In the end it comes down to a lot of ass to chair. Photo: Chapendra. Feature photo: The Alieness Gisela Giardano.
Matador’s editors respond to a student’s question.
One of the students enrolled in Matador U posted this question in the student forum:
What does it take to elevate yourself in the world of writing? What does it take to become an editor or to get noticed to write a guide/book?
Several Matador editors share advice based on their own experiences:
Julie Schwietert Collazo, Managing Editor; Matador Change & Matador Pulse Editor:
First, ask yourself if you *really* want to be an editor or if you *really* want to write a guidebook.
Lots of newer writers look to editorial positions and guidebook contracts as the pinnacle of professional travel writing. Both do have their perks, but you need to ask yourself some important questions. With respect to editorial positions: do you really want to be an editor? An editorial position typically involves very little writing (Matador’s somewhat of an exception, as are some other online travel publications) and lots of time spent in the slush pile, eyes rolling after you’ve read the word “paradise” for the umpteenth time. There are other tasks, too, but the bottom line is this: the job of an editor is very different from that of a writer.
With respect to guidebook writing, you have to consider whether you really know a place deeply and whether you have the skills not just to write concisely about that place given a very rigid template, but whether you have time and money management skills, too. As you progress through the Matador U course, you’ll come across a chapter that’s specifically about guidebook gigs.
Finally, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to take the time to become a good writer. Don’t rush to rise to the top because if you’re not ready to be there, you’ll have a much more difficult time getting back there later in your career.
Lola Akinmade, Matador Goods, Editor:
By leveraging other skill sets such as social networking and marketing skills, and being proactive about your work, you might catch a few eyes.
Carlo Alcos, Matador Trips Co-Editor:
Don’t underestimate the “right place, right time” scenario. While you might not have much control over that, you do have control over being ready, willing, and able to take advantage of any opportunities that come your way.
I’d submitted a few articles to Matador and was very active around the site and community — commenting on articles, responding to forum posts, commenting on other members’ blog posts. This activity was obviously noticed. It’s worth a mention that I didn’t have any ulterior motives to my involvement with the site; I just plain loved to do it and I am guessing that made itself visible.
Back to “right place, right time”. Matador just happened to be expanding operations and changing directions so they were hiring a team of editors. Bingo bango, here I am.
Hal Amen, Matador Trips Co-Editor:
[Getting noticed] is much easier in the online world that in print. Websites, blogs, and social media are accessible to everyone, and interacting through them gives you a chance to communicate one-on-one with editors.
For a year, I was as active as I could be, first within the Matador community and then on their network of themed blogs that launched in early 2008. I friended people. I read blog posts and commented. I wrote my own blog posts. I commented on articles. I submitted my own articles. I Stumbled and Dugg and tweeted Matador content. It didn’t take long before I was on the radar of multiple Matador editors, first as a community and social media contact, then a contributor, and then a member of their pool of “dream team” contributors.
Last March I got an email with the subject line of “New Role at Matador?” inviting me to come on board as co-editor of Trips. I said hell yes.
It didn’t happen overnight, but it didn’t take that long either. Choose your venue(s), put in some effort, participate, behave professionally and positively, and see what happens.
Christine Garvin, Brave New Traveler Co-Editor:
Sometimes, I like to look at this process from the “energetic” perspective, as in how much energy am I putting in to make things happen? I know it can feel pointless sometimes to send out proposal after proposal and get rejected, or worse yet, never hear anything, but I do believe there are forces at work that note that energy. And that’s when something ends up coming out of left field that you had never anticipated, like a random editor seeing your blog and asking you to write a piece.
Tom Gates, Matador Nights Co-Editor:
My advice is to make sure you have climbed each rung on the ladder before trying to advance. I stupidly emailed a few guidebooks early on, thinking hey, I’m a hotshit writer and I like to travel, hire me. I had nothing to my credit but blogs and they (rightly) wanted nothing to do with me.
Now I have a portfolio of articles to show anyone who asks and that seems to go quite a bit further. Also, remember, when somebody asks you for some of your links, MAKE SURE to think about which ones you’re sending based on who your target is. Don’t send snarky or jargon-y things to a prim, don’t send by-the-numbers pieces to somebody who has a bit of ‘tude.
