Guest Post: Platform Resolutions for Writers 2010 by Christina Katz

Before writers establish an author platform, they typically establish a writer platform. Over the past decade, thousands of writers have parlayed established influence into traditional book deals. Landing a traditional book deal is still an effective way to exponentially increase your credibility and visibility.

Your “platform” refers to what you do in the world with your professional expertise that makes you visible and influential in the world. Having friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter is not your platform, unless the majority of those people know who you are, what you do, and are enthusiastic about your work.

I thought I would offer some advice about how to slowly and steadily establish a lasting platform. You may note the lack of fanaticism in this advice and the emphasis on enduring success instead. I’m a mother and a wife, a freelancer, a speaker, a teacher, and a blogger, so aiming for balance is the only way I can afford to work if I plan on sticking around for the long haul.

This advice has worked consistently for my students over the past several years. I think you will find that a grounded, step-by-step approach works just as well for you if you choose to follow it:

1. Develop a platform topic that you love and can work on tirelessly for the next few years. Your passion of the moment should come in second to the topic you could delve into deeply for a good, long time. Prior professional education and a depth of personal experience are going to be a boon to your platform if you have an eye on a future book deal.

2. Hang back from establishing a blog on your topic until you have cultivated a wealth of content and experience working with others on specialty-related activities that lend credibility and trust to your name. Others will tell you to start blogging immediately, but don’t, if you want to be efficient with your time and money.

3. Instead, gain authority by seeking publication in established, highly visible publications both in print and online that serve your target audience. Avoid the kind of publishing that anyone can accomplish, like posting on article sites, and work on your professional communication skills instead. By all means, avoid the content mills offering writers slave wages with the promise of future earnings.


4. Don’t begin any kind of marketing campaign for any product or service offerings until you have established yourself as a go-to person on your topic, again saving you time and money. Before you look at ways to serve others directly, channel your expertise into the best service methods possible based on your strengths and weaknesses. This is a meaty topic that is covered in-depth in my book, Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform (Writer’s Digest Books 2008).

5. Then, develop a product or service that can become one of several multiple income streams over time that will support your goal of becoming a published author. For example, teaching classes over the years has allowed me to re-invest more of the money I earn from writing books back into book marketing. Make sure any offerings you produce are released conscientiously and are integrated into the professional writing you already do. Otherwise, you will seem like you are all over the place and just trying to score a buck.

6. Don’t expect your platform to support you financially for at least one or two years, as you micro-invest in it, re-invest in it as it grows, and expand your visibility.

7. Once you have a professional publication track record in your niche topic, then it’s time to hang your online shingle. I’ve seen this accomplished in as little as six months by exceptionally focused students. Take a portion of the money you’ve earned writing and invest it in a professional quality online presence.

8. A low-cost way to do this is to purchase your name as a URL and use a hosting site like GoDaddy.com to host a Wordpress.org blog. I use the Thesis Theme, which you can see in action at my blog. In this way, a blog can also serve as your website where you post your published clips, offerings and bio. If you don’t have a ton of money to invest in the look of your site, you can always pay a designer later.

9. Delay partnering with others on joint ventures until you have a clear idea of your own strengths and weaknesses in and around your topic. And when you do partner with others be extremely discriminating. Make sure the partnership is going to be win-win-win for everyone involved.

10. Start an e-mail newsletter or e-zine with those who are most interested in your topic. Build your list by invitation and then grow it into a permission-based following over time. Create an expected, ongoing dialogue that is mutually beneficial to everyone involved and your list will grow.

11. Now you are ready to start blogging. And yes, I mean while you continue to do all the things we’ve already discussed. Be sure to zoom-focus your blog on what you have to add to the conversation that is already going on about your topic. Don’t just share information; make an impact. Make your blog a go-to, up-to-date resource for your audience.

13. Partner selectively with others who serve the same general audience that you do with integrity and humility. Spend time getting to know folks before you decide to partner with them. You can’t afford to taint the reputation you have worked so hard to establish by partnering with just anyone.

13. Now that you have an established niche and audience, definitely participate in social networking. I like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn because they all offer something unique. The best way to learn is to jump in, spend an hour online each week until you are up and running. Follow the instructions for getting started provided by social media expert Meryl K. Evans.

This start-up plan for a writer platform will eventually blossom into an author platform. From start to finish, implementing a solid platform following this advice should take you about a year. By the end of that year, you will have established yourself as a serious contender in both professional and online circles, without killing yourself for some huckster’s promise of overnight success.

Have a plan. Leave a legacy in words, connections and professional influence. If you are consistent, by the time the year is done, you will have made effective use of your time and money in 2010. I wish you the best of luck in your platform-building efforts!

