I have been working as the Local Expert for Salt Lake City (and recently Park City) for NileGuide since October 2009.  Just this past week – NileGuide launched individual travel blogs for each of their destinations.

NileGuide is pretty sweet.  I often get frustrated when I visit a new city and google restaurants and get bombarded with ancient Citysearch listings and the like.  NileGuide lets you create your own guide to a city and now with the new blogs, gives you a bit more about the local happenings.

Thus far I’ve be incredibly thrilled with the experience and NileGuide seems to keep coming up with exciting new opportunities for writers.  Plus they are currently looking for web-savvy individuals for their local expert program.  See jobs at Nileguide for more info about qualifications, compensations, and how to apply.

So if you ever find yourself in Salt Lake City check out the new blog – Salt Lake City Local Flavor – for the latest info on events and restaurant recommendations.

Here are 10 print and online publications that are currently looking for freelance contributors.  When querying a new publication it is a good idea to read several back issues of the magazine and tailor your pitch specifically to the voice of that publication.

Print Magazines

1.  Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine

• Budget Travel Magazine is published monthly and is primarily focused on detailing affordable vacations.
• Sent your query letter, published samples of your work and a cover letter to Budget Travel.
• Find detailed contributor’s guidelines here.

2.  National Geographic Traveler

• National Geographic Traveler publishes eight issues a year and focuses on both domestic and foreign destinations.
• Features are usually narrow in focus and profile destinations such as state or national parks, undiscovered places, and train or driving trips.
• Service-oriented, front-of-book departments feature practical information such as food and restaurants, great places to stay, quick getaways, and essays on travel experiences.
• National Geographic Traveler prefers queries of a page or less with a strong headline and lead and a clear premise for the piece.  The query should answer the following: “Why now, and why in Traverler?”
• See detailed writer’s guidelines here.

3. Sunset Magazine

• Sunset is published 12 times a year and covers travel, home, and gardening specific to the American West.
• The magazine is largely staff written, but is seeking freelance writers for their travel department.
• Sunset magazine is looking for what they call “take-action” travel ideas that will appear to their primary audience (70 percent women and rural or suburb dwelling).
• Submit query letters outlining the proposed story along with a suggestion for the appropriate month or season.
• See Sunset’s editorial guidelines for travel writers here.

4.  Mountain Gazette

• Mountain Gazette is another magazine focused on the spirit of the American West.
• The Mountain Gazette says it  “is open to virtually any subject, style or length, as long as the story has a direct relationship with Mountain Country and mountain life.”
• The publication only accepts full manuscripts submitted on speculation.
• See the Mountain Gazette’s contributor guidelines here.

5.  Outpost

• Outpost is both a print and online magazine that focuses on adventuresome and realistic approaches to travel.
• The magazine is published six times a year and is based out of Toronto, Canada.
• To be considered for publication, submit a one-page query letter that outlines the proposed story including its angle, elements, and length.
• See the contributor’s guidelines for Outpost here.

Online Magazines

6.  Road Junky

• Road Junky is an online publication featuring destination guides, travel tips, and travel culture.
• Road Junky is looking for travel writers to expand their city and country guides.  The publication is also interested in travel stories, but does not pay for these.
• Road Junky is also looking for translators, editors, and marketing experts.
• See travel writing and photography submission details here.

7. Galavanting

• Galavanting is an online travel magazine specifically catering to women.
• The publication features stories about traveling women and self-discovery.
• Galavanting is actively seeking feature travel essays, blog posts, and travel tips.
• See detailed contributor’s guidelines here.

8.  BootsnAll

• BootsnAll is an online travel community that publishes travel stories, blogs, and guides.
• BootsnAll is currently taking applications for travel writers.
• See jobs at BootsnAll for more information here.

9.  Fodors

• Both a popular guidebook series and travel website, Fodors is taking applications for research writer positions.
• Send a cover letter, resume, and published clips to Fodors.
• See Fodor’s contact information here.

10.  The Backpacker Daily

• The Backpacker Daily is a relatively new online magazine devoted to stories, reviews, and the arts inspired by travel.
• See submission information here.

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Finding Paid Writing Gigs: Paying Online Writing Jobs for Beginner Writers

Are you an aspiring writer looking for experience and sick of writing for free?  The following publications are great for beginning freelancers looking to gain skills and earn a little bit of cash.  The pubs can also be great for experienced writers looking to hone their online skills and network with other writers and publishers.

