Make money from your holiday stories

An E-book

by Cleland Thom
What to write, who to write for
A good writer will be able to adapt their writing skills to suit virtually any market. This course will
help you to do so. But having said that, every writer has a sphere that will suit him or her best.
Maybe you have experience of living abroad. Maybe you have travelled during the course of your
job, have worked as a holiday rep, or have been on a variety of different holidays.
The key point about travel writing is to start where you are already: focus on the areas where you
have personal experience. It's easy to dream about writing features for Conde Nast or National
Geographic. But you need to be honest and face the fact that this is probably not going to happen –
yet!
You will do far better to set your sights on more achievable goals. That could be writing articles for
subscription-only titles, websites or smaller magazines. Don't despise the small things! You invariably
find they lead to bigger things.
One girl we trained wrote short reviews of the latest PC games for a small e-zine. She was only paid a
few pounds for each of them, but she understood that it was an investment in her future. It certainly
was!
After a few months, the site was purchased by a huge multi-media organisation for £3 million. And
her talents were included in the deal. She was given a 'transfer fee' of several hundred thousand
pounds and now earns a great deal of money. All because she was prepared to start off by doing the
things in front of her nose.
We will look in more detail about how to market your work later in the course. But in the meantime,
if you are stuck to know what to write about, remember the old maxim: 'Start from where you're at.'
MAKE MONEY OUT OF YOUR HOLIDAY STORIES

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Put your contacts and experiences to good use. Everybody has some. You are unique! And you are
uniquely qualified to write about certain areas of travel and holidays.
The good thing is that there are specialist holidays that cater for just about every interest these days.
One of our students was a bell ringer. She was wondering what to write about and asked our advice.
Believe it or not, there are bell-ringing holidays –
http://www.inspiringholidays.com/details.enhanced.php?l=515 – and she now writes about them!
In the same way, there is probably a holiday that caters for your interests – and the more obscure
they are, the more likely you are to find markets for travel articles about them.
If you don’t believe us, try typing the following words into a Google search:


Beekeeping holidays.



Brass rubbing holidays.



Journalism holidays.



Bowls holidays.

Now do you see what we mean?!

Task!
Write down on a piece of paper the areas that you are qualified to write about.
Here's an example:
Bob is divorced. He spent most of his teens and early 20s living in Spain. He is a PE teacher in a
comprehensive school. He is a keen and successful amateur tennis player.
The result of all this is that Bob is qualified to write:


Opinion articles and features on living and working abroad.



Reviews about Spanish life and culture.



Travel reviews on Spanish holidays.



Features about school adventure/sports holidays.



Features about tennis holidays in Spain and elsewhere.



Features about holidays for divorced dads, single parents etc.

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And the types of publications and markets he could write for include:


Magazines for ex-patriots living in Spain.



Cultural magazines promoting Spanish tourism, culture etc.



Magazines for tennis fans.



Magazines promoting sport for young people.



Travel magazines, e-zines and supplements.

Now apply the same process to yourself. Write down your skills, qualifications, professional
experiences, life experiences, hobbies and interests. Your list of possibilities may be longer than you
expect! But remember – each item on your list could give you the opportunity for a sphere of
writing.
Afterwards, write down as many publications, e-zines etc related to each category as you can find.
Then go to the library and search for others in: Willings Press Guide, British Rate and Data, the
Guardian Media Guide, the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook, the Freelance Writer’s Handbook or
Hollis’ PR Manual.
You can also find lists of publications at:
http://www.dropbears.com/b/broughsbooks/magazines/travel_magazines.htm
The main ones are:
The Traveller Magazine
www.wexas.com
Backpacker
www.backpacker.com
www.bravenewtraveler.com
www.21stcenturyadventures.com
www.travelmag.co.uk
www.cultureconnect.com
www.travel-wise.com
www.hackwriters.com

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www.roadjunky.com
www.travelblogger.net
Don’t’ forget to check out the publications for specialised areas of travel writing.
For instance, if you are keen on walking holidays, you would add these to your list:
www.walkscene.co.uk
The Great Outdoors Magazine
www.tgomagazine.co.uk
Walk Magazine
www.walkmag.co.uk
www.ramblers.org
Country Walking Magazine
www.countrywalking.co.uk
www.walkingbritain.co.uk
You can find comprehensive lists of e-zines at:
www.e-zine-list.com
http://www.e-zinez.com
http://www.site-city.com/members/e-zine-master
These will list your target markets. Knowing them – and matching your work to them – is the key to a
successful career as a travel writer. Remember the business sector, too – magazines like Travel Trade
Gazette, Destination UK are good outlets for news articles.
It will also help if you join as many organisations and associations related to your specialist areas as
possible – they give you credibility, as well as keeping you informed of latest news and
developments, which might trigger article ideas.
For instance, if you are keen on scuba diving, you should join the British Sub-Aqua Club, and consider
writing articles about diving holidays.
And if you are interested in horse riding, you should join the British Horse Society and consider
writing articles about horse riding holidays http://www.ridingholidays.com


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And if you have a degree in archaeology, you should join the Council for British Archaeology or the
Institute of Field Archaeologists, and start to write articles on archaeological holidays.
(http://www.responsibletravel.com/TripSearch/Special%20interest/Activity100136.htm)
You will find this approach helpful later on, when you approach editors with ideas for stories and
features. You will be able to re-assure them that they are dealing with a specialist. This will raise
your chances of a sale. Local paper editors are often interested in people who can writer specialist
reviews for their readers.
You should also consider joining the British Guild of Travel Writers –
http://www.bgtw.org/ and www.travelwriters.com Have a look at their websites and you will find
some useful material that will help your career.
Here are some other websites that writers find useful to support them in their careers:
www.mridukhullar.com/forwriters
www.easywaytowrite.com
www.writing-world.com
www.filbertpublishing.com
www.writingfordollars.com

Each publication has its own niche market
The writing style, design, use of colours, and use of photos and graphics etc in each publication
combine to give a clear underlying message to their niche market of readers, just as your body
language gives a clear underlying message to people you meet. And if you do not write your travel
features with a niche market in mind, they will never be used.
Many writers make the fatal mistake of writing an article and then deciding whom to sell it to. This is
a waste of time.
With modern freelance writing, YOU MUST select your market before you put pen to paper, since
the choice of publication will influence both your content and writing style. Writing an article
without knowing whom it is for is a bit like Renault building a new car and then trying to work out
whom to sell it to. The market research always comes first!


