What do you think of when you dream of your travel writing career? Do you see yourself sitting in a romantic park in France, sipping a hot latte on a cold morning and writing about all your travels? Well, if you have a story to tell, plenty of websites will help you do so, and at a reasonable price too!
They’ll pay you just so that you share your experiences exploring the world. However, travel writing is not limited to only related websites. Interestingly, there are plenty of regional and local publications which are always looking for interesting travel stories.
You don’t have to write about you visiting the ancient cities of Rome or a trip to the North Pole. Some publications want to see informative stories for ‘average’ people like how you took your kids to summer camp in a simple resort outside town. With this in mind, check out some of the ten best places to sell your travel writing services!
Matador Network
Matador Travel looks for original writing, video, and photo contributions. They should speak about the cultures, identities, and adventures of people around the world. It suggests that all its writers spend more time on the site to identify all that’s already written and pitch new ideas and angles.
Although the site does not list specific payments, reports show that writers earn around $0.03 to $0.09 for each word. It’s one of the places that you should subscribe to as you enjoy a holiday in Dubai.
BootsnAll
Submit an article or a feature about your long-term independent travels and earn close to $50 from BootsnAll. The website looks for items such as travel interviews with locals, methods of saving money, and tips on proper ways of packing, among others. However, it’s essential to go through their guidelines to see what the site is looking for at the time. BootsnAll travel submissions are quite specific!
Outpost Magazine
This site looks for captivating submissions concerning travel, culture, and adventure. It wants long-form travel stories, guides, and breathtaking photos. Note that this is a Canadian publication with a ‘Canadian slant.’
Its stories and columns are usually around 800 to 1500 words. On the other hand, its features go up to 5000 words with payment varying according to the number of words.
Wanderlust
Here is a British Travel website which publishes destination stories of up to 2,200 words. It also looks for consumer articles and unique interesting features. An excellent example of a catchy piece of story is how a travel experience to Africa made you understand the effects of poaching endangered animal species. Lastly, payment here is usually around $325 per 1000 words, but rates may vary.
AFAR
This site is suitable for high-income, college-educated readers looking for personal connections through travel. The publication allows pitches involving:
- News items
- Local resident stories
- Food
Lastly, if you subscribe to AFAR, you’ll enjoy attractive payments too. It pays rates which range from $0.50 to $1.50 for every word!
GoNOMAD
This website only looks for activities, destinations, and experiences that meet its focus and style. In its guidelines, it states that you should avoid the guidebook lingo, extra fluff, and promotional hype. Its articles range from 800 to 2000 words and contain a detailed list of topics and locations. Payment is around $25 for each piece.
Contena
This website comes with several great features to assist travel writers who want to share their travel destination stories. Some of the features that make it the first on this list include:
- Job searching tool
- Submission finder
- Email alerts
There is also a Contena Academy where you get a 6 module training course video that guides you through the writing process. So, if you want to write about a travel experience to the city of Rome, you’ll get all the tools that you need to succeed.
What’s most exciting about joining Contena is the expert writing coaches that they offer their loyal travel writers. This helps you in creating your portfolio and individual job pitches. Most importantly, they provide advice on any issue you come across. Don’t you think you should get a Contena account today? It’s free!
National Geographic Traveler
This online magazine looks for unique stories and content that describes the spirit of your destination. Each issue usually has five features, with half on different US destinations and half on international travel. It’s a fantastic site because it’s not just looking for information on where the wealthy can go, it highlights places for regular people too!
If you think you can write such attractive pieces, subscribe to this excellent website. Here, you can share department stories of 750 words or feature posts of 2500 words. Be cautious though as it’s quite competitive!
Arizona Highways Magazine
If you’re in Arizona or traveling to this destination, subscribe to this magazine. Travelers here rely on this website for ideas on specific goals. The site also encourages foreign travelers to visit Arizona. Go through its guidelines to learn when queries, mostly in particular places, are accepted. In most cases, this is around March. Also, remember that payment varies.
Blasting News
Here is one of the most significant social news publishing online companies for travel writers across the world. Since its establishment in 2013, it’s grown and become one of the most popular global websites. Research even shows that it receives more than 80 million unique monthly subscribers.
The website uses 25 languages and reports in 34 countries. Its journalists and freelance writers earn close to $12 for every 1000 readers. Furthermore, all its posts are published by contributors known as blasters. Senior blasters fact-check and proofread each article to make sure it’s entirely written. So, sign up now and get close to $150 for each piece.
Which Other Freelance Writing Websites Should You Check Out on Your Travels?
As an experienced freelance travel writer, you’ve probably heard of other useful and well-paying websites. Of course, with the constant growth of the internet, there are a lot of sites offering freelance writers good pay. However, not all are legit, and you might end up sharing your amazing stories for almost nothing!
So, even though we’ve shown you some of the ten best websites, you may have heard of others like:
- Delta Sky Magazine
- The Travel Writer’s Life
- Digital Ocean
- DesertUSA
- Los Angeles Times Travel
- Sunset Magazine
Do you have a lot of travel ideas that you want to share? With these websites, you can do so and earn a reasonable sum of money in the process. By sharing such memories, you add ‘spice’ and excitement to the life of someone who might never have the same experience.
So, even if you’re skiing in the mountains or canoeing in dangerous tides, make sure you sit down somewhere and write about it. Remember that as a travel blogger, you have a voice and your audience is always ready to listen. All in all, we wish you all the best in your travel writing career and hope that this post has helped in pushing things towards the right direction!
Author the writer: Sophia Clark is a creative writer who is working on several projects, one of them being EduBirdies. In her free time, she enjoys reading and writing fiction. Her big dream is to publish a book one day. Connect with her on G+.
