Authenticity, authenticity above all. Furthermore, there’s a massive lack of nuance; hardly anyone works with the "pros and cons" anymore. Everything is either "amazing" or "horrible." Everything is shocking, surprising, breathtaking, and life-changing. Video after video, article after article.
As a native Praguer, I have a guilty pleasure... Occasionally watching "hipster" influencers and their coverage of Prague (given the city’s status as a top destination, most of them end up here sooner or later). But it’s always like a carbon copy; a 2–3 day stopover on the way to or from Budapest, Vienna, or Berlin. They visit the exact same locations, the same cafes, and eat the same pastries, drink beer in the same pubs. The same applies to Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest.
Yet all these cities offer so many non-cliché topics and locales that it would be easy to stand out. It seems to me, however, that the target audience for this content doesn’t even want that.
Take one example for all: Google "The Infinity Book Tower Prague." It’s an installation that has been there for years. It sat there without much interest, meant simply for the amusement of library visitors. Recently, it became an Instagram phenomenon, and now people stand in line for an hour just for a five-second selfie with a mirror and books. Meanwhile, within a few minutes' walk, there is so much unique stuff to see. But now, it’s a trend.
I’ve been planning an extended trip to Seoul recently, and it is so difficult to find a truly useful guide because 9 out of 10 offer the exact same itinerary, the same tips, and the same activities...
This is exactly why (and let’s not limit this to Central Europe, but anywhere in the world) high-quality travel writers can still help. In my opinion, there is still plenty to write about. In fact, many high-quality Substack publications are proof of that.
Thank you for such a beautifully written response! You have tapped into something that has been on my mind, but perhaps not said as it should be in my post.
There are places we have spent ample time visiting, talking to the locals and watching the tourists, and you're right in that most people miss the real hidden treasures because they are so focused on the "recommended" stops.
We've been to the Netherlands, where my mother was born, several times, and we stayed for three months in 2023. I hate Amsterdam, where all the tourists go, but absolutely love Puth, Sweikhuizen, and Schinnen - small towns most people never hear of or visit. We've experienced this in other places, such as Portugal and Barbados.
Of course, we've had to see things like the Eiffel Tower or Mount Rushmore (boring in my opinion), but the best stories and memories are not usually the Top 5 lists. This is why I go out of my way to make friends with those who live locally, because I want the real experience, not the hipster one.
So going forward, I personally hope to write better and more for people like us, those who don't want just the cliché recommendations but the real adventure. If you have recommendations, please share, and if we make it to Prague, I know who to ask! 😉
But I don’t want it to seem like travel writing is only interesting when it’s about places one is actually planning to visit. There are the types of articles I read when researching a destination, and then there is writing about travel in general—topics like ethics, impact, history, and so on—or about locations that one usually never gets the chance to see in person.
As far as Prague or the Czech Republic are concerned, feel free to ask—though there are others more qualified than I am to speak on the matter (I've only been here a short while, but for example https://robjcameron.substack.com/ or https://fialka.substack.com/).
Yes, travel writing is multifaceted, and all topics can be valuable. I do like variety, but my favorite reading is when it transforms my thinking or leads me to want to experience that adventure. My wife, on the other hand, often prefers to research travel recommendations and tips because she does the planning.
I clicked the wrong thing. It won't let me take it back. I meant to click Entertaining storys of Adventure.
I want to read about where people are going and where they've been. So many people are writing about travel and not the places they travel too. I want to learn about new and different places, people, and customs. I want to put a new star on my map that I'll travel to later. And bonus if it has a good story and characters I enjoy following along with. I am really not interested in videos at all. I like good photos and good stories.
James, this is not a "one thing" type response but I'm happy to drop my 2 cents based on my decade of experience as a destination writer.
I agree with you, the curation and rise of influencer life makes me cringe. It is less and less about the destination and how it impacts the traveling human, and more about how far up your but your thong bikini can go while you hang over the edge of an infinity pool 🙄
Having said that, I also believe there is an audience for everyone. Maybe general world travel is more difficult because there's no focal point besides travel, but as a destination writer, i had no problem gathering an audience WITHOUT putting myself or touristy activities at the center of my content. I purposely went out of my way to write about things nobody else was.writing about so that I could stand out by teaching lesser known stuff.