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Task!
Try this experiment. Select a few travel magazines, supplements or e-zines. With each one, ask
yourself these questions:


What language was used: Friendly? Formal? Over-familiar? Pushy?



Was it easy to read? Were you able to run your eyes run through the words comfortably, or did
you have to go back and re-read some parts?



How did the publication make you feel? Interested? Bored? Excited? Or nothing at all?



Did you want to buy the publication again? If so, why? Of not, why not?

Analysing a publication’s objectives
Task!
Go back to those publications or e-zines that you used just now.
Ask yourself the following questions about each of them. And write down your answers, giving 2 or 3
sentences for each question.


WHO is it for?



WHAT is it for?

The editor of every publication should know the answers to both of these questions. If they don't,
their publications will eventually fail.
As we said above, every publication these days has its own 'niche market'. It will be aimed at a
particular group of people and will have a particular purpose. Its owners will have carried out
extensive market research to make sure the product gives readers exactly what they want.
This process of research is the same used by the manufacturers of all other products, whether they
are cars, clothes or baked beans. The publishing industry is littered with the corpses of literally
hundreds of magazines and newspapers that folded because they lost touch with, or never knew,
their customers' needs.
Let's apply the two questions you used for your Task to some other publications:


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1. THE GUARDIAN
Who is it for?
Middle-class graduates and educated people with left-wing leanings.
What is it for?
To inform people about national and international current events; to explain and interpret them
to readers; and to provide commentaries and opinions about issues of the day.
2.

THE SUN
Who is it for?
Working class and lower-middle class readers.
What is it for?
To provide readers with celebrity-led news, sport, competitions, offers and humour-based
entertainment.

3.

CYCLING WEEKLY
Who is it for?
Adult cycling enthusiasts.
What is it for?
To provide readers with news, features and analysis of all aspects of cycle sport and cycling as a
pastime.

It is essential that all products, including newspapers and magazines, know who and what they are
for.
The same applies to e-zines. Any website developer MUST be able to answer these two crucial
questions: Who is it for? and What is it for? The answers determine everything else – the design, the
content, and most importantly to us on this course, the way the copy is written.
If a publication cannot deal with these two questions effectively, it is almost certainly doomed. And
similarly, if you cannot tailor your writing to suit each publication’s objectives, then your travel
writing career may be doomed, too! There are very few opportunities these days to luxuriate in your
own writing style.


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If you are not absolutely clear about whom your articles are for, then they will fail. They will be
aimless and lack purpose and direction. They might have given you enormous pleasure and
fulfilment when writing them. But pleasure and fulfilment will not earn you a living!
Writing an article without a market in mind is a bit like going out for a trip to London for the day.
Unless you know where you are going and what you want to do, you will wander around and do
nothing in particular.
Many wonderful articles wander around and do nothing in particular in terms of reaching a target
readership. This is why they never get used.
Identifying your article’s market is not something you make up as you go along. That's a bit like
building a new house without having an architect design it first. Or constructing a building and then
deciding whether it’s a shed, a farmhouse or a shop. Either way, you will end up with a mess.
Consider this example. Imagine a magazine that promotes theatrical productions in London’s West
End.
Now think of the consequences of these answers in terms of the way the copy is written:
1.

It will be written primarily for adults.

2.

It will be simple, brief and easy to understand.

3.

It will be set out in short, bulleted lists of information and reviews.

4.

It will have a booking form or provide phone numbers or websites where you can book online.

You get the idea? Unless you know who and what your publication is for, you will never be able to
pitch your writing accordingly.
A newspaper editor I used to work for once told me to stand at the office window and look at people
on the other side of the road queuing for buses.
There was an old lady carrying a bag of shopping, a harassed mum with a screaming toddler and a
couple of middle-aged men. Then he went and got one of my stories and said to me: "If those people
down there don't understand every word of what you've written, then you've failed in your job.
You've got to understand your audience."
It was a lesson that has remained with me until this day – and it particularly applies to any form of
freelance writing.
How often have you listened to a politician make a speech and not had a clue what they were talking
about? It wasn't your fault! The problem was that they did not understand their intended audience,

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or if they did, were unable to adjust their language appropriately. A well-delivered message,
whether it is spoken or written, should be like Cinderella's glass slipper – a perfect fit!
I remember a friend presenting me with an article that he was really proud of – he had spent weeks
writing it and polishing it. He felt it was a masterpiece. But after a few minutes of reading it through,
I handed it back to him and said, "I haven’t a clue who this is for." And when my friend thought
about it, he did not know, either. His masterpiece was useless from a freelance point of view,
because it did not lend itself to any particular market.
You need to write for your INTENDED audience. If other people happen to pick up the magazine, so
be it. They are not so important. You are not writing for them because you are not trying to win
them.
These are some of the factors you need to bear in mind when determining your INTENDED audience:


Where are they from? A magazine reviewing forthcoming events in Sevenoaks chiefly wants to
attract people who live in the same geographical area. But a publication that reviews tourist
attractions in London will attract both Londoners and people from all over the planet who want
to find out about London or who are planning to visit it. This means that we are writing for
people who may be fluent English speakers – AND many who are not! This presents challenges
straight away in writing to cater for both.



Are they male or female, or both? A fashion magazine for women will primarily attract women.
However a newsletter about wrestling is likely to have men as its INTENDED audience.



