Country Article / Postcards

DREAM JOB...DREAMY BENEFITS... TRAVEL WRITERS NEEDED NOW

Date: 05/29/2003

Dear International Living Reader,

How would you like to take a free cruise on one of the world's most luxurious ships, hitting all of the Caribbean hot spots: Aruba...St.Barts ...Martinique...Barbados? Or how about a free first-class hotel room on Paris' Right Bank and complimentary passes to the world-famous Spring Fashion Week shows?

Or how about getting paid to eat at your favorite seafood restaurant...or to stay at the best hotel in your hometown?

If you ever dreamed about the romantic life of a travel writer, here's a very unusual opportunity to actually live it--

Right now I need travel stories. More specifically, I need some people to write them.

For instance, I'd love to have someone capture the arts and vibrant nightlife of Marseilles. Or bring to life the 'Island Paradise' of Aruba. Maybe guide my readers over the sacred soil of Israel. Or relive the enchantment of the Renaissance in Florence.

I desperately need stories about the fabulous hideaways and hidden treasures of the world. And here's a little secret...the reason I'm writing to you today: Believe it or not, I actually have a hard time finding people to write these articles. Write them well, I mean.

Problem is, most people don't have a clue about what we travel editors and publishers are looking for. They just dash off an article they think is appealing and send it to me. It's no wonder they don't get published. If these writers would simply take the time to learn a few secrets, it would make their jobs and mine a whole lot easier. The truth is, these secrets are easy to learn and use--once you know them.

My name is Kathleen Peddicord. I run the travel division of a publishing house called Agora Inc. We produce books, videos, websites, and several monthly print publications, including one called International Living and another called Island Properties Report.

As a publisher, I have to come up with articles like the ones I mentioned above...month after month...year after year. And I'm not the only one. Every travel publisher I know has the same needs.

Now let me tell you another little secret. To make good money as a travel writer, you don't even have to travel, if you don't want to.

What I mean is this: Most people don't realize there are probably many undiscovered treasures right in their own backyard!

I'll bet there are some near you--if you stopped to think about it. Little known places of natural beauty...or historical places of interest. Did you ever stop to think that you could get paid to write about some place that's fifteen minutes from your house?

For example, in my hometown of Baltimore, there's a large park just outside of the city that offers some of the best fishing, hunting, biking, and hiking in the region. But I've never seen it mentioned in any guidebook. Or I could do a feature on the city's best crab houses...or a story about sailing on the Chesapeake Bay aboard a skipjack, a traditional working sailboat. This list is almost endless. And these would all make great travel articles that could appear in magazines, newsletters, or newspapers. I bet you've got just as many great things to write about, no matter where you live. Think about it...who better to write about your hometown than you?

Would you be interested in getting paid to write about your travels...or interesting things to do in your own hometown? How about enjoying a few of the "perks" of this business, such as free hotel rooms, free dinners, free tickets to the best theaters and sporting events in town, free plane tickets...and more?

If so, here's all you have to do:

Learn a few things that I can teach you pretty quickly--and start packing. How would you like to get paid to live like this...

A trip to sunny Rio in February--where you'll be doing the Samba at the Mardi Gras madness of Carnivale. Or to Germany in the fall--where you'll be swinging a gigantic beer stein to the oom-pa-pa of a Bavarian band during Oktoberfest.

Or maybe you'd like to really get away from it all. How about a trip meditating with Tibetan monks high in the Himalayas. Or rafting down the Amazon river, in the middle of the rainforest. Maybe even charting hidden coves and inlets with Greek fisherman aboard a small skiff in the glimmering Mediterranean Sea.

These adventures may sound like daydreams. But the truth is, I've paid my writers to report on every single one of the trips I just mentioned. If you've ever dreamed about traveling like this--and getting paid to write about your journey--this could be exactly the opportunity you're looking for.

