Great Escape Publishing

Posted September 22nd, 2016 by Lori Allen & filed under Travel Writing.

Writers sometimes think travel editors have secret agendas.

We think they’re unapproachable, unlike us, and maybe even a little mean.

But it’s just not the case. Many of them depend on freelance writers… and share information on their websites to help you in the door and get your travel story published.

In fact, the four editors we met today here in New Orleans couldn’t be any more like us if they tried. They’ve all been in our shoes. They all said they love working with freelancers. And they ALL told us to send them their stories if we think our idea fits their publication.

They laughed, they joked and they joined us for cocktails, which was great for those of us who could make it to New Orleans.

Here’s what they all agreed on:

They all want more digital content – articles their readers like to forward on social media or print out and take with them on a trip. These pieces tend to be more “service” oriented like hotel and restaurant reviews. Or roundups like: The 20 Best Beaches in California. (Hear their specifics about this here.)
If you have a sizeable Instagram or Twitter following, they want to know.
You need to at least flip through the last 12 magazines they’ve published before you submit your story to ensure you understand the types of stories they print, who their reader is, and what topics they’ve covered recently. If you can’t do this research, they won’t trust that the research in your story is that good either.
You MUST find a new way to write about popular destinations. (They gave us some great ideas, here.)
Not getting your article to them on or before your assigned deadline is a major faux pas.

Start today by going to your local library or bookstore and picking up magazines that are specific to your local area. Think about what you could write for them.

Tomorrow we hear from the “Queen of Free Press Trips” who’ll share her best tips with you…

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