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Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids for Writer’s Digest Books. She has written hundreds of articles for national, regional, and online publications, presents at literary and publishing events around the country, and is a monthly columnist for the Willamette Writer. Katz publishes a weekly e-zine, The Prosperous Writer, and hosts The Northwest Author Series. She holds an MFA in writing from Columbia College Chicago and a BA from Dartmouth College. A “gentle taskmaster” to her hundred or so students each year, Katz channels over a decade of professional writing experience into success strategies that help writers get on track and get published. Learn more at ChristinaKatz.com.

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Guest Post: How Childhood Travel Can Influence Your Writing by Mindy Friddle.

Write To Travel is pleased to welcome author Mindy Friddle. Mindy, who is on a WOW blog tour to promote her new book Secret Keepers, offers an interesting guest post about childhood travel and writing.

But first a little about Mindy who lives, writes, works and gardens in South Carolina where she directs a community-based writing program. Her first novel, The Garden Angel (St. Martin’s Press/Picador) was selected for Barnes and Noble's Discover Great New Writers program in 2004. Secret Keepers, her second novel, was published by St. Martin's Press in May. For more information, visit Mindy's blog Novel Thoughts: Musings on Reading, Writing & the Earth.

Now for Mindy's thoughts on childhood travel and writing...

My family moved from our small hometown in South Carolina to an Army base in Germany in my formative years, and I have no doubt the extensive travel over four years helped shaped me as a writer. By the time I was fourteen, I’d been all over Europe. As a Girl Scout, I’d seen the East Berlin wall. At twelve, I’d taken a bus with a friend to Paris. I’d gone camping in Sweden. And I loved that military families were so comfortable with meeting new people. You welcomed change because every three years you moved...and so did everyone else.

For me, what's so powerful about travel, besides being the ultimate form of escape, is the way it changes your view of the world, even after you return home. Especially after you return home.When I was sixteen, we moved back to the States, back to the small town I was born in, where everyone knew each other since kindergarten, where there was no public transportation, where everything was so set. I loved so many things about it, but the place felt so different to me. I felt like a genie being squeezed back into the bottle.

Maybe that has something to do with why the protagonist in SECRET KEEPERS, my second novel, longs to leave her hometown and travel the globe. As I mention on my website, The Story Behind Secret Keepers, I started the novel with an image of Emma Hanley, gazing at a family portrait, stuck in her small hometown. Like George Bailey in the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, she yearns to flee. Just when it looks like she might get her wish, her husband heads off to his morning coffee klatch with a gaggle of adoring widow women, and Emma’s dream of travel is stymied. Again.

I'm still here in my hometown, by the way, nearly three decades later. But I'm feeling the itch to travel again-- explore another continent. Only... it seems to get harder to leave as the years go by. Katherine Mansfield expressed this perfectly in a letter: “How hard it is to escape from places. However carefully one goes they hold you -- you leave little bits of yourself fluttering on the fences -- little rags and shreds of your very life.” Exactly.

Have a read of the first chapter of Secret Keepers. It will definitely make you want to read the whole book which can be purchased here.

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Guest Post: Travel Writing Tips by Sybil Baker

Write to Travel is the latest stop in Sybil Baker's Blog Tour with WOW (Women on Writing). Sybil Baker, a lifelong traveler, has combined her love of travel and her interest in the allure and alienation of American travelers and expatriates into contemporary Women's Fiction/Chick-Lit novel that asks 'What would you do if your carefully planned life was falling apart?'.

Entitled The Life Plan, it carries the lead character around the world, from the offices of Washington,DC, to the gritty streets of Bangkok and the mountain region of Chiang Mai. You can read the first chapter of The Life Plan here.

During her blog tour to promote her book, Sybil has been stopping off at various writer's blogs and providing interesting guest posts. Earlier in the week she was over at The Urban Muse discussing 'steps to organizing your writing time' and at bleeding expresso analysing 'the Expatriate Writer in the Post Millennium'.

Today, at Write to Travel, Sybil offers some Travel Writing Tips.

I don’t consider myself a travel writer, but I am a person who loves to travel and often writes about the places I’ve traveled to. What’s the difference? For me, a travel writer is someone who writes about a place as information for other tourists, while my writing is not about which restaurant to eat at or hotel to stay in, but rather about the mark a place has left on me. For my essays, I use travel as a way for me to think about my own preconceived notions about myself or other cultures. For my fiction, the places I’ve visited often serve as settings that compete with or intensify the conflicts within the main character.

In that sense, I recommend writing about travel as way to expand your personal and artistic comfort zones. Travel allows you to see the world and your writing in a different way. For writers who would like to try out travel writing, whether as essays, articles, or fiction, I have a few tips to get started.

1. Expand your definition of travel. You don’t have to travel to the other side of the world to use travel in your writing. Find the out-of-the way places in your own town, go to neighborhoods that are in a different economic condition than your own, attend a meeting or gathering that you normally wouldn’t. If you can go somewhere that is new and different to you, you’ll be able to observe the setting, people, and interactions with a fresh perspective.

