How To Pitch: Budget Travel

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The information in this article is current and accurate

Background: Since editor-in-chief Nina Willdorf joined Budget Travel in October 2008, the magazine has undergone a top-to-bottom refresh, from the design and cover treatment to the content delivery. "The way people are consuming information is just so different right now," says Willdorf. "While this mag always had a great mission of giving people actionable service and making every trip doable, there was just so much material -- it became overwhelming." Now the magazine focuses on simplifying the "how" aspect of travel, she says, in addition to making the book look more beautiful and ramping up the "wow" factor. "The magazine has really found its footing, and there's a real emphasis on how beautiful budget can be," says Willdorf.

The Budget Travel mission is to provide affordable vacation ideas for real people -- many of whom have a voice in the mag's pages. "We have a really active dialogue with our readers," says Willdorf, "and we publish a lot of that dialogue in the magazine." While the mix of user-generated content might make it harder for freelancers to break in, there are still opportunities out there. Budget Travel recently combined its two front-of-book sections into the catch-all "Essentials" department, and it's the most pitchable area of the magazine by far.

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