How old are they? A magazine that features Noddy and the Teletubbies is aimed at under-fives
(and their parents!) and is written accordingly. Whereas a magazine offering advanced
theological articles for people studying Old Testament Hebrew is most certainly aimed at
adults!



What is their level of education? A magazine offering views about Manchester United is
intended for people from all kinds of backgrounds, ranging from unemployed teenagers who
left school with no qualifications to University professors who happen to be fans.



What do they know about the subject already? If you purchase Practical Photography, the
chances are you already know a fair bit about photography. So the reviews of new products do
not explain the basics in much detail. However a magazine called Easy PC is aimed for PC
novices and is written and presented accordingly. It explains everything, and assumes the
reader knows nothing.


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

What is their status? Is the publication aimed at company directors and captains of industry? Or
the man in the street? Or both?

Once you have established what and who your article is intended for, then writing the copy becomes
less hit and miss. You will be able to write appropriately. And if you are still unsure about the
publication’s intended market, then write to them and ask them. Many produce guidelines for
freelancing explaining the types of articles they use and the way they should be written.
For instance, Camping Life says it contains: "Family camping information including vacation and
weekend destinations, equipment reviews and buyers' guides for tent campers and owners of truck
campers and pop-up trailers."
This information enables us to work out that their readers are primarily parents, who probably have
fairly limited incomes. This will influence what we write and the way that we write it.
Some publications give far more detailed guidelines:
Publication: Travelmag online magazine
Types of articles: Narrative and descriptive first person accounts.
Accepts materials from freelancers:
Please email contributions to ed@travelmag.co.uk
We like
be sent
notepad
longer,

to see anything you’ve taken the trouble to write. Features should
over as attached files, in word, rich text format, or even as
files. We can dig features out of emails, though this takes a bit
and clever formatting or page breaks just make our life difficult.

Length: A good length for a Travelmag feature is 2,000 words. This doesn’t
mean you should stretch shorter pieces – usually the little gems shine all
the brighter for their brevity. We do publish some super-long epics, but –
with a few exceptions - these would be improved by being broken up into
individual features or boiled down dramatically.
Writing style: Descriptive and observational (sensory). Usually first
person. Informal. Some information included but not main focus. Articles
give a taste of the place being written about. Focused on one place.
Who for: Independent travellers who have been or are thinking of going to
locations.
What for: Travelmag correspondents travel well beyond the guidebook routes,
illuminating little-known corners of the globe and, occasionally, revealing
a bit about themselves as well. We put up the features we find interesting,
usually because they're good, but sometimes because they're outstandingly
bad. Newspapers and print magazines won't tell the everyday tales of travel
in the developing world, print individual takes on particular places or run
stories that might upset the advertisers paying for space on the next page.
We don't worry about any of these things. The travel writing here, unlike
those filtered by more conventional media, reflects the huge variety of
individual travel experiences.
Graphics/photos: Pictures always help liven up features, but please don’t
send them embedded into word documents: they should be sent over as low-res
(30k or thereabout) jpeg attachments. We can scan in prints or slides if
you like, but will need to include a stamped addressed envelope and
although we’ll make every attempt to return the originals we accept no

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responsibility for items lost in transit – a risk that increases if sent
from outside the UK.

We make no apology for labouring the point about market research. It’s the key to success.
Imagine you are a doctor going in to an infant school to do a talk called 'My job.' You stand at the
front and say: "After taking the Hippocratic Oath, I decided to become a Registrar at the local
infirmary, and then after three years, went to a local NHS Trust surgery as a locum."
The chances are that no child understood a word you said.
You would have done better to say, "My job is to make people well when they're sick. I used to work
in a hospital. But now I work in a doctor's surgery, just like the one mummy takes you to when
you're poorly. I help when other doctors are away."
You get the idea? You adjust your message to suit your audience.

Handy hint
A good technique is to draw a pen picture of your publication’s typical intended reader.
Ask yourself: is the publication aimed at a cuddly granny? A teenager with street-cred? A well-off middleaged businessman? Or who?

Task!
Write 100 words on each of the following, using the appropriate language:


Describe your favourite foreign destination to a 70-year-old maiden aunt.



Describe your last holiday to a five-year-old.



Describe your worst travel experience to a 16-year-old boy.

You should find that each bit of writing was completely different – because you were writing for a
different target audience. There’s no point in being proud about improving YOUR writing style. You
shouldn’t have one! You should be able to change your style according to the reader – or not bother.
So – having looked at the need to write targeted articles, we move onto the next challenge for the
freelance writer. What do we write?


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Coming up with some ideas
1.

As we said at the start of the E-book, start where you are: your interests, the things you, your
family or friends have done, or experienced, can be turned into features.

2.

Write about places you have been to.

3.

Write about different modes of travel you have used.

4.

Write about holidays/trips that involve your hobby, special interest or qualification.

5.

Write articles that give advice for holidays/trips you have been on.

6.

Look in the dictionary – pick a word at random and them write down 5 possible article ideas.
For instance: take the word ‘single’ …


How the single currency will affect holiday travel.



Why do travel agents discriminate against single people?



Holiday reviews for the young, free and single.



A single mum’s trip to Barcelona/Riviera/wherever.



A single ticket to Thailand/Morocco/wherever.

Or try the word ‘chocolate’ …



Chocolate holidays. (http://www.travel-quest.co.uk/chocolate.htm)



Chocolates of the world.



The chocolate shops of Madrid/Bangkok/wherever.


7.

A chocolate lover’s guide to Paris/Toronto/wherever.

Chocolate recipes for rainy days on your caravan holiday.

Get ideas from other peoples’ articles. A local paper has a filler about a man who has won a
chess competition. You could write an article on chess holidays. The Times Education
Supplement has an article about a 6-year-old boy genius. You could develop it into a feature on
holidays for brainy kids. (http://www.mensa.org.uk/travelclub/) See every article, letter and
even advert you read as a starting point for a new, original piece of work for another
publication. The more unusual your ideas, the more likely they are to get used.


