Enter Lonely Planet's Great Journeys Contest...

Ever dream of taking a trip on the famous Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia?

Then Lonely Planet might just be able to issue you the required boarding pass.

They have teamed up with Railbookers to sponsor a Great Journeys contest with the winner (and their guest) will score not only a trip trip onboard the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia, but also 2 nights hotel accommodation in Moscow, 1 night's hotel accommodation in Beijing and a budget of $5,000 (USD) towards flights.

To enter, visit the contest lonelyplanet.com/greatjourneys and vote for your favorite 'great' journey.

The contest ends on October 7th at 11:59pm GMT.

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Travel Writing Miscellanea...

Carlo Wolf reviews TRAVELS: Collected Writings 1950-1993 by Paul Bowles for the Boston Globe

Don George writes about The secret formula for writing a successful travel narrative over at Gadling.com

James McAuley goes on A visit to Archer City to check out a a Texas-sized bookstore owned by Archer City’s most famous native son, the acclaimed novelist and Hollywood screenwriter Larry McMurtry in The New Yorker

Gabe Habash from Publishers Weekly asks Which Cemetery is the Most Literary?

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Weekly Top 5 Blog Posts for Writers...

1. What Don Draper Knows That You Don’t About Persuasion and Success

2. 7 Free in-flight magazines on iPad

3. 10 ways not to be a travel writer

4. On the Media: The price of 'free' journalism

5. 6.5 Things That Will Make You a Better Non-fiction Writer

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Travel Writing Miscellanea...

Traveling to places that are in the midst of disaster, revolution, or war isn't something that I'd deliberately set out to do, but for some travelers, as this ABC report Roaming Revolution Chasers Redefine Adventure Travel clearly shows, it's the thing to do.

Meanwhile, Psychology Today asks 'Where is it safe to travel?'

Reviews of travel books...

Galavanting reviews National Geographic's 100 Countries, 5000 Ideas.

The New York Times reviews 'Under the Sun: The Letters of Bruce Chatwin'

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Free e-book: National Geographic's Travel Writer's Guide to Sustainable Tourism...

The Untold Travel Story (A Travel Writer's Guide to Sustainable Tourism and Destination Stewardship) is a 20 page booklet provides plenty of useful information and tips for travel writers wanting to put a green slant on their travel articles.

A National Geographic document written by Bradley Weiss in 2004, it was created, according to Jonatahn B Tourtellot, Director of Sustainable Tourism, National Geographic Society to "to help the ongoing dialog among travel journalists worldwide on how we can best raise awareness about protecting the quality of places everywhere".

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Two Free E-Books for Writers....

Freelance writer Thursday Bram is working on a series of free e-books for writers.

The first two in the series are now available to read online (or save to your iPad for future reading).

The first one, New Ideas on Old Topics (16 pages)offers plenty of advice on how to keep up with ideas, even when you feel burnt out on a topic.

One tip that I've picked up and am running with is using technology to help track and manage ideas. In particular, Thursday discusses using Evernote, a web-based application that lets you create notebooks in which to add your ideas - thoughs, audio, video, webshoots, etc. What's really great about Evernote is that you can access it on various devices, including iPhone and iPad, and as long was you have an internet connection, everything is easily synchronized.

The second e-book, Time Management for Writers (15 pages) addresses various time management strategies aimed to ensuring that you become a more productive, and therefore, more financial secure writer.

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Reading Travel Writing 2.0 by Tim Leffel

The bookcase in my study is overrun with books about writing. There are ‘how-to’ guides, grammar guides, guides to markets, tips on writing query letters, and of course, dictionaries, atlases, and a thesaurus.

Most of these writing books, however, focus on the traditional old school methods of getting published by sending out query letters and creating relationships with newspaper and magazine editors.

But you’d have to be hiding out in a cave not to realize that this traditional method has been transformed by the internet. Digital media is overtaking print media and anyone interested in breaking into travel writing these days needs to understand how they can use this to their advantage.

Enter a new book, Travel Writing 2.0: Earning money from your travels in the new media landscape, by veteran travel writer Tim Leffel.

Travel Writing 2.0 starts off with a hard hitting, honest account of the life of a travel writer. It’s not a glossy and glamorous account that is usually touted by those trying to entice would be travel writers to buy their course. Instead it illustrates that travel writing is hard work and only those that are passionate, determined, and disciplined as likely to succeed.

