November 20th, 2009

Tim Leffel Wants to Hear Your Thoughts For A New Book on Travel Writing

By Nicholas | Add a Comment »

Author of World’s Cheapest Destinations and publisher of the excellent ezine Perceptive Travel, Tim Leffel, is working on a new book on Travel Writing. He’s looking for professional and aspiring travel writers to let him know what they want to learn about travel writing:

“I agreed to do a book on travel writing that will come out next year. It’s not the usual rundown on query letters and deadlines though. It’s going to be more about how “breaking into travel writing” is a lot different than it used to be and a map on to navigate the new digital age.

I’m not so bold to think I have all the answers, so I’ve got 52 writers from my network helping me out with their experiences, as well as a slew of editors with advice to share.

But it would be nice to hear what you’re dying to know. If you’ve ever wanted to make some money as a travel writer or you’re just curious about some aspect of it, what questions would you like to have answered?”

If you’re interested in helping out, leave a comment here.

November 11th, 2009

Written Road on Facebook and Twitter!

By Anna Brones | Add a Comment »

We love getting feedback and tips from out readers, so be sure to check out our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Just another way to stay in touch and up to date on everything that’s happening in the travel publishing industry!

November 10th, 2009

Translators and Language Specialists Needed for Where I’ve Been

By Anna Brones | Add a Comment »

Although this market lead isn’t directly related to travel writing, many traveler writers out there are also used to taking advantage of their language skills for translation services. This post is just for you!

The travel site Where I’ve Been is currently looking to expand its community by making it accessible in multiple languages. They’re looking for people capable of translating the following languages:

-Italian
-French
-Polish
-Portuguese
-Spanish
-Mandarin Chinese
-Arabic
-Russian
-Japanese

Email eddie[at]whereivebeen[dot]com for more information and to discuss compensation.

More info here.

November 3rd, 2009

AOL Wants Travel Bloggers for Miami, Charlotte, Boston & Honolulu

By Anna Brones | Add a Comment »

AOL Travel is currently seeking freelance city bloggers for Miami, Charlotte, Boston and Honolulu. It’s an ideal gig if you’ve got the lowdown on everything that’s happening in your city, particularly the following subjects: Nightlife, Food/Restaurants, Shopping, Arts & Culture & Hotel Beats.

Requirements:
Experience with travel industry with a focus on ‘real scoop’
Integrating links to guides in posts
Posts between 150-300 words
Must be familiar with HTML and capable of publishing own posts
Must live in the destination you will be blogging about
Must be able to turn around write witty, engaging posts quickly
5 posts per week

Submission requirements:
Samples of published writing clips (preferably including blog posts)
Resume and a list of qualifications and past writing/travel experience
Contact info, including permanent address
Length of time it takes you to turn around a blog post of 250 words on a current event
List of beats/destinations you have experience covering
References

How to apply:
Send an email with submission requirements to TravelSubmit[at]aol[dot]com

*The gig is paid based upon experience, starting at $15 per post.

August 24th, 2009

AOL Seeks Travel Bloggers; Various Locations

By Nicholas | Add a Comment »

AOL Travel has an opening for Travel Bloggers in approximately 25 different markets.

Requirements:
a) # of posts per week: 1-2 posts per day (half free-form on what’s new and hot in city, half guided by assigned theme)
b) Integrating links to guides in posts.
c) Post length: between 150-300 words
d) Must be familiar with HTML and capable of publishing own posts
e) Must live in the destination you will be blogging about
f) Must be able to turn around write witty, engaging posts quickly
g) Experience with Travel industry with a focus on ‘real scoop’ for our end users, ‘Insider Information and Tips’ slant, ‘In The Know’.

Locations:
-Amsterdam
-Atlantic City
-Austin
-Boston
-Bahamas
-Cancun
-Charlotte
-Chicago
-Dallas
-Denver
-Ft. Lauderdale
-Honolulu
-Las Vegas
-London
-Los Angeles
-Miami
-Myrtle Beach
-New Orleans
-New York
-Orlando
-Paris
-Rome
-San Diego
-San Francisco
-Washington, DC.

The Pay: Competitive based on experience, starting at $15 per post.

To Apply:
-Send samples of published writing clips (preferably including blog posts), a resume and a list of qualifications and past writing/travel experience, contact info including permanent address, length of time it takes you to turn around a blog post of 250 words on a current event, List of beats/destinations you have experience covering, and references to TravelSubmit[AT]aol.com.

