Travel writers as curators

Now that travel writing in newspapers and magazines is a shrinking market and even guidebooks seem to wobble at the competition from the internet, there's a whole lot of speculation about the future on travel writers websites and community lists. Here's a pondering from Rick Steves as it appeared on worldhum.com a popular travel site.http://www.worldhum.com/features/rick-steves/travel-writer-as-curator-20091102/

Local guide expands coverage

A friend of my daughter's, named Amy Lamperti, started a playground guide for Morris County New Jersey. She did an initial printing of 2500. She has already reprinted. But she also has expanded the line with two new books, written by other authors, that cover other counties in New Jersey.
This is an example of a local travel guide that can be done better by a local self-publisher than by a big press. Shows that there is still hope for the local writer. She also sold adspace in the guide for local kid-oriented shops to counter the cost of production (which was high since she used many color photographs in the pages.
I did a review of the book at:http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-8862-New-Jersey-Day-Trips-Examiner~y2009m9d30-Want-to-go-on-a-cheap-playdate-Check-out-the-Playground-Guide

Emerging Writer: How to Write the Perfect Travel Article

Emerging Writer: How to Write the Perfect Travel Article

A Great Review

It's always nice when someone reviews your book--even after it has been out a year or two. This one is from Brad Grochowski who has become a strong advocate of independent books. Brad's very active in the Baltimore cultural scene also. Here's the review:

http://www.indiebookman.com/2009/09/crafting-travel-guidebook-and-healthy.html

List of travel magazines

Here's a link to Matador's list of travel writing magazines. It's a freebie. Can't vouch that you'll get a paying assignment out of it, but a freebie's a freebie so it can't hurt to get the list. Of course they want your name--you have to fill out a form. But it's a legitimate outfit. Everybody needs new eyeballs nowadays.
http://matadoru.com/freebie

And speaking of eyeballs, I think I make a penny, every time someone reads one of my New Jersey Day Trips articles over at www.examiner.com. Just type in my name--Barbara Hudgins--in the search space. At least one of my articles should come up. My latest ones were on the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Doesn't this just always happen? You buy a stock in August and then September the market collapses. You buy a dress on Wednesday and it goes on sale for half-price the following Friday.

The BBC bought Lonely Planet Guidebooks and magazines (I didn't even know they had magazines) at the height of their popularity. Then the recession hit and travel plans shrunk, while free online travel websites and blogs seduced a lot of readers away from guidebooks. Read the story here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/14/bbc-worldwide-magazines-lonely-planet

Ever wonder how travel writers find writing gigs for guidebooks? There are professional groups that you have to pay to join where you can often find information. Also subscription lists like travelwriters.com. But many writers simply comb the websites of known travel publishers. I was surprised to learn that Craigslist was one place where a writer can find an assignment.

I have opted for Google alerts for the words "travel writing" and "writing a travel guide" Most of the links that pop up are for blogs from other travel writers or simply people journaling about their trip to Thailand or some college kid boasting or moaning about the girls/pot/rooms/rides he did or did not get.

But today I happened to see a link to a joblist website that had an ad for a guidebook writer for Williamsburg, Virginia. I never heard of the company, but new ones pop up all the time. The advance money is no great shakes, but they offer 10% of the retail price of the book which is a lot better than 10% or even 12% of the net price.

The publishers are obviously interested in someone local and someone who has the time to do the job. Check it out, even if you are not interested just to see what some publishers want. And if you do get involved check out the contract very carefully. There is always room for negotiation in some areas. And check out the company to see what other books they have published and who their other authors are.
Here's the link:
http://www.telecommutejoblist.com/travel-writer-wanted-williamsburg-travel-book-williamsburg.html