Love to travel? Always planning your next adventure?
You should consider a travel writing job!
When most people think of travel writing, they imagine being on a beautiful beach, pounding away on the keyboard, describing the amazing breakfast they just devoured at their hotel.
But being a freelance travel writer is more than just writing about vacations while drinking strawberry-infused margaritas. There are many different types of travel writer jobs, even for beginners.
And the fun part?
Before we get into our list of the best places to find freelance travel writing jobs, let’s explore what freelance writing for the travel industry is all about and how much the average travel blogger makes.
We’ll start with a quick job description.
Travel writing is writing about the people, places, and things you experience when you go on trips. It also covers topics like how and when to travel, all while keeping the reader in mind.
That’s a tidy salary for doing what you love.
As a freelancer, you can make upwards of $300/piece writing for small travel magazines, while large magazines can pay as much as $1,500/travel article.
Awesome, right?
Now that we’ve got money out of the way, let’s get to our 21 best websites for travel writing opportunities.
Some are established, while others are niche or indie.
But all have one thing in common: you can make good money!
Let’s dive in!
Looking to write for a major travel publication?
They pay $200 – $750 for stories that go into their print edition. For online-only pieces, you can expect about $500. The Weekend Escape section pays $200 per post, plus you get extra bucks for original images.
But they won’t take pieces that have been published elsewhere or those that are overly critical of companies or individuals.
The Travel Magazine budget for freelance writers isn’t public knowledge. But, if you are interested in writing for them, send a great pitch to the Managing Editor.
With this amount of content going on, they are always on the lookout for freelance travel writers, as well as permanent writing roles.
They pride themselves on working with both travel experts and young guns looking to kickstart a writing career with their first published piece. Join the Matador Creator Community, so you don’t miss out on the latest calls for submission.
They publish round-up feature stories, travel guides, long-form destination features (2,200 words+), travel tips and more. They always want to work with the crème de la crème of travel writers.
They pay £220 (about $307) per 1,000 words. But rates vary depending on what you are working on. For example, they pay £90 ($125) for fact pages (750 words).
You’ll need to write 300 – 500 word pieces frequently. These articles can cover popular festivals, things to do, or how to navigate the area.
Viator pays $45 for the 300 – 500 word pieces. If you prefer to work on 1,000 – 2,000 word articles, they pay a standard rate of $150 per article.
Their audience are socially aware individuals looking to make a difference. Verge will reject any article that’s focused on self-promotion or a particular organization.
They pay CAD $0.10 ($0.08) per word. Their articles are typically 800 words if you are writing a department article, while features are 2,000 – 2,500 words.
They are big on authoritative facts and original stories. And since they serve a well-traveled, discerning audience, you should avoid promotional content, fluff, and generic descriptions that readers can find elsewhere.
They pay $25 per article. However, they also promote writers’ websites and feature them on their homepage, providing more exposure and the chance to land new clients.
Do you love the thrill of the open road?
All you need to do is fill out the application form with a pitch for your story. ROVA only responds to writers they’ll be working with, so if you don’t get a response after two weeks, your pitch probably didn’t make the cut.
Travel + Leisure focuses on personal travel stories, feature articles on the joys and hazards of traveling, and destination guides loaded with practical information.
Travel + Leisure pays $1,000 for online-only articles and $2/word for articles on the print version. They only accept original content that hasn’t been published anywhere else. So make sure to take that into consideration before sending your pitch.
They have both print and online editions. They tend to publish more Canadian content. However, they also publish stories from regions all over the world.
Outpost pays CAD $50 ($39) for 800 – 1,500 word pieces. Rates for longer articles (2,000 – 4,000 words) vary but are competitive, depending on your writing chops.
Listverse pays $100 per listicle, and they only pay via Paypal.
They pay $100 per approved piece.
Before sending in your pitch, check their site for the editorial calendar. You don’t want to send in a pitch on travel when the topic they are currently focused on is automotive.
They prefer articles focused on destinations and everything travelers need to know before they head to a new place.
Submitting 850 – 1,600 word articles, loaded with anecdotes, personal insights, and detailed descriptions about a place is sure to catch their attention.
Go World Travel pays as much as $30 – $40 per published article.
Pathfinders expect freelance travel writers to send in completed articles via email, rather than pitch topics.
Pathfinders pays $150 per travel story.
The majority of their content is created by remote workers.
Their articles are in the range of 3,000 – 5,000 words. So, if you prefer short-form pieces, this is probably not your beat.
Yoga Journal shells out between $800 – $2,000 per article.
My Itchy Travel Feet pays $30 for 700 – 800 word articles. Once your article is published, they pay you via PayPal.
While Penny Hoarder is an uber-famous financial education website they also publish tons of articles about traveling on a budget. They love evergreen topics and have an audience who wants to know how to earn and save money.
So, if you have an evergreen angle that blends travel, saving, and earning money, send them your pitch!
They pay freelance writers $75 for 700 – 900 word articles. Check to make sure they haven’t covered the topic you want to pitch.
You get credited as the author once your article is published. Plus, you also get backlinks to your website and social media.
Horizon Guides pays great rates to contributors, starting at $400 per guide and $200 per feature article.
Escapees Magazine pays between $50 – $100 for 100 – 500 word articles. Feature articles can command as much as $100 – $200 depending on the length.
They provide their audience of RV enthusiasts with technical and travel information that supports their RV lifestyle. They expect submissions on spectacular RV travel destinations and special campgrounds.
Trailer Life pays $600 per 1,800 word articles.
And the good news?
Before you know it, you’ll be doing your dream job and living your best life as a digital nomad.
Now go submit that first pitch!
The post The 21 Best Travel Writing Jobs That Pay Beginning Writers appeared first on Smart Blogger.
