posted by: Prime Sarmiento

It's everyone's dream job: be paid to travel, become a travel writer!

The problem of course is that people who expect to lead a glamorous life as a travel writer will learn later that…this is not a career for someone who wants to get rich (or just earn a decent living)

This is what I told students at the University of the Philippines during a recent conference on travel writing. I was one of the four Filipina travel writers who were asked to give a presentation. And given that I'd rather be honest than popular, I was very frank about it.

You can view my powerpoint presentation here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/52215052/To-do-list-for-aspiring-travel-writers#

(It was designed by my fab designer – Andrea Florante.)

But in a nutshell, here's my thoughts on travel writing:

To Do-List For Aspiring Travel Writers

1. Get a day job, travel writing won't pay the bills.

2. Travel – A LOT. Duh, that's why you're a travel writer.

3. Take Notes. Always bring a notebook and pen.

4. Find time to write. Busy-ness is NOT an excuse.

5. Stand out and find your niche.

6. Invest in yourself.

7. Put your story out there.