Travel correspondent jobs?

NewKidOldKid · Apr 4, 2010

Or something of that nature.
I'm currently living out of the country (in Southeast Asia) and keep thinking that there has to be some way of taking advantage of this situation. Besides querying travel magazines with specific story ideas, is there something else I could be doing? How do get a job as a travel/foreign correspondent with a specific newspaper or magazine? I'd love to have some sort of ongoing relationship with a newspaper or magazine but I have no idea how to get started. Any ideas?

Bushrat · Apr 4, 2010

Depending on where you're from and what you're doing over there, you might look into the following options:
-pitching a series of articles or a regular column to your local paper back home, about the daily adventures of an ex-pat in SE Asia
-look if there are any travel/art/culture magazines that focus exclusively on SE Asia and that you could whip up a number of articles for
-pitch articles on SE Asia to regular magazines and newspapers back home from different angles (i.e. fitness magazine: latest trends among the upper crust in SE Asia, compare with your home country, is this a trend that will find its way there; women's magazine: daily life issues for women in SE Asia, nutrition, school system; outdoor magazines: hiking and paddling trips; arts and culture magazine....you get the idea)

Basically, don't limit yourself to regular travel stuff. Scope out other interesting topics, always keeping in mind that the readership back home has to relate to it somehow.

Michael Wolfe · Apr 4, 2010

I'm going to Africa this summer and am also interested in travel writing. I'm still beefing up on it, but have found some interesting things. There's a book on Amazon I'm buying called "The Travel Writer's handbook: how to write and sell your own travel experiences." I can let you know, if you're interested, if it's any help.

Also, I have to ask, why don't you want to query travel magazines with specific ideas? That's perhaps the best option you have, especially if you want some kind of ongoing relationship with an editor. I would imagine an ongoing relationship (whatever that entails) would begin with you delivering at least one great piece, and then you'd go from there. For me personally, I've yet to query because I'm not 100 percent sure what I'll be doing in Africa yet, so I'll probably write once I'm there and then afterwards, as well. Whatever experiences I have will of course influence what I write. But if you've been living in SE Asia for awhile now, you should already have some material, either stuff you've already written or, at the very least, some experiences you've had that you can turn into some written pieces.

Btw, just out of curiosity, where in SE Asia are you?

Good luck!

NewKidOldKid · Apr 4, 2010

I don't mind querying magazines, but if you haven't done so already, you have yet to find how difficult it is to break into the travel market. Even if you query and sell an article to a magazine, that doesn't really help to establish a relationship with the editor. It might give you a small in, but it really doesn't make that big of a difference, especially with the biggest markets. You will still have to query future articles and wait (sometimes months) for an answer. I can do that, but I was hoping for something else, something ongoing, where I didn't have to query every piece but instead have assignments or pieces to turn in at regular intervals.

I've been living in Vietnam for a year and moving on to Thailand this May. Where are you heading to in Africa? My husband traveled around Africa for a year (this was before we started dating, a few years ago). He had an amazing time and incredible stories to tell. I'm trying to convince him to put together some sort of travel diary.

Michael Wolfe said:
I'm going to Africa this summer and am also interested in travel writing. I'm still beefing up on it, but have found some interesting things. There's a book on Amazon I'm buying called "The Travel Writer's handbook: how to write and sell your own travel experiences." I can let you know, if you're interested, if it's any help.

Also, I have to ask, why don't you want to query travel magazines with specific ideas? That's perhaps the best option you have, especially if you want some kind of ongoing relationship with an editor. I would imagine an ongoing relationship (whatever that entails) would begin with you delivering at least one great piece, and then you'd go from there. For me personally, I've yet to query because I'm not 100 percent sure what I'll be doing in Africa yet, so I'll probably write once I'm there and then afterwards, as well. Whatever experiences I have will of course influence what I write. But if you've been living in SE Asia for awhile now, you should already have some material, either stuff you've already written or, at the very least, some experiences you've had that you can turn into some written pieces.

Btw, just out of curiosity, where in SE Asia are you?

Good luck!

Michael Wolfe · Apr 4, 2010

I'm going to Kenya to do volunteer work, first in Nairobi and then in Mombasa. Outside of my volunteer work, I'm also hoping to do some traveling, both in Kenya and perhaps other places: Zanzibar and Tanzania are at the top of my list, and maybe Uganda and Rwanda, if I have enough time/money. Should be interesting, to say the least.