Demand Studios

Demand Studios is a content distributor that produces content for sites such as livestrong.com, trails.com, and You Tube . I have written for demand studios since August 2009 and so far my experience here has been good – you get paid twice weekly and consistently via Paypal and the feedback from the editors and community has been helpful.  You choose the articles you want to write from a pool of titles and have a week to complete each article.  Assignments range from 150-500 words and payments range from $7.50-$20.

I can make about $20/hour writing for the site but can only realistically write these types of articles for an hour or two a day.    I do realize I am only making around $.02/word (YIKES) but I see this as a way to prolong draining my savings and get a lot of practice refining my voice and gathering research efficiently.

Advice for getting accepted as a Demand Studios writer:

• Browse the sites that Demand Studios provides content for and create your application highlighting your experience relevant for that site.
• I thought my writing and life experience best suited the trails.com site so I created a resume highlighting my hiking, backpacking, and rock climbing experience as well as providing relevant clips and got accepted the first time I applied.

Suite101

Content sites like Suite101 receive a lot of criticism, but I found my brief stint at Suite helpful for learning the basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and networking with other writers.  Suite uses a residual income model meaning that your articles make money as long as they are on the site.  You earn a percentage of the income derived from people clicking ads while viewing your articles.

Advice for getting accepted as a Suite101 writer:

• Apply for topics that you have the most experience with.  Once you are accepted you can write about any subject that you would like, but start out by applying to topics that you already have published clips or a college degree.
• If your application is rejected – try, try again.  My first application was rejected and then I applied a second time using different writing samples and was accepted.

Examiner

Examiner is a newly launched site that focuses on content for local and category-specific topics.  Examiner covers more than 100 US cities and is just starting to branch out into Canada, the UK, and Australia.

I worked briefly for Examiner when the site was in its early stages.  I couldn’t really keep up with the 3 posts that they required weekly and also felt that I had enough experience to move past these type of content sites.  I know several people that have been happy with their experiences at Examiner and it seems like a great place to learn some online writing skills and make a little bit of cash.  Find out how to apply here.

Have any other suggestions for paid writing gigs that are great for beginner freelancers?

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Freelance writers spend a considerable amount of time scouring the internet for places to publish their work.  I have decided to share my research and post links to contributor’s guidelines for a variety of markets.  Here are 5 adventure magazines currently looking for freelance contributors:

Backpacker Magazine Contributor’s Guidelines

• Backpacker Magazine relies almost solely on freelancers for the material in their magazine.
• Most freelancers ‘break’ into Backpacker with shorter ‘front of the book’ assignments.
• As of Fall 2009, Backpacker pays between $.60 to more than $1.00 per word based on the complexity of the article and the proven experience of the writer.
• See contributor’s guidelines here.

Women’s Adventure Magazine Contributor’s Guidelines

• Women’s Adventure is a bimonthly magazine focused on sports, travel, and lifestyle of active women.
• Women’s Adventure Magazine is always on the lookout for new talent for their features and departmental sections.
• See contributor’s guidelines here.

Wend Magazine Writer’s Guidelines

• Wend is primarily interested in first person accounts of adventure travel with environmental/social/anthropological themes.
• Must have excellent photos to accompany story ideas.
• As of Fall 2009, Wend pays $.25/word plus photos.
• See contributor’s guidelines here.

Sierra Magazine Contributor’s Guidelines

• Sierra is a bimonthly magazine produced by the Sierra Club, the United States oldest and most influential environmental organization, that publishes writing, photography, and art about the natural world.
• Sierra is always looking for adventure-travel pieces that involve events, discoveries, and environmental insights.
• Sierra’s readers are environmentally conscious and actively involved in the outdoors.
• See detailed contributor guidelines here.

National Geographic Adventure

• National Geographic Adventure magazine is geared towards adventure travelers.
• The magazine publishes pieces on thrilling travel destinations to accounts of ground breaking expeditions.
• Feature writers have loads of experience – so most writers need to ‘break’ into National Geographic with shorter pieces.
• See detailed contributor guidelines here.

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Online travel planning site, NileGuide.com is hiring web-savvy, social-media skilled travel writers for their Local Expert positions.