Sarah Menkedick, Matador Abroad Co-Editor:
Photo: pheaber
Write, write, and write. Stop spending so much time fretting about exactly where to write and when to write and how to write, and just sit down and do it. And then go back and read, knowing that you’re going to have to cut out a lot of stuff that felt just brilliant when you first wrote it.
Leave your work for a while and when you come back to read it again, eliminate anything – anything – that does not feel truthful. Read the styles you want to write. And then again, write, write and write.
David Miller, Founding Editor of Traveler’s Notebook; Senior Editor:
Getting noticed starts with having an original writing voice and putting it out there for people to read, either by getting published or just by posting on your blog.
David Page, Contributing Editor:
Edit yourself ruthlessly. Write it out, let loose, go crazy, but then go back with the shears and get serious. Every single word should carry its own weight (and more). Even if it’s the best sentence you’ve ever written, the clearest image, the cleverest little twist, if it doesn’t contribute to the piece, lose it.
“Just keep writing the absolute best shit you can muster and hope that posterity will do you justice.”
Study the publication you want to write for. Know the boundaries of what they publish. Give em fresh, but don’t ask em to reinvent themselves on your behalf.
Want to write a guidebook? Study the series you want to write for, study the market, know what’s out there and what isn’t, what sells and what doesn’t, find a hole in the catalog, fill it. Fill it perfectly. Write a proposal they can’t refuse. Be prepared to do your own promotion (gulp). If the series doesn’t exist, study the market, know what’s out there and what isn’t, what sells and what doesn’t, learn the realities of printing and distribution, advertising and (again) promotion, risk a lifetime of poverty and ignominy for what you know to be the truth—or as close as you can crawl to it anyway.
Otherwise, just keep writing the absolute best shit you can muster and hope that posterity will do you justice. By then you’ll be over it.
Paul Sullivan, Contributing Editor:
Persistence. This writing game is full of ignored / unread emails and unanswered phone calls – for established professionals as well as for budding writers, believe it or not. It’s easy to get sensitive and think the world of editors owe you a response but the truth is: they don’t. And they’re often simply too busy to get back to people they’ve never heard of. Develop a thick skin, keep believing in your talent and learn how to be persistent without being annoying.
It took me three years and a couple of face to face meetings to get a reply from one particular guide book publisher that I really wanted to work for – but now I work for them fairly regularly as a photographer and writer. If I had given up after the first 10 or whatever emails (at least!), I would never have realised that particular dream. Accept that bagging quality clients is a long-term task. Make a list of your faves. Find the right contacts (also incredibly important – unless you want all your emails being immediately deleted by an irrelevant and unsympathetic member of staff). Hit them regularly with professional calls/mails and fresh ideas. Be persistent. You’ll get there.
Leigh Shulman, Matador Life Editor:
Produce solid content. Know what you’re talking about and write well. Keep a blog as you’re building your portfolio. If nothing else, it gives you practice in finding your voice, style and interest. Once you’ve done that, you’re half way there. Then, it’s a matter of being connected with the right people.
I connected to people through Twitter, Couchsurfing, high school friends, college friends. I don’t seek people out simply because of what they can do for me, though. I make honest connections by finding and following people I genuinely enjoy. I like their writing, their work, their attitudes. Over time, as you read their work and get to know them, many of the people you contact — many, although not all — will support your work as well.
How’s this for a personal anecdote: I joined Twitter about a year ago. Soon after, I ran across @collazoprojects. I loved her website, enjoyed the point of view and thought the author to be extremely intelligent and well spoken. We got to know each other through our blogs, tweets, and almost met face-to-face once, but it didn’t work out. Turns out, she’s also a Matador editor.
Then one day, I heard from another friend of mine — Vicky, a travel writer I originally met through Couchsurfing, but we connected on Twitter as well. She sent me a link to Matador’s job posting for a contribuing editor. I immediately conacted @collazoprojects to let her know about it, hoping she might have some advice or input. Next thing I know, David, the senior editor e-mails me, asking me to apply. He’d seen my blog on Julie’s recommendation.
Less than a week later, here I am, new editor of Matador Life.