Good luck in your move to Thailand!

NewKidOldKid · Apr 4, 2010

Mu husband loved Zanzibar (he's a diver, so that has something to do with it). Nairobi, as I understand it, is quite dangerous at this time. Stay safe!

Michael Wolfe · Apr 5, 2010

I've never heard of ANYONE who didn't love Zanzibar, so I'm really hoping I get to go. As for Nairobi, it has a reputation of being extremely dangerous, but I think it's somewhat overblown. I hope I'm right, but if not and I make it out alive, at least I'll have some great travel writing material.

What is Vietnam like? Friends of my grandparents went to Vietnam several years ago, but I don't remember much about what they said about it. I remember my dad being shocked that they went - I wasn't, but I think for some Americans Vietnam still seems like a forbidding place, perhaps because of the war? I bet it's a beautiful country and I'd love to go there someday. Same for Thailand.

Bushrat · Apr 5, 2010

NewKidOldKid said:
I don't mind querying magazines, but if you haven't done so already, you have yet to find how difficult it is to break into the travel market. Even if you query and sell an article to a magazine, that doesn't really help to establish a relationship with the editor. It might give you a small in, but it really doesn't make that big of a difference, especially with the biggest markets. You will still have to query future articles and wait (sometimes months) for an answer. I can do that, but I was hoping for something else, something ongoing, where I didn't have to query every piece but instead have assignments or pieces to turn in at regular intervals.

For that, in my limited experience, the following things all have to come together: you'll have to be highly knowledgeable about the topic and preferably have unique viewpoint and/or information of interest to the readership on it, the topic has to be a perfect but so far undiscovered fit for the magazine or newspaper, and the editorial team has to really like your writing.

NewKidOldKid · Apr 6, 2010

Michael Wolfe said:
What is Vietnam like? Friends of my grandparents went to Vietnam several years ago, but I don't remember much about what they said about it. I remember my dad being shocked that they went - I wasn't, but I think for some Americans Vietnam still seems like a forbidding place, perhaps because of the war? I bet it's a beautiful country and I'd love to go there someday. Same for Thailand.

Nature is AMAZING here. Google Tam Coc, Danang, Halong Bay and Sapa and you'll get an idea of some of the scenery around. Sapa is my favorite, but maybe that's because I love cool mountain air. The beaches here are some of the best in the world.

Lots of foreign tourists here. People don't seem to hold a grudge towards Americans and this is honestly one of the safest places I've lived in the world. The history is also incredible (love the old pagodas). Hanoi is celebrating its 1000th birthday this year!

FreeWhistler · Apr 7, 2010

Hi, as a freelancer who's moving to South Korea in a couple months, I have an idea of where you're coming from. I'm struggling with the same question. And so far the best option I can see is to query as many publications as you can. Unfortunately, unless you make a lucky query, I don't see any quick way to becoming a regular stringer for a newspaper or magazine without having some really good connections or a well known name.

Just keep plugging away brother! Patience achieves all things.

NewKidOldKid · Apr 17, 2010

FreeWhistler said:
Hi, as a freelancer who's moving to South Korea in a couple months, I have an idea of where you're coming from. I'm struggling with the same question. And so far the best option I can see is to query as many publications as you can. Unfortunately, unless you make a lucky query, I don't see any quick way to becoming a regular stringer for a newspaper or magazine without having some really good connections or a well known name.

Just keep plugging away brother! Patience achieves all things.

Thanks. I should note that NewKid is a girl, though, so... "sister" would be more appropriate

I'm starting a blog about my querying quest, so stop by if you like. It would be nice to hear from others who are in the same position and share tips and ideas.

I'm still looking for more "permanent" things, though. Not giving up on that. Lonely Planet has a blurb on their site about looking for writers to take on short assignments here and there, so I'll be sending them a letter.

FreeWhistler · Apr 17, 2010

NewKidOldKid said:
Thanks. I should note that NewKid is a girl, though, so... "sister" would be more appropriate

Oh, my bad. It's so hard to tell through a computer monitor. Or maybe my astigmatism is getting worse. I can't say for sure.

But definitely don't give up on finding that more permanent job. I'd say the easiest way to get a regular job is to try the local paper. Find out who the city editor is and shoot them a query. If they like your work you'll likely end up writing for them pretty regularly. They'll even send you work. I've gotten some of my best stories that way. The pay is unconscionably low, though.

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