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Career as a travel reporter is no easy job

Career as a travel reporter is no easy job

How many of us have dreamed about traveling the world and at the same time earning money? Being a travel writer is the dream job of may be more than half the world population. But as any other profession, being a freelance travel writer has its perks, but also there are some disadvantages. Here, we will consider some of them either it is about the big competition on the freelance market or the time missed with your family.

As this is one of the most desired professions, as you can imagine the competition is great, especially for new writers who are beginning their freelance career. There are a lot of people who are capable of making a good article about tourism so most of the freelance sites and editors are constantly receiving articles and probably they don’t have the capability and time to check all.

But don’t quit, everything is possible. Try pitching an article about some less known destination, or put together an incredible story, and you might be lucky. However, always remember that maintaining a regular flow of income from travel articles is not a sure thing.

Another very important aspect is to remember that you are not on a holiday. Writers are always on the hunt for different angles, photographs and stories. Yes, you get to travel to the most awesome places in the world but after all – you are there for work. Most of the work trips are with a previously scheduled plan so it is less likely to have time to spare on your own sightseeing tour. “It is not all hearts and flowers,” you have to get up early, go to bed late and be sure to pack your most comfortable shoes as you will be always on the run.

As exciting as it sounds, this job is very tiring. Imagine being stuck in an airport for hours waiting for your next flight; all this constant, non-stop flying is really tiresome – you always feel jet lagged and grumpy. All you do is run across airport terminals with your suitcase and photography equipment (if any). This is the biggest disadvantage for the more successful writers as they are offered many trips and they barely get time for themselves.

After all, know that this is a business. When you go home after a trip, don’t think that your job is done, you will have to spend hours and hours in front of the computer doing thorough research, thinking about the different story angles you can use and many other stuff, not to mention the strict deadlines you have to follow.

Sometimes you will have to wait for weeks for your articles to be published, or even wait for a response of your editor if the article is good enough to be published. I don’t even want to start with all the accounting paperwork you have to do or the invoices you have to follow up.

Probably the worst thing about this job is that you are always on the road and you don’t have time for your family and friends. The trips you make are not for fun so the option for your family to tag along is rarely possible. The free time you get when you are not busy back at home is the most precious, so be sure to take advantage of it to the maximum.

Summary

A career as a travel journalist and photographer seems very alluring and satisfying. However, it should not be forgotten that these jobs are extremely demanding and require a lot of energy, diligence, not to mention, the sheer skill needed.

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