Imagine being able to leave the world of commuter traffic and 40+ hour work weeks behind. To call your own shots...get your name in print...travel the world...see things, go places, and do things most people only get to dream about...or have to pay through the nose to do once or twice a year as part of their vacation.

Or, you can travel and make good money as a part-time travel writer, if you like. It can be a very profitable and enjoyable hobby, because it truly is one of the most romantic lifestyles in the world!

ONCE YOU ENTER THIS EXCLUSIVE CIRCLE...

...you'll get special treatment like you never imagined...

One of my regular writers recently returned from a trip to Russia. He flew first-class, and stayed in one of Moscow's most lavish hotels. He ate Russian caviar and drank vodka ...and enjoyed third-row seats for the Russian ballet. Not only did he go free of charge--he got paid to write about the experience!

Another one of my regular writers took a three-week trip all over the Pacific--Australia, Malaysia, and Indonesia--all expenses paid.

He enjoyed first-class airfare--FREE. Each time he went somewhere ...and he went a lot of places (Hong Kong...Sydney...Jakarta...Singapore)…everything was paid for, including meals, entertainment, tours, concerts, etc.

The trip was set up by Cathay Pacific airlines and several independent tourism companies. In the travel industry, this kind of opportunity is called a "fam" or "press trip." These trips are designed especially for travel writers. I'll explain more about how they work in a minute.

And you'll be treated lavishly at five-star hotels and the world's finest restaurants...

One of my travel writers recently wanted to take his sweetheart to New York City for a romantic weekend. Instead of paying for it, he explained to the manager of the Paramount Hotel...one of the finest in town...that he was writing an article on the best places to stay when on business in New York.

He stayed at the Paramount FREE. And was his girlfriend ever impressed! Two nights in a luxury suite at the Paramount would normally cost $650, but it didn't cost him anything.

Me? When I first got started as a travel writer, before becoming a publisher, I took free vacations all over the world...I still do, as a matter of fact. I spent two weeks traveling in South America, FREE, as a guest of the government of Uruguay.

I've received free cruises on Cunard, one of the world's best cruise lines. I've been handed free flights to the Caribbean...free hotel rooms in many of the world's best cities...dozens of free meals at some of the world's most exclusive restaurants. All because of my travel writing.

If you just have some basic writing skills, and are willing to take the time to learn a few simple secrets...

YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME!

I'll explain...

Recently, I met with a long-time associate of mine, Jen Stevens.

Now, Jen probably knows as much about travel writing as anyone in the world. She was my editor for years at International Living, and Island Properties Report. She spent a good portion of the last five years traveling through Latin America and the Caribbean, writing about the best locales for overseas retirement and investing. She's worked as an editor for Trade and Culture Magazine, taught high school English in East Africa, and has written market studies for the Foreign Commercial Service at the US Embassy in Paris.

But what's really great about Jen is her ability to teach people how to write travel stories--and get them published. She's worked with more than 500 different writers in her career--helping them hone their skills and become top-notch writers. Over the years, Jen and I, along with some of the best writers in our business, have identified a number of secrets...secrets that could lift an average writer straight to the top of the field--and have them writing articles publishers beg for in no time at all.

Jen and I were talking about the fact that we need a new group of travel writers who could help us keep up with our growing need for stories. (Because of the Internet, you see, we now publish about 30% more travel writing than we used to. We're always looking for new stories for our website, in addition to our print publications, books, and videos.)

Well, I suggested to Jen that she think about taking her experience and knowledge and put together a program that would help create a pool of professional travel writers. The idea was to take a few individuals with basic writing skills, tap into Jen's expertise, and have her teach them how to apply a few simple but powerful techniques. Techniques that would make them the best in the field.

THEN, IN TURN, WE'D HAVE AN ELITE CORPS
OF TRAVEL WRITING SPECIALISTS WE COULD
RELY ON TO WRITE GOOD STORIES

Six months later Jen stopped by to see me. To make a long story short--she had done it. She had captured every single secret the top travel writers use...and put them together in a powerful course. Frankly, she collected secrets that you could never learn anywhere else, certainly not in college or in any ordinary course. And she...well, I guess the word is..."illuminated" them. She made them easy to understand so that anyone could use them.

