Customer Reviews

Travel Writer's Guide

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is by far the best travel writing book that I've encountered for the EXPERIENCED writer. So many books about traveling writing or writing/publishing, in general, are targeted to a completely inexperienced audience. This book seemed to focus more on strategic approaches for selling your writing, and not so much on "how to write a good lead," etc. This was a refreshing change. The author's ideas are novel; the book is easy to read; and the reader will gain confidence that travel writing to make some money is not an unrealistic goal.

Before reading this, I fancied myself as someone who might get into travel writing to make a few thousand extra dollars a year. After reading this book, I said, "That's WAY too much work for the money" and the realization was, quite accurately I think, that travel writing is a PROFESSION. Professions take full time attention to be successful and a lot of time (years really) to build up the knowledge, contacts, and writing style to make a living. I'm just not willing to put in the 40 hrs per week on it.

The book is very prescriptive, giving detailed instructions on what to do "x" many months before departure, who to contact, where to find them, what to say, how to say it, how many pictures of what kind to take and send, how to do your background research etc. I created project management spreadsheets (because I am a dork) based on the recipe in the book. When I got done I realized how incredibly much work it required. I do not doubt at all that if you followed this prescription you would be a successful travel writer, but it's not something you can dabble in and do well unless you have unusually remarkable connections.

If you have already dedicated your heart to being a travel writer, ABSOLUTELY buy this book and follow the advice. If you were looking to dabble, like I was, you may want to pass.

Not because the book isn't well written; its style is accessible, very helpful and made me really excited about traveling and writing again. As a compromise, I just started a travel blog. No money in it, but no pressure or research required either so I can focus on enjoying the writing part.

As a novice travel writer, I have read numberous "how-to" books on the subject, but Gordon Burgett's "Travel Writer's Guide" is by far the best. A virtual bible on the business of travel writing, Burgett gives the reader a clear, no nonsence approach to the ins and outs of getting your article published. Thanks to the the advice in this book, I hit "pay dirt" with my very first article. In fact, I sold it twice!

Now in an significantly updated and expanded third edition, Travel Writer's Guide by world traveler and author Gordon Burgett is a straightforward "how-to" manual for paying for one's own vacations or even making a living simply by writing magazine and newspaper articles while traveling either at home or abroad. From planning a safe and profitable trip, to taxes and the law, to writing an effective query letter to magazines, to advice for converting a single idea into a multitude of articles, to the utilization of photos in composing travel articles, to tips for conducting interviews and selling copy, Travel Writer's Guide is a first-rate compendium filled from cover to cover with practical ideas and money-saving/money-making advice for any literate traveler who could use a little extra financial recompensation to underwrite their journeys by becoming a published travel writer.

This is by far the best travel writing book I've read. It's meaty, chock-full of practical advice from what to do when to how to sell and resell articles. Very strong on how to organize, write and submit work and how to do it profitably. The 365 travel article ideas, examples of query letters, and info on tax write-offs and comps are a plus. I was surprised to find practically everything I needed to write successfully all in one book.

I was keen to buy this book, and was about to until I read a review that basically said "Burgett is the author of over 1700 published articles and 23 books. He knows the ins and outs of travel writing". The review clearly seemed to have taken this information from the book itself.

However, I checked this by doing a search on Amazon for this author, and all the results returned were of the "How to..." variety.....How to be a travel writer, how to make money freelance writing, how to make money selling seminars, even how to make money organizing a scavenger hunt (wtf?), etc...

I've never heard of Burgett before, hence the reason I checked...initially I searched to see if he was a successful travel writer (had his books been popular? Amazons star ratings would hopefully reveal that)...after all why buy a book on how to be a successful travel writer if the author himself was only a mediocre writer? But the results make me suspicious of the author having been a travel writer at all...Now I don't know what to do...anybody able to vouch for the authors credentials or shed light on this?

The book did not include the information I was looking for. I was attempting to a buy a book that would help me to write a travel guide in terms of choice of text, etc. but this book focuses more on setting up a business..that side of things. So, I was disappointed.