The Part of Writing Most Writers Hate - And Why it Matters
Write Your Way Around the World - Helping You Thrive Through Story
If you’re new here, every week I share tips, insights and actionable ideas on writing, travel writing and green travel through the lens of a novelist and travel writer (Lonely Planet, DK Travel, etc.) in three newsletters: Storycraft, Write Your Way Around the World and The Green Travel Guide. Welcome, and thanks for coming on the journey!
The Part of Writing Most Writers Hate - And Why it Matters
Let’s face it, as writers we’re mostly a feral bunch. We want to be left in peace to make up stories and write them down, and if they’re travel stories then we also want to go off and have the travel adventures too, then be left in peace to write about them.
But I’m longing to spend more time promoting my work - said no writer ever. Well, maybe a few great egos, but the majority of us (myself included) hate this side of being a writer. And yet - it is a really important part of the ‘job’.
If you want your stories to reach readers you need to carve out time and energy for promoting your work.
So let’s call it something else.
Let’s call it what it actually is - which is allowing yourself to take up space as a creative soul, a writer, an artist. You need to rethink things.
This is about sharing your work. It’s about connection, relationships, allowing your creativity to be seen.
Why sharing your work matters for travel writers
If you’re travel writing chances are you are creating a portfolio writing career. You perhaps work with (or want to work with) magazine and publication editors, with PR contacts, with tourism boards, with sponsors (if you’re blogging), with publishers or agents (if you’re writing travel literature), or with newspaper editors. You get the picture.
And this is not the time to be shy. Don’t send off work hopeful that the writing alone will be enough to win over hearts and minds. It rarely works that way. The editor/publisher/client will want to know your story (why should they work with you) as much as they’ll be looking for a wonderful piece of writing.
So how can we do this with less stress and more confidence?
Marketing 101 for Reluctant Writers
All of these points below can apply to fiction-writing as well as travel writing, just swap out topics for genres.
Get really clear on what you offer (adventure stories / family travel / solo travel stories / slow travel etc.)
Pick 3 interesting stories/facts about you as a writer (clue: you’re looking for points of differentiation - or simply put - ways to stand out and be memorable)
Trawl through all your writing and pull out a best-of edit (the pieces you would proudly share)
Front-load your online portfolio with the aforementioned content (wait, what’s that? No online portfolio? See step 5)
If you have one already, you’re ahead of the game. If you are yet to create an online portfolio, now’s the time to start. It doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact the simpler the better.
Showcase who you are / what you write / and if possible share nice things people have said about your writing.
Social proof: *deep sigh* Sadly, it is not enough to just write really well (though that helps a lot). You need to evidence the love and appreciation. So, if you’ve not yet published, ask for feedback, gather up a little folder of quotes you can use.
If you are published. Congrats! You move up the ladder. Use the published content in your online portfolio.
As the publishing landscape changes, having your own travel platform or blog/vlog can be helpful as long as you can post regularly and develop your readership. A blog can be a great place to showcase writing, focus on SEO, affiliate marketing etc. Having a newsletter on Substack can also help you hone your writing, build community with like-minded souls and showcase your work. Basically create spaces to share your work.
You will have to tell people about your new book/latest article/story collection [insert creative endeavour of choice here] OVER and OVER and OVER again. Seriously. This will feel horrible. You will quite possibly loathe yourself, certainly you’ll probably loathe the ‘here’s my great x, y, z’ spiel. But here’s the thing:
Everyone is SUPER busy with their own lives. Sometimes it’ll take sharing something three, five, ten, fifty times to gain momentum, but it will be worth it.
Build an A-Team (folk who support your work, will share your work, and help spread the word - and ideally for whom you can do the same. Spread the love).
Now, look at you! You’re taking up space as a writer.
Celebrate the Small Wins
Take time to celebrate the small wins along the way - the story you finished writing, the course you took, the editor who said ‘yes’, the book draft done, the article published, the book launch, subscriber milestones - whatever encourages you on your writing journey.
It takes a lot of self-belief and unrelenting determination to become a writer. The same skills can help you share your work with the wider world.
Try it out here - post a couple of lines in the comments about whatever you’re currently working on/most proud of. Let’s hear you!
Write With Purpose - New Course Live
Excited to share that Write With Purpose is now live. If you’ve ever wanted to create more powerful, compelling writing, rooted in your values, this is your chance to develop those skills.