She called it Passport to Romance: The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course. And it contains every detail and secret that publishers like me could ever want a travel writer to know.

In a moment, I'll tell you a little bit more about this extraordinary program and how to get started in one of today's most prestigious writing careers. But first I want to give you a little better idea of the incredible lifestyle you could be enjoying as a travel writer...

WHY NOT LIVE...ON PERMANENT VACATION!

Travel writers live this dream year-round. Take Mike Palmer, for instance.

Mike had planned a week-long vacation in Ecuador and wanted to spend a few days at an all-inclusive tropical rain forest lodge, reachable only by the Napo River. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for the experience, Mike contacted the owner of the business, introduced himself as a travel writer on assignment...doing an adventure story...and was offered the trip for free!

And this jungle lodge was only the beginning. As a travel writer, Mike has played golf, FREE on some of Ireland's best courses. He's taken all-expense-paid trips all over the world to places like Belgium, Panama, and Spain, just to name a few. And he's enjoyed free meals, free theatre productions, free movies, free sporting events, and much more.

You'll be amazed how easy it is to get free lodging when you're a professional travel writer. Take Daryl Emerson. He wanted to write a travel article about a few places in the Caribbean. So he contacted several hotels in Bonaire and Belize and was immediately offered a free week's stay at both locations. And it didn't stop there--the manager of the hotel in Bonaire even invited him to stay an extra week at their resort in Curacao.

Living such a good life can be addictive. I know one Australian writer who traveled all across the world--for THREE AND A HALF YEARS. He started out with funds totaling only $5,400. But during the course of his travels, he was given four different motorcycles, a movie camera, an inflatable boat, FREE film, even Tupperware. And while he was gone, he ate, slept, and traveled well...very well...for FREE.

You see, what most people don't understand is that there's a huge demand for people like Mike and Daryl--who enjoy traveling and can explain the details of their trips in a clear, entertaining manner. Here's why: According to the World Tourism Organization's most recent statistics, tourism generated $1.2 billion in spending--per day around the world! And Americans continue to be the biggest spenders overseas...spending about $60.1 billion a year.

The travel industry was hit hard after September 11th. This means there's a greater-than-ever need for stories about locations all over the world. Travel destinations here in the United States and abroad are doing everything they can to attract new visitors.

THE SECRET BEHIND ALL OF THESE FREE TRIPS

In order to promote their businesses, hotel chains, cruise lines, major airlines--even local governments--often arrange special familiarization trips (or "fam" tours, as we call them in the industry). These organizations arrange to send writers to exotic places all over the world, with the hopes that the writer will have a good experience and report on them favorably in a newspaper, newsletter, or magazine.

When more articles are written about a particular place, the rationale goes, more tourists will want to go there. And more tourists means more money. So these groups spend a fortune bringing travel writers in to write about what their destination has to offer.

To give you an example of how much money these groups spend on marketing, the projected tourism budget for the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands--a tiny group of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with a population of about 43,000--is $5.8 million!

As you begin to get known in travel circles, you can expect to receive offers of hospitality--anything from an evening at the opera to an all-expense-paid world tour. One travel writer I know, for example, loves movies. She used her pull to gain entrance into the world's most exclusive film festival in Cannes, France. This is one of the hardest tickets to get...but as a travel writer, she got in, no problem. Another one of my other writers was just invited to go on a week-long barge cruise through the canals and waterways of France. A week of great food...great wine...exploring parts of the country few tourists get to see. Of course, it was all free.

THE SECOND WAY TO GET FREE
ACCOMMODATIONS, MEALS, AND MORE

The truth is, established travel writers rarely pay their own way. If they're not being catered to by a tourism company or government agency, they have their expenses paid for by the publication they're writing for.

