Travel writer 2025 starter pack: everything you need to know
BONUS email to help you make the most of the new year
We know it’s not a Tuesday, but we wanted to bring you a special edition of Talking Travel Writing to help you kickstart 2025 with a productivity bang. We (Lottie and Steph) spent a whole day planning our 2025 TTW strategy at Locke Broken Wharf — a hotel in central London with serviced apartments ideal for a working break (free wifi, coffeeshop on ground floor, your own kitchen for perpetual snackage, views of the Thames).
This was our version of an “away day”, inspired by Anna Codrea-Rado’s newsletter, and we reckon all freelancers should take one as she suggests. Getting out of our comfort zone inspired some extra creativity, and allowed us to think freely without the distractions of home about what we want from the next twelve months. Plus, it’s an allowable business expense…
Not only have we planned the next six months of TTW content, but we also came up with the very idea for this newsletter — a starter pack to help you make 2025 your year of growth.
2024’S TOP READS ON TTW
Events you should consider attending for 2025
28 January: The Travel Connection Group’s Zoom Out takes place at the Bankside Hotel, sponsored by Audley Travel
17-18 February: TravMedia’s IMM networking conference (look out for a newsletter on how to make the most of this in the coming weeks)
12-24 March: Great West Way Discovery marketplace
12 May: TravMedia Awards
7-9 July: The Travel Connection Group’s Media Getaway is in Bradford
31 March-1 April: Inspire Global’s Marketplace & Awards
4-6 November: The usual chaos at World Travel Market
TBC: Travel Media Awards; TTW’s 5th birthday party (!)
Travel PRs — if you want us to promote your event to our more than 7,000 subscribers, get in touch here to discuss opportunities.
How to have an away day of your own
Pick a location: We chose Locke Broken Wharf because it’s a convenient location for networking in London, has bedrooms with lounge areas and their own kitchens, and plenty of interesting things to do nearby for the hours in which you don’t want to think about work (Lottie had plans to go to the Tate and St Paul’s Cathedral but failed miserably after being led astray by a “SALE” sign at Mango, obviously). They also offer early check-in and late check-out if you sign up as a member (for free!) in advance, so do that and you’ll get extra hours in your room.
Set an agenda: You might want to make plans around your 2025 finances, define a list of dream publications to land your stories in or look into professional growth opportunities by way of courses or training. Either way, think about what you want to make plans for ahead of time and set yourself an agenda.
Stick to your agenda: It’s so easy to get sucked in by work, so put your Out of Office on and ignore your impending deadlines. This time is for you and your business. Carve it out and focus.
Take time for yourself: All work and no play is never productive, so make some time for yourself — perhaps a gallery visit, a walk in a beautiful park or, sure, a sale at Mango.
Combine it with some networking: We spent two nights at Locke so we could attend a couple of networking events in London to see our colleagues before Christmas. You might want to have your away day around one of the aforementioned events (there’s actually a Locke a few stops down from the IMM conference centre, for example) so you can make the most of your trip.
Set yourself some measurable targets: It’s tempting to write down “pitch more” as your target, or “network more”, but these aren’t exactly measurable. Focus on SMART goals: ones that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Perhaps, instead, your goal might be “make one new editor contact by April to increase my chance of landing future pitches” or “Earn £5,000 per month by July so I can up my mortgage payments”.
More Talking Travel Writing resources you might find useful
The Pitch Pack — £30: 18 real pitches professional writers had commissioned, with their resulting articles.
Pitch Clinic — £50-80: Get three of your pitches workshopped by Lottie and Steph, either with written feedback only, or including a 20-minute 1-2-1 call.
Online Course — £200: Great for new, early-career or aspiring travel writers, our online course has tonnes of materials, tasks, resources and info-packed videos on how to be a travel writer. Recent students have gone on to write for the i paper and get spots on press trips to Canada and more.
Travel Writing Webinars — £6 each: A bank of excellent webinars by the brilliant Meera Dattani.
Don’t forget to become a paid subscriber to gain access to all four of this month’s practical, insights-packed emails about how to earn passive income.
The Awayday is such a brilliant idea! I might try it, even though there's only one of me so I would need to make sure I did set up a couple of related meetings with contacts as well as focusing on strategic planning. Thank you for yet another encouraging newsletter. I got a nice acceptance of a random pitch yesterday - timing is always so important in the new year. nobody wants to think too much in their first couple of days back at work, and then the press releases start rolling in, but if you can catch an editor before they have planned too much for the next few months it can really pay off.