2. Start small. I did not even have a passport until I was thirty, partly because I was intimidated by going even to Europe, although I dreamed of traveling. My first trip abroad was for a week in Paris and Barcelona, and I remember thinking that even though I didn’t know the languages well, traveling was not as hard as I thought it would be. A year later, I’d moved to South Korea and from there got the courage to go to Japan for a long weekend. After I survived that, I went to Thailand, and from there Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. By the time I’d made it to Indonesia a few years later, I’d learned that traveling to most places, while challenging, is doable with a little planning and patience.

3. Travel cheap. If you stay at the Hyatt, eat at tourist restaurants, and take only packaged tours, you’ll be trapped in a tourist bubble that excludes you from the local culture. By eating at local restaurants, exploring neighborhoods on your own, and staying at hostels, guesthouses, and B&Bs, you’ll not only save money, but you’ll interact more with the locals and learn more about their culture. Decide what amenities you must have, but be willing to give up some comforts of home and embrace the local lifestyle.

4. Don’t try to do everything. Sometimes slowing down your pace and being open to the moment is the best way to enjoy travel and allow the best experiences to happen. You won’t be able to see every museum, church, or ruin, so try to make your travels one of quality rather than quantity.

5. Make sure you take time to write down your thoughts, feelings, impressions, and descriptions of the places you go. It’s easy to think you’ll remember everything, but when you get back home, you’ll be surprised at how many details you’ve forgotten. Don’t worry though about writing your essay or short story while traveling—sometimes you need time to absorb and digest all that you’ve experienced before you can write about.


6. Don’t write about experiences that millions of tourists before you have had and expect readers to care. Even though Venice may have been the most life changing travel experience for you, unless you have a personal story that is the main point of your essay or story and can bring a new perspective about the city, your thoughts on Venice will unfortunately probably not be of interest to most readers. If you have a story to tell that takes us on a journey off the beaten path, then we’ll be eager to read about your insights.

Remember, be adventurous and have fun! If you have other travel writing tips, I’d love to hear them.

Thanks Sybil and good luck with the blog book tour. We will be following your tour thanks to this handy events calender.

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Guest Post: Book Passage 2008 Review by Nancy Brown.

Nancy Brown from What a Trip Blog was lucky enough to attend the recent Book Passages Travel Writers & Photographers Conference. Here's her review of the four day event.


"What's on your bucket list?" I asked Tim Cahill as we dined over California cuisine at the 2008 Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference. "My own backyard," replied Cahill.

The 65-year-old Founding Editor of Outside Magazine and author of books including Hold the Enlightenment and Lost in My Own Backyard said he'd be happy to stay home and explore Montana. When asked about what makes a story standout, Cahill said that research is important. "Tell us some interesting historic facts and something special about the people," added Cahill.

Cahill, along with the who's who of travel writers, editors and photographer's shared their insider tips with students of the 17th annual Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference held August 14-17, 2008 in Corte Madera, California. The four day conference focused on newspaper, magazine and guidebook writing, as well as travel photography. Portolios were critiqued by Robert Holmes, Andrea Johnson, George Olson, Jeff Pflueger and Alison Wright.

In the evening, Wright earned a standing ovation for her slide show and tales from her latest book, Learning to Breathe. Author Eric Weiner, The Geography of Bliss, shared that "travel writing is writing about place and ultimately writing about people." While Author Phil Cousineau, Art of Pilgrimage, noted that "the value of travel is that you give yourself permission to be a different person."

Speaking of different people, Simon Winchester, in conversation with Conference Chair Don George, discussed his relationship with his mentor Jan Morris. Winchester, a wonderful story teller, shared some fascinating aspects of his friendship over the years with Morris.

Blogger rock stars Jim Benning, Jen Leo and David Lytle twittered and blogged their way to alltop.com where the best travel blogs are listed on the web. Pauline Frommer discussed writing for the on-line travel industry with David Lytle and Michael Shapiro, while Larry Bleiberg, Catharine Hamm and John Flinn explained how to work with an editor.

"It's about relationships," stated Hamm. "The people who are the best writers are easy to work with," offered Bleiberg. "I treasure people who are good and solid," added Flinn. "Deliver a good story with no drama."

Yet drama is expected from Author Isabel Allende. "I think the hardest part of writing is sitting down," laughed Allende. "I'm not organized. I don't have an outline. That's like making love with a manual!"

I know I have missed including some faculty members in this review. Please accept my apologies, as I hope to see you at next year's conference August 13-16, 2009. Early birds can register until October 1 for a rate of $575, after that date the cost moves to $635.

(Guest blogger Nancy Brown of Northern California writes What a Trip for the Contra Costa Times Lamorinda Sun.)

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Guest Post Friday: Happiness is...by Kellie Nix.

Welcome back to Guest Post Friday.

Today Kellie Nix reviews Eric Weiner's fascinating book The Geography of Bliss.


