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If you’ve ever sat down to write and felt like you’ve run out of words, you’ve probably been told to go and read some beautiful travel writing for inspiration. I get why people say it, but for me it usually backfires and leaves me feeling like everyone else can do this and I can’t. So in this episode, instead of the usual advice, I’m sharing what I do when my writing feels flat: a few small, practical habits for finding fresh language, whether you’re travelling next week or haven’t left home in months. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

What do editors actually wish they could tell you? This week on Inside Travel Writing, I’m sharing the things editors have told me over years of conversations, press trips, and events together - the honest stuff they’re probably not going to say to your face. From the pitch mistake that comes up more than any other, to the most annoying thing you can do as a freelance travel writer, to the simple things that will make you the writer they keep coming back to. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

In this episode of Inside Travel Writing, I'm sharing 3 pieces of advice I find myself giving over and over again, whether it's to writers just starting out, to writers who've been at it for years or to writers who are somewhere in between. One is something most writers don't even realise is happening (until someone points it out). The second is about the mistake almost every writer who isn't getting commissions is making. And the last is about something most writers resist, but that the travel writers I see break through have all figured out how to embrace. I genuinely think if you can get a handle on all three, your travel writing will look very different in 12 months' time. And if you want support putting all three into practice? Applications for The Travel Writer Accelerator are open until 16 October, with two special bonuses for writers who apply and enrol by then. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

Shelly spent six months sending out dozens and dozens of pitches. In those six months, she'd only had one reply from an editor (and it was a no). Then Shelly decided to try something different. A few months later, she had her first commission, then a second, and then a five-star hotel stay for her and her beloved Italian greyhound, Nala. She landed her first travel writing assignment with no clips and no previous travel writing experience. In this episode, Shelly shares: Why six months of crickets nearly made her quitThe pitch she sent four times before an editor said yesHow one very specific (yet quirky) angle became a published storyWhy she now gets excited about a "no" from an editorHow she followed up on a maybe and turned it into her second commissionWhat happens when you stop thinking "I have a niche interest" and start thinking "I have a niche" If you've been pitching and just getting a lot of silence (and you're starting to wonder whether travel writing is only for the lucky few), this episode is definitely for you. Because, as you'll hear, success in travel writing is absolutely not about how long you've been doing it. Want Shelly's kind of momentum? Applications for The Travel Writer Accelerator are open until 16 October, with two incredible bonuses for people who apply and enrol by then. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

Should you pitch a travel story before you go on a trip, or wait until you're back? It sounds like a simple question, but the truthful answer is - it really depends. In this episode of Inside Travel Writing, I explore why pitching a feature story before a trip is a bit like trying to write a blurb for a book you haven't read yet. I also walk through what stories I actually pitch when I need commissions before I leave (and the specific types of stories that make this possible). And underneath it all is a bigger question beyond 'should I pitch before or after travel' and I can't wait to share that with you. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

This episode of Inside Travel Writing came directly from a question in one of my communities, which I thought was so good that I wanted to dedicate an entire episode to it. And this was the question: Have we entered an era where it's okay to pitch the same story to more than one editor at a time? So I dive into simultaneous submissions, that is, pitching the same idea to different editors at the same time. Should you do it? If you're going to, here's what you need to know. Also, applications are opening in early October for The Travel Writer Accelerator. There are two incredible brand new bonuses for this round - make sure you're on my email list to be the first to know when applications open. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

In this episode, I'm sharing everything I wish someone had told me when I was starting out as a travel writer - the business and admin stuff that can help or hold you back. I know that the business side of travel writing isn't exactly glamorous. But getting it wrong (or not setting it up at all) can cost you time, money and momentum. I'm sharing exactly what I'd do if I was starting out today: what's worth setting up early, what can wait, and what I wish I'd known years ago. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

If there's one thing that strikes fear into the heart of travel writers, it's following up on a pitch. So I've dedicated an entire episode to discussing: Why not following up is the biggest pitching mistake writers make What to do when you've heard nothing back (and how long to actually wait)The exact subject line and wording I use for follow-upsWhy pitching through a form makes following up harder (and what to do about it)The final follow-up email that gets a response more often than you'd think Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