As for how to succeed, Travel Writing 2.0 provides a virtual map outlining how to use the new technologies of the digital age to your advantage. He discusses everything from why you should blog to writing for webzines, from owner content to writing for online networks, from carving out a niche and developing a platform, how compensation comes in many forms, and how to develope multiple streams of income.

But you don’t have to take just Tim’s word for it. He has drafted 52 other successful travel writers who offfer their thoughts and share their experiences in travel writing.

Travel Writing 2.0 is a true gold mine of information, a modern day guidebook for anyone interested in the business and marketing side of travel writing.

But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s what a few other reviewers have said…

“Anyone looking to become a travel writer will find plenty of books and articles on the subject in print. The problem is, nearly all of them are becoming as fossilized as the print media world they cover. Travel Writing 2.0 is a book for the here and now, with advice for succeeding in a media landscape turned upside down.” - South Pacific Blog

“Tim Leffel is that rarest of creatures in the travel world–a straight shooter who not only has all the facts, but isn’t afraid to share them. Travel Writing 2.0 is an essential resource for anyone trying to make real money from their writing. — Chuck Thompson (author of Smile When Your Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer)

“…unflinching look at the market and what you have to do to carve out your place… This book is solid, honest, and a much needed insight on a difficult career choice. You think you want to be a travel writer, do you? You should read this book.” - Nerd’s Eye View

Travel Writing 2.0 is available in print or PDF e-book form (Kindle and iBook versions are due out later in the year) directly from the publisher and also at various online bookstores including Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

You could also try your luck and enter to win a free copy Travel Writing 2.0 over at Perceptive Travel blog.

(Disclaimer: While Tim Leffel, author of Travel Writing 2.0, might be the editor of Perceptive Travel blog where I write, he had no editorial input into this review. The review copy was provided by the author)

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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!

...........

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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Win a Copy of Lonely Planet New Zealand's South Island...

I was sent a copy of Lonely Planet New Zealand's South Island to review for Perceptive Travel blog. The review will be posted this weekend, but I have to say from what I've read so far, this is the book to read if you've ever thought about heading to New Zealand. It will convince you that the South Island is the place to go. Of course, I'm kind of biased, being that Christchurch is my hometown and the South Island is basically my backyard and playground.

You can win a copy of this guidebook by heading on over to Perceptive Travel Blog and leaving a comment. Giveaway is worldwide and is open until the 1st of June.

Good Luck.

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Book Review: Drama & Diplomacy in Sultry Puerto Vallarta by Jenny McGill.

I’m always surprised when I go and check the mailbox and discover that a book has arrived to be reviewed. It’s not that common an occurrence but it does happen. And that’s how I ended up with a copy of Jenny McGill’s book Drama & Diplomacy in Sultry Puerto Vallarta.

An anecdotal account of Jenny and her husband Howard’s life in Puerto Vallarta in the 1970s and 1980’s, this  book is a jumble of events and colorful characters that dotted the landscape of a town only beginning to grow.

Much of the book focuses on Jenny’s time as the consular agent for the US Government and offers an inside glimpse into a bygone era when diplomacy truly was diplomacy.

After telling us the four D's - death, detention, disappearance and destitute – that make up a consular agent’s area of responsibility, Jenny introduces us to a cast of characters, each of which fit into one or other of these four categories. The descriptions are not always pretty (or clean) but each individual character we meet provides an almost historic reflection of a Puerto Vallarta that no longer exists.

The writing style won’t suit everyone. Those who like their stories to flow  gently and evenly along a well defined path will find it difficult to read. You have a feeling that Jenny writes like she talks and the book is not so much a complete story as it is a collection of vignettes. Reading it is almost like sitting and listening to a favorite aunt reminiscing about her past – interesting and fun, sometimes confusing and disjointed, but always intriguing and compelling.

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Win a Copy of Pauline Frommer’s New York City Guidebook...

Family Travel has a copy of Pauline Frommer’s New York City guidebook to giveaway. Check out Sheila's review of the book and then leave a comment by Friday 5th of December 2008 as to why you want to win this book.

I have...


And don't forget to check out the Passports with Purpose fundraising raffle.

