They won’t pay the bills, but winning competitions such as these will certainly buoy the spirit of aspiring travel writers and photographers. Both definitely sound worth a punt to me, if only as a chance to polish your prose and pictures. Plus, there are prizes to be won!
As Fodor’s may also feature your pictures on their website and in their 2010 Florida book, I’d recommend looking out for your work and adding it to your portfolio.
Fodor’s New Photo Contest – Win a trip to Miami for 4
For a chance to win the Grand Prize of a 3 night/4 day trip for four to Miami, share your favourite photo from a trip you’ve taken to Florida, along with the story behind it.
Ten runners-up winners will have their photo featured in a slideshow on Fodors.com and will win a Fodor’s guide of their choice. In addition, a selection of contest entries will be featured in Fodor’s Florida 2010, a full-colour guide.
The “Show Us Your Florida” contest closes February 16, 2009.
Lonely Planet – Write a review competition
Lonely Planet are offering 35 prizes in total, from cameras, hostel and hotel vouchers to 6 Nintendo Wii, during their daily review writing competition. To enter you must register on Lonely Planet’s website, and review a restaurant on that website using the ‘Write a Review’ functionality.
Each day, 2 judges will review all eligible entries and the most interesting and informative review (as determined by the judges).
Also from the small print: On submission, your entry becomes the property of Lonely Planet, and you give Lonely Planet a worldwide, irrevocable licence to reproduce, publish, adapt, communicate and broadcast all or part of it in any form and media, and to sublicense those rights (including to our related companies, licensee publishers and partners). You also consent to us editing, re-using, storing, reproducing and communicating your entry in any medium. Generally, we will attribute you where possible, but in some circumstances, we may decide not to.
Again, if you don’t win a prize there’s always the chance of an extra link/cutting for your portfolio.
We all love a competition, so good luck!