As a publisher, I'm constantly sending my writers around the world to report on places and events that might interest my readers. Of course, I foot the bill. In the past two months alone, for example, I've sent writers to: The Dominican Republic, Panama, Ecuador, Croatia, Spain, France, Mexico, Malta, and Nicaragua, just to name a few.

You might be asked to visit the Mayan ruins of Belize. Or a tiny fishing village in Portugal. Or go island hopping off the coast of Greece.

The great part is, once you've learned these secrets, you can live this lifestyle while someone else pays for it. And the beauty of it is, they'll love you for doing it!

THE QUICKEST WAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS LIFESTYLE

Now, the easiest way to do all this is to learn the secrets in Jen's course and to use the contacts Jen has spent years making.

You see, behind the words in any piece of good writing--especially travel writing--is a secret structure. The writer leads you down a path...revealing things to you in a precise order (that's invisible unless you know what to look for)...creating images in your mind at just the right moment...teasing your heart until your mind follows.

As a matter of fact, read on and I'll show you how you can begin right now by writing a real travel article. And, yes--there's a good possibility I'll pay you for it!

Just look through the pages of Passport to Romance: The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course and you'll see immediately that it's not like any other writing course offered anywhere--university-based or correspondence.

You won't find anything lofty, vague, or fanciful here. That's because Jen focuses on practical, proven-in-the-real-world techniques she's used over the years as an editor to help travel writers produce better stories.

And remember, as I mentioned earlier, you don't even have to travel to make a living as a travel writer. No matter where you are or what you're doing, there are people all over the world who want to know about where you live. You might take your home area for granted because you're so used to seeing it...but people who have never seen the sights near you...or heard the birds where you are...or tasted the ethnic delicacies in your area...want to know about them. Just as badly as you would like to see what's in the heart of China or Costa Rica.

Naturally, of course, if you do happen to be traveling, just about any trip can turn into a travel story. Annual family vacations are a great way to start. Or you could easily turn a business trip into a host of articles.

By the way, here's another great little secret we'll show you...

With a little know-how, you can take any single story and immediately turn it into several. In other words, you can get paid for the same trip three times--instead of just once.

IMAGINE GETTING PAID TO LIVE A DREAM LIFE...

Just think: a job that allows you to travel around the world--and get paid for it. Plus, some of the best fringe benefits in the world.

Once you get your first byline--your name in print at the end of your story--you won't believe the instant credibility you gain.

You will suddenly find yourself entering a distinguished circle, reserved only for true writing professionals.

GLAMOUR, BARGAINS, AND PRESTIGE...
"FRINGE BENNIES" TO DIE FOR...

You'll never have to travel like a tourist again, juggling guidebooks and maps. You'll be one of the very few savvy travelers, knowing what to see and how to get there.

And here's something else: Nothing's "too much trouble to show you" when you tell people you're a travel writer. I've been escorted to the best seats, served the finest meals, and taken to exotic places most people never see--simply because I'm a travel writer. You'll be able to penetrate "restricted access" sites--from a Cape Kennedy shuttle launch to a fabulous floorshow at the open-air Tropicana Club in Havana.

It's amazing, really. People think of travel writing as romantic, but they have no idea of just what kind of a world opens up to you when you join the ranks of the elite.

If you're ready to start living your life with this kind of romance and excitement--as an explorer, adventurer, and a writer--then travel writing might be just the thing for you. All you need to do is learn the techniques and apply some of the secrets Jen has prepared for you. Once you do that, you'll have a very marketable skill--for life!

You'll quickly see how these techniques and secrets work in the real world. In fact, many of the writers who have worked with Jen and me over the years have seen their writing published in some of the biggest, most well known publications in the world, such as Golf Digest, The Economist, and The New York Times. As a travel writer, you'll be one of the few people in total control of your life...determining how much you'd like to make...and where you'd like to earn it. And...

