The Top 5 Skills You Need to Earn More from Travel Writing

Live the dream of seeing the world and earning money at the same. Learn how to reap the benefits of traveling and make the most out of it. Travel writing is the best way to get that return of investment after spending some money to get those memorable experiences.

Here on steemit, everyone can just post about anything they like with just about any topics under the sun. We are free to express ourselves and at the same time get rewarded for it. However, if you are serious about writing and you want to earn more, it’s best to produce good quality content. Like what I’ve said again and again in my previous posts, “less is more” or quality over quantity. You’ll see that only through this way that you can earn more in no time.

But what if you really haven’t written anything before and you are just new to blogging? Learn more about the top useful skills that you need in order to write like a pro.

1. Language Skill

This is the most important skill because through this way one would be able to express his or her ideas or thoughts effectively through writing. The English language is the universal language, and it connects people from different parts of the world. But what if this is not your native language and you are struggling even with just conversing with people? Don’t worry as it only takes practice, and if you really want to learn or improve your English - you can.

English is not my primary language but I have invested in learning it a long time ago, like since I was a kid. It’s the second language of my country so we almost speak like a native speaker. I mean my English is not perfect of course but at least I can communicate fluently and write naturally now. When I was a kid, I was exposed to English movies, 90’s sitcom and TV programs (without subtitles). And through this, I was really forced to understand the language in order to enjoy what I was watching. I am also a voracious reader and luckily most of our books are in English. So the students really had no choice but to understand English in order to learn and pass the courses. I also listen to music in English most of the time, and sing! I also try to speak in English whenever I have the opportunity, and traveling would be the best way to communicate and practice with the people you meet.

I have also been blogging some years ago, so my writing and communication skills just improved over time.

Don’t worry as it’s never too late! I advise that start learning and improving now because this will be your main capital for travel writing, blogging or creating content for your startup projects.

2. Writing Skill

And once you have the ability to communicate in English, then the next is the writing skill. The best way to improve this skill is to read. Read, read and read more. Check out how the authors write, their style and their tone. It is as if they are talking to you through your thoughts. Then adapt the writing style. Read books about things that you are passionate about or books that you think would benefit you. For example, if you are into travel, then read books about history, travel or about countries. I have installed “Feedly” app on my cell phone so I could subscribe to websites or blogs that interest me. So instead of mindlessly scrolling the Facebook newsfeed, I switched to scrolling my Feedly, and read articles that provide useful information or anything that interests me. You can just do this even before you sleep, you are at the park, on the bus or wherever. Adapt the tone those bloggers use when they write and check why you were attracted to their articles. So next time someone asks you why you’re always on your phone, tell them to fuck off because you are reading articles.

I spend about 2-3 hours perfecting my post, too long? Yes, because I’m a bit OC with writing. I just don’t post for the sake of posting something. I make sure that it is really good quality because that’s really the key to attracting readers. Can you imagine reading something with a lot of grammar mistakes, a disorganized train of thought or a lot of misspelled words? Wouldn’t this put you off? I mean nobody’s perfect but writing a good content means you devoted your time and energy in producing that piece. And you’ll be able to build a good reputation and be respected as a writer. Readers will believe in what you write and that’s very important.

Thanks to the grammar checking tools like grammarly, microsoft word and google docs. I usually put my first draft on google docs (cloud save it!) and just let words run freely. Whenever I encounter phrases I’m not sure of, I just simply google it. If I see that other writers have used that kind of phrase before, then I will know that it’s right to put it on my article. When I run out of creative words, I just check thesaurus online. Then after my first draft, I will copy it to grammarly online for another run through and see if I made any grammar or spelling mistakes. Then I finally copy it to my blog or to steemit, and give it another proofreading. I probably read my article aloud 3-4x to make sure that my ideas are organized, my train of thought is not confusing, I’m not being redundant and I’m direct to the point. Then I will do some revising and read it again, before I finally publish it. Of course, I will read it again because oftentimes I will see some more errors just right after publishing my post (Which is annoying!).

There are a lot of writing or blogging tips online, and I actually just learn by reading them. Try to invest in improving your writing skill and you’ll see the benefits.

3. Photography Skill

People underestimate the value of good quality photos. Would it be interesting to read posts with nice images on it and not just a big block of text? Most readers try to relate the images to the article, and it makes them scroll down or read more.

When you are traveling for example, you don’t really need a drone or a fancy dslr camera. You just need some proper camera that can capture some HD or quality photos. Invest in learning about getting the right angle or the lighting at least. One advantage of traveling is that you’d be able to have a lot of photos which you can use for writing. Take picture of the sunset, the flower, people, nature, you name it! Whatever that inspires you. Then later you can just check your image gallery and think about an inspiring post or related stories.

4. Image Editing Skill

After the photography skill comes the image editing. Invest in learning Photoshop for advanced image editing. Create surreal, powerful or artistic photos using layers and tools in Photoshop. Those photos create a dramatic effect on your post and it just clearly says that you really exert some creative effort.

I invested in learning Photoshop about 11 years ago and my graphic design skill just improved over time. I just watched video tutorials and followed some sample art photos, then it became just for fun. The key, of course, is to practice and perhaps use that skill at your job or if you just want to help a friend with image-editing.

If you are not into advanced image-editing and you just want a quick edit but with a nice dramatic effect, then you can use the free online editing tool like pixlr. I usually use Camera360 app on my cellphone for that quick edit, and this app has a variety of effects that I really like on my photos.

5. Internet Research Skill

These days most of the people already know how to search information on Google. You can just learn and find almost everything online. And if you are traveling, you probably have spent most of the time searching for how-tos, where to go or for some travel tips. You can also search for articles that can give you some tips and ideas for writing (Make sure not to copy the content!). You can adapt the style of the author or just incorporate some ideas you have learned into your writing.

There are some query or Google search tricks that you can use to minimize search time and to arrive at what you are exactly looking for.

When you are writing about a fact or including some quotation in your article, it’s best to check Google to verify that the information is correct. This also ensures the credibility of your post and that you are not violating any copyright rules.

Finally, if writing is really your passion then it won’t feel like a job or something you need to do for money. You will feel fulfilled anyway as you see that people follow you or like your writing. Do it with passion and everything will follow. Treat each post as your craft, master and perfect it as it represents you. So even if you don’t earn money straight away, you have your piece that you created and worked hard for. Something you have produced out of your intelligence, creativity, and motivation. Something you can be proud of.

What about you? Do you have some tips to share?