September 11, 202511:30 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.Room 1102
Whether you are writing a travel guide for a publishing company or want to self-publish a guide on a place you love to offer to your followers, the prospect of planning and researching an in-depth book can be daunting. Even when writing for a company, you will get little more than an advance and a list of regions to cover. This session aims to demystify the entire process and give you the best tools possible, as well as a step-by-step plan, to go about researching, planning travel for, and covering everything you need to include in your guidebook. Takeaways:
- How to conduct online research before even traveling to pick your destinations
- How to narrow down a list of places to cover based on your demographics, focus, etc.
- How to craft an itinerary for your research (and avoid burnout)
- Tips for covering a lot of restaurants and hotels in a short amount of time
- Comped vs. Not: The pros and cons of both, how to get free stays, and make sure any free service is disclosed
- Everything you should note down and photograph on your travels that will prove invaluable in the actual writing process
- Ways to seek (and then incorporate) local tips and advice in your writing to have your guide stand out
- Other sections to include for your chapters: itineraries, tips, etc.
