Got too much money? Then go travelling. A speedy consultation at the local travel agent, an empty bank account, an embarrassingly modest itinerary. Oh for that reindeer sledding trip in Lapland - but how to ever afford it?

Short of nefarious means, there aren’t all that many ways to (A) travel extensively, (B) to hit places where you might actually want to go (other than trouble spots) and (C) pointedly tell your boss you won’t be back - ever.

There’s always overseas volunteering but pretty soon our inner yuppie will yearn to step off the humble, pedestrian path and hit the fast lane. So how to plumb into the wonders of the world without it costing the earth and in doing so, how to avoid destitute hippie-dom?

I know it might sound like a long shot folks, but you might just consider Travel Writing. There’s never been a better time to be a leisure-preaching road warrior, and I’d like to help you on the road to paths less trodden by revealing some inside tips from the dusty backpack of a globe-hopping travel writer.

The Fragile Ego
Getting paid to travel seems like such a preposterously splendid prospect. Sometimes it is. Most of the time, it is full time purgatory, often running into overtime. Make no mistake; freelance Travel Writing is a tough racket. Here’s how it goes for most wannabes; they submit a few stories, get an equal number of rejection slips and crawl away licking their wounds and cursing the Editors.
Why did they get rejections? Not necessarily because the work wasn’t good enough - it could be that the idea was featured last week, or inappropriate for the title in question. Or maybe it wasn’t written to length – pieces too short or long often get dismissed out of hand. Maybe the pictures weren’t up to scratch.

Ultimately though, the budding scribe must consistently come up with engaging new ideas to pitch at jaded and savvy Editors. Leave your egos at home folks, and don that thick skin!

Hobby Horses Dismounted
Think about it – we’ve all lusted after that dream holiday, but how many have thought beyond that - to an endless series of spiffing (and saleable) jaunts? It’s all very well to follow your heart on a perpetual personal odyssey, but do you really see anyone picking up the tab for Luke’s compelling roundup of European ploughing techniques? I didn’t think so.

Cold Hard Facts
Ok, you have to compromise a little, and you have to start somewhere. That RTW Concorde/QE2 trip might have to wait ‘till you’ve got a few rather more pedestrian trips in your portfolio. Actually, you’ll need to front up the cash for at least your first few trips (unless you’re going to write about your home country for overseas publications.)

Before you go inflicting too much pain and suffering on that kindly Editor though, enrol in a writing course. See if you’ve got the knack and if not - work at it. If writing proves to be too much like hard work, this might not be your ticket to ride. Don’t despair however, because shutterbugs are always in demand – and you can always team up with a writer down the track.

Remember, travel writing isn’t travelling. Travelling is chilled-out and flowing, travel writing is honed and targeted. It requires focus and discipline and lots of looking confused while trying to conjure up that magical turn of phrase. You can always spot a travel writer by the pursed lips, the crumpled brow, the errant, wandering tongue tip and the abrupt lunges into life’s random meleé. Oh and the sheer wild-eyed madness.

Keep those ‘good ideas’ to yourself, Bro …
We are all travel writers though – the postcard is travel writing, albeit usually of the most dire and dreary persuasion. Web cafés worldwide are heaving with unsung writing talent. “But you need to be a white-hot writer to get published” I hear you protest.

Not true. You just need good ideas, and puppy-dog enthusiasm. You need this so you can make convincing pitches to airlines, tourism authorities and tour operators – and to yourself! One of the ever-present perils of freelance travel writing is the vacuum of loneliness and lack of brainstorming support. Just try bouncing your paid travel plans off your friends and family and I can guarantee they will take on the hue of Kermit the Frog. You see? It’s tough to get quality feedback. But you have to live with that, and/or join a writer’s club.

Hone Your Slant
Here’s where you have to get realistic. If you’re built like Bernard Manning, you might not necessarily make the world’s finest extreme sports correspondent. Get real. Get involved in areas of keen personal interest but make sure you can adequately convey the subject matter to your readership. Accordingly, the easiest way into publishing is often through specialist magazines – these publications tend to welcome new talent and fresh perspectives. If you want to write more general travel articles, try newspapers. Target your market. Don’t try to sell fishing stories to diving magazines, or genteel cruise articles to hardcore adventure editors.

The Dichotomy of Travel Writing
The purist travel writer will insist on being a self-financed rolling stone, answerable to nobody. A fine ideal, but one you might find tough to stick to. More likely, you will be asking airlines and tourism authorities for assistance along the way – and here’s where you’ll need to be a paragon of diplomacy. One the one hand, Tourism Authorities will invariably plead for you to showcase their tired old ‘gravy train’ offerings, yet magazine Editors scream out for fresh, vibrant copy. Sometimes this is an insoluble situation, although with a little negotiating, the needs of all three parties can usually be fulfilled.

Smart Movers Move Less
Many of the world’s most experienced and successful travel writers write less. How so? They typically visit one place, sell 20 different articles, and baulk at going anywhere without a letter of commission.

The Buzz
I know; I paint a discouraging picture, but it’s all to prepare you in the nicest possible way for the inevitable pitfalls, calamities (and charms) of the road, sea or sky. And here’s where all the fun really starts. Do you have an appetite for frustration? Are you comfortable eating extra helpings of raw seal liver with the Inuit? Can you hack Kamchatkan bear’s penis broth? It’s very tasty you know…

You can observe Grizzly Bears destroying your campsite from the comfort of a canvas tent. You can take a walking safari with the lions. You can lie awake all night on the deck of a yacht while dolphins chase schools of needlefish into your lap. You can tell the dolphins to knock it off. It won’t make a blind bit of difference. You can be woken from your siesta in a sheep-shearing shed by an eagle plucking his talons at your chest with infinite curiosity. You may stir restlessly from your slumber on the beach, only to become vaguely aware of a tugging sensation and a distinct bodily slithering locomotion towards the surf. This is because your drunken friends tethered a shark line to your sleeping bag.

All these pleasures and more have I relished, and many more lie aching to be discovered, just off the beaten track.

If you want to live in a world where getting there is twice the risk and life is ten times more lively … then just sign up here – but no typos please.

Credits
This article was provided by Stephen Rothwell of Offbeatrips Travel & Tourism Journalism - a Cairns, Australia, based company that provides tuition in all aspects of Travel Journalism.

Contacts: Tel: (617) 4032 1708 Mobile: (6143) 979 5740

Web: http://www.offbeatrips.com

For further advice/support from the author, just send an email to: info@offbeatrips.com