Aspiring and established travel journalists, it's not too late to sign up for the current National Travel Writing Month challenge. Modeled after National Novel Writing Month, this challenge for travel writers asks for 30 pitches in 30 days.
Before you panic, let me clarify that we're defining pitch rather loosely. If you wish, you can send out traditional query letters to niche print publications focused on travel, but let's face it, that's a shrinking market.
It's all about building your chops as a travel writer and putting yourself out there in the public view, so almost any activity that furthers your travel writing career can count toward your query total. And we're totally on the honor system, so you decide what counts.
You can write an entire travel article for publication by a new outlet, or even an existing one. You could also research and apply for a travel blogging job or a spot on a group blog, write a guest post for another writer's blog, collaborate with other writers on a collection of travel tips, or launch a whole new website.
But don't stop there. Write a chapter of your travel book, edit your manuscript, create a photo essay, enter a travel writing contest, or publish a travel photo. Consider submitting a query to a publication outside the traditional travel niche. The possibilities are wide open.
Yes, I'm promoting the challenge with some excitement. I got a lot of benefit from participating in the first two NaTraWriMo challenges, back in 2008 and 2009. I didn't achieve anywhere near the magic count of 30 pitches, but the experience was a boon for my development as a travel writer and photographer.
So when Christine Gilbert of Almost Fearless, the original organizer of the event, announced recently that she was closing the site unless someone was willing to step up to manage it, I jumped impulsively into the fray and agreed to keep the group alive. It's a good bunch, and I know I'll learn something from the exercise.
