Getting started as a freelance travel journalist requires more than just writing skills - it also requires confidence to establish oneself in an already crowded market. Online communities like TravelWriters.com and WritersMarketPlace.com offer networking, market research, and publication leads to help novice writers. Blogs, newsletters, and online courses also provide learning opportunities. Live seminars such as those offered by the Society of American Travel Writers and the Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference allow for expert mentoring and networking in supportive environments. Professional organizations can further aid writers as they begin to publish and build their career.