Dispatch #1: Who Said Writing Couldn't Be Lucrative?

Dear Travel Writer,

Right out there for anybody to see is a lucrative writing opportunity I’m willing to bet you’ve never noticed before.

It’s a market that regularly pays $1 or more per word. (That easily translates to hundreds of dollars for just a few short paragraphs.)

And it’s a market where you probably already have an “in” — you just don’t realize it.

Guest speaker, Lindsay Roylance, gave us the scoop this morning…

“It’s not the sort of thing listed in Writer’s Market,” she said. “Yet it’s a niche that’s likely to be easier to break into than many consumer magazines are.  And, because it’s not one already flooded with freelancers, it’s a great place for you to turn your attention, because (assuming you target your audience well and familiarize yourself with the publication you aim to write for) the likelihood of your getting published is high.”

What is it? Alumni magazines.

That’s right — the magazines colleges and universities send out to their graduates.

Now, these publications aren’t necessarily running straight travel articles.

But as Lindsay explained, the skills you employ as a travel writer will transfer handily to this niche. (She should know — she worked as a travel editor before donning her current hat as an editor in the Publications Department at Johns Hopkins Medicine.)

And, in fact, you could well find travel-related pieces in these publications. They’re no longer filled only with class notes.

As a New York Times article reveals, “…alumni magazines these days are revamped, glossy and offering an impressive array of more worldly topics. The subjects can be as varied as the educational value of art forgeries or the culture of S.U.V.’s, low-carbohydrate diets or gunshot wounds, the most important man in football or the vanishing young voter.”

A whopping 480 college alumni magazines were published last year, which means you really do have your choice of publications to target.

And, as Lindsay made clear — at larger schools particularly — it’s not just the institution that publishes an alumni magazine, it’s each school. At Johns Hopkins, for instance, the School of Medicine has a magazine. The School of Nursing has a magazine. The School of Public Health has a magazine. And there are others as well.

What’s more, the editors at these publications are a close-knit group. Get in with one, Lindsay said, and you’re sure to get in with the others as well. So if you deliver articles one editor likes, this really can develop into a lucrative sideline.

Now, Lindsay went on to talk about the best way to get your foot in the door at these publications, how to translate your travel writing know-how into articles for this market, the kinds of stories that are most likely to sell here, and more.

I’m afraid I don’t have time here to go into every detail, as I’ve got to get back to the workshop — I’m up next! But you can hear Lindsay’s full presentation on our downloadable recordings of this event, which you’ll find packed full of practical tips and guidance from the pros — all geared to help you jump-start your writing and photography careers.

You can find up-t0-date resources and information in our most recent Workshop-At-Home package.  And rest assured, as with all our products, there’s no risk to you. You can try the Ultimate Workshop-At-Home out for 30 days. Listen to the recordings, follow along on the PowerPoint Slides, go through the interviews with editors… and more. And if you don’t feel this package delivers the secrets you need to get published fast and turn your travel dreams into a reality, simply let us know and we’ll refund your investment, no question.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Stevens
Your Live Workshop Correspondent

P.S. Another quick tip Lindsay shared today: Often the articles in alumni magazines revolve around individuals — graduates of a university who are doing interesting things. In our recordings of this event, you can hear Lindsay explain how you find the right people to profile and what, exactly, you should focus on. (You’ll be pleased to find out that if you’ve been writing about your own hometown for travel articles, you probably know some ideal candidates already.)

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]