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8.

Look for categories – you may have interviewed someone, or read about someone, who has
become the oldest person to go hang gliding. So why not try to write travel features about the
youngest, the unlikeliest, the worst?

9.

Look for spin-offs – while writing one article, you might get an idea for another. For instance,
you might write an article in which you mention the back-streets of Cannes. This could be
developed into a series of features on … 'the back-streets of …'

10. Listen out for the unusual and outrageous.
11. Look for seasons – there is a huge market for travel articles about Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s
Day, Halloween etc, providing you can come up with something original. But you need to be
thinking several months ahead.
12. Recycling – could one article be re-written or refocused for use in a different publication –
abroad, maybe?
13. Follow-ups – revisit articles six months or a year later. Have there been any spin-offs?
14. Fill the Editor’s shoes – get hold of a magazine, analyse it thoroughly, and then sit down and
write as many possible article ideas as you can.
15. If you’re stuck – then try buying a book called The Writer’s Block. It provides hundreds of ways
to stimulate ideas. It’s by Jason Rekaluk, ISBN 0-7624-0948-7. You can also try the following
useful websites: www.writewords.org.uk http://www.freelanceworkexchange.com

and

www.writerscrossing.com These sites offer support and advice to freelance writers, as well as
selling opportunities. They also contain links to similar sites.
16. Write about people you have met on your holidays – taxi drivers, hotel porters, fellow
travellers, travel couriers, market stall traders.
17. Try to come up with original themes for your articles: Five things to avoid … Getting the best out
of … How not to lose your temper in … How to lose your virginity in … (!?)

Originality
Remember, every idea that you have for an article must pass the originality test – otherwise it’s not
worth writing. Editors are not interested in recycled features, or articles that do not tell the reader
anything they don’t know already. They want something fresh, unusual and new.
You should therefore avoid subjects that are high on the public agenda. Remember, the challenge of
freelancing is creativity – coming up with that original idea or angle.

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Let’s reflect
There are several concepts in this E-book that may be new to you. So it is important that you read
them and re-read them until you understand them.
Here is a list of the main components of this E-book:
1.

You already have the expertise to write for some markets because of your personal
experiences, skills and qualifications.

2.

Each publication has a target audience. You should not attempt writing for a magazine until you
know what it is.

3.

Every article you write should reflect the writing style and market requirements of the
publication you are writing for.

Step by Step
These elements come together to form a crucial process when preparing to write web copy:


STEP ONE:

We work out what we can write about.



STEP TWO:

We work out whom we can write for – we match our subject to a magazine
title. If there isn’t one – then change the subject!



STEP THREE:

We develop an approach, a writing style, article length etc that matches
the intended market perfectly.

Once you have completed these steps, you will be ready to start putting pen to paper. But you will
ONLY be able to do that effectively and successfully if the elements contained in this e-book have
been adhered to.

Writing skills
One of the most important factors to remember as a travel writer is this: it is essential that you learn
to adapt your writing skills to the market that you intend to sell to.
There is no point in offering the Sun a feature written in the language of the Guardian reader. And
there is no point in using the same writing style in a holiday feature for FHM as you would in one for
Saga Magazine.

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It is important to learn the fundamental techniques you will need to use for articles for newspapers,
and articles for magazines. You then adapt these skills for the selected market.
So in this E-book, we will examine the basic techniques you need to write for newspapers and
magazines.

Newspaper writing techniques
The best way to learn to write in newspaper style is to study the way national papers present their
news stories (we will look at feature writing techniques later on). Read articles over and over again.
Examine the language and the way it is used. Study the way sentences are constructed and how the
article is put together.
Here, then, are some golden rules for newspaper writing style in news stories. Learn them – and use
them.
1.

Be fluent
Read the following sentence:
If you are a holiday home owner and you are thinking of fitting a burglar alarm system on your
premises, then here’s an opportunity for you – you are invited to consult a leading Crime
Reduction Expert for advice on how to make a cost effective investment.
Bit of a mouthful, wasn’t it? The chances are you got lost halfway through and had to read the
sentence over again in order to understand the meaning.
If this was the opening sentence of a newspaper article, then one thing would be guaranteed:
your reader would stop reading.
The sentence is too long and it is not fluent. So how do you write fluently? This can be
summarised in one simple tip: Write as you speak.
Let’s see a more fluent version of that same sentence:
An expert is offering advice on burglar alarms to help you choose the right equipment or your
holiday home without paying too much.
See the difference? The second version is closer to what you would say.
Most people speak in fairly clear, fluent English. But when they start writing, they become
overbearing, complicated and pompous.
For instance, you might tell your friend: ‘I am just popping out to the café for a cuppa and a
cake.’

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But if they were writing the same comment down, they would probably say: ‘I am proposing to
sojourn to the restaurant and partake in a beverage and an item of confectionery.’
I know which I would prefer to read!
When you write anything for the modern media, imagine you are sitting talking to a friend and
use the same language. And if you are struggling to write something fluently, then say it out
loud. If necessary, go and say it to a friend. They may wonder what on earth you are talking
about! But at least you will be able to take a note of how it came out and go and write it down
before you forget!

Task!
Re-write the following passage to give it fluency:
I observe many items on the internet about the Kilimanjaro song, with many climbers wanting the
words for the song as it brings back memories for them. Good memories of the hard slog to the summit
of Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa. There is another side to this song; the porters who sing this
song have their own story.
You send this in for marking if you wish.
2.

Be consistent
Read the following sentence:
Kieran is a regular customer and was always one of the first to place an order when a new
product is launched.
You will notice the inconsistency: it begins by saying Kieran is but then goes on to say he was.
The sentence should read:
Kieran is a regular customer and is always one of the first to place an order when a new product
is launched.
In fact most newspapers always write in the PAST TENSE. So make sure you do.

3.

