I’m a firm believer that one of the best ways to get into travel writing—or any writing, for that matter—is to find your niche. Take something you love, something you know, or something you’re good at, and make it your niche. My niche is India. I spent a few months in my early 20s backpacking […]
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” It was Walt Disney who first said that. And who could argue with it? Walt Disney dreamed bigger than most, and accomplished more. Sometimes we look at these super successful people with envy, but often, they’re just like you and me. Disney was once fired from […]
My sisters and I were sitting on the edge of the town pool, after a swim meet. It usually played like this: my younger sister would hold up a first-place ribbon. She was a fish in water and almost always won, anytime she entered a race. The grin on her face was infectious, you could not help but smile […]
Do you ever wonder why some people are more successful than others? What is it that allows them to overcome obstacles, to persevere and to succeed? Some say the key to success is persistence. Others say it’s influence or confidence. But I believe it’s a combination of all three. One of the coolest parts of […]
The place you call home may be a treasure trove of publication opportunities. When I attended the 2014 Ultimate Writer’s Workshop in San Diego, presenters emphasized the importance about “starting local.” I took that advice to heart. How and where to find local publications is a question for many new writers. It was for me […]
Any industry has its prestige places to work or things to achieve–things that everyone in the industry aims for and when added to your resume make a real difference to future job offers. Travel writing is no different. For travel writers, the prestige place to have your work published is airline in-flight magazines. These beautifully-produced, […]
A heron sits motionless at the edge of the canal, seemingly unperturbed by the hundreds of bicycles zooming past just a few feet away. The sun is bright, but the air is comfortably cool, and the smell of a sweet batter cooking – perhaps for stroopwafel or appeltaart – wafts past in the light breeze. […]
Just last week, a survey by Skift revealed that 41% of Americans failed to take any vacation days in 2015. And, 17% of us only took half our vacation days or less. How crazy is that? Why are Americans so afraid of taking their vacation time? The main reasons given by employees for these little […]
For travel writers, getting invited on a press trip is like making it to the Super Bowl. It’s the culmination of strategy, tactics, and hard work. If you’re a beginner, it might seem like an impossible goal, but it’s not rocket science. If you follow the game plan below and stay in the zone, you’ll […]
Noreen Kompanik came to our Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop as the guest of a friend. Before then, she didn’t know what travel writing was or how to become a travel writer. In the next 12 months, Noreen sold 45 travel stories… and is looking forward to many more adventures (and by-lines) when she retires from her […]