August 18th, 2009

Guide Gecko Announces Contest

By Nicholas | Add a Comment »

I have been trying to avoid listing contests details on Written Road, but this one seems unusually cool. GuideGecko is an online travel bookstore that sells ebooks and PDFs of many rare, out of print, and hard to find travel guides, many of which are self published. For anyone that self publishes a guide (bloggers, aspiring writers, published authors) they are entered into a contest to win a trip to showcase their own guide at the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair in October. You will have the chance to smooze with publishers and maybe even sign a contract.

“Guides can be new publications or may have previously been published on GuideGecko or elsewhere. Participation is free and authors receive full royalties for their submissions. Authors also retain all copyrights of their work - we are as happy as you if you strike a good licensing deal on the fair and need to remove your guides from GuideGecko.”

Guides may include:
•Travel and Sightseeing Guides
•Food & Dining Guides
•Nightlife & Party Guides

Second and third prizes will also get your book on display at the fair, though you won’t be there in person. Entries must be recieved by September 24. Visit the contest homepage for more info.

August 14th, 2009

Free E-Book From Matador: 15 Paying Travel Magazines That Want Your Travel Writing

By Anna Brones | Add a Comment »

Over at Matador they’ve whipped up a pretty sweet PDF titled 15 Paying Travel Magazines That Want Your Travel Writing. Should be an excellent resource for anyone who is looking to get into their travel writing career or just needs a bit of inspiration for where to send queries.

All you have to do is put in your name and email and they’ll send you the free pdf download. Click here for more info.

August 7th, 2009

AFAR: A New Travel Magazine!!!

By Nicholas | Add a Comment »

Yesterday I received the premier issue of AFAR magazine in the mail. I was beyond impressed. There were travel stories about off beat international locals and there wasn’t a tie in to a Marriot resort to be found anywhere. There is a write up of South African Bunny Chow, a street food. An entire spread of just feet from around the world. Their feature on Morocco wasn’t about the new “it” spot in Marrakech, but a drive through the Atlas Mountains and interactions with Berber tribes. The back page features a story by Tim Cahill. It was extremely refreshing.

The magazine was conceived by the two founders, Joe Diaz and Greg Sullivan, over beer on the beach in Goa, India and is intended to represent the growing movement in experimental travel, which for Americans is generally a new concept. They have brought in a very talented group of editors who helped launch and run numerous successful publications. Having several assignments in the pipeline for AFAR I have been taken aback somewhat of how organized they are how much the concept really seems to mean to them. When every other magazine seems to be going down the drain, I really appreciate this. It makes it so much easier to be a writer when the editor is happy and believes in what they are doing.

The magazine is ambitious. For their six annual issues, they hope to have 300,000 subscribers by 2010 and also launch a website, books, radio, TV projects, and offer students yearlong study abroad scholarships. With most of the people I know rarely leaving Ohio, a concept like this is very welcome. The magazine officially hits newsstands August 18.

August 3rd, 2009

Job Lead: Assistant Editor for Spirit Magazine

By Nicholas | Add a Comment »

Spirit, the inflight magazine for Southwest Airlines, has an opening for an assistant editor in their Dallas office.

To apply:
E-mail resume, clips, and cover letter to Associate Editor Mike Darling at mike.darling[at]paceco.com.

July 27th, 2009

Be Trazzler’s first travel writer-in-residence, in New York City

By Kelly Pipes | Add a Comment »

News of Tazzler’s Summer Travel Writing Contest has just come my way.

And the theme is … (they must have known what I’m currently craving) … ‘Oasis’.

Oasis
1. n. a fertile or green area in an arid region (as a desert).
2. n. something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast.

Tazzler want to read about that special place in the world that not only satisfies your thirst for a change of scenery, but goes beyond this, breaking the spell of everyday existence and providing the “refuge and relief” that we all crave, especially in the summer.

It’s an open subject and could cover anywhere, from an urban park or an unforgettable meal in a restaurant, to a swimming hole on a hot summer day or a museum where you lose yourself for hours. As long as it’s a place of extreme beauty, culture, respite, or relaxation.

There are 14 writing contracts to be won:

• 1 Grand Prize: $10,000 contract to be a two-week writer-in-residence in New York City and write 30 Trazzler trips covering the five boroughs of NYC. Hotel accommodations (14 nights) provided by AKA luxury hotel residences. Round-trip airfare provided by JetBlue. Read the rest of this entry »