November 07, 2007

A Ticket to Ride By Nadia Ali
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I was recently commissioned by a travel company to write two mini destination guides. The work covered various categories that appeal to visitors from food and drink to see and do's.

As I worked solid on getting the guides out, I found that I only had time to glimpse through my writers newsletters, unable to pursue any markets that caught my eye.

I began to feel like I was confined to solitary confinement, not allowed to move outside of this project until it was complete. I actually began to resent having to spend so much exclusive time and effort on one project.

Surely, there must be more avenues I can get out of this project than the one work-for-hire job, I thought. With that in the back of my mind I continued the relentless research on when to go, where to stay, what to do. The information took me to the pages of a wedding website when it suddenly hit me - honeymoon destinations and romantic getaways! All I had to do was re-slant the information I had already gathered and pitch it.

I approached a magazine where I had been published before that had travel features and made my pitch on one of the destinations as being a great romantic getaway. I waited with baited breath. The editor responded, "That sounds great. If you can get me something by the end of the week I'll include it in the November/ December 2007 issue."

I was so surprised! I contacted the tourist board and obtained a couple of high-resolution photos to enhance the package so she couldn't say no and, ka-ching, made another travel sale on a ticket to ride!

Nadia Ali (nadiafreelancewriter@yahoo.com) has been published by Wcities, Northstar Travel Media, Time Out London and Guliver's Travel Associates.