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Win a Copy of Organic Explorer New Zealand...

Just posted about the latest edition of Organic Explorer New Zealand over at Perceptive Travel Blog.



Head on over and leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of this great book. Listing over 550 of New Zealand's artisan and eco-friendly places to eat, drink, explore, and sleep, it's a must for anyone considering a trip to the 'land of the long white cloud' or anyone who just likes to dream about beautiful places to visit...

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Travel Writing Miscellanea....

Everything Everywhere and Killing Batteries have an interesting discussion on the need for travel guides on the road.

Jennifer Marlow comes up with 6 Predictions for the Future of Travel.

Happy Hotelier has a three new 10 Questions posted, this time with : Shannon Hurst Lane from Traveling Mamas, Pam Mandel of Nerd’s Eye View, and Kevin May of Travolution.

Find out more about freelance travel writer David Farley with this half interview/half book review article called Chasing History.

Travel writer Brian Thacker is Stepping back in time, along the hippie trail, '...retracing the 1974 journey through South-East Asia of Lonely Planet founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler using their original guidebook — based on information they collected during their adventure a third of a century ago — as his only reference.'

Here's an excerpt of Dervla Murphy's latest book The Island That Dared: Journeys in Cuba.

William Least Heat-Moon got a new book out. Called Roads to Quoz. Here's the The Los Angeles Times review.

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Book Giveaway: Lonely Planet's Volunteer, a Traveler's Guide....

Check out my book review and giveaway of Lonely Planet's book Volunteer, A Traveler's Guide to Making a Difference Around the World.



Entries close 17th October 2008...

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Rolf Potts Discusses 'Marco Polo Didn't Go' With Pauline Frommer...

Travel Writer Rolf Potts discusses his latest collection of travel essays, "Marco Polo Didn't Go" with Pauline Frommer in this podcast.

Rolf's also got a 'virtual book tour' happening this week and next. You can check the schedule here...

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Win a Copy of Lonely Planet's 'A Year of Festivals'...

Just a heads up to a book giveaway I'm running over at Perceptive Travel Blog.

Have a read of my review of the Lonely Planet's 'A Year of Festivals'...



...and then enter the giveaway.

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Travel Book Giveaway...

I'm running a travel book giveaway over at Traveling the Green Way.

Up for grabs is a copy of Harry S. Pariser's 'Explore Costa Rica'.



This 622 page guidebook is rich in detail, providing plenty of background information about Costa Rica’s history, geology, culture, rainforests, and wildlife. Plus it covers everything from nature lodges to bed and breakfasts, from national parks and forests to historical sites, from places to dine to places to shop, and all things in between.

To get in the draw to win a copy, head on over to Traveling the Green Way and leave a comment by 22nd August. Winner will be selected by random number generator.

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10 of the Oddest Travel Guides Ever Published...

Slate has put together a list of what they consider the '10 oddest travel guides ever published.'


1. The Truth About Hunting in Today's Africa, and How To Go on Safari for $690.00 by George Leonard Herter (1963)

2. A Guide Through the District of the Lakes in the North of England by William Wordsworth (5th edition, 1835)

3. Das Generalgouvernement by Karl Baedeker (1943)

4. Fodor's Indian America by Jamake Highwater (1975)

5. Bollocks to Alton Towers by Robin Halstead, et al. (2006)

6. Travel Guide of Negro Hotels and Guest Houses by Afro-American Newspapers (1942)

7. Lonely Planet Guide to Micronations by John Ryan et al. (2006)

8. The Night Climbers of Cambridge by "Whipplesnaith" (1937)

9. A Tramp Trip: How To See Europe on Fifty Cents a Day by Lee Meriwether (1886)

10. Overland to India and Australia by the BIT Travel & Help Service (1970)


I haven't read any of them, although I have heard of a couple.

Head on over to the Slate article to find out what makes these travel guides unique.

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Google Map: Bookstores Across the USA

Thanks to the Baltimore Sun and the dedicated readers of their Read Street Blogwritten by Dave Rosenthal and Nancy Johnston, there is now a google map of over 120 bookstores across the USA.


View Larger Map

It's definitely a useful tool, especially for those of us who love both road trips and bookstores.

In fact, I'm going to put the map on Write to Travel's sidebar for future reference...

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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.

.........

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

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