Why? It’s so much work for such little pay. But I got a call last month and they got me when I was too busy to think about it. Funseekers is smartly rebranding themselves as Pulse Guides. And they needed someone who knows and loves Vegas to give them a revamp. So, I’m in Vegas humping up and down the Strip checking out all the new hotspots, working with PR people, eating more than I want to review restaurants, and doing my best to get online in a city that could give a rats ass about the Internet. The book will be respectable when I get done with it, but I need to be done before the end of the month. This could be the hardest I’ve ever worked on something. Maybe. Andrew Nystrom, you’re a saint.
But here’s the trick. Doing extra research in Vegas for this guidebook, is also the exact research I need to do for Viva Las Vegas Blog. I need to stay up on all things Vegas, period. And if I want to write another article for a newspaper or magazine about Las Vegas, it all ties in. The point is….if you’re just getting your start in travel writing or you’re in the middle of a frustrating article, spend a few minutes thinking about alternative uses for the research you’ve just done. More often than not, a different approach can lead to more work. And just the idea that it is possible, will provide a little relief.
That said, in the future, remind me I never want to be a guidebook writer. Too much work, too little pay.
Thanks for the discouragement–and I mean that! I keep thinking I want to get into the world of guidebook writing, but I’m constantly hearing that it’s not a good gig unless you have an edge–you live in that location, you’re doing multiple simultaneous assignments, etc. Still, it calls to me–I think the appeal of getting to travel in order to write. After all, isn’t that the ultimate dream?
This is the first time in a while I’ve been glad a dream gets smothered by the harsh reality of it all. Thanks for the reminder! (And good luck with the book. Would love to hear about the process when you’re finished.)
It’s true, so true – perfect timing to read this post, on a rainy afternoon while waiting for a ferry to Bulon Leh, from Pakbara. I’m currently in southern Thailand on assignment for an online guidebook.
We actually get paid a bit more than most guidebook writers (I believe), and we’ve not the tight deadlines as those who’ve got to make it into print. Still, it’d be nice to have plenty left over after the trip’s done!
Then again, you’re absolutely right about the “other angle”. I chatted with a man in Koh Phi Phi a week ago and have gotten an article out of it, and there are other writing ideas coming out of this, as well.
I live in Cambodia, and think when writing a guide, ideally one should live in the region. Not only is one more familiar w/customs and has more connections – the salary is more appropriate, too!
Isn’t the experience an intangible benefit that you should try to quantify? In other words, might this not lead to something else?
Willy, I think that’s my problem with the idea. Guidebook writing would be the ideal gig for me because it would let me travel. And it might also open doors to other gigs down the line. But as far as making it one’s day job, that’s tricky to do unless there are other ways to make revenue. While I’d love the experience, I wouldn’t be able to support myself on guidebook writing. At least not yet. And while I’m not the type who needs to be raking in the dough, I still have to cover bills, etc. But eventually, yes, I’d love to be doing this kind of work merely for the opportunity and a little extra pocket money. Uh-oh, you got me thinking about doing it again…
guidebook writing, yuk. one and done for me. But it does open doors into things that are actually appealing. and earns you the right to become a jaded, bitchy member of the worldwide brotherhood of ummm…jaded, bitchy guidebook writers
I think there is a lot of value in it. It does wonders for your resume and it makes you an expert in a particular location.
All I’m saying is that the overall experience, I doubt, is something I want to return to again and again. I did tell my editor, I’ll only do it for this city because I am currently totally tapped in to Vegas. If she offered it to me for another city, I’d have to say no. It’s hard enough work when you know the city, imagine how hard it would be to completely research and write a brand new book.
But yes, to get to travel….live the dream. And above all, work with what fits YOU. Not someone else. For some, guidebook writing totally works for them. And if you can get the work, it will lead to future work.
Good luck everyone! On all your projects!
Thanks, very interesting! 🙂
Interesting that most ppl seem to think the guidebook writing is not a great gig. I’ve been doing it (freelance – my real job is a grad student) for the past two years and have written updates to six guidebooks and authored two new ones.
I’ve had great experiences all around. For one, it does give you excellent material for travel articles, as Jen mentioned – you should always be looking for angles to sell articles. And the writing itself also pays quite well I’ve found. I’d guess that you can get around $4,000 for a month’s work, depending on who you work for. That’s about as much as I made working as a computer programmer.
To keep most of this money in the bank, you do need to be inventive and resourceful in getting in touch with tourist boards and hotels and restauranteurs so that you don’t end up footing the bill yourself, assuming the publishers doesn’t pay such expenses (none of the ones I know do). And at times you do really need to work all day – I’m talking 8am to midnight – researching by day and writing by night. And doing all you can to avoid hangovers that will slow you down.
To make the same amount of money selling newspaper or small magazine articles, by my accounts, I’d have to sell pitches to at least 10 different articles (to say nothing of dealing with the logistics for all those trips). The time and pain spent trying to convince editors to buy each individual article, as well as the back and forth spent with tailor editing the pieces to each individual publication…well sometimes I really prefer the guidebook gig.
But the best part, for me, is that because you have to be out all the time researching and getting to know the place in such depth, you get to meet so many people. If you’re dream job is a fiction writer you couldn’t ask for a better way to meet fascinating characters to inspire your writing.
I should probably disclaim that I’ve only written about places I’d either lived before, knew very well or really wanted to visit. I guess it can be a very subjective experience, but I can attest that it’s not always a bad one. Also working with positive, suppotive editors can make all the difference in the world.
I’d love to hear experiences from other guidebook writers to see if I’m really in the minority.