WE'LL BE LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER
TO ENSURE YOUR SUCCESS!

What makes this program so great is that you'll have one of the top travel writers in the world coaching you as you go.

You'll learn what I consider one of the most powerful secrets of this business. Almost every successful travel story, you see, fits into one of 10 templates. Once you know this, and how these structures work, you can cut your writing time by half or more. You don't have to think about where to start or stop...because it's all laid out for you.

Now, here comes the really good part. You see, Jen, and I, and a few other experts are actually going to critique your writing as you learn. We'll show you how to effectively develop your ideas with your own personal style.

This is our own system, very personalized, and very effective. This is the very same system Mike and Daryl (two of the writers I told you about earlier) used to learn how to be high-paid travel writers. And every month you'll receive a new lesson, which will build on everything you've learned up to that point. You'll be able to work at your own pace--in the comfort of your home. But we'll be by your side every step of the way.

As soon as you enroll in Passport to Romance: The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course, you'll begin writing. But it won't be a sample story or some "homework" like you'd get in school. This will be the real deal. And, if we like your story, we'll publish it in one of our premier travel publications, such as International Living, ...complete with your byline. Plus...you'll get paid for your story.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR TRAVEL-WRITING
CAREER COULD START HERE

And believe me -- once you have your first story under your belt, there will be many more to follow.

After you've mastered the simple techniques and secrets we'll give you in Passport to Romance: The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course, you'll be writing your own ticket, as they say. Your new career, and your new lifestyle, will be on its way.

Now without a doubt, the powerful secrets, hands-on experience, real-life contacts and the potential for lifestyle changes and career achievement you'll gain from this course make it the most unique program ever offered to travel writers.

And while thousands of other would-be writers are spending as much as $7,000 or more attending so-called 'Professional Writing Courses," seminars, and conferences at colleges and universities, you'll be way ahead of the pack working on an actual assignment. Plus, you'll have an inside advantage.

YOUR TEACHERS COULD BE YOUR FIRST CLIENT!

And it WON'T cost you $7,000. So just how much will it cost?

Well, I'll give you all the details in just a moment, but first let me share one more opportunity with you...something you might particularly like. It's another way for you to get paid again for a single trip you take.

ENROLL NOW AND WE'LL TEACH YOU HOW TO EARN EVEN MORE MONEY AS YOU TRAVEL

Open up any magazine and what do you find yourself looking at first?

That's right. Pictures. Photographs!

There's a simple reason. No matter how compelling and interesting the writing might be, photos help grab a reader's attention. Now, as a travel writer, you usually won't have to worry about providing photographs for the major publications.

Some publications will pay you handsomely for the right pictures! What kind of pictures?

Well, one of my writers, Dave Morgan, traveled all across Asia for six months. He dined with the Privy Counsel to the King of Thailand...met the late Mother Teresa...shook hands with the Dalai Lama. He took a weeklong four-wheel-drive journey across Tibet. He went trout fishing in a pristine mountain stream in Bumburet, a hidden valley in the Hindu Kush. He also got to see secret religious ceremonies rarely witnessed by outsiders.

The icing on the cake was that he got a profitable book deal on the photos from his trip.

Not only did his connections SAVE him money, but he actually MADE money...over $6,000!

If you enroll now, you'll also receive our insider's guide to photojournalism, called Big Bucks For Snap Shots. This lucrative bonus program contains all of the secrets you need to know about taking profitable photographs--secrets used by some of the top photojournalists in the world.

You'll learn everything you need to begin taking photos that will bring in juicy little checks that are complete gravy...from the simplest and best camera to take with you (you don't want to be lugging a trunk full of equipment like some nature photographers)...how to use time of day...creating mood...how to photograph people...and so on.

Plus, we'll teach you all the insider's secrets to getting your photos published.

Big Bucks For Snap Shots is a unique mini-course specially created for travel writers. It's just one more way to ratchet up your income as you travel the world. And it's yours FREE when you enroll in Passport to Romance: The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course!

