Is There A Travel Writer in the House? Yes, Indeed.
"Have you ever done any travel writing?" my friend, Jim, asked. The year was 1988, and Jim was working in the communications department of a major airline.
"Not really," I confessed, although the prospect had always intrigued me. My career had been focused on corporate communications - newsletters, brochures and media relations. At the time, most of my clients were hospitals and doctors.
"Do you think you could find some outlets for travel stories?" Jim pressed on.
"Why" I asked, "What's up?"
"We've put together a travel writers' junket to Australia," he said, "and one of the writers has backed out. Would you like to go?"
Wow! I was speechless.
Jim revealed the details, which included stays in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with first class accommodations, sightseeing and more. It was a dream with a catch. Jim had total confidence in my ability to write about my experiences with vivid detail and suitable diplomacy, but in order to take the trip, I had to "guarantee" placement. Where to start? I had less two weeks to establish connections! No problem. I whisked my IWOSC directory off the shelf, took a deep breath and began calling established travel writers.
Every member I reached had valuable insights. Each one was generous with his or her time, contacts and advice. And yet, I had never met a single one of them (in fact, I still haven't). They were willing to share with me because of our kinship in this organization - IWOSC. Sounds schmaltzy, but it's true.
Although I've paid membership dues faithfully since 1985, I've never been to a regular monthly meeting. I have been involved in subgroups and special events, and even served on the board of directors once. I've provided job leads both to the group and to individual members, and have hired a few members for special projects (I own a small PR firm). I've looked for and found the support we all need as independent writers.
Yes, you guessed it. This is a pitch for IWOSC involvement. If you haven't done so already, take advantage of your membership. A single phone call can be worth the price of a year's dues. I may never make it to a "regular" meeting, but I have no doubt that I'll continue to find value in many, many ways.
By the way, the travel junket fell through three days before I was scheduled to leave (some kind of miscommunication between the airline and the Australian Tourist Commission). Jim and his employer felt so guilty, they let me keep my round trip ticket. I used it several few months later for a memorable 10-day trip with a friend. And a local magazine published my travel story - with photos!
Copyright (c) 1998 by Trish Lester. All rights reserved.
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Sydney's Olympic games are slated for the year 2000, which might be a good time to wangle a trip-cum-writing assignment to Australia. Of course, after checking out various travel links, you might fancy something like Antarctica or Vietnam instead.