Keep it short
Readers nowadays are in a hurry and have not got the time to plod through long sentences and
paragraphs. They need to be able to glance through things quickly. So as a general rule,
sentences should be UNDER 20 WORDS EACH. And paragraphs should comprise a maximum of
TWO SENTENCES. In fact most newspapers use one-sentence paragraphs.

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4.

Keep it simple
You must use simple sentence constructions – avoid sub clauses.
Read this sentence:
This landrover, which is the top of its range both in America and in Europe, comes complete with
20 new features fitted as standard.
The phrase ‘which is the top of its range both in America and in Europe’ is a sub clause, and
slows the reader down.
It would be far better to say:
This land comes complete with 20 new features fitted as standard. It is top of its range both in
America and in Europe.

Task!
Re-write the following using short, simple sentences and paragraphs that are two sentences
maximum:

American Samoa is the only U.S. territory south of the equator. Annexed by the United States for
use as a naval base in 1900, the territory no longer has any military significance but is becoming
popular, to an extent, with holiday makers. Instead, Pago Pago currently hosts the StarKist and
"Chicken of the Sea" tuna canneries, making it the most important commercial fishing port
under the American flag, but of course the tourists are more interested in the sandy beaches.
You send this in for marking if you wish.
5.

Cut the jargon
It is so easy to be verbose. And verbosity is one quality that readers will not tolerate.
When you think about it, our language is littered with jargon and clichés that are nothing more
than a waste of space – and a waste of the reader’s precious time.
Look at the following examples:
A large number of
But why not say Many?
All of a sudden

18

But why not say Suddenly?
At this moment in time
But why not say Now?
During the course of
But why not say While?
Give consideration to
But why not say Consider?
In spite of the fact that
But why not say Despite?
The majority of
But why not say Most?
Units of housing
But why not say Homes?
Secure the funding
But why not say Get the money?
Owing to the fact that
But why not say Because?
Was a witness to
But why not say Saw?
A large number of
But why not say Many?
Behind schedule
But why not say Late?
In short supply
But why not say Scarce?


19

The list is endless – and a good writer should be on the watch for cumbersome phrases like this
all the time.

Task!
Examine the following words and phrases and write shorter alternatives next to them:
At an early date

………………………………….

At the present time

………………………………….

Commence

………………………………….

Worst ever

………………………………….

Face up to

………………………………….

In addition to

………………………………….

Behind schedule

………………………………….

Ahead of schedule

………………………………….

Seating accommodation

………………………………….

Lacerations and contusions

………………………………….

Sustained injuries

………………………………….

In the event of

………………………………….

You can send these in for marking if you wish.
6.

Write ‘scannable’ text
Shoppers visiting a big department store tend to fall into one of two categories.
They either go because they need a particular item. Or they go for a browse round and only
stop if something catches their eye.
Modern newspaper and magazine readers tend to be the same. They are either looking for a
particular item, like the crossword or the TV guide. Or they skim the pages and only stop if
something catches their eye.
The pace of modern life means that many readers fall into the second category. So we need to
adjust the way we write to accommodate their reading habits. These people do not read the
pages. They skim them.

20

The modern travel writer must be able to write ‘skimmable’ text. Here are some tips:


Sentences and words must be kept as short as possible.



Unfamiliar and complicated words should be avoided.



Capital letters should be kept to a minimum. They slow the reader down. So we don’t refer
to First Choice Holidays’ Assistant Chief Executive, but First Choice holidays’ assistant chief
executive



Avoid unnecessary punctuation. Just use the punctuation that is absolutely vital: full stops,
apostrophes and speech marks. Commas should be kept to a minimum by using simple
sentence structures. And semi colons should be eliminated altogether.



Try to make the subject of consecutive sentences the same. Look at this piece of text:
Harry Dwyer has been voted secretary of the Spanish Holidays Trippers Reunited
Society for the fifth year running.
The committee endorsed him unanimously at a special meeting last night.
Emily Dwyer was appointed social secretary for another year.
You will see that each sentence has a different subject. It would be better to rephrase the
copy:
Harry Dwyer has been voted secretary of secretary of the Spanish Holidays Trippers
Reunited Society for the fifth year running.
He was endorsed unanimously by the committee at a special meeting last night.
His wife, Emily Dwyer was appointed social secretary for another year.
Harry Dwyer is now the subject of every sentence, making for a smoother read.

7.

Pitch your writing at an appropriate level
Many writers simply don’t understand their readers. A paper like the Sun is written for people
with a reading age of 10. The Telegraph is written for a reading age of 14-16. Whether we think
this is a good thing or not, we need to realise that as journalists, we deliver people what they
want, in the way they want it. It’s not our job to philosophise about what they should want.
Leave that to the philosophers! Our job is to meet the demands of our market.

8.

Write in the third person


21

As news journalists, we write in narrative form. We never refer to ourselves in a story …
references to ‘I did this’ and ‘I did that’ should be eliminated.

9.

Don’t use too many adjectives
The general rule of news writing is that you let facts speak for themselves. Adjectives –
descriptive words – should be used sparingly, and only when they are justified by facts. If
unemployment figures in Uptown show a 15 per cent rise, then certainly say that they are
‘grim’. But if someone has died in a fire, there is no point in saying the death was ‘tragic’. That’s
obvious.

10. Get to the point
Some journalists are so busy trying to sensationalise a story, they actually dilute it.
Read this sentence:
“Chaos came to the resort of Salou yesterday when 300 people turned up to a hotel which had
not been completed
The phrase “Chaos came to the resort of Salou yesterday” lessens the impact. It would be far
better to say: “Three hundred people turned up to a holiday in Salou yesterday – and found
their hotel had not been completed.” These facts convey the drama – the reporter does not
have to.

Feature writing techniques
The rules for writing features are different from news stories (whether you are writing a feature for
a newspaper or for a magazine – the techniques are the same). In a sense, with features, there are
no hard-and-fast rules. Your approach will vary according to the subject – and according to whom it’s
for. But here are some tips:
1.

