The writing is on the wall

Freelance writers the world over are panicking right now. 

Since the advent of ChatGPT, more and more writers report losing clients every day.

It’s a fact that no one can stop progress or technology, which means that many more writing jobs will sadly disappear in thin air.

Generic content, boring listicles, roundups… they will be the first to go.

Think about it: if you only write articles by Googling, then so can ChatGPT.  

All is not lost however, because there are also a lot of things that ChatGTP can’t do.

✗ It cannot come up with original, visceral, first-hand experiences. 

✗ It cannot chat to people and write human-led stories.

✗ It cannot build meaningful contacts and relationships.

It’s journalism 101, really.

√ Interviews…

√ Human-led stories

√ PR collaborations

√ Pitch ideation

√ Press trips

√ Unique points of view

√ Personal niches

Everything we’ve forgotten doing since the machines started doing our job to a subpar level.

If you’ve always wanted to be a writer – do meaningful, inspiring work and get paid well for it – but you feel that your dream has lost a bit of its shine, then maybe it’s time to look at journalism again, where human stories and human relationships still exist.

The travel industry since the pandemic

You don’t need me to tell you how hard the coronavirus has hit the travel industry. 

Jobs were lost, airlines ceased operating, travel magazines folded…

A bleak image by any stretch of the imagination.

Luckily, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Economic Impact Research report for 2023, the travel and tourism industry is forecast to reach a value of $9.5 trillion, just 5% below pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, the sector is also forecast to recover to 95% of its 2019 levels.

Of all the sectors out there, the travel and tourism sector has proved to be the most resilient of them all.

Why do you think that is?

Because travel is a basic human need.

And the need and desire to travel far and wide, experience larger-than-life moments, make memories, share with others will just never go away.

As soon as countries started lifting their ban, tourists started flocking to sun-drenched islands, cultural European capitals, exotic metropolitans, natural reserves, summer resorts, winter resorts… the list of faraway havens is just too long to mention.

And they will continue to do so… which is why travel writing is so important.

Because it keeps feeding into the machine.

The more the travel industry grows, the more need there will be for travel writing.

The more travel writers are getting published, the more the travel industry will grow.

I’ve been a travel writer since 2011 and I’ve experienced all the ups and downs this industry has to offer but one thing has been clear to me from the start.

I’ve never wanted to write for websites that pay very little or nothing at all.

You know which ones I am talking about, the internet is full of them, and in the months and years to come, they will, undoubtedly, move towards publishing rehashed ChatGPT content.

Right from the start of my travel writing career, I’ve wanted to get paid properly for my work and effort which is why I chose to write for magazines.

Now there are 100s of magazines out there, you just need to go to your nearest supermarket or news agency to see what I am talking about:

1.There are consumer magazines which you can find everywhere (travel magazines and non-travel magazines both of which publish travel content). Pro Tip: you can publish a travel article in every single magazine on the face of the planet, even non-travel magazines, if you know how to make it fit.

and...

2. There are custom magazines (magazines published by a business e.g. a bank, a gym, an airline) which hint...hint.. pay so much better...

...but they are not in wide circulation and most people don't know about them!

Throughout my research, I’ve found airline magazines, in particular, to be some of the most approachable magazines to write for.

Even for new writers.

I’ll let you know in a bit why I say that.

But first let me tell you a bit about who I am.

So, why inflight magazines?

I don't know about you but I’ve always loved glossy magazines. There is something incredibly special about leafing through colourful pages, beautiful photos and well-placed articles, seeing your name and photo in the contributors list and alongside your articles.

And who doesn’t want to keep a physical copy of their work on their coffee-table or bookcase?

Growing up I thought you had to be a Pulitzer-prize winner or a writer of great rhetorical flourish to be published in an actual, physical magazine. I am here to tell you that this is very far from the truth.

While you need to be able to write and proofread your own work like a BOSS, there is room for everyone in this great industry if you know where to look.

As an avid traveller and digital nomad with a deep love for writing and travelling, I’ve always been drawn towards travel writing and throughout my research I’ve found inflight magazines, in particular, to be some of the most approachable magazines to write for.

Even for new writers.

There are many reasons why I say that.

1.)    Inflight magazines, and a lot of other travel magazines, are formulaic with specific columns you can pitch to.

2.)   Inflight magazines work in such an international set-up that they are very open to collaborating with writers from all over the world ⁠—whose first language is not English, that is. 

3.)   You can build an expertise around your own city or region only, and only write about that, if you want. Most of my articles are about Athens and the Greek islands but I don’t write for Aegean or Olympic Airlines. In fact, editors of travel magazines love it when you can present yourself as the go-to local expert for all things [enter country or region].

4.)   Inflight magazines are not little, insignificant travel websites (like so many out there) which pay nothing or very little and have a limited readership. That means they are generally very well received when it comes to press trips or freebies.

Oh, and you don't need to be an influencer or a prolific travel blogger to go on press trips ether. In fact, you can go even if you have 3 IG followers, because it's the magazine that's pulling all the weight, not your profile.

5) Your work becomes truly international, like truly international, as airlines fly all around the world and together with them your work. In many cases, you get to have your work translated in many other languages too.

