Great Escape Publishing

Posted March 26th, 2009 by Bonnie Caton & filed under Travel Writing.

In business since 1980, today’s Featured Publication, Specialty Travel Index, showcases all kinds of travel tours, from family to adventure to singles to volunteering.

The site’s print and online publication, Specialty Travel Index Magazine, is read by travelers (mostly in the 50+ crowd) as well as travel agents. It’s only published twice yearly, but it’s 90% freelance written, and pays a minimum of $300 per travel article.

If you’ve ever taken part in a group tour, you could easily write an article to submit here. As always, remember to do your research. Start by checking out back-issues of the publication before writing your story… and the back-issues here are particularly revealing.

Once you read a few issues on the site, you’ll notice that articles here generally follow the same format. Think of it as a template to follow when you sit down to write your story.

In a typical Specialty Travel Index Magazine article, for example, the majority of the writing is a narrative about the writer’s experience in the destination, followed by a short “For More Information” paragraph, giving specifics on a group tour, and ending with a “Travel Tips,” or other practical advice section.

Here are a few articles from the magazine that follow this format:

“Cruising Alaska’s Panhandle” by Jim Cogan
http://www.specialtytravel.com/stories/stories.cgi?id=20181&from=home

“Inca Hot Springs” by Frank Richmond
http://www.specialtytravel.com/stories/stories.cgi?id=18761&from=home

“The Bunny Has Eyes!” by Vicki Johnson
http://www.specialtytravel.com/stories/stories.cgi?id=19281&from=home

You’ll find the rest of the articles archived here:

http://www.specialtytravel.com/stories/stories.shtml

There are no Writer’s Guidelines on the website, but you can email the magazine to request them. You can also read through over 100 archived stories for free, gleaning just about all the information you need. While you do, take note of the average article length (about 1,250 words), destinations and topics that have already been covered, and practical information included in each article.

If you have a group travel tale to tell, query first by sending an email here.

TIP: Be sure to mention any photos you have, as the magazine will negotiate pay for individual photos. However, you do need to be able to correctly identify the people in your shots.

[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.]