Get the length right
Features are usually much LONGER than news stories – 750-100 words, or even more …

2.

Don’t waffle
… But just because a feature is long, doesn’t give you an excuse to waffle. Every word should
still count.

3.

Be creative

22

Having said that, features often give you more opportunity to express your creative writing skills
than a bald, factually-based news story ever will. So …

4.

… Get in the mood
Try to create mood and atmosphere. If the subject lends itself to humour, then be funny. If it is
serious and authoritative, then you should be the same.

5.

Remember to use plenty of quotes …

6.

Make it flow
… but also remember that a feature is NOT a disjointed series of interviews run on one after the
other. The skill of the writer is to weld them together to create a smooth read. Create links
between one section and the next.

7.

Create suspense
Many features use the ‘Mystery Intro’ in the first par … in other words, the intro does not tell
the reader what the feature is about, but nonetheless grabs the reader’s attention and makes
them want to read on to find out more. For example:


Maisie Booker looked into her husband’s eyes and said: ‘I’ve hated him since the first day I
met him on holiday in Benidorm!’
OR …



A chill wind blew through the shopping centre in Blackpool, blowing litter in all directions.
Nothing new there, then …

None of these intros tells the reader anything about the subject of the feature that follows. But
hopefully intrigue the reader sufficiently to want to make them read on.
8.

Be human
Try to humanise complex issues. For instance, if you are doing a feature on the poor state of
local bus services, DON’T write:
Coach trips for pensioners are the most expensive they have been for years.
Instead, prefer:
Every month, Charlie Smith, 79, goes on a coach trip … sometimes to Bath, sometimes to the
tulip fields of Lincolnshire.

23

It’s a chance to catch up with old friends during the journey, have some lunch and do a bit of
sight-seeing.
But not any longer. For a new survey by Mori shows that the cost of coach trips for pensioners
has doubled in the past two years – leaving Charlie and his friends unable to afford the far.
The human effect makes the issue of coach trip prices warmer, more appealing, and more
accessible to the reader.
9.

Get tense
Features provide the opportunity to do something different ... write in the present tense, the
first person or to inject adjectives and personal comment.

10. Use the right structure
Features are constructed differently to news stories, which have all the best material at the top
and taper off towards the end. Features have a beginning, middle and an end. In fact the best
ones don’t fizzle out, but have a thought-provoking ending … a sting in the tail. The last
sentence of a feature is as important as the first.
11. Before the intro …
Many features have a Standfirst … a one-liner that precedes the intro and sets the scene – for
example:
Sun, sea and sex … is that all that Club 18-30 holidays are about? Sophie Jones went to find out
…
Make sure you use one of these before your intro, if the selected publication uses them.

Fact files, graphics and photos
You are more likely to achieve a sale with your travel features and articles if you can enclose fact
files and photos at the time you submit the article for publication.
Some publishers are happy to find their own – in fact a few insist on doing so.
But most prefer to receive a complete package from freelances – the article, photos, fact files,
graphics – everything! This saves them time and effort.
Let’s look each in turn.


24

Fact files
These are popular with all kinds of articles, not just travel ones.
The fact file appears at the end of the article, or alongside it. It is a separate box containing essential details
of the holiday, hotel, resort etc.
Readers like them because they put the key details and their fingertips – and they find them easy to use,
because they are used to seeing boxes of information on their computers.
With a travel feature, a fact file should include details like:


Prices – just some sample prices: eg – A family of four sharing a room in August - £750 including
flights, hire car and taxes.



Location.



Operators, with their phone numbers and website addresses.



Hotels, with their phone numbers and website addresses.



Disabled facilities.



Connection details.



Special features (free children’s club etc).



Nearby sites.



Transport available (hire cars, bikes, cabs etc).



Weather.



Facilities for young children.



Shops and other facilities (eg internet, laundry, hairdressing etc).



Whether the resort / hotel is suitable / not suitable for: families; singles; old people; people
wanting a quiet holiday; night clubbers etc.



A star rating – some publications give holidays / resorts / hotels etc a start rating from * to * * *
**



A brief comment at the end: eg – ‘Great for hermits’. Or ‘Paradise – if you can afford it.’

Here is an example of a fact file for you to look up. You can also look online and in travel publications for
others.

25

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,15230-1161512,00.html
The fact file might repeat information that has been included in the article. This doesn’t matter. The
aim of the fact file is to bring together all the important details so that the reader does not have to
go hunting for them – either within your article, or somewhere else. There’s nothing more
frustrating than reading an article, thinking ‘Yes, I’d like to go there’ - and then not knowing who to
phone to make a booking!
When you are composing your fact file, put yourself in the reader’s shoes and ask yourself: ‘What
would I like to know?’
It’s better to include too much information than not enough. Be creative and thorough.

Graphics
Graphics are important because we live in a visual age. People are used to looking at images on their
TVs and PCs.
As a result, most national newspaper travel supplements and many magazines use graphics to
indicate things like the temperature at a resort throughout the year or the impact on the latest rise
in interest rates on holidays paid for with a credit card.
Graphics help to inform readers, making facts easier to grasp. A picture is worth a thousand words!
To describe the route being taken by a man who is hitch-hiking round the world would take several
pars – and readers probably wouldn’t bother to read them.
But a simple arrowed map gets the details across, clearly, in an instant.
Secondly, graphics help to explain complex issues. A graph setting out the ups and downs of the US
dollar against the pound over the past 12 months makes a far clearer point than a story ever could.
Here are some examples of a graphic. You can also look online and in travel publications for others.
http://hgm2005.hgu.mrc.ac.uk/Images/Maps/hotels.gif
http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/learning_ebooks/history/04.TU.03/illustrations/04.IL.34.gif
http://www.havant.gov.uk/images/touris4.gif
There are different types of graphics:


A chart: a graph, a pie chart or a table, that sets information out simply.



