Trying to get my feet wet in the travel publishing industry, through my daily random and restless online search for inspiring travel sites, market leads and story ideas, I recently came across UK based TravelMag. Self-tagged as The Independent Spirit, the site has been up and running since 1997, and focuses on encouraging people to write about their travels, and promises to publish your story, should it be fundamentally good.
If you are trapped in the vicious circle of ‘send your published clips to apply but you have no published clips’, getting some of your writing published on decent, though non-paying websites such as TravelMag, might just give you the clip you need and will certainly give you the boost we all require once in a while.
The website is simple and basically publishes travel features, a mostly regular editorial, and has an active travel forum. Details on the website and submission guidelines can be found here.
Another online travel magazine always looking for interesting/thoughtful writers is Brave New Traveler (www.bravenewtraveler.com) As the editor, I love publishing interesting interviews, opinions, travel news analysis, and reviews of travel tools. check us out if you’re interested!
Hi Abha. You are new to Written Road? What’s your story (do you have a bio posted somewhere)? Hope you post regularly!
Travelmag’s been on my radar for a while. I’ve got something want to submit there. It’s a good combination for budding writers: strong writing, and accessible.
I’d love to get published online somewhere like http://www.travelintelligence.net, but that takes a hefty portfolio. Travelmag’s a good start.
Oops. The link above has a comma that shouldn’t be there.
First rule of writing: edit twice.
Ianmack: Always good to know about new travel websites that encourage budding travel writers, will check it out.
Kara: Yes, just started writing for Written Road, there should be a bio up on me soon. In the meantime, FYI, I blog for http://www.gridskipper.com and at http://www.abhamalpani.blogspot.com, incase you are interested in having a look.
Mikeachim: Travel Intelligence (TI) is a great site, but yes as you said, a toughy to get onto. However, they are approachable and respond to emails. I was told by one of the editors of TI once to start posting consumer reviews on hotels at the site, to build up some sort of portfolio, and then approach them again. Perhaps you could try out the same.
I’d personally go for the minimally paying markets first, like GoNomad and Transitions Abroad. A market that’ll publish anything “fundamentally good” is hardly better than a content site in terms of portfolio material (which is not to say all non-paying sites have low standards–but a lot of them do).
I would also recommend “Glimpse Abroad”. They are a group of former Brown students publishing both a website and paper-based publication for study abroad students. What appeals to me is that they want something something a bit more socially-conscious and academically- based.
I have also seen “Pology” and am in the process of submitting. Does anyone know of them?