Travel writing is a dream career - but how can you turn it from pipedream to reality?
There's a lot of secrecy about how the travel media works. Travel writers jet off around the globe writing stories about their experiences, but who actually pays for these trips and how do writers persuade editors to commission them in the first place?
Maybe you've already sent pitches to editors and got nothing but silence back. Or perhaps you're just dipping your toe into the idea of travel writing. You might be concerned that without a journalism degree or professional writing qualifications, becoming a professional writer is impossible.
Wherever you are on your travel writing journey this course will arm you with the knowledge you need to build a successful career as a travel writer.
You'll learn from two expert freelance travel writers, Lottie Gross and Steph Dyson, about how to navigate the industry, including:
- How the travel media actually works
- The networks you need to build to secure press trips around the world
- Ways to find brilliant and easy-to-pitch story angles
- Pitching skills that'll make editors commission you on the spot (plus pitching information for 40+ publications)
- Writing tips and tricks for turning in copy that editors will love
- How the financials of travel writing stack up and how to actually make a living in the travel media
Key things you'll learn in this course
Expert pitching tips and commissioned pitch examples
Struggling to identify what makes the perfect pitch? Are all your pitches going unanswered? Find out what three things will make editors commission you - over and over again.
How to network to skyrocket your career
Uncover our tips for building productive, long-term relationships with editors and PRs alike - and why this is an essential strategy for success as a travel writer.
How it's possible to make a living in the travel media
Worried that travel writing isn't a solid career path? We reveal our income breakdowns and how we actually make a living within the travel media.
Meet your teachers
Hi, we're Lottie Gross and Steph Dyson. We're two travel writers who have authored guidebooks for Rough Guides and DK, penned opinion pieces for The Telegraph, written features for The Times, National Geographic, CNN and Lonely Planet and, between us, been paid to travel hundreds of thousands of miles around the world.
The thing is, for both of us, it's been a long road to get here. Lottie found her way in after studying journalism at university, applying for an entry-level role at Rough Guides and beating 600 applicants to get the job. For Steph, the process was far less straightforward: she spent the first few years of her career absolutely baffled by the complexities of the industry and overcoming imposter syndrome because of her lack of professional journalism training.
We wanted to make the travel media a more transparent place and one where new voices, perspectives and ideas can be heard. Through our award-winning weekly newsletter, Talking Travel Writing, which is read by close to 7,000 travel writers, we've achieved just that - and established ourselves as experts in how the industry works and, most importantly, how to build a successful career as a travel writer.
What's in this course?
1. How does travel writing even work?
We take a deep-dive into the travel industry, introducing you to the travel PR-journalist ecosystem and which publications do pay (and don't!) for travel writing, with editor contacts and pitching guidelines for 40+ travel publications.
2. How to find brilliant and easy-to-pitch story angles
Coming up with original story angles is the bread and butter of any travel writer. We show you how to think up with ideas about everywhere from your own backyard to far flung destinations around the globe.
3. What makes a 'perfect' pitch?
We introduce you to the three elements of a pitch that'll make editors want to commission you and share examples of our own successful pitches.
4. What steps can you take to turn a commissioned story into reality?
Discover how to conduct brilliant research while on a trip and learn how to identify fascinating interview sources that'll add colour to your pieces.
5. How to write travel features that sing
We reveal all our writing tips and tricks that'll help you turn in copy that editors will love.
6. Why networking needs to be your number one strategy
Find out how to build industry networks that'll get you invited on more press trips and landing more commissions.
7. How to make travel writing work financially
Read our income breakdowns to understand how to actually make a living in the travel media.