Happiness is... by Kellie Nix


Happiness is technically defined as "feeling or showing pleasure or contentment". However, happiness as a general feeling is difficult to define. Eric Weiner (Pronounced 'Whiner', ironically enough) explores the meaning of being happy in his book, The Geography of Bliss. If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend it. Not only does the book lead you to think deeply about how happiness is perceived, he writes with a dry humor that makes it enjoyable, rather than a bland scientific book. Weiner is also a correspondent for NPR.

After reading this book, I took my own time to ponder what being happy is to me. Is it finding love? Is it having a harmonious family? Or perhaps discovering your true passion or career choice? Since I am young in the ways of the world still, I have a feeling my own 'happiness' quotient wasn't these. Besides, young children grinning and running around on the playground are happy, aren't they? Or at least until their next tantrum, but those are short-lived enough. Could you say that the saying rings true- that "Ignorance is bliss"? For those kids on the playground, it may as well.

I've personally found that besides everyone having their own interpretation on happiness, that these interpretations change frequently and exist in different layers. Perhaps somebody has a high paying job for a large corporation. Their defination of happiness might be the stable financial situation that gives their family a nice house and the things they desire without worrying about money. But if that person were to lose his or her job and see life from a different perspective of the lower-class or middle-class, that idea of what makes them happy might change. Sure, money and that old stable job would make them happy. But would they have a newfound appreciation for the non-inanimate objects such as the people they love around them? Aside from the cliche story of jobloss and new appreciation is the magnitude of what might make a person happy. There is something to be said for the little joys in life, for stopping to smelll the roses. I love different scents- perfumes, flowers, you name it. Every time I stop and smell something calming like a candle I'm in a better mood almost immediately. My friend keeps lavender in a jar for when times get stressful for her. Perhaps those little moments like writing a thank you/love note, seeing a baby smile, whatever, are the key to being happy. Noticing the little details and neglecting to let the pitfalls slow you down.

Now back to Eric Weiner's book. He documents his travels to different countries and what happiness generally is to the citizens. The happiest places weren't places that have high rates of wealth (such as the US) or land, but more unlikely countries. India, Bhutan, Switzerland, and Iceland were among the more happier places of the world on the Gross National Happiness scales. As I recall this from the book, materialism comes to mind. Are we too materialistic as a society to see the deeper meaning in what we have in life? Do we work too hard to have a comfortable life to let ourselves have peace? In India, the rich and poor live side by side, and yet each is both happy, if the poorer aren't more so.

Maybe happiness is just that- being upbeat and cheerful when you can and the result will follow. In my psych class in high school, I read a section in the textbook that said in a study, participants who chewed their pencils in class (using the muscles around the mouth also used to smile) had better moods than those who didn't. Optimists would say that just attempting to be in a good mood and letting petty stuff roll off your back is the way to peace of mind. Reflecting on this, I have my doubts. I agree that loosening up and not letting little stuff get to you is a good way to go about, but being "fake happy" can't be a cure-all. Especially when you are definately sad or mad, or what have you. I can't count the times I've heard someone say that letting themselves have a good long cry after something bad has happened (when they haven't or don't usually cry) turned them around to begin the healing from grief. Perhaps letting yourself experience the emotions you have in an appropriate way and then dealing with whatever stressor(s) you have is the key to being happy.

On a final note, I am still searching for my own defination of happiness. In the book Mr. Weiner also mentions that it is a typical idea in the US to try and find happiness in life, whereas elsewhere in the world, people just let themselves be happy. They don't think about and wonder if they are or aren't, they let the chips fall where they may. Maybe that's why the US has a lower "happiness quotient" than other countries, because we focus on it instead of letting ourselves be. In true American fashion, I would love to hear other takes on this idea.

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Don't forget - if you have something to say about writing, you can send it through to Guest Post Friday.

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Guest Post Friday: Why I Travel Blog by Karen Bryan.

Welcome to Guest Post Friday: Today travel blogger Karen Byran writes about 'Why I Travel Blog'. Karen blogs at Europe a la Carte and Wanderlust.

Why I Travel Blog by Karen Bryan


I don't think of myself as a travel writer as such. I write travel content for
my UK based online travel business, Europe a la Carte. I started off writing online guides to less well known destinations in Europe, with my site focusing on authentic travel in Europe on a modest budget. My plan was to earn commission from accommodation suppliers featured in the guides and from adverts on the site. My destination guides are more of a resource than a traditional all encompassing guide

My guides are designed to make readers think that they'd like to visit that place and discover it for themselves. The beauty of an online guide is that you can insert links to more information, so if a reader is interested in a specific topic they can find our more by clicking on the link. Using several photos in a online guide is a good way to cut down on the flowery prose.

I started Europe a la Carte blog in October 2006 as a way of marketing my business. Writing a business blog is a balancing act I have to write useful, informative, entertaining content to satisfy readers but I must always bear in mind that it's a business blog and the blog has to increase the number of visitors to the site and turnover for the business to justify the time and effort spent researching and writing blog posts.

