Why commercial travel writing isn't for everyone | Pitch calls & travel writing jobs
Is copywriting really travel writing? Lottie explores the world of commercial writing...
We have written about mental health and travel writing before: this industry is not always conducive to good mental wellbeing. That’s why we’re excited that our next webinar with Meera Dattani will be free so we can all have an open, honest and frank conversation about mental health at work. See below for the panellists and join for free using this link.
Last year my bylines were few and far between. Beyond a couple of round-ups for The Telegraph and Guardian, and a few last-minute pieces I pitched towards the end of the year, I barely appeared in the media at all in 2023. I’d spent the first six months of the year writing my next book, Dog Days Out (out on May 9th, thanks for asking), and so the second half of 2023 had to be dedicated to earning plenty of cash. Books really aren’t very lucrative, after all, and by the time July rolled around I was pretty skint. So, I threw myself into commercial work and my bottom line looked all the better for it.
Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock or you are arrogant enough to think everyone can earn $1 per word and still complain about it, you’ll understand why I chose to take on so much commercial work: editorial travel writing just doesn’t pay. But the money I earn through my commercial clients — and by “commercial” I mean any client that isn’t an editorial publisher (eg. not a newspaper or magazine) or whose main business lies outside of publishing entirely (eg. perhaps they’re a hotel or a tour company) — isn’t the only reason I love doing that work.
My commercial work spans myriad topics and types. I write internal repositioning documents and tone of voice guidelines for luxury hotels, I consult with tour companies and hotels on how to better their services for specific types of guests (mainly dog owners and solo travellers), and I write editorial content for booking websites that helps their visitors get more from the brand. To me, much of this is still travel writing — it’s not always prose and it’s not always based on my own travel experiences like a piece of traditional editorial is, but I’m still engaging with the travel industry and using my words to communicate about it. That, to me, is travel writing. And I think only snobs would disagree.
The commercial work I do is so different from travel editorial a lot of the time, but doing it still shapes how I write those newspaper pieces or magazine articles later down the line. I flex my travel writing muscles in entirely different ways when I’m working for commercial clients, and this helps break me out of any lazy habits I’ve got into in my editorial writing. Instead of using the same old structures and storytelling techniques as I often do in editorial, with commercial writing, I get to experiment a whole lot more. I truly believe that all of this work makes me a far better travel writer than if I were to just focus on writing for the media.
But here’s the caveat: commercial work isn’t for everyone. If you’re a writer because you have always wanted to write, or because you feel it’s your calling, or because you just love writing so much, then penning SEO-focused round-ups for travel brands or writing proposition decks for luxury hotels will probably not satisfy you. I have a very pragmatic outlook on my career: I write to make money — enjoying what I do is a secondary bonus. Of course, I enjoy it most of the time anyway, but I don’t have that yearning desire to do something meaningful or important or profound. I have a desire to live a nice life, and writing happens to be the vehicle for that.
Many will find this kind of work — the monotonous listicles, the marketing brochure copy — boring. You might feel it’s soulless or completely pointless, and that’s fine (just don’t be judgemental, please). Perhaps that means your extra bucks, if you need them, shouldn’t come from writing at all. But for anyone who doesn’t mind the occasional round-up or a foray into destination copywriting for a tour op, or even a sideline in guiding or consulting, this month’s series is for you, because we’re going to explore the different kinds of work travel writers could do to complement our incessant keyboard tapping.
Travel Writing Webinars
Don’t forget, there are two great webinars you can now download for just £6 each right here. Past discussions have encompassed pitching tips and features writing advice from pros and editors from the Guardian, Lonely Planet, BBC Travel and many more…
Pitch calls & travel writing jobs
There have been a few interesting pitch calls and travel writing jobs out there lately, so we’re sharing a few here for your perusal:
The brilliant Slow Ways initiative is looking for storytellers who love to walk
Eva Sandoval is new at BBC Travel and put out a call for pitches here
Crystal Cruises is looking for a Senior Editor
Abercrombie & Kent and Cox & Kings is after a Senior Editor, too
This one’s remote: Skift wants a Travel Experiences Reporter
National Geographic Traveller wants a project editor
Tweet of the week
Who to follow
The ever-glamorous freelance travel writer Jacqui Agate has started as US Editor at Wanderlust. Follow her on Instagram here and Twitter here to find out if she’s commissioning.
Industry must-reads
Okay this isn’t technically an industry must-read but if you want to take on better paid work outside of traditional travel writing, this Jenni Gritters’ guide to pivoting your skills might be an interesting read.
The team at Going has produced a State of Travel in 2024 report here. It’s a snazzy page, but also quite an insightful read.
I love this piece by Greg Dickinson on what people have booked for this year in a “January sales exit poll” at The Telegraph.
Finally, not sure how I missed this but apparently you can “OutHorse” your email when you are away and an Icelandic pony with access to a giant keyboard will reply to all those press releases on your behalf.
This was the first in our series on alternative income and commercial work for travel writers. Know someone who’d like this newsletter? Share it now.
Thanks both for this newsletter! It's made me feel SO much better about turning to some copywriting to supplement my editorial writing this year. I've definitely felt judged, even by people not in this industry who look at me as a failure for not making a full living off travel journalism alone. Lottie, I agree. With the right clients, copywriting is still travel writing and it's a different kind of writing which flexes different muscles. Look forward to seeing more of this series!
Really love and appreciate your transparency with this topic Lottie!