Travel Stories Evolve Into Travel Guide By Jim Postell

Travel Stories Evolve Into Travel Guide By Jim Postell

Finally!

Sitting at my computer I proudly smile at a book. That may seem unusual, but on the cover of that book – in bold, yellow, capital letters is my name. After four years of research/writing, countless queries/rejections from publishers, regular advice from Angela’s WritersWeekly, a surprisingly short contract negotiation, and a release date delayed for over a year, my book is out.

My travel guide covers eastern Australia and was initially intended as a lighthearted account of two newlyweds moving to Oz whose six month tour turned into six years of fascination. The book was initiated by an immediate love for Australia, its people, the food, and the amazing sights and sounds. I started writing emails back to friends and family describing our new “no worries” lifestyle. The tales (some a bit tall) began to attract a larger following with strangers requesting to be included in my distribution. As my readership continued to grow, I hosted a website to distribute our Aussie adventures and photos.

Since my former trade as a government consultant was not in demand on the Gold Coast of Queensland, I followed my dream to publish. My wife wholeheartedly supported me, became my official photographer, and gently suggested text changes to my travelogue.

I nearly exhausted my list of travel-related publishers when I received a note from Hastings House. They loved my style, but wanted a travel guide for Australia. A long-distance negotiation proved successful and the book was off and running. The difficulty was in streamlining my narrative to meet the editorís format. I pushed the limits, but squeezed 60 trips into 400 pages. The nicest complement came from the publisher when he said, “It reminded me of my visit to Australia years ago. I felt like I was back again.”

Jim Postell began his career writing technical specs for building missiles (even some Star Wars stuff). His writing abilities led him into the corporate world with a steady stream of developing business plans, writing proposals, preparing marketing presentations, editing annual reports, producing advertising pieces, and cultivating media programs.

Good fortune shined on Jim as he began traveling the world with his wife and landed a contract to write travel related materials for a publisher, obtained several magazine gigs, and entertained friends and family with stories of Australia, Bali, and New Zealand. His recently released travel guide, Daytrips Eastern Australia, is selling well and his research has turned to the Florida tourism market.

Daytrips Eastern Australia (see Amazon.com under Daytrips books) offers an Australia rarely advertised or promoted and you will become part of the cultural experience, not just witness it from the back end of a camera. Your choice of self-guided adventures will have you swimming in the opal-colored waters of the Great Barrier Reef, panning for sapphires in the middle of the Outback, hearing the sound of laughing kookaburras in the middle of the rainforest, soaking in the sun and fun on the miles of pristine beaches, climbing the largest (inactive) volcano in the Southern Hemisphere, tasting the local delicacies, and meeting the true Aussies. In the book, you will meet the locals – including the kangaroos, dingoes, koalas, and crocodiles, enjoy the Aussie larrikin attitudes, and learn why Australia is so unique. For the armchair traveler, vivid descriptions of the tours as well as web sites are provided to enjoy the ride from home.