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Issue #347: Don’t Let Feedback Sting Your Ego March 22, 2021 |
| Greetings Fellow Travel Writers! . . . and WELCOME all new subscribers. Thanks for joining us.
Editorial: Don’t Let Feedback Sting Your Ego
During my first few years of travel writing, several magazine editors sent my manuscripts back to me, asking for rewrites. They liked my story ideas but wanted the articles rewritten, more detailed, or from a different angle.
These early perceived criticisms of my work initially stung like a bee. Fortunately, I realized this was just my ego reacting. Ego is a powerful thing. I quickly understood that if I wanted to see my articles published, I had to give the editors their rewrites just the way they wanted them. I put my ego aside and buckled down, trying to understand what the editors were telling me about my writing. After a while, I realized the editor’s comments and feedback weren't personal. They were simply aimed at improving my articles. And, I realized that my stories read so much better after I made the recommended editorial changes. I was learning how to improve my writing from these rewrites! Once I understood this, rewrites became my first priority and I turned them around within 24 hours. As a result, I forged excellent relationships with my editors and they in turn were relieved that I was open to rewriting my stories, when needed. An attitude adjustment on my part placed me in their regular stable of writers. The editors accepted more of my pitches and sent me new assignments. It’s only human to see our writing as an immensely personal extension of ourselves. We see our work as a reflection of the very essence of who and what we are. So receiving and accepting feedback about our writing is very hard for us to digest. Veteran freelance travel writers develop a thick hide and learn to accept constructive feedback, instead of reacting and taking it personally. When editors give you feedback on your writing, request a rewrite, or edit your articles, remember that it’s not personal. They know their readers’ likes and dislikes. Give editors whatever they want. It’s their magazine! This Week's Featured PostFor Your Best Query Letters Ever: Use This Checklist Before You Hit “Send”Is Your Query Letter Ready to Submit?The query letter isn’t the only factor that determines your freelance writing success, but it’s a critical element to sell your story. It’s where the rubber meets the road. Queries are the flashpoint where we present our story idea and convince an editor it’s worthy of being published. I’ve created this tool to quickly assess if your query letter is complete. It ensures you haven’t missed any crucial bits and pieces. Queries are like a jigsaw puzzle that might be missing a few pieces. Those little bits and pieces often make the difference between selling your story or getting it rejected by an editor. This handy list will tell you whether you’ve missed any of the twenty two vital ingredients that a winning query must have. If you use this list before you hit “send,” you’ll see your acceptance rate rise noticeably.
Upcoming PostsMar 29: Simultaneous Submissions: Sell More Travel Stories, FasterMar 15: Five Rules For Selling Articles And Getting Travel Perks Apr 12: How to Sell Your Articles Without A Query Letter PitchTravelWrite.com Success StoriesBarb Harmon: A Healing Adventure
“After the death of my youngest son, I sank into what appeared to be a dark, ugly, depression. I lost interest in everything, including a successful online business.
My grief counselor pronounced a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I was shocked but relieved when she assured me she could help me cope with the symptoms.
She asked, "What do you want to do with your life?" Without hesitation, I replied, "I want to be a travel writer.” The first step was to gently dip my toes in the water by creating a new blog. I was writing again and it felt good. I spent hours online reading masses of information on travel writing. I didn't know if anyone would be interested in my stories, but I was determined to write them. An editor mentioned she might like a roundup story about Guadalajara in the future. She asked if I was interested. Of course, I said, "yes." But what’s a roundup story, I wondered?” Read the rest of Barb Harmon’s inspiring travel writing story here . . .
Pitch Travel Write: Most Requested Links about How to Sell Your ArticlesGetting published is the main objective of freelance travel writers. Every article you write needs to be published somewhere, so you need solid systems in place to do it quickly, efficiently, and successfully.After all, if you can't sell your articles, you don't get to write them! Here’s the link to our entire suite of articles on getting your stories published. It’s a gold mine of information. And, it’s free!
Inspirational Travel Quote
RESOURCES FOR TRAVEL WRITERSFeatured Bundle: Travel Writer's Beginner's Pack
1. The Complete Guide to Query Letters - Everything you need to know about query letters - and 20 examples you can start using immediately. 2. 125 Websites That Want to Publish Your Travel Stories - A list of 125 websites and including more than 50 paying travel websites where you can collect some bylines. 3. 100 Print Magazines That Want to Publish Your Travel Articles - A list of 100 print magazines that want to publish your travel articles. These lists will save you hours of time researching and creating lists yourself. They give you a foundation of sales leads you can use and build upon. With this bundle you already get a 10% discount over the individual books. You can get an additional $5 off when you use Promo code
MA5
Group Coaching Mastermind CommunityOur first Group Coaching Mastermind Community kicked off in October, 2020, and we’ve got a global group with members living in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Vietnam and the U.S. We're very excited about this group of writers and our new community! We added new members to our community in early January and they're getting to know the group and participate in writing activities.If you missed out on the opportunity to join this session, you can get on the waiting list for the next session starting in May . . .
Live WorkshopsPeople have been asking when our 2022 workshops in New Orleans, Louisiana are scheduled.Here are the 2022 dates: We've had lots of interest already. You can sign up for our no-obligation interest list for these workshops and receive our substantial early bird discounts when we open registration: GET ON THE 2021 LIVE WORKSHOP NO-OBLIGATION INTEREST LIST HERE Did You Know . . .Our Complete Marketing Master Class for Travel Writers is ranked #1 on TravelWritersExchange.com’s Top Ten Travel Writing Workshops.You can access the list of the top ten travel writing workshops at the link below . . .
At Your ServiceCoaching
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Consulting email: pitchtravelwrite@gmail.com
If you know someone who will enjoy this newsletter, PitchTravelWrite.com, is our information-packed website for travel writers. This e-zine, a series of travel writing books and reference guides, coaching programs, and our workshops all work together to give you guidance in this field. Our aim is to provide you with practical, nitty gritty information to help you gain entry into the travel writing realm and all the enjoyment that comes with it.
You can see the entire list by visiting their website - click on the graphic to view the list now.
Friend me on FacebookMy Facebook page is about freelance travel writing. I frequently post about:• links to other well produced travel websites and blogs • links to my travel articles • magazine cover stories and back stories • links to resource pages • links to coaching and mentoring resources . . .and plenty of other useful information to get you up to speed Link to Roy's Personal Facebook page That's all for now. Until next week - just keep pitching! Roy Roy Stevenson |
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