In the new edition of this standard guide, veteran travel writers Louise Purwin Zobel and Jacqueline Butler cover everything from pre-trip research on the Internet and at the library, to how to obtain writing assignments for websites, to ecotourism and volunteer travel opportunities, to specific marketing strategies and tax information. Written in an accessible, humorous style, the book includes 12 formats for travel articles with surefire appeal to editors and readers, and savvy advice on such topics as finding new angles for overworked subjects and what to take along on the trip.
Taking the trip and experiencing the anecdote are considerably easier than selling the story. Whether you want to go professional or just want to expand your audience beyond your family and friends, you need to plan ahead to successfully market the fruits of your vacation. Louise Purwin Zobel, a college writing instructor with hundreds of published travel articles to her name, explains the basics of research, audience, market, titles, queries, freebies, photos, angles, interviews, and the latest boon to travel writing: the Internet. She promises that with the mechanics under your belt, you can succeed, and her confidence is catching.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Solid, thorough view:
I have the 2002 edition of the Travel Writer's Handbook (the 5th ed.). While it was updated to include the problems of post 9/11 problems it did not cover the Internet as much as one would expect. And the section on photography is still set in the pre-digital era.
That said, this is still the best all-around book on travel writing. Zobel covers different article types, how to do basic research,whether to accept freebies, what to take along on trips, keeping records for tax purposes and so forth. She... more info
A worthy update:
A couple of years ago, I found a copy of the fourth edition of this book at a library bag sale. I read it cover to cover, devouring each word, and absorbing hints and tips into the molasses of my mind. To this day, some of these have shaped the way I approach my trips, and when I learned that a new edition had come out, I thought that it would make me a good Christmas present. It's certainly an excellent book. But I found a few faults with it, all but one quite firmly the fault of the publisher. Let me... more info
Very thorough and helpful:
I am now reading this book again before departing to Italy. I am not exactly a "travel writer", but I need some of the same skills to write and edit my travel website. This book is a tremendous help in preparing for a trip knowing I will come back with the information I need. This books coveres everything from packing to writing. It is very readable and very useful.
Best "how-to" guide:
I read a lot of "how to" guides (trying to find career that I can enjoy) and Mrs. Zobel's is the best so far. She does a great job expanding on the basics and injecting her own personal stories when examples are needed. I re-read the book before every trip so that I don't forget any of her advice. I've already started research on one of my favorite destinations.
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