travel writing

I recently came across an hilarious article by Thomas Swick, travel columnist at Sun-Sentinel.com. He puts forward a list of demands that might be put into use should travel writers decide to strike Hollywood-style.

I can see his list (below) being printed and stuck on cubicle walls the world over!

DEMANDS

Thanks to Abha's recent post at WrittenRoad.com I found a great interview with Tim Leffel on BraveNewTraveler.com. The interview has great observations from Tim, as Editor of PerceptiveTravel.com, on what the future of travel writing holds for writers and publishers.

With today's technology, you can be thousands of miles away from your computer and still post a travel article on a blog.

Travelers simply need their mobile phone or access to a land-line and they are able to relate their tales to TimesOnline which uses a voice-to-text service called SpinVox. Apparently, SpinVox is 97 percent accurate, although it doesn’t mention whether a person’s accent might affect the outcome.

I can't resist a new book for the bedside table. This could be it.

Condé Nast recently released a new collection of travel stories entitled "The Condé Nast Traveler Book of Unforgettable Journeys". Featuring 21 travel stories the book takes the reader on a trip around the world.

I believe that the Internet is a godsend for writers from all genres, but it doesn’t make everyone a writer.

Sure, it allows anyone to communicate, demonstrate or remonstrate, but by doing so doesn’t make the author an instant writer. The same amount of talent, quality and commitment required to succeed offline is just as important for the online writer.

According to Maureen Wheeler, BBC Worldwide is "committed to keeping the publishing side going". In an online video, the Wheelers reassure Lonely Planet fans (and staff!) that, despite the BBC Worldwide deal, the company will continue to produce printed travel guides. This is obviously a big concern to Lonely Planet fans, as many comments on various blogs and websites illustrate.

Reports are surfacing about the BBC's acquisition of a controlling stake in Lonely Planet. The deal, rumoured to be worth a couple of hundred million dollars, could see a massive change in the online direction of the much-loved travel guides. More soon.....

An interesting article, by Finlo Rohrer for the BBC News Magazine, mentions HarperCollins' decision to omit any reference to the 1989 massacre in Tiananmen Square in an upcoming travel guide. "Travel Around China" is to be published in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

It seems that every day there's a new word to add to your cerebral dictionary.

My current favorites are gemmelsmerch (I just love that word!) and screensuck. More importantly, they have, at various times, applied to me.

It's ready and it's out there!

Grab your free copy, read it and then come back here and tell me what you think. Hopefully it will leave you inspired and with a more realistic view of a travel writer's lot. 

Whew! I think I deserve a glass or three of some velvety New Zealand red, don't you? 

Happy reading!

 Helen