I did write for tourism magazines as part of earning a living but found it incredibly difficult to have to be "scripted" on a topic, but it's what travel mags want 🙄
Anyway, that was my looooooong way if saying that yes, I absolutely think there is a point and a future in travel writing if you’re doing it with intention beyond the influencer spotlight.
Oh, and about YouTube....you should see some only my super shitty, unedited Jamaica videos that have tens of thousands of views!!! Don't quit YouTube because you think it needs to be polished and performative!! I'm happy to share some video links with you if you want to see how terrible mine were 🤣
Morning Kristi! I probably should've asked more pointed questions, but figured with so many people having a variety of experiences, it could be cool to see how people respond.
You're right that there's an audience for everyone and perhaps the goal is to write for one specific need or niche -- as we often talk about in marketing. 😆 I was thinking about this yesterday in relation to musicians like the Grateful Dead compared to Taylor Swift and how they made their music to appeal in different ways (which would be a post in and of itself). So maybe if I want to make a real go of this, I need to first write about what I want from the heart, which is NOT the touristy shit most others focus on, for people I can relate to, which would be more in line with GD rather than TS.
The thought of pitching magazines to write clickbait articles does not sound appealing, but if it made me money, I might be willing to compromise. But then AI can already do that for free. Sigh.
Because I'm weird and off the cuff, I think I could be entertaining on YouTube, and Donetta and I do have an interesting dynamic since she's the educational side, but it's so much work, even if it's not very polished. I'm also not sure I want to put in the work for little ROI, since it takes so much to monetize there, and honestly, I don't see us as influencers or want to be. Though I will wear a thong at the infinity pool to get looks ... there's no shame in my game! 😜
I'd love to see your videos, but I'd really like to connect and talk sometime about the other cool stuff you've been doing. Appreciate your thoughts!
Okay first of all, you need to do a thong infinity pool photoshoot 🤣🤣 I see virality potential there bahahaa.
DM me and maybe we can chat outside of your comments here. Even though I don't travel much anymore, I'm still more than happy to chat about how amazing my travel writing days were!
Much to my wife's chagrin, I have plenty of Tushy Tuesday photos I've posted in a FB hiking group I'm a part of, baring my ass to the world. But not in a thong yet, so that could be epic. 😝 Will DM ya!
Is there a future in travel writing? Is a very subjective question. I think there is a future, but my definition of a future and yours may hugely differ, and it will certainly not look like it used to. I'm not sure about the viability of making a living solely from travel writing. While I am sure some people do it's never been something I aspired to, so I'm uncertain of how much the landscape is currently shifting. I do, however, agree with your point about the steep decline in long form writing to short, often AI generated listicles, or even worse reels - which may well have been another nail in the coffin of travel writing. You said it well, this is the 'enshitification' of an industry.
Personally, I'm drawn to a combo of your options. Writing that entertains and informs, bonus points if it shifts my perspective and makes me consider the subject from a new angle, like this post has.
You are right in that it's a subjective question. It depends on whether we want to make money from it or if AI will take over completely, among many other factors and interests. I'd love to get paid to write, here or elsewhere, but creativity has been so commoditized that I don't know if it's possible for anyone except those who have already established a career in travel writing. Regardless, my hope is to become good enough to inspire people, whether I get paid or not. That's the golden standard to me!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for the kind words.
I just travel and enjoy it. I don’t write about it. I don’t YouTube it. I don’t feel compelled to take selfies at all. I take photos for my own memories, and share a selection online with friends. Everybody is trying to make a buck showing off in some way. The whole “look at me” influencer culture is ridiculous, and has ruined many wonderful destinations. Go. Have a good time. You don’t need to tell me about it. Really. Absolutely anything you could tell me about it is already available online.
Appreciate your input, Rich, and I'm with you on the selfies. We take them for our own memories, though we will post them for fun, especially when I do something goofy, which is most of the time. LOL
We started writing about travel because we enjoy writing and wanted to have something to remember our adventures. The comped stays and meals were great at first, but now that "everyone" is an influencer, it's ruined it all.
I get what you're saying about everything being online already, but if people didn't write or share their experiences, it wouldn't be there either. Not to mention everyone writes from a different perspective. I find this valuable as we research places to go.
You’re all good and didn’t take it that way! I’ve thought the same and whether we are part of that problem. It’s a difficult balance. For me, it’s a conversation with others to learn and get input, which. appreciate. It will help us to decide how or where to focus our efforts.
