Submission Guidelines
Attention women travel writers!
Contributor Kate Turner takes a cake break while visiting Valence
Thank you for considering The Travel Belles as a home for your travel-related stories. Our goal for The Travel Belles is to be a high quality, inspiring and practical place to conceive, and perhaps even someday, plan the trips of your dreams.
A writer for The Travel Belles most definitely doesn’t have to be from the South! Heck, she can be a he, as long as the piece is written with our audience in mind. Before submitting we advise you read at least several of our articles to see the kinds of things we publish and read our About page. Also please note that for writers who are new to us, we generally prefer completed pieces, but if you feel you have a great pitch, go for it!!
We are looking for 400 – 1200 word pieces including:
- Lively traditional destination pieces that don’t read as if they were plucked from a tourism brochure. Some of the information can be, but aim to provide things that are purposeful, authentic and practical.
- Insider pieces about metropolitan areas or destinations where you either live, or you know intimately. We think lots of writers are sitting on a mother lode of information about places people would love to travel. What would you share with your best friend or mother that can’t be found in a traditional travelogue? Tell us about the bistro several blocks off the beaten path located in an old laundromat, the boutique hotel or bed and breakfast that you’ve never seen in the pages of a glossy travel magazine, the best place to picnic and watch the sunset, or the funky museum. Strong point of view okay.
Contributor Amanda Summer with her husband in Miletus, Turkey
- Pieces with a personal touch on everything from specific hotels and restaurants, to products related to travel, to health and humor. We also love travel-related books and movies! Keep in mind we’re a positive place and come a little bit from the school of grandma that says, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Bottom line: Keep it constructive. If you’d like a specific assignment, please email Margo a little about yourself and what you enjoy writing about at the address below.
- First person pieces that only you can tell, keeping in mind the travel slant (and can’t that cover pretty much anything else?)
- Photo Essays featuring eight or more photos with at least 400 words or copy plus captions.
Are you an expert on a popular destination or topic? Do you have a strong point of view and lots to say on travel topics? Please let us know!
Dazzle us with your unique voice, point of view and sense of humor. Work from comped or discounted travel, okay, but remember, sparkle first, promotion second. Links included at editor’s discretion.
Payment Details: We are happy to announce that starting in January 2011 we will officially be a paying publication. We pay $10 (ten US dollars) per article. We pay via Paypal in American currency on the last day of the month following the month when you are published. For example, if your article is published in February, you will be paid by at the end of March. At this time we do not pay for accompanying photos. Stories will be edited for length and content.
Rights: We run previously unpublished material. We hold exclusive rights for 6 months, reserving the right to re-run on a different permalink, and print and all electronic anthology rights. We keep your article archived on the web indefinitely.
Guest Posts: We accept limited guest posts but are very interested in hearing from experts in the areas of health, safety and fashion. For guest posts we only consider completed manuscripts, but if you’re looking for a little guidance would first suggest pitching us a in a few sentences, what you want to write
Very important so your work gets considered!
How to Submit: Submissions can be sent to Editor with “Submission” written in the subject line of a new email thread. Please either paste the written content in the body of the email or send as a Word doc saved in “rich text format.” Improperly submitted pieces will not be considered. Simultaneous submissions are fine. Photographs are desired and please send them along either as links on a photo sharing site or as attachments with your submission especially if you feel it enhances your work. If photos are unavailable, don’t let it stop you. If you haven’t heard from us in a month or so, feel free to give us a nudge via email!
Are you a photographer who wants to share your work on The Inspiration Board? You can submit your photos via the submit button. We post and promote 5-7 photos a week. We will always properly credit and link to you if you provide the information when submitting.
Subscribe to The Travel Belles by email (options for once a week, each time we post and/or monthly newsletter)
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