WHAT IS THIS STIMULATING TRAVEL CAREER WORTH TO YOU?

If I were just getting started in this business, knowing what I do now and how far the right instruction can take you, I'd be willing to pay thousands of dollars for the secrets, techniques, and industry contacts Jen provides.

It would certainly be worth that...when you think about the freedom, the money, and the adventures that come with being a successful travel writer.

But Jen and I believe that if you have the talent and determination--we'll all win in the end. You'll be a published, credible travel writer--and we'll have an established professional we can turn to for help.

That's why we decided to limit the total cost of the course to only $399!

And remember, enroll now and you'll also receive our exclusive photojournalism course, Big Bucks For Snap Shots.

Just think...for less than the price of even a domestic round-trip airline ticket, you can begin a completely new and exciting life. You'll have everything you need to start your new career as a travel writer and enjoy one of the most exciting, romantic and rewarding lifestyles there is!

HOW TO GET A SPECIAL $150 INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNT!

Here's something to keep in mind. If you have any trips planned this year--or even if you decide to do some sightseeing closer to home now is one of the best times in recent years to start your new travel-writing career. Because of the terrorist events of last September, people are looking for ways to escape.

And publishers are looking for stories about where their readers can find these escapes closer to home. In other words, it's never been cheaper and easier for you to get started. You can get published--and paid--very quickly, just by writing about places and things to do near your own hometown.

To make it even easier to get started...we'll take $150 off the price!

Passport to Romance: The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course, and our exclusive photojournalism course, Big Bucks For Snap Shots, is yours for only $249. But it gets even better...

GET STARTED TODAY FOR ONLY $49!

All you have to pay to get started is $49. After that, you will be billed $28.50 a month for each of 7 installments that follow. That means you can begin our exclusive program for less than $50.

I urge you to think about this carefully and respond right away. Take advantage of this special introductory offer. Ordering today guarantees you'll be among the first to receive one of the most unique programs ever offered at an incredibly low price.

This is really quite a deal. You not only save $150--but you can actually get started for only $49! And, you have absolutely nothing to lose...

YOUR SATISFACTION IS 100% GUARANTEED

Enroll in the program today, and examine your first installment for 30 days. If you decide within that time that travel writing is not for you, simply return the materials (in good condition) for a full refund. It's that simple.

And while you're at it, check out our mini-course, Big Bucks For Snap Shots, and find out how easy it is to earn extra money on the same job. If--after all this--you decide a life of romance and adventure isn't for you...

Simply return the course for a full refund. No questions asked. Just try to get a college or university to do that!

And, if you to decide to stop the program any time after the initial 30-day period, just call and let us know and we will discontinue your enrollment immediately.

For less than the cost of a single college credit--and without any of the risk--you can be on your way to one of the most life-fulfilling careers there is. More importantly, you'll be learning the secrets of people who are in the business working every day...not some theory taught by a professor with no real-world experience.

But there's one thing I ask that you bear in mind...

DON'T GET "CLOSED OUT" FROM REGISTRATION

In order to provide the professional attention we feel is necessary to ensure your success, we must limit the number of students. After all, we can only physically work with so many people at any given time. Once we feel we're at full capacity--we'll have to freeze the registration process until we're ready to start another class. That's why, if you're even thinking about a career as a travel writer, it's important for you to enroll today. Remember, if it's not right for you, you can return the program for a full refund.

Simply click on this link now and you'll be on your way.

If you enjoy writing, and you're looking for something more out of life, order Passport to Romance: The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course, today!

Sincerely,

Kathleen Peddicord
Publisher, International Living

P.S. As soon as you enroll, you'll receive AWAI's weekly e-letter, The Golden Thread Online, at no charge. In it you'll find secrets from master writers on getting clients, tips for honing your skills, and each issue contains real opportunities for getting your work published.