How to Become a Travel Critic

Earning a living as a travel critic and writer is an appealing idea for anyone who loves to travel. However, it can be difficult to get to the point where a travel critic job is bringing in a steady income. It's best to begin this career choice by writing travel reviews part time and gradually increasing to full-time work. You should not expect funded trips in the beginning, so be sure you are in a good financial place to support your own travel.

Instructions

1

Bring your notebook and pen every time you travel. Keep notes on everything, including the accommodations, flights, restaurants, as well as any activities, tours or sightseeing. If you are not traveling, you can still keep notes; your hometown is a travel destination for others. Keep constant notes as practice, even if they are never published.

2

Start a blog or website. Utilizing social media is vital in a travel critic or writing career. If you do not know how to design a website and cannot afford to pay a professional to set one up for you, websites like Wordpress and Blogger will allow you to set up a blog for free. Keep your blog professional, with a simple template and high-quality photos. Be sure to include a biography page that details your travel experience and any of your work that has been published.

3

Stand out by finding a niche or a specific area you have expertise in that you can focus on in your critiques."Travel critic" is a very broad label, and there are many travel critics in the field already. A few examples of niches include budget travel, foodie travel, gay and lesbian travel or family travel. The more specific you are, the more marketable you are.

4

Update your blog or website regularly with reviews that focus on your niche. Other social networking services like Facebook and Twitter are helpful in spreading the word about you and to make contacts with other travel critics and people in the travel industry.

5

Join a few travel critic or writers associations. A few examples of groups that provide market leads and press trip announcements are the Midwest Travel Writers Association, the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association and the International Society for Travel Writing.

6

Compile a list of publications that have published articles similar to your areas of interest and style of writing. Submit reviews and articles to these publications regularly. Every critic and writer gets rejections, and the key is persistence. If a review is rejected, publish it on your own website or blog. When contacting a potential publication through email, be sure to include a link to your website so they can get an idea of your work. Also include the URL address to your website on your business card.

7

Showcase your published reviews in a portfolio as you continue to search for work.