The Masterclasses online: what we learned on the second day
National Geographic Traveller (UK) The Masterclasses online were back for a second day of workshops on Tuesday 20 April.
During the first session of the evening, National Geographic Traveller Food editor Glen Mutel was joined by travel writer and editor P贸l O鈥機onghaile, blogger Kash Bhattacharya, travel journalist Francisca Kellett and National Geographic Traveller Food deputy editor Nicola Trup to discuss the dos and don鈥檛s of travel writing. Next up, the magazine鈥檚 editorial director Maria Pieri and picture editor Olly Puglisi, with photographers Lola Akinmade 脜kerstr枚m, Nori Jemil and Richard James Taylor, talked about how to get your travel shots published.
Here are some tips to remember:
The dos and don鈥檛s of travel writing
Brush up on your SEO knowledge
Your chances of getting employed as a travel writer will improve if you鈥檙e equipped with a good knowledge of search engine optimisation, said Kash Bhattacharya. If you鈥檙e writing a blog, answering the question your article is posing, leaving no white spaces and having a clear structure will help it rank higher on Google. 鈥淭oday, it鈥檚 a necessary evil,鈥� he added.
Don鈥檛 cram too much in
鈥淲hen you find yourself somewhere new, there鈥檚 an enormous temptation to pack everything into what you鈥檙e writing,鈥� said P贸l O鈥機onghaile. 鈥淏ut with limited space, you mustn’t create a huge list of things you did and saw 鈥� that will exhaust the reader. Instead of shortening scenes to cram more in, add fewer and make them richer.鈥�
The focus is always the destination
鈥淧eople鈥檚 personal journeys can make good blogs but ultimately don鈥檛 work for magazines,鈥� said Nicola Trup. 鈥淥ur aim is to make a destination and the people who live there shine.鈥� As harsh as it may sound, unless you鈥檙e very well known, you shouldn鈥檛 assume readers care about you personally 鈥� get involved in the action, but don鈥檛 make yourself the star.
Evoke the senses
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e describing a destination, you want to transport the reader to that place,鈥� said P贸l O鈥機onghaile. 鈥淭he most direct route to doing that, to making a connection with another human being, is through the senses.鈥� People often think about sight, but consider everything around you: what can you hear, what can you smell?
How to get your photographs published
Make a splash
鈥淕etting your name out there is really important if you haven鈥檛 been published before,鈥� said Nori Jemil. Your name is your brand, so build on it carefully: network, keep in touch with other photographers, attend events and interact on social media. Entering awards and competitions is also a really good idea.
Pitching is about having a conversation
The photos showcased in your pitch may not make it to the final edit. 鈥淕ive it your best shot with a really nice selection,鈥� said Olly Puglisi. 鈥淭hen, I personally like 鈥� straight away, even in the same email 鈥攖o have the option of downloading a wider edit and see where we鈥檙e at.鈥� But remember to check or ask first, because different editors have different preferences.
Bring a diverse range of photos
鈥淲hen you pitch, have a variety of photos at the ready to showcase different aspects of a destination,鈥� said Lola Akinmade 脜kerstr枚m. That doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 specialise, but editors often look for stories. 鈥淪tart thinking beyond the epic shot to a collection of memorable photos, because that鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to set you apart.
Maintain relationships
To keep building on your relationship with editors, make their job as easy as possible, said Richard James Taylor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have the ability to develop fresh ideas quickly when contacted about a possible shoot,鈥� he added. 鈥淏e prepared to be proactive, have angles ready and build up your resources.鈥�
The Masterclasses online are back on Wednesday 21 April for a final day of travel writing and photography sessions. It鈥檚 not too late to buy your ticket 鈥� if you want to learn more, head to the National Geographic Traveller (UK) .