Fish Pedicures, Snake Massages, and More...

Fish pedicures, snake massages, bird poop facials…

I got a sneak preview this week of International Living’s April magazine, and inside is an article on Malaysia by freelance travel writer Steenie Harvey.

The story is about retiring on the cheap in Kuala Lumpur but the part that caught my attention was toward the end of the article where Steenie talks about how cheap eating out and entertainment is. Thai shrimp dinners for under $6… spiced clams under $4… and a fish pedicure for $8.

“Fish pedicures?”

She says, “You plunge your feet in a pool, and (toothless) garra rufa fish exfoliate away the dead skin. I tried this in Penang, and thought it a bargain at $8. I didn’t realize I could have got my feet nibbled for $6. On Bintang Walk, at least three places offer the service.”

I asked Steenie to send us some advice on how to use things like strange spa treatments to get an article published in travel magazines. I’ll pass that along to you tomorrow.

In the meantime, I did a quick internet search and found fish pedicures right here in Alexandria, VA for $35. I also found them in New York, Orlando, San Diego, and Dallas in addition to a few other cities around the U.S.

“Unique,” when it comes to travel articles, always sells.

Unique…

Specific…

And targeted to a particular audience…

These are the three keys that freelance travel writer and author of The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program, Jennifer Stevens always says are the recipe for success.

If you missed Jen’s article last week about targeting your story to a particular audience, you’ll find it here in our archives.

Stay tuned tomorrow for advice from Steenie Harvey on writing about what’s unique, including four great suggestions for where to sell your unique travel stories.

[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.]