In March 2008 I started as editor of Wandalust a UK travel blog which is part of the Creative Weblogging network. I have to write 5 posts a week and the pay is lousy but I did decided to take the job in order to raise my profile. It's a change to able to write about the whole world versus Europe. Also I can write about any interesting topic without having to consider if it will be a good fit with my business.

I still have a part time "day" job as a social research interviewer. Although having a travel business sounds glamourous the majority of my time is spent sitting at the computer, I enjoy my "day" job as I get away from my desk and interact in real life with the interviewees as opposed to my virtual online contacts. I don't have time to travel as much as I'd like. I recently had to cancel a trip to Hamburg, Germany due to pressure of work.

My advice to aspiring travel writers is to always consider carefully what is it about your writing that is going to make readers read your work, plus what is the benefit to them? Travel writing is extremely competitive and I'm sure that only a tiny proportion of travel writers make a good living. Many travel readers will be willing to write for no payment - to get started or because they view travel writing as more of a hobby than a full time profession. However if you love travel writing and are diligent about producing quality, unique work you may strike it lucky.

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Don't forget - if you have something to say about writing, you can send it through to Guest Post Friday.

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Guest Post Friday: Finding Your Niche by Shannon Hurst Lane..

Welcome to Guest Post Friday: Today travel writer Shannon Hurst Lane writes about Finding Your Niche. Shannon is a Traveling Mamas blogger and author of The Definitive Guide to Travel Writing.


Finding Your Niche by Shannon Hurst Lane

There are many types of travel writers out there. It is important to write about what you know. You can write about what you love to do, and if you do it often, you are already an expert. You just need to share your experience and knowledge with others.

The first step in deciding which genre you specialize is to find the kind you most enjoy. You can even become an expert on a specific area. The best place to start is your own backyard. That’s how I started. My initial articles were published in my local paper and were about weekend getaways within driving distance. Become an expert on your area and you will have set the foundation for your travel writing career.

To be successful in the travel writing industry, you need to find the place where you fit. Ask yourself the following questions and write your answer down on a sheet of paper.

Where do I travel on vacation? Do I like beaches or mountains? Domestic or international? Am I a cruise aficianado?

What activities do I like to do when I travel? Golf? Go hiking? Do I enjoy fishing? Museums? History? Adventure? Spas?

What is my age group?

Do I have children? Do they reside at home? Am I able to travel at the spur of the moment or do I need a few week’s or month’s notice?

Do I own a Recreational Vehicle(RV) or go camping often?

What is my income? Am I a luxury or budget traveler?

There are many travel writing categories or genres. The following are a few of the most popular:

Luxury
Cruises
Adventure
Student
Family
Senior
Business
Golf Getaways
Romantic
Destination Weddings
Spa
Wine and Food (Epicurean)

So if you can find your niche, you'll be able to find your way in this crazy industry of travel writing.

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Don't forget - if you have something to say about writing, you can send it through to Guest Post Friday.

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Write to Travel is on the road this week...

Off on a short road trip this week to the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island so Write to Travel will be taking a break from it’s usual weekly posts.

With only limited internet access, it’s likely that there won’t be any posts until next week.

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Meanwhile...

Write to Travel is on the lookout for guest bloggers for the Guest Post Friday slot.

So far, we have had three Guest Post Fridays which have been interesting and entertaining.

What National Geographic Taught Me by Lola Akinmade

'Bells and Whistles ... Incorporating audio and video into your blog' by Keith Kellet

Travel Media Showcase by Kara Williams

Want to join in? Have something to say about freelance writing, travel writing, conferences, courses, blogging, etc.

Then send through an email to Kiwiwriter (at) xtra (dot) co (dot) nz. We want to hear what you have to say...

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Guest Post Friday: Travel Media Showcase by Kara Williams

Welcome to Guest Post Friday. Today travel writer Kara Williams from the Traveling Mamas blog writes about the annual Travel Media Showcase and why travel writers should go.

Travel Media Showcase by Kara Williams

Every year at Travel Media Showcase, dozens of journalists meet with public-relations representatives of tourist boards, convention and visitors’ bureaus, and individual hotels and resorts. The three-day event is held at different locations throughout the United States. This year’s TMS is scheduled for September 2-5, 2008, in Kansas City, Missouri.

I went to my first TMS in Palm Springs, California, in 2007. The basic set-up is this:

Day one: Arrive and have cocktails and dinner with all journalists (about 90 in Palm Springs) and PR exhibitors (about 75 destinations)

Day two: Morning of one-on-one “speed-dating” meetings with exhibitors, in 15-minute increments. Afternoon “FAM tours” with different themes (golf, art, the outdoors, shopping) in the local area.

Day three: Speed-dating from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a break for lunch.

