To Japan With Love Has Arrived!

by Catherine L. Tully

The wait is finally over. Joe and I were both recently published in the book To Japan With Love, and today I received my complimentary copies of the book in a box–all the way from Hong Kong.

It was a cool moment–I have to admit.

Being published in a travel book is a big deal in the writing world, and I am just thrilled to have two stories in this guidebook. It is my second time getting published in a book, and it is just as neat the second time. Every once in a while it is just fun to share an accomplishment with FZ readers. Thanks for being there…and keep working toward your dreams…they really can come true! (* And special thanks to Celeste Heiter for her great work editing this book–you are terrific!)

Travel Tips From Rick Steves

by Catherine L. Tully

If you have plans to go to Europe anytime in the near future, don’t miss out on these travel tips from Rick Steves. Here you’ll find everything from “outsmarting theives” to “tipping tactics” and more. This is a very helpful resource, and even if you are traveling somewhere other than Europe, it’s worth a peek.

Be sure to look at the packing list while you are there…and take note that there is a special one for women.

Travel Savvy

Let’s face it–there isn’t a lot of information out there for intermediate writers, is there? Well…this one is for you! If you have been having some success at writing, you may need to travel more often. Whether you have an interview in another state or are starting to dabble in travel writing, plane trips are often a part of the game. Unfortunately, hopping on a plane is no longer an easy thing. Do you know the list of items you can and cannot bring?

Bookmark this resource from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – it has this type of information right there for you–and you can even ask to be updated when there are changes made to the page. Find out about things such as “checkpoint-friendly laptop bag procedures”  and how to travel safe with batteries. I would also recommend double-checking with the airline you will be taking–after all, better to be prepared!

Insider Advice From A Travel Editor

Today FZ readers are in for a real treat–insider advice from a seasoned travel editor–Celeste Heiter. Find out how to get published, what travel editors are looking for and get some advice on polishing your prose. Thanks to Celeste for crafting this piece specifically for FZ readers!                                  - Catherine L. Tully

A Travel Guide Editor’s Inside Tips for Writing a Great Travel Essay

By Celeste Heiter 

Having just finished editing the manuscript for To Japan With Love, A Connoisseur’s Guide, a travel anthology that features more than sixty contributors (including your Freelance-Zone hosts Catherine Tully and Joe Wallace), I have much to say on the subject of writing a travel essay.

The Basics:

In seeking contributors for To Japan With Love, I received nearly 200 essays, but only about half of them made it into the book. And while some were real gems and were nearly perfect upon submission, throughout the selection process, I also had some hard choices to make, with the most common eliminator being: What’s the point of this essay? What does it offer the reader? And in many cases, the answer, sadly, was: Nothing.  Although I was more than willing to work with contributing writers in developing essays that had great potential, and I even did the rewrites myself on some of them, in many cases (to borrow a phrase from Gertrude Stein), “there was no there there.” Some essays simply lacked purpose.

Others, while technically well written, were far too linear. “First we went here and saw this. Next we went there and did that. Then we went home.”  Some stories lacked focus, and instead included every detail of the writer’s travel itinerary and little else. And some failed to follow editorial guidelines. They were too long, too short, too encyclopedic, or they were off topic; and some were even downright negative in tone and perspective.

Good travel writing comes naturally to some writers, however, for those who don’t have ‘the gift’, I also believe that there is a basic formula that will turn a lackluster travel essay into something truly worth reading. Here’s how: … Continue Reading

Tips From Travel Betty

If you are looking for a little inspiration and a lot of good travel tips, check out Travel Betty. In her own words, she:

-Will spend two nights in a $7 room in order to offset a splurge in a $200+ room
-Doesn’t do all-inclusive
-Goes where the wind blows
-Won’t eat a still-beating cobra heart unless she really wants to
-Is always on the lookout for other Travel Betties and Boys
-Respects the culture even if she doesn’t agree
-Supports mom-and-pops over corporations
-Can greet and thank people in their native tongue
-Gets her adrenaline pumping
-Likes to be pampered, not gouged
-Doesn’t always do it perfectly, but is grateful to be doing it at all

Intrigued? Good! I really enjoyed reading her entries, and if you travel–or want to write about it–I’d recommend checking her site out. She’s fun and young and just plain cool. And if she ever gets to Chicago, I hope she looks me up.