The course enables you to:
Develop your writing voice and learn how to write with purpose
Understand your writing motivations and how to use them to create compelling prose
Improve your craft and hone your writing
Build skills and understanding quickly through targeted exercises
Access 17 audio lessons (and transcripts) from an experienced author, travel writer and educator
Download and use a printable 54 page workbook (including curated reading list, prompts bank, and schedule tool)
Improve your writing practice quickly (course takes 1-2 weeks to complete)
This kind of purposeful writing enables you to ground your work and your writing practice instead of chasing trends or hot topics. So if you want to write more intentionally and with purpose, then this is for you.
What Others Say
“I listened to your masterclass today and there’s so much I can take from it in order to grow my writing style.”
“Just what I needed to haul me out of a creative slump!”
“You’ve got great tips.”
“Great exercises. Lots of these points ring true to me.”
“Thanks for the encouragement - your words remind me that our stories belong here.”
“I dig this advice!”
“While going through the lessons I already found out five experiences that I am longing to speak about. Your work will encourage me to start it right now. Thank you again.”
“This is brilliant, Laura. Just discovered you. Very glad to have found you.”
Want to write with purpose? Yes, thanks!
Travel Journal Club
Not everything we write has to be for publication. Journaling or travel journaling is an important part of the writing life for many, and to honour that, over the coming weeks I’ll be setting up Travel Journal Club to help us build some community, some accountability, and have some fun with journaling. If you’re already subscribed you’re already in the Club. If you’ve not subscribed yet - what are you waiting for? Join us!
I’ll share more news on this next week. Meanwhile happy travel journaling! And check out the 6 Ways to Capture Your Travel Memories on Notes.
Things I Loved This Week
This week on Substack I enjoyed Feasts & Fables travels around the Baltic states and their autumnal round-up in the Encouragement Files (thanks for the kind shout-out!)
I love books and travel (in case you couldn’t guess by now!) and so Jen Belcher’s A Reading Scotland Guide, bringing both together, was a joy to discover.
Katie Jameson transported me to the Faroe Islands - gorgeous photography. You can order prints. And beautifully written too.
In Case You Missed It
Latest Storycraft: On Gabriel García Márquez’s magic realism and what he taught me about writing.
Latest The Green Travel Guide: Freddie Mercury’s Zanzibar, Hiking the longest trail in the Caribbean, free 7 Green Adventures Mini-Guide for a little slow travel inspiration.
Last week’s Write Your Way Around The World: What Makes a Writer Truly Unstoppable?
The Writer’s Edition ❤️
The Writer’s Edition is now live: upgrade for 6€ a month and in return, in addition to supporting my work (which is greatly appreciated) you will also:
Develop your writing with extras including -
Starter Kit + Pitch Pack (free: value $83);
course & coaching discounts;
Travel Journal Club extras;
One Year Free Subscription to Explorers Club (value: $200+);
extra masterclasses;
early bird sign-ups and;
monthly behind-the-scenes of a writer’s life.
Until next time, happy writing,
Laura
Laura McVeigh
Author, Travel Writer, Educator
lauramcveigh.com | lauramcveightravel.com | travel-writing.com | greentravelguides.world
Laura McVeigh is a Northern Irish novelist and travel writer. Her work is widely translated. Her latest novel Lenny is set between Libya and Louisiana. She has authored books for Lonely Planet, DK Travel, bylines in the Irish Times, Irish Independent, featured by the BBC, Newsweek, New Internationalist & many more. Former CEO for a global writers’ organisation, working with writers from 145 countries. She is founder of Travel-Writing.Com and Green Travel Guides. Laura writes on storytelling, travel writing and mindful travel on Substack.
P.S. Behind-the-scenes peek at the Writer’s Edition here.
And if you’re new here, here’s a good place to start:
I really enjoyed this! You really nailed it for me, self promo is the hardest part of the job. I started my website, devoted to travel inspiration, eight years ago. It has inadvertently become my portfolio. And I’m happy to report that after years of thinking it would only inspire my mom, I have just been published in National Geographic. This is a long way of saying you are right! If you ever want travel inspiration please check out my site www.iamlostandfound.com. How’s that for self promotion?😉
I still struggle with this part but it is a necessary evil. I love the idea of reframing promotion as “taking up space”, it feels more about genuine connection than self-promotion.
I’m working on a lot of projects right now but I feel proud simply for showing up every day. I’m learning that telling people about what I do is not something to cringe at, it’s part of the process.