A locator – a map, with relevant areas arrowed, or amplified.

26



An analysis – a diagram, or series of diagrams, that explain how things work, how something
happened, or a process.



A news aid – a diagram or picture that is used alongside a story as a way of explaining or
interpreting a point.

You need to think in terms of graphics when writing articles. Even if you don’t have the ability or the
software to create them yourself, you may increase your chances of a sale if you can make some
suggestions on your query.

Photos
These are a must – especially if your article is personal, or about an unusual type of holiday. The
features editor is unlikely to have an archive shot of someone on a monocycling holiday in the
Mongolian mountains!
Be warned though: if you don’t have a suitable photo, NEVER submit one that you have found on
the web, via Google images etc. It will almost certainly be someone else’s copyright and cannot be
used without their written permission in advance. There could be serious consequences if you
passed off someone else’s work as your own.
Here are some general tips to bear in mind when you are taking photographs to accompany your
travel articles:
1.

Pictures are must of a very high quality – editors are not looking for holiday snaps taken on a
disposable camera. They want images that are well defined and well composed. Look at the
quality of the images in travel magazines and brochures. You should be able to match them – or
not bother!

2.

This means you must use a good camera. There are thousands to choose from. The Canon d400,
Fuji S1 Pro and the Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR are all reliable and ideal for travel
photos. Only use a camera phone if it takes high quality images.

3.

Be original. Avoid shots of people sunbathing on a beach, swimming in a pool or sitting in a
hotel eating dinner. These are dull and predictable. So be inventive – go for something off-beat.
This means you might have to set a shot up and use props and people to bring your image alive.
Or do something different – take the shot at night, at dawn, or hunt out a feature that is off the
beaten track. Avoid anything that can be seen as ‘bog standard.’


27

4.

Include people whenever possible. They bring the personal touch, which readers can relate to.
But make sure the people are acting naturally – posed pictures always look wooden and
unattractive. If the person is the main focus of the shot, then make sure you zoom close in on
their face.

5.

Compose the picture well – make sure that there is nothing and nobody in the shot that should
not be there.

Captions
Every photo published in a newspaper or a magazine will be accompanied by a caption, ranging in
length from just a few words to several paragraphs.
But what’s the point of a caption – especially if the picture does its job in grabbing the reader’s
attention?
A caption has two main purposes:
1.

It gives the reader key information about the picture – for example, the names of the people in
it.

2.

It enhances the reader’s experience of the picture with good use of descriptive language.

Captions can be written by a variety of people. On national newspapers and magazines, they are
usually written by sub editors, who lay out the pages, write headlines and prepare the copy for
publication.
But on smaller publications, they are written by the photographer who took the picture – in other
words – you!!.
Remember, you are ALWAYS the person who gathers the information for the caption – names,
addresses, ages etc. Sadly, some freelance photographers have a poor reputation for accurate factgathering. As one news editor put it: “If a photographer has put the name on the back of the picture,
assume it’s wrong.” And he wasn’t joking.
But inaccuracies can upset the reader, lead to complaints to the Press Complaints Commission (or
even a libel action), and put the publication in a poor light.
So make sure you achieve the highest standards of accuracy. Here are some tips to help you:
1.

Record information in a notebook.


28

2.

Check name spellings carefully – never assume how a name is spelt. Is it Ann or Anne? Browne
or Brown? Brooks or Brookes? Martyn or Martin? Phillip or Philip? If someone’s name is difficult
or unusual, get THEM to write it in your notebook for you.

3.

Check what people like to be called. Someone might tell you their name is Robert – but may be
known to everyone as Bob or Rob. Conversely, never assume that Robert is called Rob or Bob.
Always ask.

4.

Check ages and addresses and write them down carefully.

5.

Check titles – especially with women. Are they Miss, Ms or Mrs? Don’t assume an unmarried
woman wants to be called Ms – she might hate the idea. And never use Ms simply because you
haven’t bothered to check whether they are Miss, Mrs or Miss.

6.

Take people’s phone numbers – home, work, mobile – in case they need to be contacted later.

7.

Check people’s official titles – President of ABTA, chairman of Hoseasons etc.

8.

If you are photographing a group of people, spend time working through the group getting their
names etc – BEFORE the group disperses. And record a Left to Right in your notebook,
accurately – or find another way of reminding yourself who is who. Check that the number of
names in your book corresponds with the number of people in the photo.

Types of captions
1. Self contained captions. These are brief pieces of copy that accompany a picture. They stand
alone – there is no story with the picture, and they are not stories. They describe, usually in
around 120 words, what is happening in the picture, capture the mood, and give the basic
information, together with a left-to-right. It is acceptable to use puns and plays on words, if the
photo warrants it.
To accompany a photo of David Beckham trying out his new sun glasses:
A SUAVE David Beckham has real specs appeal as he poses with his model wife Victoria.
The England captain’s shades caught the eye at a glittering showbiz charity ball in
Hollywood last night. David and Victoria were helping to raise money for UNICEF.
To accompany a photo of eight pigs born at a zoo in a holiday resort:
Here they are … eight Peruvian pygmy piglets who certainly aren’t little piggies going to
market right now. The litter of black spotted porkers have been busy amusing visitors to


29

Stone Lodge Farm Park, Dartford, south east London, while their proud parents have been
putting their trotters up. And from the look of things, a swill time was had by all.
2.

One line captions. These accompany a news story and are usually just one sentence, briefly
describing what is happening in the picture, and who is in it.

3.

Caption stories. These are used when there is a strong news story that accompanies a picture.
For example, you may have a picture of a holiday coach crash in which three people were killed.
So your caption would start:
THIS was the scene on the M1 this morning after a coach carrying holidaymakers collided
with a car in thick fog.
Firemen drag one screaming victim from the wreckage of the Flyme coach, as colleagues
use cutting gear to free a pensioner from a brand new Porsche.
The accident happened at 8am on a busy stretch of the M1 near London Colney,
Hertfordshire, this morning.
Notice how the first two paragraphs are written in the present tense, to create a sense of
immediacy. And also note how they relate directly to the picture.