I am a travel writer and am considering stopping later this year. One of the publications I write for has such a stringent writing policy that there is no joy in trying to tell my story the way I want. It’s all about getting views. However, I get hosted stays by being published at this publication. And it’s unpaid. Ho hum.
Thanks, Julie! If you don't mind my asking, are you considering stopping for any particular reason? Just curious. I've heard pitching larger publications can be horrible and that they want everything for nothing, but I certainly have not tried. Maybe they are just content mills.
I love traveling and seeing new things (I am a travel junkie). I love sharing my experiences. I love being hosted, which has real value. I have spent my travel writing career producing articles for other publications and don’t get paid for the articles now, building their website traffic, hoping that they will start paying again. I pitch other pubs and don’t hear back. I think many travel writers are competing for the same pubs. Even the regular ones I write for are taking weeks and months to publish my submissions. Just getting a little discouraged.
Thank you for sharing. I understand what you mean. It's difficult to keep pressing forward when it feels like you're not even moving. I've written online since 2005 and the only time it felt like it was going somewhere was the early days or when I worked with a company that already had built a large audience.
It sucks when pubs don't respond or do what they should, but I also think this kind of behavior is so common with businesses today.
I reflect on all of the comments above. I am a big fan of Paul Theroux who has many travel books and has a unique perspective when he travels as well as stories to tell.
I think he may have been able to support himself writing but that was a different era for sure, however I still love reading people’s travel experiences because I cannot go everywhere I want to go and that is the unique thing you can offer.
Understanding a place from someone’s unique perspective, and maybe the place lines up with somewhere I might be able to go, but even the places I may not have value.
I don't expect to become the next Rick Steves by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it would be cool to build an audience who appreciates our travel stories or advice, even if it is free content. Which is why your input is valuable: if what we write isn't worth reading at all, I need to change it or quit altogether. LOL!
Like every other artist or creative, we want our work to be valuable somewhere.
I think the problem with trying to make anything close to a living from a travel blog these days is that the barrier to entry has become so low. Even just 10 years ago, documenting and sharing your travel adventures required at least a little bit of technical know-how and often a monetary investment. Now, just about anybody can learn (relatively easily) how to use a site like Substack and start posting literally that same day without spending a dime.
From a reader/consumer perspective, it's hard to justify paying anybody for stories and information about travel locations when I can probably find a dozen or more similar accounts in 5 minutes or less without breaking out my credit card.
I 100% agree that the barrier is low, and to be honest, the last two decades of my professional career were spent designing, developing, and marketing these kinds of online tools to other bloggers, thus contributing to the demise we see today. I would never convince people to launch a blog or Substack for money, but for some reason, I am driven to find a way to make income from my writing. Perhaps it's not here but elsewhere, but nevertheless, the interest remains. 🤷♂️
Additionally, I agree with not paying for information you can easily find with a quick search or ChatGPT. Donetta has never wanted to charge for articles, but I considered paywalling some that are more unique, though it probably won't happen.
Regardless, what keeps you reading pubs like ours even if it's free? What is beneficial for you and what is not?
Personally, I enjoy entertaining stories and the social aspect of it. With your site specifically, Kelly and I may do something similar (travel in a van). So I do find the "what's good" and "what's not so good" type articles interesting. When we hit the road though will be after I retire from my current job in 5-10 years, so the finance part won't really be a concern. If I share stories of our adventures, it will be just for the fun of it.
When you have money in the bank, it changes everything, especially where you spend your time!
I've always wanted to monetize in some way because that's how I'm wired, but the idea for why I started this came from designing a website and brand for a food blogger in San Diego who exploded on the scene and was comped free food and drinks for reviews. I wanted to replicate that, and at the start of our journey, it did work as we got free hotels or great discounts for reviews, but those days are mostly gone.
Writing for fun would look completely different for me.
At least you seem to have caught part of the back end of that "getting comped for reviews" trend. I'm not a total cynic, I think there will be ways in the future for people to earn money even while traveling ... we just don't know what they'll look like. There's a good bet though that they won't necessarily look like what's worked in the past.
Hey Andrew! I like to entertain -- though I think people probably don't like my off-the-wall humor and weirdness to life. But I could be wrong! 😝
Everything else these days, other than writing or creating art, feels like too much work for so little ROI. Not to mention, I'm personally trying to stay away from social media because it's draining and unexciting.