Beyond that. Be patient. And be yourself. Few things happen overnight, but if you’re diligent, keep writing, keep meeting people, you’ll find yourself where you want to be faster than you believed.
Community Connection:
What questions do you have for the Matador editors? Submit a question below and it might just be answered in a future article.
16 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
Candice-
Blush, blush.
I’ve never been in a writer’s group, though I can see their value, especially if you follow the advice JoAnna offered in the article we published here on the Notebook last week. I haven’t taken classes in yeeeeaars, but I feel the same way about them as I do about writers’ groups: all depends on the facilitator, your peers, the purpose, the style and structure of the class. It also depends on your own personality: if you’re a person who finds it difficult to take or give constructive criticism, or if you’re somewhat uncertain of yourself as a writer and haven’t found your own voice yet, groups and classes can sometimes (not always) leave you feeling more confused and unsure of yourself.Bottom line: put the ass in the chair and write.
↵ -
Hahaha, noted! I was fortunate enough to complete a writing diploma with some amazing peers and profs, easily one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. But I’ve often wondered how much weight this background will hold when I’m trying to make it in the publication world…another thing I’d like to hear more about is how some people juggled full-time careers with writing in their spare time, which is what I’m doing now. And it’s HARD.
↵ -
Candice ~
I am also working on another article for Matador about how best to take advantage of a writers’ group, if you choose to join one. So, if you decide to go that route, stay tuned for those tips.
I would also be more than happy to chat with you about the FT/writing life. Been there, done that and it’s tough. I had to set a rigorous schedule outside of office hours to ensure that I was managing all of my writing and meeting deadlines ~ all while still looking for more writing work so that the pool never ran dry. There was no such thing as a “break” at work ~ that’s when I wrote or conducted phone interviews. There was no time for distractions. Luckily my husband understood (and still does) the very early mornings and late, late nights and weekends of me locked in my office trying to reach my dream. I’m still working on ironing out all the wrinkles, and I’m sure all writers continue to struggle with managing workloads throughout their writing careers. No one said being a starving artist was easy!
↵ -
Awesome! And damn that is some serious dedication…I often use my lunch breaks for the same purpose. I’d love to hear more about how you handled this, feel free to drop me a line at candicewalsh@gmail.com…if you have time, of course.
And thanks for the feedback everyone, super helpful.
↵ -
Candice, I think writing groups/classes are good for the individual when they feel like they need one. Sure, connections can happen in classes just as they can anywhere, but I think it is more about what place one finds oneself.
I hadn’t done any type of group writing since undergrad, and just this year started up a writing group with friends that felt really solid in pushing each of us along and inspiring us to put on a cabaret performance. I’m setting up shop in a new town soon, and plan to join a writing group there, too. I think right now is the time for me, but that has less to do with believing it will lead directly to more published people, and more with just honing my craft.
↵ -
The BIC method. (Butt in chair.) Or AIC, I guess.
↵ -
Thanks for this article – it’s been a really interesting and helpful read. There was a lot of information here I didn’t know. In regards to the first post, I agree. Somehow I got myself into an editor’s chair before I’d ever really been a writer, and now I’m trying desperately to get back into the writer’s chair. I miss writing a lot. Editorial jobs (mine at least) isn’t really the top. The top would be getting paid to write full time. Looks like that’s going to take a lot of work!
I do have a question for the Matador Editors. What was your first professional writing gig, how did you get it, and what are your reflections on it now? As a Matador student, I’d be really interested to hear what it was like for the Editors right there at the very beginnings.
↵ -
great question Carina,
for me it was a contest in the Mountain Gazette. MG is kind of a cult classic of a magazine in the Rocky Mountain West. Been around since 1972 and published pieces by Ed Abbey, Hunter S. Thompson, and more recently, works by Mary Sojourner, Craig Childs, Dick Dorworth, and others.
In 2003 I submitted a story called 3 Fires. It’s not archived online, unfortunately. Anyway, this story won, and was published. My first publication. It felt ‘magical’. At that time MG had a circulation of around 65,000 all throughout the mountain west — Wyoming, Colorado, Montana. I wasn’t advised or anything that I won. I just walked to the local newspaper boxes one day, scooped out a Gazette, and damn. . there was my story. Later I got a check (holy shit!) for $75, and also an anthology called WHEN IN DOUBT GO HIGHER.