My Little Escape: BXL Cafe, Times Square NYC

In Times Square, between Broadway and 6th you can find this fabulous Belgian bar and cafe chock full of excellent beer and friendly staff. I was in NYC in July and went four times in two days–it’s that good. Call me a sucker for a good, cozy place with atmosphere. In a city where there is an Irish pub on every corner (and none of them seem terribly Irish, to be honest–you can get better from the Emerald Isle in Boston) this is a standout. When the football is on, this place is jam-packed, but on a late Saturday night, this is the place to be.

I hit BXL Cafe post-concert, after a three hour show by The Cure. BXL is a few scant blocks from Radio City music hall so it’s a nice way to get your legs back afterwards and what a way to wind down an evening! I plotted my next freelance move over several pints of Duvel and other lovely brews, pondered the state of freelancing, and wondered how I could blog about the bar for, ahem, business purposes. Seriously– if you are in NYC, take some time to chill at this place–it’s great for regrouping, gathering your thoughts and bracing for the next round of queries.

Learn A Foreign Language

The Language Learning Library is a super resource for those looking to brush up on foreign phrases prior to going on a trip. Choose from Spanish, French, German, Chinese and more. You can also find cultural information and other details. The site is organized very well and extremely user-friendly. Travel writers may want to bookmark this one…

Your Digital Sanctuary

Charles and Marie is one of my favorite net window-shopping destinations, but today I might just break down and actually make a purchase. The Sanctuary is an all-in-one universal battery charger and cable organizer compatible with more than 1500 electronic devices from most major brands. A handy USB port lets you power up cell phones, PDAs, Blackberry, iPods, MP3 players and bluetooth headsets in one convenient place.

I’m a huge fan of both space-saving devices and universal battery chargers, so this one’s a natural for me. Plus, all those gadgets look pretty sharp all gathered together like that at the end of the day.

The Sanctuary costs approximately $130 from Charles and Marie, and be sure to specify you want a USA-compatible power plug or the EU version. Busy travelers may do well to purchase both!

The Angry Travel Writer

The worst part about travel writing, for my money, is not the lengthy time you have to spend on the road, the uncertainty of the publishing game, or the constant struggle to find new and interesting things to write about. Instead, it’s the brain-dead conversations you have to listen to while waiting for your plane, train, or automobile. I am writing this post on board an Amtrak headed south from Chicago, and so far today I’ve heard three people on cell phones, definitely NOT using their indoor voices. Here’s a transcript of my current favorite:

“Hello? Hello? I haven’t got a signal. I’ll call you when I get there. I love you. Hello? I’ll see you when I get there. I am wearing white socks. Hello?”

I know I must be imagining this, but it seems that on every trip I take lately, whether to Boston, Springfield Illinois, St. Louis or NYC, there is at least one person in the waiting area or on board who apparently has never used a cell phone before. Is ANYBODY still reacting with surprise that they have faulty reception and dropped calls? The sound of GENIUINE surprise in the person’s voice when they experience call interruption (while using their outdoor voice) causes me great internal injuries as I suppress my laughter.

Equally ridiculous is the fact that at least two people will have truly annoying musical ringers, playing at top volume. Apparently people think the “vibrate” function is somehow hazardous to their health, because they never use it.

One of these days I will make enough from my writing efforts to start hiring private charter jets (ha!) and then I’ll be free of ringtones, clueless cell phone shouters, and rudeness in general. And that will be the day that Satan drives a snow plow to the office. I think this screed is basically the result of having spent too much time on trains today combined with a lack of caffeine. I need a beverage.

Cafe Selmarie, Chicago Illinois

I am a sucker for any place with tasty baked goods, and Cafe Selmarie is the bakery in my Lincoln Square neighborhood. My favorite time to dine here is early mornings when you can get a plate full of turkey sausage, a fried egg, home fries and cappucino and have a nice leisurely breakfast. There’s a relaxing view of the Lincoln Square fountain and mini-park just outside the cafe. 

If you find yourself in Chicago by the Ravenswood/Lincoln Square area chances are you’ll catch me there haunting that bakery case. I strongly suggest the German cheesecake or the banana eclair. There are literally thousands of places to get a good breakfast or pastry in Chicago, but none of them are as close to my home office with this kind of quality. 

Cafe Selmarie isn’t really a place to write articles (there are plenty of places right down the sidewalk for that) but it’s a lovely oasis where you can take refuge from deadlines, second drafts and queries. Recommended.