Day four: Departure for home or post-event overnight FAM trips in the area.

I found TMS a great way to meet different media-relations folks from various destinations, see some popular tourist attractions in Palm Springs, and perhaps most importantly for me, network with other travel writers (remember this is where the Traveling Mamas blog was born).

Here’s the lowdown:

What I liked about Travel Media Showcase:

The online application process is straightforward. If you’re new to the event, you will need to send some hard-copy clips to J. Vero Associates, the TMS organizer based in New Jersey, for acceptance.

Also online, you rank your requests to meet with individual public-relations representatives. If you both selected each other, it’s likely you’ll get a meeting with that person. Otherwise, you can later ask for meetings to fill any of your empty time slots.

I thought food and drink was plentiful – from the continental breakfasts, to snack breaks, to sit-down lunches, dinners and cocktail hours (though I did hear some grumbling that sit-down breakfasts would have been appreciated).

The host property, the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, brought some chair massage therapists to the convention area to give short backrubs during the breaks. Nice!

TMS reimburses journalists $150 if they have traveled more than 500 miles to the event.

All accommodations, FAM trips, meals and other conference events for
TMS journalists at TMS are FREE.

What was kind of funny at Travel Media Showcase:

The amount of schwag that was given away. We came home with computer bags, lotion, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, reporters’ notebooks, mints, pens… the list goes on. Pack an extra duffel bag for all the random stuff, plus press kits and the event binder. The smart reps gave us press materials on USB plug-ins or slim CDs. We liked that!

Sometimes you clicked with the destination reps, and sometimes you didn’t. Occasionally 15 minutes was way to short to discuss the place, your previous trip there, or what you had in common with the rep. Other times, it was waaaaaay to long. You could tell the PR person was tired of giving the spiel, and just wanted the day to be done!

What I thought could be better at Travel Media Showcase:

It would be awesome if there were more international destinations represented. At TMS in Palm Springs, only Malaysia, Scandinavia and a few Quebec, Canada, reps were there. Naturally, the booths for the overseas destinations were always busy with journalists stopping by for a chat in between official time slots and when we broke for snacks and meals – especially after word got around that Scandinavia was hosting a few press trips in the coming months!

I’d prefer to have more time for exploring the local area with the organized FAMs. One afternoon was not enough. It would be great if there we had three full days of TMS: a full day of seeing the sights, one full day of speed dating, a morning of speed dating, and an afternoon to enjoy the amenities at the resort before heading home the next day.

Any questions about TMS? Feel free to post them in the comments area. I’d be happy to try to answer them. I’ll apply to attend TMS this fall (if my kids’ school start-date doesn’t interfere), so I hope to see you there!

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Don't forget - if you have something to say about writing, submit to Guest Post Friday

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Guest Post Friday: 'Bells and Whistles ... Incorporating audio and video into your blog' by Keith Kellet

Welcome to Guest Post Friday. Today Keith Kellet is writing about the evolution of his travel blog and how he incorporated audio and video into it.

Keith Kellett is a British travel writer who took up writing, photography and blogging to keep him occupied in retirement. He says he is trying hard not to let it become a full-time job.


'Bells and Whistles ... Incorporating audio and video into your blog' by Keith Kellet

There are many things you can do with an electronic publication that you can’t do with a print one. When I say electronic publication, I’m going to concentrate on blogs, although much of what I’m about to say also applies to e-zines. They’re pretty much the same thing, although an e-zine is usually open to contributions from anybody, for which the publishers (hopefully!) pay. A blog is often an unpaid labour of love, either by an individual or a small group of people with like interests.

Strangely enough, even the most mercenary of writers seem to agree that, although they normally abhor the practice of ‘writing for free’, it’s all right in your own blog. As they say in Yorkshire ‘If ever tha does owt for nowt, do it for yourself!’

With a print magazine, you get words and pictures, and that’s it. With electronic publications, there’s the possibility of linking to relevant articles or information on other sites, as well as incorporating sound files or video. Sometimes, there’s even a facility for readers to give almost instant feedback, and ‘have their say’

Now, I’m going to describe the programmes I use. That’s not to endorse them, or say one is better or worse than another. They just work for me.You can find my Travelrat’s Travels blog at http://travelrat.wordpress.com. I use the Wordpress platform for ease and general user-friendliness. Before I set out, I laid down a few rules for myself. Unless I was away, I would post entries three times a week; on Mondays, I’d put up an entry from my ‘Travel Diary’, and on Wednesdays and Fridays, general thoughts and hometown happenings, not always travel-related. George Courtauld used this formula to good effect in his book Travels of a Fat Bulldog, alternating between tales of his trips as a Queen’s Messenger and stories from his farm in Essex.