I'll look it up, and if you have any other thoughts, I'd appreciate them. Thanks!!!
I just posted a note about this. You'll need to define "future." If you're talking about the future as in earning a middle-class living and supporting a family from travel writing. No, I'm not sure there ever was a future in that. Even in the heydays in the 90s. But I do think there's still a readership for adventure narratives, as there is no shortage of good books coming to market. There's a future in some sense for sure, you just have to subsidize it with other writing or other work.
I guess "future" is what you said: an opportunity to derive income from writing guides, publications, or books, while subsidizing it with other revenue sources like products, sponsorships, advertising, or consulting. I've known that writing, like being an artist, is not typically going to produce a sustainable living, though, as a designer, I did really well.
No, I don't think books are worth it financially. Consider an author would be lucky to get a $20K advance (and most would get far less), and it's extremely rare that royalties even exceed the advance. Then they spend 6 months working on it. Not much money and probably barely minimum wage when you break down the time investment.
But would book writing be worth it for other reasons? Absolutely. I would certainly take on a piss-poor playing adventure travel book project that I was extremely passionate about.
We agree there! I've worked with best-selling authors in the past, and, aside from a few, most said their books were just a wash and an entry point into more lucrative pursuits like public speaking or consulting.
I've self-published a few books in the past and did really well at making some side money, but nothing to live off of. The greatest ROI was landing me jobs for brand consulting, web design projects, and speaking gigs.
There are a couple of book ideas in the works, but it's because I love to write, but then I also love hiking or drinking beer in the mountains more!
As a travel story writer I'd like to think that there is. There is an audience for each category and people who love to read will always read.
Great Title. Just found you. Will be checking it out. Stand by.
Authenticity, authenticity above all. Furthermore, there’s a massive lack of nuance; hardly anyone works with the "pros and cons" anymore. Everything is either "amazing" or "horrible." Everything is shocking, surprising, breathtaking, and life-changing. Video after video, article after article.
As a native Praguer, I have a guilty pleasure... Occasionally watching "hipster" influencers and their coverage of Prague (given the city’s status as a top destination, most of them end up here sooner or later). But it’s always like a carbon copy; a 2–3 day stopover on the way to or from Budapest, Vienna, or Berlin. They visit the exact same locations, the same cafes, and eat the same pastries, drink beer in the same pubs. The same applies to Berlin, Vienna, and Budapest.
Yet all these cities offer so many non-cliché topics and locales that it would be easy to stand out. It seems to me, however, that the target audience for this content doesn’t even want that.
Take one example for all: Google "The Infinity Book Tower Prague." It’s an installation that has been there for years. It sat there without much interest, meant simply for the amusement of library visitors. Recently, it became an Instagram phenomenon, and now people stand in line for an hour just for a five-second selfie with a mirror and books. Meanwhile, within a few minutes' walk, there is so much unique stuff to see. But now, it’s a trend.
I’ve been planning an extended trip to Seoul recently, and it is so difficult to find a truly useful guide because 9 out of 10 offer the exact same itinerary, the same tips, and the same activities...
This is exactly why (and let’s not limit this to Central Europe, but anywhere in the world) high-quality travel writers can still help. In my opinion, there is still plenty to write about. In fact, many high-quality Substack publications are proof of that.
Thank you for such a beautifully written response! You have tapped into something that has been on my mind, but perhaps not said as it should be in my post.
There are places we have spent ample time visiting, talking to the locals and watching the tourists, and you're right in that most people miss the real hidden treasures because they are so focused on the "recommended" stops.
We've been to the Netherlands, where my mother was born, several times, and we stayed for three months in 2023. I hate Amsterdam, where all the tourists go, but absolutely love Puth, Sweikhuizen, and Schinnen - small towns most people never hear of or visit. We've experienced this in other places, such as Portugal and Barbados.
Of course, we've had to see things like the Eiffel Tower or Mount Rushmore (boring in my opinion), but the best stories and memories are not usually the Top 5 lists. This is why I go out of my way to make friends with those who live locally, because I want the real experience, not the hipster one.
So going forward, I personally hope to write better and more for people like us, those who don't want just the cliché recommendations but the real adventure. If you have recommendations, please share, and if we make it to Prague, I know who to ask! 😉
Cheers! 🍻
But I don’t want it to seem like travel writing is only interesting when it’s about places one is actually planning to visit. There are the types of articles I read when researching a destination, and then there is writing about travel in general—topics like ethics, impact, history, and so on—or about locations that one usually never gets the chance to see in person.
