Written by Alli, Emma, Kelly, Lizzie, Paige, and Sarah
Introduction
As the world becomes increasingly intrigued by world travel, popular publications have responded by creating informative, exciting, and unique travel sections for the aspiring traveller. Aspiring travel journalists must decide which publication they want to pitch their ideas to and why. We have listed some travel publications below along with vital information aspiring travel journalists should know before contacting these organizations with a pitch.
A Publication for the Female Traveler…
Conde Nast Traveler
Conde Nast Traveler is a great platform for journalism that is distinct from all other travel platforms. What makes this particular website so unique is that it appeals to women who travel. Many of the articles promote feminism and female empowerment during travel. Women who travel is a prominent subtitle in the website and many of the articles are written by female free- lance activists pertaining to race, motherhood or even personal anecdotes written about travel. This seems to be a more modern component of writing and analyzing the culture of travel.
In order to attempt a piece of work that Conde Nast traveler will consider, it’s important to start with a small anecdote that will entice the reader. How might your personal experience relay into women and travel? What makes your story worth a publication? The theme is strongly centered around women, therefore, you want to focus your ideas on female roles during your travels. That could include how women are perceived or even the social norms related to women in your endeavor. Since the review goes through such an extensive process, I advise to be unique, refreshing and different from all the rest.
A Publication for the Foodie Traveler…
Bon Appȇtit
According to their site, Bon Appȇtit is “where food and culture meet.” They cover many different topics within the lens of food, but travel is arguably one of their most popular sections. They have a full staff of writers but also are known to accept freelance pieces. Bon Appȇtit falls under the umbrella of Conde Nast and is an extremely well known and successful publication, so freelance writing pieces are highly competitive and they receive a large volume of pitches. Clips should include links to past writing work, and the pitch should tie together food and travel in an interesting and original way. Bon Appȇtit is written in a conversational and relatable way, so a piece written in a more casual manner has a better chance of being accepted. Specifically, “BonAppetit.com is looking for mid-to-long form reported articles that reflect the food world right now; profiles of fascinating, awesome people in food; hot takes on minuscule details like folding pizza; and personal essays with a strong angle.” To pitch specifically for their travel section, one should tie in a topic such as these in combination with a new place or area.
A Publication for the Modern, Adventurous Traveler…
National Geographic
National Geographic defines itself as an organization in which “bold people with transformative ideas that help millions understand, value, and protect life on our planet.” The online and print publication includes content about animals, history, science, and travel. National Geographic’s largest areas of focus include “sustainable travel, nationals parks and wild places, UNESCO World Heritage sites, family travel, and stories that reveal the authentic qualities of places.” The National Geographic travel section is currently looking for pieces related to sustainable travel, tourist trends and over-tourism, destination itineraries, trip advice for modern families, and practical advice for accommodations.
The travel section is not looking for hotel reviews, product reviews, news stories, or bland destination reviews. Stories should have an angle or a specific focus that makes them authentic and different.To contact National Geographic with a pitch, email travelpitches@natgeo.com. In the initial email, they are looking for a brief, concise and researched paragraph that explains the idea for the story. Additionally, they want to know if you traveled on a press trip or accepted discounts. Additionally, the writer should include links or attach files of past publications for credibility purposes. National Geographic pays people who write for their travel section, but their website does not disclose how much or what an average payment would be. They also warn potential writers that they receive a high volume of pitches and therefore not every pitch will receive an email response.
A Publication for the Traveler Looking for the Best…
Forbes
Forbes is an American business magazine that publishes work regarding many different aspects of life, one being travel. Within the travel section, there are unique and well-written articles giving recommendations for trips and restaurants, international airport information and other useful information that can help anyone looking for travel inquiries. Forbes is made up of a large writing and editing staff as well as reviewers who are there to review submitted pitches from free writers. This highly competitive magazine makes the process of getting published intense. Reviewers receive a large number of pitches each week. Due to the competitive number of hopeful publishers, Forbes reviewers follow guidelines. Forbes states that they will not accept pieces of work that have been published elsewhere. It must be a piece that will be exclusive to Forbes. After a person submits a piece by emailing, ideas@forbes.com, they must give the reviewer five full business days to analyze the work. If the person who submits it does not hear anything in five days, they are allowed to submit their piece to another website or publisher. Not receiving an email back means that Forbes is not interested in the writing. Reviewers are extremely picky with the guest contribution pieces. The pieces can be however long, but they should be concise and focus on one aspect of travel that has not been written about recently. Forbes wants travel information that can only be found on their website to make their travel section stand out from the rest. Try and find information and recommendations that have not been discovered. People want to feel like a local, not a tourist.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/
A Publication for the Traveler that Does It All…
Matador Network
According to Matador Network, they are the “industry-leading collective of travel writers, editors, photographers and filmmakers.” Matador Network is a great resource that allows people to search through many different topics including: Food and Drink, Lifestyle, Culture, Family, Outdoor and Travel. Their website gives interesting, helpful information that allows travelers to gain insight into the experience they are embarking on or can spark an interest into a new, obscure place.
Matador Network receives thousands of pitches, so it is vital to make your pitch stand out. They help writers to do so by giving them some helpful guidelines on their website. It is extremely important to present yourself and your work in a sincere way. Always go the extra mile and address the reader by their name rather than “Miss or Sir.” Make sure to keep your pitch short, interesting and adapted to what you think the reader would like. At the moment, Matador Network is looking for members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of color writers to write pieces that are directed to the people of their community. Include links to your most recent work to allow the recruiters to see your style of writing. If you would like to submit your pitch to Matador Network use this link: https://creators.matadornetwork.com/.
A Publication for the Bucket List Traveler…
The Guardian Australia
The Guardian Australia is a daily newspaper with a large travel section. They are an independent organization and state that the only reason they exist is to create excellent journalism. They have an “open journalism” policy and hire many freelance writers. In order to write freelance for the Guardian travel section, one needs to contact the commissioning editor of the travel section, Lenore Taylor at lenore.taylor@theguardian.com. They suggest briefly outlining your piece instead of sending the whole article. If the commissioning editor offers to take a look at your proposed contribution, then you should submit the piece electronically. Payment for freelance is at their “normal rates” unless agreed otherwise before publication according to their website. Other advice they offer for travel writers is to write in the first person past tense and to make sure the story is a personal account that is interwoven with facts. Generally, writers start their piece with a strong yet brief anecdote of the trip to grab the reader’s attention. It is important to start with something interesting, not just what was the first thing to happen. It is key to have a narrative thread throughout the piece and to make a point by the end of the article. They also suggest avoiding cliches but using quotes from people from the trip. The piece should show the writer’s personality. Lastly, it is crucial to tell the reader something about the place, not just a personal story. Travel journalism should add to the information already available in guidebooks and websites by finding off-the-beaten-path places. Remember, always show not tell in your piece!
AUSSIE TRAVELERS 