How to Sell Travel Articles: Step Four

Bonnie here, again, with your last simple step to getting your travel article published, so you can enjoy the perks and paychecks that go along with being a travel writer.

Over the last few days, you’ve learned:

STEP 1: How to pick the right publication for your story.

STEP 2: How to read the publication to be sure it’s a good fit.

STEP 3: The importance of following the Writer’s Guidelines.

Now it’s time to take the final step that stops most people in their tracks. Even if you do all of the other steps perfectly, you’ll never get published if you don’t complete…

STEP 4: Send your article to an editor.

Here’s how.

First, proofread your article before you send it in, and have a friend read it, too. Ask him or her to look for misspellings or awkward spots that you can quickly fix.

Then, go ahead… send in your story. Some editors prefer that you query first, others want you to send the entire article. I always make sure to figure out how the editor wants my story before sending it in.

Hint: Check in the Writer’s Guidelines.

You might just get lucky. In my case, the editor of the publication I was targeting for my first travel article wrote back the very same day. He even told me how excited he was that the story followed all of his specifications, fit in with the other articles on the site, and didn’t need any extra work. He paid me, and asked when I could send him another story.

And last, if you don’t get published the first time, don’t worry.Just ask yourself: Does my story fit in with the style of this publication?Have they already published something like it? Where else can I submit it?

And then go back to STEP 1 and repeat. It’s as simple as that!

[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.]