Pitch to Publication by Travara
The Travel Writing Course That Ends With Your Byline
Pitch to Publication is an online travel writing course for writers who want paid bylines and stories that matter. You’ll learn how the business works and how to practice sustainable travel writing that shows the ethics without preaching them, then pitch Travara’s editors and see your work published.
Hear When Enrollment OpensThe Promise
Complete the course, from first pitch to final edit, and you’re guaranteed at least one article published on Travara, and up to three.
You’ll leave with real clips from an award-winning publication and a portfolio you can pitch from.
Your work must be original, unpublished, and written by you, not by AI. See how the guarantee works in the questions below.
Who It’s For
Wherever You’re Starting From
You Dream of Writing About Travel
You’ve pictured your name above a travel story but have no idea where to start. We begin at the beginning: how the business works, what editors look for, and how an idea becomes an assignment.
You’re Writing, but Not Yet Commissioned
You blog or write on the side, and maybe you’ve sent a few pitches that went unanswered. You’ll learn why pitches get passed over and how to write the kind editors say yes to.
You’re Already on the Road
You travel anyway, for work or for the love of it, and you’d like your trips to become stories. You’ll learn to turn the places you’re already going into stories editors want to publish.
What You’ll Learn
Four Parts, From First Idea to Published Story
Part 1Travel Writing 101
How travel writing really works, from the way editors commission stories to the way press trips and partnerships are handled. Whether you want a full-time career or a side byline, you’ll understand the business before you pitch it.
Part 2Writing Through a Sustainable and Responsible Lens
Travel can bring money and pride to places that need both, and it can also add to emissions and overtourism. You’ll learn the standards behind sustainable tourism, how to tell real impact from clever marketing, and how to write about it without preaching.
Part 3Getting to Work
Finding the story angle in a destination, sourcing the right hotels, guides, and businesses, and following editorial guidelines from pitch to final draft. We use Travara’s guidelines, and the skills carry over to any outlet you pitch next.
Part 4Pitch to Publication
Put it all into practice. You’ll pitch Travara’s editors up to three story ideas and work through the full process with their feedback: pitch, assignment, draft, edits, and publication.
Who Leads It
Michelle Arellano Martin
Founder of Travara and a self-taught travel journalist who started from scratch. Her bylines now include:
Travel + Leisure · Vogue · Forbes
Newsweek · Business Insider · Global Traveler
After 15 years of writing, she’s sharing what she’s learned, from the first pitch to the final edit. She has spent more than 20 years in global development and media, including leading global communications for a Fortune 500 company’s social impact division, and holds a professional certificate in sustainable tourism from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. She splits her time between California and Donostia-San Sebastián.
What You Walk Away With
A Byline in an Award-Winning Publication
Questions
Before You Enroll
What is sustainable travel writing?
It’s travel writing that tells readers where their money does the most good, and why. That means reporting on who owns a hotel, who guides the tour, and where the money goes, and backing it up. You’ll learn to show the impact through specific details rather than vague claims.
How does the publication guarantee work?
Complete the full program, from first pitch to final edit, within 12 months of enrolling, and you’re guaranteed at least one article published on Travara, and up to three. You’ll pitch Travara’s editors in Part 4 and work through each story with their feedback, from assignment to final edit.
To qualify, your pitches and articles must be your own original work: written by you, not by AI, and not published anywhere else before. You’ll also complete up to two rounds of revisions within the deadlines we share. Travara’s editors keep final say on edits and headlines.
Will these skills work with other publications?
Yes. We use Travara’s editorial guidelines in the course, but pitching, reporting, sourcing, and working with editors carry over to any outlet you pitch next.
Do Travara Insiders get a special rate?
Yes. Travara Insiders get a members-only rate on Pitch to Publication.
Are scholarships available?
Yes, through the Pass It On Scholarship. Every 10 students who enroll fund one more writer, widening the pipeline of voices travel media hears from. Each scholarship covers the full program and goes to a writer whose community is underrepresented in travel media. Subscribe to Travara Field Notes to hear when applications open.
When does enrollment open?
Soon. Travara Field Notes subscribers hear first, along with the details on how to enroll.
Enrollment Opens Soon
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