writing About
It really helps if you happen to be based in the location you’re covering but, of course, this isn’t always possible. That said, if you aren’t on the ground, then are you really the best person to be covering that location? If you’re covering somewhere from afar, and you’re using the internet to do all of your research, you’ll quickly get found out, and for some reason, the anonymity of the internet allows people to spit bile with reckless abandon; so if they think you don’t really know what you’re talking about, or they spot numerous inaccuracies, they may well turn up to shred you and your travel articles.
Offer Something Different
It doesn’t matter where you’re writing from, but you’ll find that there is almost nowhere on earth that isn’t the subject of at least one travel article. This is the nature of those who write about the world in which we live. Their voracious attitude leaves few stones unturned, so you can help yourself by adding a fresh spin to a location. Don’t cover the most obvious tourist stuff, get under the skin, offer a new look.