As far as Prague or the Czech Republic are concerned, feel free to ask—though there are others more qualified than I am to speak on the matter (I've only been here a short while, but for example https://robjcameron.substack.com/ or https://fialka.substack.com/).
Yes, travel writing is multifaceted, and all topics can be valuable. I do like variety, but my favorite reading is when it transforms my thinking or leads me to want to experience that adventure. My wife, on the other hand, often prefers to research travel recommendations and tips because she does the planning.
Thank you for the recommendations.
I think travel writing is becoming even more relevant because people want more authenticity.
Thank you for this! I do believe we need more authenticity in today’s world.
I clicked the wrong thing. It won't let me take it back. I meant to click Entertaining storys of Adventure.
I want to read about where people are going and where they've been. So many people are writing about travel and not the places they travel too. I want to learn about new and different places, people, and customs. I want to put a new star on my map that I'll travel to later. And bonus if it has a good story and characters I enjoy following along with. I am really not interested in videos at all. I like good photos and good stories.
Sorry, I missed this! Thank you for such great feedback!!
James, this is not a "one thing" type response but I'm happy to drop my 2 cents based on my decade of experience as a destination writer.
I agree with you, the curation and rise of influencer life makes me cringe. It is less and less about the destination and how it impacts the traveling human, and more about how far up your but your thong bikini can go while you hang over the edge of an infinity pool 🙄
Having said that, I also believe there is an audience for everyone. Maybe general world travel is more difficult because there's no focal point besides travel, but as a destination writer, i had no problem gathering an audience WITHOUT putting myself or touristy activities at the center of my content. I purposely went out of my way to write about things nobody else was.writing about so that I could stand out by teaching lesser known stuff.
I did write for tourism magazines as part of earning a living but found it incredibly difficult to have to be "scripted" on a topic, but it's what travel mags want 🙄
Anyway, that was my looooooong way if saying that yes, I absolutely think there is a point and a future in travel writing if you’re doing it with intention beyond the influencer spotlight.
Oh, and about YouTube....you should see some only my super shitty, unedited Jamaica videos that have tens of thousands of views!!! Don't quit YouTube because you think it needs to be polished and performative!! I'm happy to share some video links with you if you want to see how terrible mine were 🤣
Morning Kristi! I probably should've asked more pointed questions, but figured with so many people having a variety of experiences, it could be cool to see how people respond.
You're right that there's an audience for everyone and perhaps the goal is to write for one specific need or niche -- as we often talk about in marketing. 😆 I was thinking about this yesterday in relation to musicians like the Grateful Dead compared to Taylor Swift and how they made their music to appeal in different ways (which would be a post in and of itself). So maybe if I want to make a real go of this, I need to first write about what I want from the heart, which is NOT the touristy shit most others focus on, for people I can relate to, which would be more in line with GD rather than TS.
The thought of pitching magazines to write clickbait articles does not sound appealing, but if it made me money, I might be willing to compromise. But then AI can already do that for free. Sigh.
Because I'm weird and off the cuff, I think I could be entertaining on YouTube, and Donetta and I do have an interesting dynamic since she's the educational side, but it's so much work, even if it's not very polished. I'm also not sure I want to put in the work for little ROI, since it takes so much to monetize there, and honestly, I don't see us as influencers or want to be. Though I will wear a thong at the infinity pool to get looks ... there's no shame in my game! 😜
I'd love to see your videos, but I'd really like to connect and talk sometime about the other cool stuff you've been doing. Appreciate your thoughts!
Okay first of all, you need to do a thong infinity pool photoshoot 🤣🤣 I see virality potential there bahahaa.
DM me and maybe we can chat outside of your comments here. Even though I don't travel much anymore, I'm still more than happy to chat about how amazing my travel writing days were!
Much to my wife's chagrin, I have plenty of Tushy Tuesday photos I've posted in a FB hiking group I'm a part of, baring my ass to the world. But not in a thong yet, so that could be epic. 😝 Will DM ya!
PS: sorry for the typos. Fat finger syndrome.