The original idea was to post pictures on a Wednesday, but then I found out how easy it was to embed a picture into a post. Not too many, though, unless your blog is to be a mainly photographic one. For text-and-pictures, I reckon two is about the maximum on any one post; any more than that, and I’d recommend a ‘slide show’. You can make this for free at www.slide.com and embed it into your blog simply by cutting and pasting the code from slide.com to your blogsite.

If you want to take the option of adding music to your slide show, then I suggest you put it on a separate page, or otherwise, it will play automatically whenever someone visits your blog.

After a short while, I opened a Pic of the Week page … the picture is changed every Saturday when I’m at home. One thing, though. Size your pictures to 320 X 240 before uploading them. They’ll upload faster, and will fit nicely on to your blog page. And, it’ll make it less likely that some rascal will download them, and use them without your permission.

Once a month, I add a ‘Country page’. This consists of photographs, an article (sometimes dating back to 1996), some links and a pictorial ‘slide show’. These, you can access by clicking a tab on the home page, rather than scrolling through the blog to find them.

Uploading video proved to be easier than I expected, too, and I was able to ‘show, not tell’ in a way I never could before. The software I use is Windows MovieMaker, which came bundled with my computer. You do need something that will make digital video files, but there’s no need to dash out and buy a digital camcorder. Even a cheap digital camera may allow you to take short movie clips, or maybe you can do it with your mobile phone.

Even if you can’t do sound, MovieMaker will allow you to do narrative as you’re editing your clips. When I’m done, I upload to YouTube, then embed them into my blog … there’s easy instructions on how to do this in both Wordpress and YouTube. A word of caution, though. I’ve seen blogsters who have seen someone else’s video on YouTube, and embedded it into their blog. I’m not sure whether this is actually illegal or not, but I do feel uneasy about it. I’d advise erring on the side of caution. Put in a link by all means, but don’t embed it.

As far as sounds are concerned, I’m still experimenting. You can make a sound-only podcast with MovieMaker, but the result will be in a format that the site I use, www.podbean.com, won’t accept. But I can import it into iTunes, which I set up to convert anything it imports into MP3 format … don’t ask me how I did it; I’ve forgotten! I haven’t yet worked out how to embed the sound file into my blog, but I can provide a link to it.

So, there you have it; not only words and pictures, but also moving pictures, and spoken, rather than written words. There’s instructions on how to do it on all the sites I mentioned … I’m reminded of the line in ‘Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines’ … ‘How does a German officer learn anyzing? From ze book of instructions!’ The important thing is not to let one medium take over the site to the detriment of the others. I can’t tell you how to do that, though. I have enough trouble trying to achieve the balance myself!

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Guest Post Friday: What National Geographic Taught Me by Lola Akinmade

Welcome to the very first Guest Post Friday. Today Lola Akinmade is posting about attending a National Geographic Traveler seminar.

Lola Akinmade is a GIS consultant, photojournalist and travel writer who has contributed to Vagabondish, Transitions Abroad, Matador Travel, and Brave New Traveler. She can be reached at http://www.lolaakinmade.com.


What National Geographic Taught Me
by Lola Akinmade.

On a nippy Sunday morning, we rushed downtown to M street, following the line of Saabs, Jeeps, VW beetles, and the occasional BMW in our little '99 Dodge Neon. We were thirty minutes early yet a couple minutes late judging by the enthusiastic crowd that had filled the registration hall. We were attending one of many seminars put on by National Geographic Traveler in Washington, DC. This seminar was exploring travel photography – how photos tell stories born from a passion for travel.

With over 25 years of experience as a photographer and 45 stories for National Geographic Magazine (NGM) and Traveler (NGT) combined, Jim Richardson opened up with a mouthwatering breakfast of travel photographs and landscapes from around the globe – castles in Wales, panoramic vistas from Southwest America, unbelievable colors and rich cultures from South East Asia, and many more decadent pictures.

Joining Jim was Catherine Karnow, whose core photographic strength was being able to relate across cultures through travel portraits. Catherine boasted 15 years experience with 25 stories for both NGM and NGT. She shared colorful portraits and details from Jaipur, Vietnam, and Miami.

I wanted the meat of it all. I wanted to know what National Geographic really looked for in pictures and how I could stand out from the crowd. There were close to 400 of us in that auditorium. We were discouraged from bringing portfolios and cameras. I brought a few bookmarks which also happened to be my business card.

“What makes a picture good enough for NG is an interesting picture, not a technically perfect picture”, Jim explained to us. “With travel photography, being able to relate to people and giving them a sense of what it's like to really be there is the most important factor.”

We began to notice the common thread shared by those pictures. The vibrancy, the depth of color, and the framing of subjects began to come into light.

By using wide-angle lens, each of the travel photographs pulled us in and right into the middle of the action. Almost all of the National Geographic photographers use some form of a wide-angle lens.

Color and textures were such important elements in all the pictures we saw. “That’s why I usually shoot around dawn or dusk”, Catherine shared. “They provide the best natural lighting that set the mood and colors of your pictures”. For indoor situations, a certain ambience that warm lighting provides is unbeatable.