4.

Captions to mugshots (small head-and-shoulders photos of people). The picture is accompanied
by just a few words underneath – the person’s name, or perhaps a kicker (see below).

Qualities of a good caption
1.

It is accurate in every respect – facts, house style, spelling, punctuation.

2.

It should be positioned close to the picture – under it, next to it, or even set within it.

3.

The first few words should attract the reader’s attention

4.

Some publications use a Kicker – an introductory word (or sometimes two words) that may be
set in bold, or in caps. Eg: FURIOUS: Mrs Smith after the beach barbecue. Kicker words should
be active and should relate directly to someone, or possibly something, in the picture.

5.

The caption should be written in the present tense if possible – unlike features, which are
usually written in the past tense. Using the present tense enhances the immediacy of the
picture.


30

6.

The caption may be ‘written to the picture’ – in other words, the intro describes what the
reader can see in the picture. Eg: This was the scene in Florida last night as a hurricane swept in
from the Atlantic … flooded streets, damaged homes and wrecked holidays.

7.

The caption should bring the picture alive – by capturing the mood, atmosphere or drama of the
picture accompanying it.

8.

It should focus on what the reader has seen in the photograph, and embellish it, either with
facts, or feeling, or both.

9.

The caption should explain simply who is in the picture, and where they are – by using a left to
right; or stating ‘Back row, left to right … front row, left to right. Captions to photos of larger
groups of people can state ‘In the picture are …’ without saying who is standing there. And
some publications produce an accompanying cut-out of the group, and use their names there.
Make sure, however, that left-to-rights do not insult the reader’s intelligence. If you have a
photo of a man and a woman, there is no need to say Mrs Smith (left)! And if you have a picture
of the Mayor of Florence in all his regalia, standing next to a man and a woman in swimming
costumes, there is no need to say who is who – it’s obvious: simply say: The Mayor, Senor Jorge
Guillen, with Bert and Betty Smith.

Group shots
Group shots are best avoided – but are sometimes required for travel brochures, trade magazines,
holiday prize presentations, or when a group of students/children/pensionerss are on a trip
somewhere.
Group shots are difficult, because:


One group is the same as another – it is hard to come up with an original shot.



It can be very hard for you, the photographer to get motivated about a group shot.



Some groups (of businessmen etc) can be quite starchy and formal, and unwilling to do
anything unusual that might create a better picture.



Groups can be very fussy about who stands where (the boss MUST be at the front, even if he is
taller than the people behind him).



Groups usually contain at least one extrovert, who sees it as his job to make everybody else
laugh and mess around. Group shots of club reps and drunken holidaymakers are a challenge …



Groups in pubs and clubs have usually had quite a bit to drink!

31



Group shots of children require a lion tamer, rather than a photographer, to bring any kind of
order!

But the fact remains that group shots are important, and the challenge is to do them well.
Here are some tips:
1.

Use a wide-angle lens to make sure you get everyone in.

2.

Spend time arranging the group – try to do it on your terms, rather than allow the leader of the
group to tell you who should stand where. Put the tall people at the back, the small people at
the front, and make sure the VIP (if any) is standing in a prominent position. Try, if possible, to
achieve symmetrical composition. You will need humour and patience to organise the group –
be polite, but firm. Consider getting the group leader (ie the teacher, the boss etc) to organise
the group for you – following your instructions. They might be more successful getting people to
obey orders! If you find the group will not come to order, you may have to consider warning
them that you will not be able to take the shot.

3.

Consider taking an elevated view of a big group – from a balcony etc.

4.

Try to be imaginative with your composition. Unusual approaches might include:


An elevated shot, as suggested above.



Get the group to stand in a triangle.



Get people to wave, or throw something (ie their ‘Kiss me Quick’ hats, or ‘Knobbly Knees
Winner’ certificates they have just received) in the air.



Get the group to jump.



Take the shot from a different angle, rather than face-on.



Take some appropriate props along to use in the shot – find out details of the job in
advance and prepare accordingly.

5.

Check the background – make sure it contains something relevant and appropriate (ie a
signboard giving the name of the hotel etc). Avoid walls.

6.

Take a range of shots – to ensure you get at least one where no-one has blinked or pulled a
stupid face (and beware smart Alecs who have been known to get their tackle out …!).

7.

Before you take the shot, tell people to STAY IN PLACE until you give them permission to
disperse. This ensures you are able to get their names and other details. Titles (ie secretary of
the travel cub) are important.

32

8.

Make sure you achieve 100 per cent accuracy when taking down people’s names, titles etc. And
make sure you write down the position that people are in: ie front row, left to right; back row,
left to right.

9.

If the group is not standing in clearly recognisable rows, it is acceptable to state in the caption:
‘In the picture are …’, without stating who is standing where.

10. If the group is very big, you may not need to bother to take any names, other than VIPs etc –
but check the picture editor’s requirements to be on the safe side.
11. Don’t make any promises about when/if the photos will be used.

Time to act!
You should be ready to draft a travel article now. And we would like to help you.
Try this assignment:

Assignment
1.

Select ONE aspect of yourself (hobby, skill, life experience etc) that you could write a travel
article about.

2.

List the possible markets for it – ie the names of potential publications.

3.

Select one publication and research it thoroughly. Analyse:


The types of articles it uses.



Whether it accepts material from freelances.



Length and writing style of articles.



Any formulas used in its articles.



Whether articles are accompanied by graphics, photos etc.

You may need to contact the magazine in order to answer some of these questions. List your
findings.
4.

Write an article – the length should be appropriate for the selected publication.

5.

Once you have completed your draft, you can email it to us for free analysis. Email it to ecourses@ctjt.biz – in the subject field use the words:

33

I'll be looking forward to hearing from you!

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