Is there a future in travel writing? Is a very subjective question. I think there is a future, but my definition of a future and yours may hugely differ, and it will certainly not look like it used to. I'm not sure about the viability of making a living solely from travel writing. While I am sure some people do it's never been something I aspired to, so I'm uncertain of how much the landscape is currently shifting. I do, however, agree with your point about the steep decline in long form writing to short, often AI generated listicles, or even worse reels - which may well have been another nail in the coffin of travel writing. You said it well, this is the 'enshitification' of an industry.
Personally, I'm drawn to a combo of your options. Writing that entertains and informs, bonus points if it shifts my perspective and makes me consider the subject from a new angle, like this post has.
Hello Beck! I really enjoy reading your work.
You are right in that it's a subjective question. It depends on whether we want to make money from it or if AI will take over completely, among many other factors and interests. I'd love to get paid to write, here or elsewhere, but creativity has been so commoditized that I don't know if it's possible for anyone except those who have already established a career in travel writing. Regardless, my hope is to become good enough to inspire people, whether I get paid or not. That's the golden standard to me!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for the kind words.
I just travel and enjoy it. I don’t write about it. I don’t YouTube it. I don’t feel compelled to take selfies at all. I take photos for my own memories, and share a selection online with friends. Everybody is trying to make a buck showing off in some way. The whole “look at me” influencer culture is ridiculous, and has ruined many wonderful destinations. Go. Have a good time. You don’t need to tell me about it. Really. Absolutely anything you could tell me about it is already available online.
Appreciate your input, Rich, and I'm with you on the selfies. We take them for our own memories, though we will post them for fun, especially when I do something goofy, which is most of the time. LOL
We started writing about travel because we enjoy writing and wanted to have something to remember our adventures. The comped stays and meals were great at first, but now that "everyone" is an influencer, it's ruined it all.
I get what you're saying about everything being online already, but if people didn't write or share their experiences, it wouldn't be there either. Not to mention everyone writes from a different perspective. I find this valuable as we research places to go.
Good things to think about here, though!
Ha ha… sorry… my rant is not about you, just what so much of the genre has warped into, and how wannabe influencers have trashed so many places.
You’re all good and didn’t take it that way! I’ve thought the same and whether we are part of that problem. It’s a difficult balance. For me, it’s a conversation with others to learn and get input, which. appreciate. It will help us to decide how or where to focus our efforts.
I am a travel writer and am considering stopping later this year. One of the publications I write for has such a stringent writing policy that there is no joy in trying to tell my story the way I want. It’s all about getting views. However, I get hosted stays by being published at this publication. And it’s unpaid. Ho hum.
Thanks, Julie! If you don't mind my asking, are you considering stopping for any particular reason? Just curious. I've heard pitching larger publications can be horrible and that they want everything for nothing, but I certainly have not tried. Maybe they are just content mills.
I love traveling and seeing new things (I am a travel junkie). I love sharing my experiences. I love being hosted, which has real value. I have spent my travel writing career producing articles for other publications and don’t get paid for the articles now, building their website traffic, hoping that they will start paying again. I pitch other pubs and don’t hear back. I think many travel writers are competing for the same pubs. Even the regular ones I write for are taking weeks and months to publish my submissions. Just getting a little discouraged.
Thank you for sharing. I understand what you mean. It's difficult to keep pressing forward when it feels like you're not even moving. I've written online since 2005 and the only time it felt like it was going somewhere was the early days or when I worked with a company that already had built a large audience.
It sucks when pubs don't respond or do what they should, but I also think this kind of behavior is so common with businesses today.
I reflect on all of the comments above. I am a big fan of Paul Theroux who has many travel books and has a unique perspective when he travels as well as stories to tell.
I think he may have been able to support himself writing but that was a different era for sure, however I still love reading people’s travel experiences because I cannot go everywhere I want to go and that is the unique thing you can offer.
Understanding a place from someone’s unique perspective, and maybe the place lines up with somewhere I might be able to go, but even the places I may not have value.
Good stuff, Mike. Thanks!
I don't expect to become the next Rick Steves by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it would be cool to build an audience who appreciates our travel stories or advice, even if it is free content. Which is why your input is valuable: if what we write isn't worth reading at all, I need to change it or quit altogether. LOL!
Like every other artist or creative, we want our work to be valuable somewhere.
I clicked the last one as well. I think if you write with a sense of humour and adventure, people will subscribe to your channel and follow you.
Thank you, Charlene! Much appreciated.