For the next couple of hours, Jim and Catherine shared tips from simple techniques to the common rules of photography to breaking all those rules for the right shot. “If a subject isn’t contributing to your scene, it’s distracting so take it out. Clean up the clutter!” highlighted Jim.

Questions ranged from the importance of model release forms to the best backup gear, but the one question that resonated was asked by a lady who’d recently been to Mauritius. As travel photographers we assume the role of geckos on the wall, blending into the background and observing. “What if you find yourself in a situation where you’re clearly the foreigner garnering all the attention?” she asked.

I drew on my own personal experience. By introducing myself to someone either verbally or through gestures, they’ve invited me into their world even though mine was drastically different both culturally and physically. Just smiling and emitting a positive energy went a long way. Catherine echoed this fact. “Sometimes I feel like it’s my duty to entertain people and keep the momentum going”, Catherine answered. “I need to adapt to each individual situation and feel the vibe.” In reference to the lady’s situation, she had to just wait till the commotion had died down and then she could move more stealthily through the culture.

By seminar’s end around 4pm, we were treated to more photographic desserts from Dubrovnik, Sardinia, Vietnam, and the Silk Road. In true National Geographic style, they left us wanting more.

When I got home, I weeded through a couple of my favorite shots. Based on what I’d learned, were they NG worthy? I replayed Jim’s words in my head. “A good photo is one which is interesting. A good photo takes you there. Not one which is technically perfect!”

The biggest lesson I learned from National Geographic that day was the power of intuition.

I have to keep on trusting my instincts.

(this was first published at http://matadortravel.com/travel-blog/united-states/geotraveler/what-national-geographic-taught-me)

Don't forget - if you have something to say about writing, submit to Guest Post Friday

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Guest Post Fridays...

I thought it was time to try something new, so have decided to make Friday the ‘Guest Post’ Day here at Write to Travel.

Are you interested ?

What I’m looking for is guest posts about all aspects of writing, book reviews, conference, workshop, and course reviews, etc, etc, etc. It can be something newly written or re-cycled from your own blog or writing portfolio.

What you get out of it - another location in which to air your views, your expertise, and your writing. All guest posts will get a byline and links back to their sites.

I’ll also work on setting up section on the sidebar where guest bloggers are featured for the month following their post.

What do you think?

You can send in guest post submission to kiwiwriter@xtra.co.nz

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Guest Blog by Nancy Brown: The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photograpers Conference - A Review.

“Writing is like love making,” shared author Isabel Allende. “You find a place to do it; on a desk, behind a door.” Playing off her banter, The Great Tree of Avalon author T.A. Baron adds that writing begins with the senses. “Our job as writers is to change the world.”

Allende and Baron were two of the many writers who joined us at the 16th Annual Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference held August 16-19, 2007 in Corte Madera, California. From sunup to sundown we were writing ledes, creating the perfect nutgraf and searching for a sense of place while dining al fresco on California cuisine.

Morning sessions found us in classroom settings with San Francisco Chronicle Travel Editor John Flinn, Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel Travel Editor Thomas Swick and Los Angeles Times Deputy Travel Editor Vani Rangachar or reviewing photos with Robert Holmes among others.

World Hum’s Jim Benning, Vagabonding’s Rolf Potts and LA Times Travel Deal Detective Jen Leo slogged us through the Brave New World of Blogging. And while blogging may be the wave of the future, not everyone’s blog spot will be acquired by The Travel Channel.

One evening a tall thin man addressed our group of travel writers daring us to spin the mystery wheel. Each peg represented one of Jeff Grenwald’s wild adventures. One of the tales he shared was from Burning Man. It involved an unquenchable thirst for ice cold Horchata tea and a long, blue penis. I guess you had to be there.

Travel Editor Peter Greenberg, came in for a touch-and-go landing as he regaled us with airline stories. He noted that we live in a world of citizen journalism.

Conference alum Paola Gianturco delved into the ethics of mindful journalism for the greater global influence and offered her website www.womenwholightthedark.com as a resource.

There were many well known publishers and writers such as Larry Habegger and Amanda Jones and photographers like Mikkel Aaland to rub shoulders with. I hesitate to list them all for fear of name dropping. I will say that Conference Chair Don George has a wicked sense of humor and Book Passage Owner Elaine Petrocelli's enthusiasm drives this thriving, independent bookstore.

The conference reminded me of my journalism college days when students and faculty engaged in animated conversation about the craft of writing and photo journalism. Afternoon private tutoring sessions were available for the ambitious. And what university experience would be complete without an evening fraternity party with alcohol fueled karaoke?

If you fancy yourself a travel writer or photographer, you’ll want to note next year’s August 14-17, 2008 conference dates. Visit Book Passage for more information.

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Guest blogger Nancy Brown of California writes What a Trip for the Lamorinda Sun.

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