BONUS content
- A one-hour, members-only live webinar delivered by Lottie and Steph where you can ask questions about the industry and our experiences in it - WORTH £40
- A one-year paid subscription to Talking Travel Writing newsletter and four-year archive - WORTH £300
- A 10% discount on upcoming in-person travel writing retreats - WORTH £45
- Access to a members-only forum, where you can get feedback about pitches and any other questions you have about travel writing from other members of the community - WORTH £75
Get instant access to
How to Become a Travel Writer
Eight engaging, expert-led video lessons
- Learn the nuts and bolts of travel writing with our easy-to-follow video lessons crammed with actionable tips - WORTH £500
Our pitches that were commissioned by editors
- See exactly what makes a good pitch and how you can adopt the same structure and approach with your own pitching - WORTH £25
Pitch template and tracker
- An easy-to-follow pitch template plus a tracker for keeping on top of where you’ve sent your pitches - WORTH £25
Pitching guides and contact information for 47 well-paying publications in the UK and beyond
- Discover who pays - and who doesn't! - WORTH £25
Step-by-step analysis of successful travel features
- Understand what makes a great travel feature by examining the writing techniques used by pro writers - WORTH £20
List of 10 networking organisations you should join
- Learn which are the essential networking organisations for advancing your travel writing career and how to join them - WORTH £20
Access to our income breakdowns
- See how you can make travel writing work for you financially - WORTH £40
Access to a members-only forum
- Get feedback about pitches and any other questions you have about travel writing from other members of the community - WORTH £75
A one-year paid subscription to Talking Travel Writing newsletter and four-year archive
- Receive four monthly newsletters, plus access to a four-year archive of editor interviews, pitching advice, and extensive guidance helping you up your travel writing game - WORTH £300
A one-hour, members-only live webinar delivered by Lottie and Steph
- Get answers to all of your questions about the industry, pitching, PR relationships - whatever you want to know, we'll answer it - WORTH £40
A 10% discount on in-person travel writing retreats
- Join us on one of our in-person travel writing retreats in 2025 or beyond at a discounted price - WORTH £45
Lifetime course updates
- All our content updates are free of charge for life, including full course reshoots - WORTH £200
Total value: £1,315
Save 81% today
Just £240
A sneaky peek at what you can expect to find in the course
- Travel writing tips for success (14:15)
- Task: Analyse what makes a good travel article
- Article one: The new superstars
- Article two: How recreating a once-in-a-lifetime holiday helped me deal with my grief
- Article three: How learning to speak Gorilla could just save your life
- Article analysis by experts
- How to write about places you're not familiar with (2:35)
- Task: Write about a place you've not visited
What previous students say
"The Ant and Dec of travel writing! Steph and Lottie are travel writing superstars. Their different experiences and styles complement one another perfectly. But it’s not just that they know their stuff (although they really do), they’re fantastic at passing that information on to others in an engaging way with useful, practical activities that are fun to do. And they’re both really lovely, which always helps." - Amy, freelance news journalist and course student
"Lottie and Steph have a fantastic depth of knowledge and insider information on the travel industry and their advice and tips are invaluable. This is a practical, interesting and well thought out course perfect for anyone looking to break into this fascinating world. It’s made me more alive to story opportunities, has boosted my confidence in crafting a decent and saleable pitch, and left me feeling inspired and excited about where this will take me." - Lindsay Narey, course student
"Lottie and Steph provide a really solid foundation and introduction to the world of travel journalism, covering all aspects from the actual mechanics of writing to the ancillary areas of networking and finances. The mix of video and written content is excellent, with no unnecessary waffle or fluff. Even as someone based outside the UK, I found all the content relevant and easily applicable. Thank you for offering this course - it has definitely inspired me!" - Emily Plank, course student
"I loved this course; invaluable for new travel writers. Lottie and Steph cover all the basics in an easy-to-digest, personable way. Packed with information, industry insider tips, editor contacts, idea-generating tasks and a concise 'how to write a feature' template. Move over, imposter syndrome. I have graduated from Lottie and Stephs 'How to Become a Travel Journalist course, and have lots of stories to tell the world!" - Sally Kirby, course student
"It’s rare to get to pick the minds of travel journalists as experienced as Lottie and Steph. This course gives a great road map of the travel writing industry, teaches effective ways to break into the space, and offers specific examples for catching the eye of an editor." - Emily Pogue, course student
"As someone who already had a bit of sporadic travel writing experience but is now trying to make a full go of freelancing, I found that the course answered a lot of questions that I had about the career management side of things, plus a few questions I'd never thought to ask. I definitely walked away from the course feeling more confident." - Charles Usher, course student
FAQs
Who is this course aimed at?
This course is aimed at new and aspiring travel writers. You might be completely new to the game, have sent a couple of pitches, or have been commissioned for one or two articles but are struggling to land commissions on a regular basis. If any of these sound like you, then you'll take away plenty from this course.
What will I learn in this course?
This course is packed with helpful information to get you started as a travel writer. You'll learn everything from how the travel media works, to a strategy for coming up with brilliant story angles and pitching them successfully to editors. We'll also cover building relationships within the industry, tips for turning your copy from good to great and how to make travel writing work financially.
Is the course purely video-based or are there practical activities too?
Through a mixture of videos and handouts with activities, this course aims to be as practical as possible. By the end of it, you should have multiple pitches written and ready to send out to editors.
Will I have a chance to ask questions directly to Lottie and Steph?
Yes! By buying the course, you'll get access to a live, members-only webinar. This will be your chance to ask Lottie and Steph every question you might have about the course or your own experiences of the travel media.
You'll also gain access to an exclusive forum where you can network with other course members and ask for support and answers from your peers.
What if I don't find the course very helpful? Can I get my money back?
We're confident this course will give you the foundations you need to make travel writing a success. If this isn't the case, just drop us an email within 30 days of purchase and we'll return your payment - no questions asked.
The aim of the course is for you to finish with multiple commission-ready pitches ready to send to editors - and if you land just two commissions, you'll have recouped your costs.
What if I've already got a paid subscription to Talking Travel Writing? Will it be refunded?
No; we'll add the free annual subscription to your existing subscription. If you pay monthly, this will pause your payments for 12 months. If you pay annually, it will add an additional 12 months to your existing subscription.