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Travel Writing Boot Camp

Course is closed.
Travel Writing Boot Camp

DURATION/TIME
8 weeks
Tuesdays
September 19 - November 14
7-10 pm

LEVEL
Intermediate/advanced

LOCATION
New York (Soho)

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
more info

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 James Sturz, this class is an advanced look at the romance and realities of this exciting and lucrative market.

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 grow your career as a travel journalist
  • Which sections of travel magazines are easiest to break into and most freelancer-friendly
  • How to write perfect pitch letters
  • What to do when you get to your destination
  • How to negotiate with your assigning editor for travel compensation (eventually!)
By the end of class, students can expect to have:
A complete portfolio of eight publishable articles and pitch letters to match that will impress any travel magazine editor. Although subject to change, assignments will include a travel-related news item or trend story; a service round-up on hotels or local attractions; a destination piece on a cultural landmark; a day trip within the region; a historical research piece on a neighborhood, local tradition, or attraction; an article on the tourism business; and a personal travel essay.

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; Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel; Dwell; Gourmet; Men's Journa; Modern Bride; National Geographic Traveler; The New York Times's City section; Salon.com; Saveur; Time Out New York; Travel Savvy; and more.

Admission Requirements
Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history) and a writing sample (less than 2,000 words).

Instructor Bio

James Sturz's Courses

Breaking Into Travel Writing – New York (Seminar on February 4)
Travel Writing Boot Camp – New York (Class starts March 17)

James Sturz
James Sturz spent three years on staff at Vanity Fair. In addition to his novel Sasso, he has written for more than 70 newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, The New York Observer, The Boston Globe, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Adventure, Caribbean Travel & Life, Men's Health, Entertainment Weekly, Us Weekly, Glamour, Marie Claire, Redbook, and Saveur. James has also served as a guest editor for the adventure magazine Blue and as a contributing editor for Manhattan File and Lexus magazines. His journalism has also been anthologized in the sociology textbook Human Sexuality. James has appeared on Inside Edition, Real Personal, The Book Show, and Good Day New York. Pieces he wrote are included in the anthologies Italy: The Best Travel Writing from The New York Times and Best Food Writing 2007.

Testimonials


Thanks to James, I now know the proper way to propose stories. He provided great comments on my articles and gave me the impetus to submit my ideas for publication. -- Kathleen Kent, freelance publicist

"After taking James' class I felt that I could take my writing to the next level. Since completing the class I have landed travel pieces in The New York Times, Out Traveler, Flaunt, Clear, and Genre and logoonline.com. -- Cator Sparks

"James is a great instructor. He's a smart, well-spoken guy who knows what he's talking about and can answer your questions. This was by far the best class of its kind that I've taken. " -- St. John Frizell, copy director, Bon Appetit

"I grabbed a last-minute flight from Portland, Maine, so I could attend. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. James clinched the aspects of the business that I thought I knew, and opened my eyes to all that I did not know." -- Pat Friedman

"James is fantastic. If you want to become a travel writer, consider this course your first journey." -- Ethan Todras-Whitehill

"Since James' class, I've been assigned travel stories for Plenty, Nymag.com and Experience Curacao. James' class didn't just make me a better travel writer. It made me a better writer, period." -- Jennifer van der Kwast

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