The redundancy notifications kept hitting my inbox this week - editors, friends, familiar names, taking a voluntary redundancy or letting me know they've lost their job 😭 And it's tempting (but not particularly encouraging) to read that as a sign that travel writing is at the beginning of the end. But I think that's a really short-sighted view. In this episode, I'm digging into what's actually happening in travel media right now, and the three things I think matter most if you want to come out of this period of change with more work, not less. In this episode: Why redundancies create opportunity for freelancers - even though it doesn't feel that way at firstThe niche question I fought against for years, and why I've changed my mind (a little)The video I sent an editor last week, and the unexpected thing that came backWhy having a great relationship with one editor is riskier than it feels Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

I'm surrounded by travel magazines this week - literally! After watching writers inside The Travel Writer Accelerator push themselves to pitch publications they've had on their 'one day' list for a long time, I've been on my own pitching kick, and it's brought me back to a tool I swear by but rarely talk about in this much detail. It's not simply about finding submissions guidelines for a publication, but it's a super easy document I build for every publication I want to write for - and once I show you how I pull it apart section by section, I hope you'll start creating your own. In this episode, I walk you through exactly how I build it, while I'm flipping through Australian Traveller, International Traveller, Qantas magazine, Condé Nast Traveler and Wanderlust — talking through how to find which sections to pitch in publications like these, month after month. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

This episode of Inside Travel Writing is about something I think about basically every time I pack a bag: travelling for pleasure vs. travelling for work. If you're in a destination with a day or two to explore, how do you organise your time if you're there for work versus for pleasure? It's totally different trip depending on why you're actually there. In this episode I'm sharing: What a genuine, switched-off pleasure day actually looks like for meWhat changes the second I'm travelling as a writer, even self-funded, with no commission lined upWhy I email PRs before a trip - and what I'm actually asking for (spoiler: not a freebie)The one habit I have on self-funded work trips that turns experiences into stories Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

This is an episode of Inside Travel Writing that I was reluctant to record - it's all about AI. But actually, I realised I have a lot to say 😅 In this episode I'm sharing my honest thoughts about AI and travel writing, including: The real reason why I think travel writers are using AIThe general 'vibe' from publications and editors about AIWhy I don't think it matters if editors have AI detectors or notOne question that I think is really helpful to ask yourself about your travel writing and AI usageThe ultimate advantage when it comes to travel writing Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

As much as some of us may like to be full-time travel writers, for most of us, it's just not practical. But the good news is that you could travel one weekend every two months (or barely travel at all right now) and still be building a genuine travel writing career. In this episode, I'm sharing how to make part time travel writing work for you - including the story of the pitch that taught me the hard way what NOT to pitch and the initial travel story that actually got me published when I was a very very part-time writer. In this episode: Why "I don't travel enough" is not a travel problem (I'll explain!)The pitches I sent early in my career and why they went nowhereA new story spin I recently sold to a glossy travel mag that I meant I didn't have to travel - at allHow to turn a handful of small, ordinary things into one strong pitchWhy your niche knowledge is a real advantage over full-time travellers Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

You've got a story. You've done the research. You've even downloaded the submission guidelines. So why does finding the right home for your pitch still feel like throwing darts in the dark? In this episode, I'm digging into the single biggest mistake I see travel writers make when it comes to matching a story to a publication. In this episode: Why downloading guidelines and skimming a website for an hour isn't enoughThe real difference between how print and online sections work - and why that trips so many writers upHow to read a publication like a mapMy cheat sheet system for staying familiar with the outlets I pitchWhy you only need 4-6 publications to build a real pitching strategy (not 300)What to do when a publication has no submission guidelines at all Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review! For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy

This week on Inside Travel Writing, I answer a question that came up in one of my communities recently - a writer whose accommodation request had just been accepted for a hosted stay, came in to the community and asked what she called a "silly question." It wasn't silly at all, and it's one almost every travel writer wonders about. In this episode, I walk you through the full arc of a solo hosted trip - the conversations to have before you go, exactly what to say (and not say) when you arrive somewhere and no one seems to know who you are, and the follow-up that determines whether a PR ever invites you back. I also talk about the $500 'expected' gratuity that meant I almost walked away from a career-highlight trip, and one thing that I travel with on every single solo hosted press trip. Want more travel writing content? Sign up to get weekly email newsletters all about travel writing here. Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 Love the show? Share it with a fellow writer or leave a review 🙏🏻 For more resources, visit www.thefreelancersyear.com Let's connect! Come say hi on Instagram: @thefreelancersyear Happy writing + travelling! - Lindy