Travel writing as a career is an interesting choice; it’s non-fiction but also often referred to as creative non-fiction. What do we mean by travel writing given the wide range of elements you can cover? Here are some examples of topics travel writing covers:
- Destinations, whether at home or outside your own country. Think of family or friends who come to visit for the first time and ask about local places of interest (which you have never been to as a tourist!).
- It can be traditional holiday destinations or more exotic, unusual locations such as South America which is becoming more popular.
- Holiday packages or self-arranged trips. Tour operators are all competing, of course, so focusing on a particular demographic or customer expectations is invaluable feedback for them, and for potential customers. Does the package provide what it says it will?
- Accommodation – not just on holiday but also when you need to find somewhere to stay overnight. For me, this is when I go to a theatre or airport hotels before the holiday starts. How far from the airport, do I need to get a shuttle to get a flight at 3.00am, is it value for money?
- Places to eat – restaurants, quick service snacks, special occasions, maybe themed food, or a pre-theatre treat.
- Wine – especially wine tasting, visiting vineyards, studying on short courses, or regional specialties.
- Entertainment – for me, this is opera and live theatre, including live cinema broadcasts nearer to home.
- Activities – depending on the group you are writing for, this can be anything. Popular ones are adventurous, lots of walking or cycling, the longest zip wire in Europe, (brilliant!) and special interest activities such as cooking, art, and writing.
My specialty is the mature travel market. What do they want from a trip, where do they want to go, and how do they research possible options? This is where travel writing and reviews are important. There are many review sites to explore, so you have to be careful about how far someone else’s experience can influence your decision. Also, check whether the site has a monitoring process in place rather than uncontrolled uploading of opinion.
I started by submitting short reviews about holiday destinations for mature travelers at Silver Travel Advisor. There are still a lot of my reviews on their site. Although, they now act primarily as a travel agent. I have attended several travel writing courses over the years, as you can always find new things to try out in your own writing.
I was asked to take part in several press visits for tour operators. The short reviews became more detailed three-part reports of up to 3000 words. When you have enough experience, it is important to join professional bodies where you can. So, I am a member of British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW) and my book How a Global Pandemic Changed the Way we Travel was shortlisted for their Best Narrative Travel Book in 2023. This book is a follow-on from the earlier book Targeting the Mature Traveler, both published by Business Expert Press in New York. Both of these publications resulted from me sending a formal proposal to the publisher and then receiving a contract. So, there is still an option for gaining traditional publishing contracts as well as self-publishing or focusing on magazine and journal articles.
Author Bio:
Dr. Jacqueline Jeynes PhD, MBA, B.Ed(Hons), B.A(Hons) is a member of NFAA and a member of Silver Marketing Association with members offering products and services to the mature 50+ age group. She is also a judge for their inaugural Awards in 2022. Jacqueline is an art historian writing about art history, drama, and opera. Jacqueline is also a business author who writes on risk management (publishers Taylor & Francis and BEP Ltd). She has been a published non-fiction author since 2000, the first book was based on her PhD research on health and safety in small firms. It was published by Elsevier following my submission of a proposal after she saw an advertisement in a trade journal. Based in Wales, UK, she was writer/tutor on four distance learning Art History courses for Aberystwyth University and self-published a guide called Walking Wales: The Art Lover’s Guide to Wye Valley Way. She cares for my husband, Leslie, and we are writing the next book on travelling after a colostomy operation Have Bag, Will Travel! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-jeynes-5a8951b6/ Website: https://www.jacquelinejeynes.com
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