Course Details

Travel writing is a way to engage with the world and to build a bridge that brings faraway places home. It wakens the senses and stands everything we take for granted on its head. Taught by veteran travel writer and mediabistro teacher John Newton, this class is an advanced look at the romance and realities of this exciting and lucrative market.

Over the course of eight weeks, students will consider the various forms of the field, from travel-related news items to personal essays, with the goal of selling these pieces to local, regional, and national publications. Each week, students will be assigned a travel-related article up to 1,000 words, along with a pitch letter, and will be expected to investigate unfamiliar neighborhoods, seek out experts in the field, and demonstrate the highest levels of research and reporting. Take note: This is a rigorous course that requires a commitment of at least eight hours a week of outside work. Those who wish to remain in their comfort zone should not consider this class.

In this class, you can expect to learn:

• How to use where you live to break into the travel market
• How to expand your career as a travel journalist
• Which sections of travel magazines are easiest to break into
• How to write perfect pitch letters
• What to do when you get to your destination
• How to negotiate with your editor for travel compensation

Students who have taken this class have been published in:
Travel + Leisure; The New York Times's Escapes section; The New York Times Magazine; Blue: The Adventure Magazine; Vogue; the Los Angeles Times; the Los Angeles Times's Travel section; The New York Times's Travel section; the Los Angeles Times Magazine, and more.

• Your instructor's lectures are posted once a week: you can read them online, print them, or download them at your convenience. Supplemental material--readings, examples, or handout--may also be available.
• Students post completed assignments on the course bulletin board, where the class gives feedback. Students ask questions, share resources, and support each other, creating a conversation that continues all week.
• A regular chat time allows your class to converse as a group via instant message. Transcripts are available when you can't attend, or if you want to review the discussion. 
• Technical support is available from mediabistro staff.

Instructor Bio

John Newton's Courses

John Newton was hired as an editor at Conde Nast Traveler in 1997, and later became a contributing editor of the magazine. He has also written travel stories for the New York Post, Lucky, Men's Journal, Gotham, GQ, and other magazines and websites. In addition to freelance writing, he has worked as an editor at Interior Design, Out, and LA Confidential.

Testimonials

John Newton's deep experience as a travel writer helped me to learn much more than I expected about how to write marketable query letters and articles. I'm hopeful that I'll recoup the costs of this class by selling one or more of the articles I developed during the eight-week session. -- Susan Weiner, freelance financial writer

"John did an excellent job with our Travel Writing eClass. He knows the market, knows what the market's seeking, sees our strengths and our failings, and points both out accurately and helpfully. He's a skilled teacher and I wouldn't hesitate to encourage others to enroll in a course with him at the helm." -- Erik Carlson, account manager, American Express

"I know Travel Bootcamp will help me in the marketplace. I got lots of great tips, contacts, and instruction. My writing is so much better than when I began. Now I know what a travel editor is looking for. John was GREAT. I really can't say enough good things about him. He made really constructive comments and notes on all our assignments and I felt he gave good lectures with applicable samples. He got me thinking about new angles, answered all my posts, and helped me get some contacts. I learned a ton!" -- Shann Culo, former student