Throughout the time I've been working as a travel writer for magazines, I’ve had many writers approach me about doing the same. 

For those writers who wish they could escape the evil content mills, and silly little blogs, I've put together the course I wish I had when I was starting out.

It’s packed with inside tips, tricks, strategies and shortcuts from my 10+ year experience working as a travel magazine writer.

Are you ready?

And here are some of the things you’ll learn when you go through the course:

How to:

1) Find your unique-to-you travel writing niche so that you can come up with stand-out travel writing ideas and establish your personal writing voice without feeling you are in constant competition with other writers.

2) Spot industry trends like a pro so that you can always be in demand by Editors.

3) Discover the easy blueprint to breaking into the world of magazine writing, even as a total beginner.

4) Use ChatGPT to improve your travel writing from researching niches and angles to topic ideation and copy critiques.

5) Use interviews to create original, human-led stories that no A.I. could ever emulate.

6) Write the exact "plug-and-play" pitches magazine Editors and PR professionals are looking for, so you can show up confidently, go on press trips and get your stories published.

7) Write publishable travel articles from the comfort of your own sofa - yes, that's without travelling at all. It's easier than you think!

By the end of this course you will have:

Module 1

√ Learned what to do to get your foot at the door even as a total beginner

√ Learned how to study travel magazines to glean interesting information about the industry and your articles

√ Learned 3 crucial things to watch out for to ensure your articles have a chance of getting published

√ Found out the 9 types of articles and 12 different niches you can write for as a travel writer

√ Learned how to spot travel trends and find interesting ideas to give yourself an unfair advantage over other writers

√ Gained clarity on your travel writing niche with my 20-point questionnaire and learned how to re-slant ideas to fit several markets to secure more assignments

(Value: USD 97)

Module 2

√ Learned how to structure good travel writing articles from lead to wrap-up and everything in between

√ Learned how to use your 16-page electronic journal to create first drafts

√ Learned how to write using your senses, vivid images and descriptions + exercises to practice

√ Found out how to use ChatGPT to improve your writing from researching niches and angles to topic ideation and copy critiques

√ Learned how to use interviews to write human-led stories that cannot be emulated by any A.I.

√ Learned how to source photos and what to charge for your articles

(Value: USD 97)                                                                              

Module 3

√ Learned how to approach PR agencies, what to write to them and what to expect from press trips

√ Gained access to a host of online resources to create profiles, make contacts and join networks to set yourself up as an industry professional

√ Learned what to write to Editors to start securing assignments + examples of 10 actual pitches that sold

√ Found out where to upload your work to start building an impressive writing portfolio

√ Learned why Editors don’t respond sometimes and what to do about it

√ Learned how to write publishable travel articles from the comfort of your own sofa, without travelling or having to visit a specific destination

                                                  
(Value: USD 97)                          

Lessons are backed up with examples from my own published articles.
First, I teach the lesson, then you see it in action in a published article.

And that’s not all…

Because I am feeling particularly generous today, I am also throwing in 3 incredible FREE bonuses:

Value: ̶U̶S̶D̶ ̶3̶9̶2̶

ONLY USD 60 TODAY

You have questions? I have the answers!

1.) Who is this course for?

This course is for you if:

-      You are a writer with dreams to escape the content mills, travel the world and do meaningful work that pays well and brings you satisfaction. You also need to love travelling, of course!

-      You are not a writer but have always known you wanted to write but don’t know how or where to start. You’ve heard about blogging, but you’ve also heard about writers losing work to ChatGPT. You’ve heard about journalism but you also think you need to be a university graduate or write like an academic to get published.

This course will show you that none of the above is true and that, you too, can get published if you know what to write and who to contact.  

And once you see yourself in print…well, nothing can top that sensation.

2.) Ok, I really want to take this course now but I’m busy. How long will it take me to go through the course?

I get ya. I mean, who has the time to do anything these days, right? I know how valuable your time is, so I am teaching this programme step-by-step. That means there are certain steps you need to take, in a certain order, in order to benefit fully from it. Each module comes with an assignment and/or to-do list.

Read the first module in your own time and complete the first assignment and/or to-do list. Then, move on to the second module and do the second assignment and/or to do-list at the end. Then move on to the next. You need to finish each action in a sequence, but this can all be done in your own time and at your own pace!

You do not need to submit your assignments to me but you can e-mail me if you have a question about anything. You also have indefinite access to this course which means you can log in and do the course whenever you want. You can even enroll now and start it at a later date! The course will still be waiting for you!

3.) Are there any conditions to take this course?

There are no special conditions to take this course. The course is taught entirely in English, and all examples come from the English-speaking market, so it is important to be able to understand English. It is not just for English speakers, though. Besides remember: there are a lot of inflight magazines that publish in a language other than English.

 
You also don’t need to have previous knowledge of travel writing, as I teach this from the beginning, but you need to have a love for writing and travelling. 

4.) What do I need to do next?

Click on the button below to be taken to a safe and secure order form. Immediately after paying, you'll receive an automatic confirmation e-mail giving you full access to the entire course.

5.) I still have questions about this course.

Then e-mail me at [email protected]! 😊