Budget Travel Asks Readers to Weigh in (with Stories and Photos)
By Roberta Beach Jacobson in Karpathos, Greece
Budget Travel is turning 10 years old in 2008 and the editors plan to dedicate their June 2008 issue to their readers… that is, they want their readers to write the issue for them!
The editors are inviting you to submit travel stories and photographs to be published in that anniversary issue. You can get full details here: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/anniversary/
The list of what they’re after is extensive… and there is something for everybody to choose from.
For example, for the travel writer, they want you to pitch a feature story idea. It can be about anywhere in the world as long as the idea behind the trip is unique.
When you make your pitch, be prepared to include some details on what makes the destination you suggest special and why you think other people would like to know about it. The editors also want you to tell them why you’re the right person to write about this destination.
If you’re not up for writing a feature article, then you can consider writing on the following fun topics:
1.)A Life-Changing Trip: Your account of a trip you’ve taken that had an impact on your life. Specific, vivid details of your trip will make your letter shine here.
2.)Supermarket Souvenirs: Tell the editors about an item you picked up at a foreign supermarket on your last vacation. Send it to Budget Travel along with a description of what made you choose it and why.
3.)Cool Stuff: A $100 bill is yours for the taking if you can persuade the editors that an upcoming trip will reveal some fascinating finds in far-flung locales. Be prepared to write up your findings.
4.) Travel Tips for Your Pets: We all have little tips and trick for making Fido’s trip that little bit more comfortable, if you’d like to share yours, then Budget Travel wants to hear from you.
5.) Travel Mishaps: The most memorable trips are often the one where something goes wrong. Now you can share your insights from your hard-earned experience with your fellow readers.
If any of these topics sparks an idea for you, you can submit your article to Letters@BudgetTravel.com and include your name, phone, and email (they won’t share your contact info!).
And they haven’t forgotten to include photographers in this anniversary issue either. In fact, the editors want readers to submit their photos for consideration as the cover photo!
You can submit up to five photographs. However there is one caveat, if you are a professional photographer, you can’t participate.
Cover shot photos must be submitted via mail ONLY — even digital images should be sent on CD and mailed. You’ll find specifications for submitting photos along with details of where to send them at:
http://tinyurl.com/24xtuo
And if you’d like to be considered as the reader/photographer the editors are going to send on assignment to shoot a story, select your best pictures and post them on a website. Then send the link to Letters@BudgetTravel.com for the editors’ consideration.
The submission deadline for all of this stuff is December 31, 2007. Only one submission per person is allowed. The guidelines state that not all submissions will be included. (As you’d expect!) And if yours is chosen, be aware that the editors will edit for length and clarity.
Once you send in your story or photograph, it becomes Budget Travel’s property — intellectual and otherwise. Therefore, only submit stories and photographs that you won’t want to use elsewhere.
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]
Travel Writing Resources
How To Become A Travel Writer – The Easy Way
Easy Steps To Landing Your First Byline As A Travel Writer
Marketing For Travel Writers: 5 Ways To Get Started
22 Travel Story Ideas To Get You Published