I’d been writing ’seriously’ at that point for about a year (although I’d ‘dabbled’ in college).
I thought at that point that this was it–I’d just start being able to publish all they time. I was IN baby.
That’s when I learned that the ‘joy’ of publication is really short-lived. All you want to do is just move on to the next story. And that’s when really saw how hard it all was. That it wasn’t just one publication.
Mountain Gazette (http://www.mountaingazette.com/) is still around, although since then it’s been bought by a media conglomerate and I haven’t read it in a while.
one last thing that stayed with me about that first publication–on the flip side of the page was the back cover. it was an ad for Patagonia. It showed a mountaineer bivouacked on some big wall somewhere. he was eating oatmeal with his compass.
this ’spoke to me.’
↵ -
Wow, thank you everyone. Fantastic advice all around…especially the AIC to write, write, write…
And David, thanks for sharing your inspiring story & reminding us “that the ‘joy’ of publication is really short-lived” and that it’s a never-ending journey we’re on, not a final destination. Reality checks are vital.
↵ -
This has been such a great thread and post. I wanted to be a writer long ago and somehow talked myself out of it. Happily happily I’ve recently discovered the fire is still there and the community is even more accessible due to social media.
I love your story David. I’ve read MG for years (I live in Boulder, CO) and had to laugh that they didn’t even tell you that you won. That speaks to the gritty kind of theme they had. I still read it, but have lost some interest since they were bought. Many have said it already in the letters, but it’s just not the same.
Thanks you guys for offering your thoughts
↵ -
Carina-
Agreed- great question.
I’ve been writing forever, it seems, though I kept trying to pursue a different professional path for a while.
My first professional writing gig (not travel writing, though)–strange as it sounds– was in high school. My hometown had a crappy local paper that few people read, but the editor was desperate for writers and I sent in a resume and was hired. He didn’t know he’d hired a kid (much less one who was really opinionated and held entirely different political views). I guess I wrote for that paper for a year or two.Fast forward a decade.
After I quit my job as a psychotherapist and creative arts therapist specializing in the use of poetry therapy (see, words were still important!), I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life professionally. I started writing again–I’d been so busy helping other people write that I’d pretty much abandoned my own writing, except articles about my work for publication in professional academic journals. It was during this time that I came across Matador and started writing articles and was eventually brought on board as an editor.
While continuing with Matador, I’ve steadily been expanding my portfolio and places published. I’ve just finished up a guidebook contract for Fodor’s that involved writing several features on arts, culture, and history, as well as a couple itineraries. My editor there offered me two more features in another guidebook, so that’s the next project. I’ve got another guidebook contract pending and a few magazine articles I’m working on.
↵ -
Wow, I couldn’t have asked for a better response to that question! Thank you all for taking the time to put that out there – great advice!
↵ -
To touch on Christine’s advice, because I love it, I just wanted to give an example of these forces she’s talking about.
I recently interviewed someone (article pending) I’ve been chasing (NOT stalking) for a while. After some undeliverable email bounce-backs and zero responses, months later, I got a Twitter direct message from him but on something completely unrelated.
In fact, I don’t even really now how he found me…I was following him on Twitter, but he wasn’t following me. I took that opportunity to turn around and ask him for that interview I’d been chasing and we eventually hooked up. If you want to read about that, I blogged it here.
It’s funny how things sometimes just work out.
↵ -
Drive, confidence, and determination also play a role. How bad do you want to be an editor or writer? Opportunity will not knock upon your door while you sit inside and do nothing. Most people believe this will happen. You must take “inspired” action and visualize what you want. More importantly, DO NOT listen to the naysayers who will “rain on your parade” for wanting to be a writer or editor. You will find that many people are fearful and stuck in their life so they expect you to be the same. What happens when you receive an offer to go to China or Canada for a writing position? Will you take it? Will you back down and say no “I can’t leave my family and friends?” These are questions you may want to ask yourself. Remember that old saying, “…be careful for what you wish for because you just might get it!”
↵ -
Wow, thanks so much for all the info. I’m kind of in this weird in-between stage of life, trying to find my footing, trying not to get discouraged, trying to write as much as I can. Thanks for the encouragement!
↵
