Press Credentials for a travel freelancer - how do I get them?

[Susan Decoteau-Ferrier]

I have been a freelance writer for over 8 years. After a 2 year hiatus  and a move to an new state a year and a half ago, I am starting over. I have decided to focus on travel writing which includes local and hopefully far off places. I could use some advice about press credentials.
How do you acquire them especially if you are predominantly blogging (for now anyway)? How important is it to have them? What doors do they open for a writer?
These may seem like silly questions since I have been a freelance writer for years but in the city I lived in before, I started out at a small newspaper, people got to know me and I just started to be invited to show openings, galas, business openings  and things like that.
I never really traveled this path. I feel like a guppy in an extremely large lagoon. A few examples of where I think credentials might be helpful include entrance to the upcoming county fair (I live in rural MD), tours of cruise ships that sail out of local ports (Baltimore).
Any input would be appreciated.
Susan

[Keith Kellett]

It's not absolutely essential ... maybe there's some sort of freelancers' association where you are that you could join, & would issue a membership card? Otherwise, it's best to write to the organisers/PR of the event or place concerned in advance, say where you intend to place an article and give some links to examples of your work.

 

(In the 'olden days', you'd send 'clips', or photo-copies of your published wark, but this isn't insisted upon so much these days)

 

Good Luck,

 

Keith

[Barbara Radcliffe Rogers]

There are few set rules that apply everywhere, Susan. Membership in a travel writer's organization is only as good as the requirements to get in -- and you can be sure that most potential hosts are savvy about which ones require a substantial body of work to join and stay qualified. Very few invitations come as a direct result of bing in one of their directories -- and those that do still expect you to prove your credentials with good old fashioned clips (which of course now take the form of links to web articles or pdfs of scanned print articles). So that is the best place to begin, by getting an impressive portfolio of clips and a set of regular markets, so you don't have to try to get assignments each time you want to go somewhere. The only exception to the above is in Europe, where a membership card in a travel journalist organzation will sometimes get free admission to museums and churches. But you'd have to go to a lot of those to justify the high fees for the good orgalzations. A good rule of thumb is that if it's cheap and easy to join, it won't further your career.

[Susan Decoteau-Ferrier]

Barbara,

Thanks for your response.

What organizations would you recommend? I have been looking into IFWTWA. Thoughts?

 

Susan

 

www.gypsytales01.wordpress.com

[Dennis Cox]

Let me beat Barbara to answer this since we are both members of the same org.  The answer is the highly respected "Society of American Travel Writers."  SATW is difficult to get into, but you will have instant credibility as a member.  Yes, you will need to submit clips, plus the sponsorship of two members to apply.

[Susan Decoteau-Ferrier]

Dennis,

I have clips. A few new and some that go back a few years. If you look at www.gypsytales01.wordpress.com there is an article on estate wines that I wrote a few years ago for New Jersey Lifestyle. It is listed under "Misc. Articles" and more recently I did an article for The Baby Boomer News on Multigenerational Vacations. I have another article coming out this month on RVing for the same publication. And of course there are my blog pieces. Right now, these are the only things I have that I think might fit.

If you wouldn't mind taking a look and giving me some feedback I would appreciate it.

 

Thanks,

Susan

 

PS. If you prefer to reply directly you can email me at [e-mail]

[Barry Vaudrin]

As far as I know, "credentials" are given on a per Journalist or per situation basis.  The key is to develop your blog as a brand, then you must do the introductions yourself to the cruise line PR people.  I'm not sure what you mean by credentials - it's not like a secret pass given only to the few.  My advice, develop your brand, get some articles written to show what you've done, make the calls to the cruise lines.  Then follow-up, stay in-touch and slowly you should be able to develop a base of cruise industry contacts who know you and your work.   Good luck!

[Elyse Glickman]

I am in the same boat you are, as I am looking to move back into PR full time after 10 years of freelance journalism, and am trying to figure out how to leverage my past travels as a way to secure future work (we are part of a small and elite group--in that we have earned the right to travel and report our findings to readers). 

 

What I am doing  may work for you--> contacting everybody you have successfully worked with in the past decade to vouch for your ability to deliver stories within a set time frame, doing amazing material that is adaptable to any market and also establish yourself as being such a success that you have a nice sized set of readers who regularly turn to your blog for the latest.  In the past year, I established a magazine that in concept was very successful but died on the vine because of issues with my business partner, but I certainly plan to keep some version of it going as a blog, using FB as an adjunct for daily updates and tips and connecting it to twitter to keep the name out there. 

 

Give that a try and see how it works.

 

Elyse

[lena]

I would probably suggest a regional journalist's alliance over one of the supposedly national or international "societies" or "alliances," which really are not recognized by any journalism authority or governing body. Actually a former editor of mine, who has overseen travel for a national publication for 10 years, referred to SATW and NATJA as "a lot of gray heads in search of meaning and inspiration."

Given that you're just starting out and you intend to have a regional focus, I think the people who are active in regional journalism will be better able to help you get your "foot in the door" at, say, the upcoming county fair. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if a few good clips could get you commissioned to write up the county fair for a regional paper. Oftentimes, regional newspaper and magazine staffers are members of regional journalism groups--even in larger markets like the Bay Area. If you effectively network with the assigning editor at an event, follow up with an email, and it happens that all the staff writers are all on vacation, that's exactly the kind of scenario where you'd get a quick last-minute assignment. And if you're on assignment, a press pass is sure to materialize.

 

As online resources, Media Kitty and Tripatini are good, but they don't provide credentials.

Something to note: I've been in this business full-time and profitably for 11 years and never joined any associations. I do, on the other hand, sent clips or links to 98% of the outlets I approach.

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

If you want to be a travel writer to "travel to far off places," then I think that's the wrong motive, candidly.

 

Travel writing involves a close study of travel trends, technology, business developments, key personalities, mergers, acquisitions, deals, and, yes, some destination work.

 

Best bet is to apply to a professional organization for membership. If you pass muster, then probably they have some sort of ID.

[Keith Kellett]

Sorry, I disagree!

 

Studying these things is fine if you're writing about the travel business, but I'd suggest the average reader wants to know what you saw, did, experienced etc. rather than who owns the airline or hotel chain or whatever.

 

If you read anything by the really great travel writers, (e.g. Lawrence Durrell, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Jan Morris, Bill Bryson etc.) you'll find very little of that kind of thing in their work.

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

The great travel writers you mentioned never had travel writer credentials. I bet

And todays travelers have multiple sources of travel information from Facebook to Friends and friends of friends and family on multiple sources. The need for a credentialed free lancer is uncertain at best.

But, from a competitive and niche point of view, video content, podcasts, content on travel trends and emerging travel related technologies, new bookin engines, etc is stuff the traveler can not get from a mass market writer, thus more or less insuring her or him of a longer shelf life and a more loyal audience. Everyone is traveling to and writing about far away places...

[Susan Decoteau-Ferrier]

Wow. There are a lot of opinion out there on this topic. I appreciate everyone's input.