Resources for Writing Travel Articles and Books
Travel Journalists Share Basics of Writing for Magazines and Guides
Aug 10, 2008
Successful writers know almost instinctively how to compose effective sentences and paragraphs. The practice gained over years of reading and writing has immersed them in language and, in a sense, has programmed their brains with prose structures and patterns.
It is possible, however, to jump start the process of learning how to write for multiple markets and various genres. Travel writing is just one example of a specialty area with its own styles and conventions that writers can learn.
To aid this process, several veteran travel journalists have outlined the craft and practice of writing for the travel market. These books are great places to start learning about travel writing. They are also valuable resources for published travel writers who are looking for a way to refresh their skills and approaches toward writing about journeys and destinations.
Popular Travel Writing Guide Books
Here are a few of the most popular instructional guides for travel writers:
- L. Peat O'Neil, Travel Writing: A Guide to Research, Writing Selling, 2nd ed., Writer's Digest Books, 2005. ISBN 978-1582973814.
- Don George, Travel Writing, Lonely Planet, 2005. ISBN 978-0864427427.
- Louise Purwin Sobel and Jacqueline Harmon Butler, The Travel Writer's Handbook: How to Write—and Sell—Your Own Travel Experiences, 6th ed., Surrey Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1572840843.
- Cynthia Dial, Teach Yourself Travel Writing, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill, 2006. ISBN 978-0071478816.
- Gordon Burgett, Travel Writer's Guide, 3rd rev. ed., Communication Unlimited, 2002. ISBN 978-0970862112.
Writers Learn by Example: Finding and Reading the Best Travel Books and Articles
Reading examples of well-crafted travel stories and books is the other part of the equation in developing travel writing skills. Staying fresh in the market requires a constant survey of old and new travel pieces to gain knowledge of the standards and stay abreast of developing trends.The books listed above contain model prose and suggested readings, of course, but there are many more places to look for recommendations.
As Adam Williams observes in 10 Greatest Travel Books of All Time, "Travelers and travel-oriented publications like to make lists of the 'best ever' travel books. But they don't always agree on what those books are." Nevertheless, he was able to compile his top-ten list by collating the book lists of popular travel publications National Geographic Traveler, WorldHum.com, BraveNewTraveler.com, Outside Magazine, and Conde Nast Traveler.
For a more literary slant, one can consider the choices of the International Society of Travel Writing that appear on its list of the best travel writing of the twentieth century.
For a selection of shorter works of contemporary travel journalism, the Best American Travel Writing series is a respected review of each year's best stories edited by a parade of well-known writers, including Jamaica Kincaid, Tim Cahill, and Anthony Bourdain. The series showcases works of travel writing that go beyond the ordinary went-there-saw-that formula.
View Getting Started as a Freelance Travel Journalist for more travel writing tips.
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