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Bring a world of destinations to life

Travel Writing is ideal for anyone who wants to combine a love of travel and exploring new places with a love of writing – and get paid for it!

You will:
Explore how the travel writing industry works
Discover how to write travel stories readers will love
Get tips on planning, photography and getting free stuff
Learn how to create story opportunities from anywhere
Start earning an income as a travel writer!

“This course exceeded my expectations! It was really helpful to have practical and hands on insights from Katrina and Valerie – a great way to learn. There was a lot of information but as it was broken down into manageable bites that made it less daunting and very practical when working full time.
– Jodie Matheson, Travel Writing graduate

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Key information
Key information:
This is an online self-paced course
Duration 1 This is an online self-paced course

Duration:
Your 12 months' access begins straight away

Duration:
Your 12 months' access begins straight away


$395
This online course will teach you how to research, gather, and write travel stories about any place on the planet – from the next suburb to the next continent.

You could be an exotic beach, waves gently lapping at your toes. You could be clip-clopping on a horse and carriage through New York’s Central Park in autumn, a 360 degree cityscape surrounding you. Or you could simply be exploring a town just down the road from where you live – after all, everywhere is a tourist destination for someone.

That’s the variety and appeal of travel writing – a “dream job” that allows you to generate an income from sharing your experiences near or far. And as a freelance writer, you don’t even need to give up your day job.

Valerie Khoo on Travel Writing THE NEW EDITION

The life of a travel writer is one that's filled with adventure, culture, art, food, people and so much more! And the best part is that you can do this part-time during your holidays – or you can make it your full-time gig. This is the life of Katrina Lobley who is one of Australia's best and most successful travel writers. You'll see her byline in publications like The AustralianThe Sydney Morning HeraldThe AgeMindFOODTIMEExplore and more.

Katrina has co-created this course Travel Writing THE NEW EDITION with Valerie Khoo. And we're so lucky to be able to tap into her expertise and insider knowledge about the new world of travel writing.

Lessons include:

  1. The current state of the travel writing industry. There are now more opportunities than ever before to be a travel writer. The key is to understand the market so that you can navigate it with confidence. You'll discover a blueprint on exactly what you need to know to get started.
  2. The 5 most common formats for travel articles. You’ll learn how to determine which format suits your destination and the publication you want to write for.
  3. Lead times. What you need to know about the way publications work, how to ensure your article is timely and relevant, and how that will impact what you write.
  4. How to determine the angle or hook for your article. You’re not writing a travel diary or a postcard. A good travel article has a strong angle that will grab readers and ensure they keep reading. This course shows you how.
  5. Interviewing people on your travels. Do you need to do this? You’ll discover who to include, how to quotes them and the dos and don’ts of featuring people in yout story.
  6. The 3 stages of freelancing as a travel writer. You’ll discover the exact steps you need to take to go from a total newbie to a successful travel writer who gets invited on press trips. You’ll receive email templates and scripts so that you sound like a pro.
  7. Travel writing in your home town. You can write travel articles without even leaving your home town. You’ll learn how to determine interesting stories and how to pitch to overseas publications.
  8. Writing techniques to set you apart. It’s not just about writing about a destination. If you want to be a good travel writer, you need to learn how to make your writing shine. You’ll gain industry insight into techniques that will have you writing with confidence.
  9. How to pitch your story to editors. You’ll receive email templates and an exact breakdown of what you need to include when you contact an editor about your travel story idea.
  10. How to supply your article. You’ll learn best practice industry conventions on how to “file your copy” to an editor like a professional.
  11. Photos: what you need to know. As a travel writer, do you need to supply photos? Where do you get them from? You’ll learn how to source the right photos for your story – and you don’t even have to pick up a camera.
  12. Invoicing and getting paid. Apart from the joys of travel, the whole point of becoming a travel writer is to get paid for your adventure. You’ll learn the nuts and bolts of how to make that happen.
  13. Behind the scenes. You’ll gain access to exclusive behind-the-scenes advice from real travel writing trips including insider information on what you need to do when you’re on the road.
  14. How to develop your travel writing career. Once you get a taste of this lifestyle, you’ll only want more. You’ll learn what you need to do to ensure you have many travel writing opportunities and adventures.

“I don’t have a degree in creative writing or journalism – I wouldn't be working as a writer without taking courses at AWC”.
– Jo Jukes Freelance writer, graduate of Travel Writing and Freelance Writing Masterclass Program

“Having the thrill of going to a newsagent when you know your article is coming out is fantastic.”
– Rob Grant Graduate of Australian Writers' Centre, travel writer and marketing consultant

“The Australian Writers’ Centre is hands on, it’s practical, it’s relevant, it’s just amazing to be a part of a collaborative group that supports each other.”
– Jennifer Johnston Graduate of Australian Writers' Centre and travel writer

Rob Grant completed Travel Writing

“When I heard about the course, I was a veteran traveller and someone with a fascination with words – and it was just something I wanted to know more about. I had no idea how I would start to become a travel writer, so I was keen to just find out all the information I could.”

