Travel Writing (How to)

I've read several books on travel writing, and have even written one myself (although my book "Crafting the Travel Guidebook" concentrates on travel books rather than articles for magazines and newspapers). "The Travel Writer's Handbook" was the classic book because it covered so many angles--research, getting assignments, what clothes and equipment to take along--and of course, how to write a compelling article. Peat O'Neal's "Travel Writing" is geared more to the beginning writer with many examples of different leads and writing exercises as well as the usual chapters on cajoling a travel editor into giving you an assignment.

This Lonely Planet compilation by Don George and others falls more into the "teach by showing" category. So whether you like the book or not depends very much on whether you think George's choice of terrific travel articles are really so terrific.

First of all, they are all very loooong. I didn't see any example of the 750-1000 word article that many newspaper editors prefer. Then there is the problem of the tiny type. Okay, maybe all Lonely Planet books have tiny type (I mean it looks like 9 pt. or less) but this one has the added problem of the type being too light! Some sections have a gray background and that helps the readability a little--but only a little.

And then those pictures! With all the color photographs Lonely Planet has lying around they had to choose these b&w close-ups of calligraphy and tattoos? Thematically sound but aesthetically weak. I blame the production team for this one, not the writers.

On the good side--there is a terrific appendix-resource section and the scope defintely includes the USA. U.K. and Australia. Plenty of sound advice on writing and an explanation of how newspaper and magazine work and why editors pick what they do from freelancers. Very little hype except for the back cover blurb, but after all, what else would you expect?

I found the interviews with writers and editors to be so-so. Not every travel writer is thrilling when asked to talk about his craft. Editors usually give a more cogent view of the world of travel writing and what a newcomer might expect. There is also a chapter on writing for travel guidebooks but it only covers the Lonely Planet pre-formatted type of guide. Even so, it was interesting to hear how one gets into that realm and what the royalty situation is.

There is also information on how to research your work and the necessary chapter on cameras, laptops and other tools of the trade. All in all, a welcome addition to the travel-writing library--but how I wish LP would have graduated to a larger type for this one!

Am excited to read each page of this book. It should be a slower read because there is so much valuable info involved. I took a workshop on travel writing, and it basically repeated some things in this book. However, this book has so much more to offer!

So you're ready to dive into TRAVEL WRITING? Better see what's floating in the pool first.

Let me be the first to thank Don George and friends for having done us all the favor of creating a Lonely Planet offering for aspiring travel writers. It truly does contain a wealth of helpful hints and contact information for beginners. In fact, my copy has a rainbow mohawk sprouting from the colored Post-its I've tabbed important pages with. But here also lies its greatest flaw. A well planned book should not require the reader to create a haphazard hairpiece to augment its index. This one does.

Of George's eight chapters, fully five of them contain interviews with various authors, totaling 65 pages. I enjoyed them all, but they act as hurdles to readers using the index and should have been contained in an appendix. Further, some of the responses overlap, creating redundant reading.

Along that same line in chapter four, "The Art & Craft of Travel Writing," Don George presents a section called "Five Compelling Beginnings," showing how to hook readers with a good lead. But then a problem arises in chapter five, "Examples of Good Travel Writing," when George shows how to unhook his own readers by using all five of those same beginnings (along with their middles and ends) as examples of great completed stories. I felt as if I'd been had. After reading seven example magazine articles, where one would have sufficed, we finally got back to business. (For my previous three paragraphs I'm subtracting 1 star)

My final admonition: Practice what you preach.

Author Don George states in chapter four, "There is simply no excuse for getting your facts wrong, and you should not expect sympathy (or future work) from an editor if you do."

Uh-oh, pay attention here Don: When your sample writer Stanley Stewart penned, "a huge sky decorated with mare's tail clouds," you asked readers, "have you ever seen clouds depicted this way before?"

Oops. Yes I have Don. Mare's tail is a term used for cirrus clouds. Don't fire yourself. I forgive you. (But I'm docking you another star.)

Despite these petty annoyances and enough literary padding to qualify as a wonder bra, TRAVEL WRITING is still a great tool; just one that you will have to seperate from the clinging rakes and shovels.

My recommendation: Buy it, but get some Post-its too.

Cutting right to the chase, this is a delightful read. Travel books can range from deadly to enlightening...and this is on the truly enjoyable end of the scale. There is nothing more tedious than a 1000 page Fromer's guide to some place you will never visit in two lifetimes. Don George has done a nice job assembling the contributors and arranging the order of pieces...some by old hands and others by promising new comers. I particularly enjoyed the one by Joshua Clark.

This book is both sobering and inspiring, but most importantly, practical. Starting from an important place, "What It Takes To Be a Travel Writer," this may well convince you that travel writing isn't really a dream job for most people. Relationships with close friends can be strained, travel isn't as fun when it's a job, pay isn't usually too great, and there is such a thing as burning out from traveling too much. Some travel writers even forget to stop taking notes when they're on an actual vacation.

From there, the book delves into the practical aspects of travel writing- finding your story, getting published, using technology in your field research. This knowledge should give you confidence that you can make your dream a reality, provided you live simply, have realistic expectations, and market your work strategically.

Probably what makes the book the most useful is that it is just packed with interviews of working travel writers- about ¼ of the book- and this ensures that you will have multiple perspectives on what travel writing is about.


I was torn between buying this book and the Travel Writer's Handbook, which was also rated well last time I checked. But it seemed the past reviewers for this book were more articulate, and so I presume they were actually writers...