Hi James,
I think the problem with trying to make anything close to a living from a travel blog these days is that the barrier to entry has become so low. Even just 10 years ago, documenting and sharing your travel adventures required at least a little bit of technical know-how and often a monetary investment. Now, just about anybody can learn (relatively easily) how to use a site like Substack and start posting literally that same day without spending a dime.
From a reader/consumer perspective, it's hard to justify paying anybody for stories and information about travel locations when I can probably find a dozen or more similar accounts in 5 minutes or less without breaking out my credit card.
Howdy Todd! Thanks for your advice.
I 100% agree that the barrier is low, and to be honest, the last two decades of my professional career were spent designing, developing, and marketing these kinds of online tools to other bloggers, thus contributing to the demise we see today. I would never convince people to launch a blog or Substack for money, but for some reason, I am driven to find a way to make income from my writing. Perhaps it's not here but elsewhere, but nevertheless, the interest remains. 🤷♂️
Additionally, I agree with not paying for information you can easily find with a quick search or ChatGPT. Donetta has never wanted to charge for articles, but I considered paywalling some that are more unique, though it probably won't happen.
Regardless, what keeps you reading pubs like ours even if it's free? What is beneficial for you and what is not?
Personally, I enjoy entertaining stories and the social aspect of it. With your site specifically, Kelly and I may do something similar (travel in a van). So I do find the "what's good" and "what's not so good" type articles interesting. When we hit the road though will be after I retire from my current job in 5-10 years, so the finance part won't really be a concern. If I share stories of our adventures, it will be just for the fun of it.
When you have money in the bank, it changes everything, especially where you spend your time!
I've always wanted to monetize in some way because that's how I'm wired, but the idea for why I started this came from designing a website and brand for a food blogger in San Diego who exploded on the scene and was comped free food and drinks for reviews. I wanted to replicate that, and at the start of our journey, it did work as we got free hotels or great discounts for reviews, but those days are mostly gone.
Writing for fun would look completely different for me.
At least you seem to have caught part of the back end of that "getting comped for reviews" trend. I'm not a total cynic, I think there will be ways in the future for people to earn money even while traveling ... we just don't know what they'll look like. There's a good bet though that they won't necessarily look like what's worked in the past.
I clicked the last one - entertain me! Are you not entertained?!?
i don't YouTube or instagram my travel. I may be an outlier.
on substack there is one guy I've seen be pretty successful. Dan Outdoors I think is his pub. He's just California I think
Hey Andrew! I like to entertain -- though I think people probably don't like my off-the-wall humor and weirdness to life. But I could be wrong! 😝
Everything else these days, other than writing or creating art, feels like too much work for so little ROI. Not to mention, I'm personally trying to stay away from social media because it's draining and unexciting.
I'll look it up, and if you have any other thoughts, I'd appreciate them. Thanks!!!
I just posted a note about this. You'll need to define "future." If you're talking about the future as in earning a middle-class living and supporting a family from travel writing. No, I'm not sure there ever was a future in that. Even in the heydays in the 90s. But I do think there's still a readership for adventure narratives, as there is no shortage of good books coming to market. There's a future in some sense for sure, you just have to subsidize it with other writing or other work.
Thanks for your input, Craig.
I guess "future" is what you said: an opportunity to derive income from writing guides, publications, or books, while subsidizing it with other revenue sources like products, sponsorships, advertising, or consulting. I've known that writing, like being an artist, is not typically going to produce a sustainable living, though, as a designer, I did really well.
Do you believe books are still worth writing?
No, I don't think books are worth it financially. Consider an author would be lucky to get a $20K advance (and most would get far less), and it's extremely rare that royalties even exceed the advance. Then they spend 6 months working on it. Not much money and probably barely minimum wage when you break down the time investment.
But would book writing be worth it for other reasons? Absolutely. I would certainly take on a piss-poor playing adventure travel book project that I was extremely passionate about.
We agree there! I've worked with best-selling authors in the past, and, aside from a few, most said their books were just a wash and an entry point into more lucrative pursuits like public speaking or consulting.
I've self-published a few books in the past and did really well at making some side money, but nothing to live off of. The greatest ROI was landing me jobs for brand consulting, web design projects, and speaking gigs.
There are a couple of book ideas in the works, but it's because I love to write, but then I also love hiking or drinking beer in the mountains more!