– Rob Grant, travel writer

“Is this course for me?”

Travel Writing is suited to anyone looking at how to start writing travel content for magazines or websites. People like these:

How our “self-paced courses” work

This is one of AWC’s 35+ “self-paced” online courses. But what does that mean? Allow us to explain:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: I’m a complete beginner. Is this the right course?
A: Travel Writing is perfect for all levels – from beginners to more experienced writers wanting to hone this particular skill set. The thing everyone should have is a curiosity to discover new places.

Q: What's the difference between Freelance Writing Stage 1 and Travel Writing?
A: They’re actually quite different – many students do both. Freelance Writing Stage 1 will give you the fundamentals of writing for print and online publications across a wide range of topics (many choose to do that course first). But if you want to earn money writing about your travels, Travel Writing is essential as it goes a layer deeper into opportunities and tips around travel stories in particular.

Q: But is there a lot of overlap?
A: No. There is hardly any overlap. That’s because this course teaches very specific information and insider knowledge about the travel writing industry – including unspoken etiquette, how to approach tourism bodies for familiarisation tours and media junkets. Travel articles also follow certain formulas that are not typical in regular (non-travel) feature articles. If you’ve done Freelance Writing Stage 1, you’ll find that the only overlap is on the topic of “how to analyse a publication”, which is only a very small part of this very comprehensive travel writing course.

Q: I’m short on time (always travelling!). Can I fit this course into my life?
A: Most of our students are busy people just like you! They might be parents, students, working full-time or currently travelling. The beauty of this online self-paced course is its flexibility – you have 12 months to work through the materials so you can go at your own pace. It’s totally doable.

Q: I'm not sure if I want to freelance but I enjoy writing blogs about my travels. I might even like to write a travel book. Will this course help me?
A: Yes! Because the course teaches you how to structure compelling travel stories, the end product can be anything you want it to be. Even pitching to editors replicates the process that you’d need to go through with a publisher if you were writing a travel book. (Typically each chapter of a travel book will read like a magazine article anyway.) In this respect, the Travel Writing course can be useful in applying the principles you learn to your own blog or book. Even through book promotion, knowing how to create a publicity article is invaluable – many students have found success this way.

By the end of this course, you will have:

KNOWLEDGE:Everything you need to know about travel writing all packed and zipped into one highly practical five-week course.
CONFIDENCE:Understanding these essentials of travel writing will not only help you sell stories to travel editors, but connect better with people you meet in your travels.
INSPIRATION:To come up with stories and angles for any location – in your neighbourhood or across the globe.
MOTIVATION:There are hundreds of publications and websites that require travel content – and this course will give you the confidence to succeed.

This is the most comprehensive and results-driven course in the industry. With over 11 hours of practical instruction, you will complete the course with everything you need to know to succeed.

Graduates have gone on to work full-time as travel writers, including winning top industry awards in just their first few years! Your journey of a thousand miles (probably a lot more) starts here.

But don’t just take our word for it…

“It's a great overview of all the basics you need to know to become a professional travel writer including preparing for a trip and picking the right publications for your story. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful course, the plethora of information, and all the support. Absolutely loved it.”

Jessica Gately

“This course exceeded my expectations. The course was brilliant. It covered everything I needed to know and some things I didn't realise I needed to know. It was so practical, focusing on the end goal and giving me the knowledge I need to get there. It was so helpful with the insider tips and examples of article types, pitches, checklists and write-ups.”

Alison Burdon

“The huge amount of practical info given is just invaluable. I'm so impressed. I also loved all the real articles we were given to read. The courses are hugely practical with a real focus on getting you started in the industry, giving you invaluable insider info and concrete steps you can take to start your career.”

Andrea Watts

“I was gripped from the first lesson and really enjoyed hearing of the presenter’s stories and experience in the industry. The course content is exceptional and covers all aspects of travel writing.”

Krystal Davidson

BRING DESTINATIONS TO LIFE FOR MAGAZINES, WEBSITES & TRAVEL BLOGS

The world is waiting… 

This course will change the way you see the world – and give you the confidence to succeed as a travel writer.
There’s a big world out there just waiting to explore… so what are you waiting for? Enrol today!

“I didn’t realise I would actually come away with everything I needed to know about the industry and getting started. Most courses help you get an idea, but I came away from this one with exact steps of how to succeed.”

Catherine Warboys, Travel Writing graduate

Key information
Key information:
This is an online self-paced course
Duration 1 This is an online self-paced course

Duration:
Your 12 months' access begins straight away

Duration:
Your 12 months' access begins straight away


$395

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