NileGuide is a website devoted to helping you discover where to eat, where to stay, and what to do when traveling to destinations all over the world.  NileGuide let’s you browse area restaurants, bars, and lodging and view insider reviews and recommendations.  Print out your very own guide for all the places you would like to visit or upload to your iPhone with NileGuide’s free iPhone app.

To find out more information about the Local Expert position including compensation and how to apply – visit NileGuide Jobs.

Also, check out my recent guide to Salt Lake City: A Romantic Weekend Getaway to Salt Lake City.

]]> http://dirtbagwriter.com/2009/09/freelance-writing-leads-nileguide-hiring-local-experts/feed/ 1 http://dirtbagwriter.com/2009/08/5-utah-publications-that-want-to-publish-your-work/ http://dirtbagwriter.com/2009/08/5-utah-publications-that-want-to-publish-your-work/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:19:04 +0000 Writer http://dirtbagwriter.com/?p=257

Although the online industry is continuing to change the way we view print publications, there are still many offline markets that are seeking new freelance talent.  What follows is a list of local Utah publications that are seeking story ideas from new freelance writers.

Salt Lake City Weekly

The Salt Lake City Weekly is Utah’s only free alternative weekly.  The City Weekly provides news about the alternative cultures in Utah and up-to-date information about live music, events, and restaurants.

City Weekly relies on freelance contribution and asks that potential freelancers query them with their story ideas. Most new writers have to submit their first few articles on spec meaning that they reserve the right to not publish your article if it is not up to their satisfaction.  The City Weekly site provides a nice guideline for organizing your pitch and you can see detailed contributor guidelines here.

Catalyst Magazine

Catalyst Magazine is a publication that is based out of Salt Lake City and serves as a resource for creative living.  The publication focuses on the arts, environmental issues, sustainable living, and progressive politics.

Catalyst is on the look out for new local writers.  Send queries along with resumes and clips to Pax Rasmussen – contact information can be found on their web page.  As of August 2009, Catalyst pays $.09/word upon publication.  See detailed contributor guidelines here.

Salt Lake City Magazine

The Salt Lake Magazine is a bi-monthly publication focused on the dining, arts, entertainment, local personalities, and issues in Salt Lake.  The magazine caters to the more affluent and educated reader.  Submit queries via mail to the publication and contact information is found here.

Wasatch Journal

The Wasatch Journal is a magazine that displays Utah’s culture, arts, and the outdoors.  The magazine is currently transitioning from a quarterly publication to a bi-annual publication.

The Wasatch Journal seeks story ideas about Utah’s culture, arts and the outdoors.  As of August 2009, the Wasatch Journal pays $.35/per word.  Please see their website for detailed contributor guidelines.

Outdoor Utah Adventure Journal

The Utah Outdoor Adventure Journal is a relatively new publication.  This free publication features articles on the outdoor sports popular in Utah including event calendars and interviews with top athletes.

Interested contributors should contact the magazine through its website here.

This article was inspired by the first project assigned at Matador U.

“Virtual Teleportation” – that’s what the developers are calling it. Trazzler is a relatively new website that simply helps you figure out where to go. As both a Facebook application and a standalone website, Trazzler helps you determine where to go based on your travel personality.  Trazzler uses the results of your travel questionnaire and the characteristics of trips added to your wishlist to offer personalized recommendations for your next weekend getaway or dream vacation.

Trazzler ‘trips’ feature a specific snippet of a travel location such as a hiking trail or restaurant or festival. See some of our favorite trips here:

• Taking a Pit Stop in Moab, UT
• Crazy Art in Spain
• Sleeping Hammock Style in Costa Rica
• Bizarre-o Finlandian Competitions

After browsing some trips and getting an idea of the Trazzler writing style – individuals can contribute their own trips and be considered for freelance work.  The trips are super fun to write and make for very professional looking clips.

Trazzler runs monthly contests centered around a theme and I was lucky to score a freelance contract from the April contest.  The current contest is for $10,000 and a writer-in-residency contract in New York City (submissions due by August 17, 2009).  I am definitely going to try my hands at this contest and my head has been swarming all day with ideas for the newly announced “Oasis” theme.  In addition to monthly contests, Trazzler hires at least 10 writers to write blocks of trips with contracts awarded from $250 (for ten trips) or $500 (for twenty trips).