Travel Magazines and Sites I Want My Name In

MatadorU have asked me to think about a few magazines, websites and newspapers I’d like to see my name in. I used to be a print journalist and I still like the idea of writing for both online and print, as you can see from my choices. The following are some of the biggest names in the business, but as the card my mum gave me when I finished university said: “Shoot for the moon and if you miss, at least you’ll land among the stars” – love a good cheesy, inspirational quote me.

#1 Matador Network

Matador Network are the kings of online travel and I love the mix of quirky and hard truth in all their articles. From doing the MatadorU online course I’ve learnt a lot from Candice and Julie – I hope that one day I can help people with my writing too. The passion of the writers is easy to see when I’m using the website and if I make it there, I can make it anywhere. This is the goal.

How to submit: there’s a handy submission page with all the requirements listed. I need to know the 12 Matador channels inside out before I tackle them straight on. They need to be able to envisage my article on their site before they’ve even finished the pitch.

Who to contact: There’s a list of all the editors, depending on which channel I’m pitching to.

£$€? The average feature article = $25.

#2 Beta Magazine

This magazine looks COOL. The Matador Network have launched this new print magazine to be “the best on the planet” and I want my name in it. Beta Magazine is filled with “non-fiction storytelling or essays that somehow involve or consider motion, journey and/or place”. From the website it looks amazing – I’ve signed up to get my hands on it.

How to submit: the guidelines are here. This is going to be a tough nut to crack, but I’ll give it a go to get my name beaming from those shiny pages. (If they are shiny, might be on recycled paper, which is even cooler of course.) Stories should be around 3,500 words. I need to send 2-3 paragraphs of my completed story to editorial@betamag.net

Who to contact: Adam Roy, but here’s the list of departments and the editorial team.

£$€? 50 cents a word.

#3 WildJunket

When I get back from Zanzibar and Nairobi in a month I’m definitely going to approach Nellie with some travel reportage. The WildJunket magazine focuses on outdoor adventures and sustainable travel and aims to inspire readers to ”travel light and travel far”.

How to submit: Nellie’s penned a submission page for a complete list of requirements. I need to target my feature to be either a destination feature, photo essay or travel guide. Then there’s also the dispatches, under the radar, chowhound, and travel thoughts categories to choose from too.

Who to contact: Nellie Huang at editor@wildjunket.com.

£$€? Ranges from $50-$150.

#4 Vagabundo Magazine

I’ve seen Editor-in-Chief Brendan van Son do call outs on Twitter for writers for Vagabundo Magazine, but then I’ve also seen him tweet that they’ve had thousands of pitches. The quality of this magazine means it will definitely be a tough one to break into, but worth it. Vagabundo is for independent adventure travellers, which is exactly what I like to count myself as.

How to submit: Check out the submission page for full details but Brendan’s looking for everything from adventure tales from the road.

Who to contact: Brendan at editor@vagabundomagazine.com.

£$€? Ranges from $10-$125 depending on article and whether it’s online or in print.

#5 Bootsnall

If Matador is the king of travel I like to think of BootsnAll as the queen. They’re an independent travel company who produce cool and useful articles on everything possible to do with travel.

How to submit: the submissions page has a full list of requirements for their feature articles, travel essays and photo journal opportunities. You can check the editorial calendar for upcoming topics too.

Who to contact: Fill in the submissions form here.

£$€? Ranges from a bio and blog link to $50.

#6 GoMad Nomad

GoMad Nomad wants articles about both popular and off-the-beaten-track destinations, as well as volunteering opportunities abroad and practical advice on long-term, adventure, alternative, and budget travel. The website looks pretty basic, but it’s one of the best in the biz.

How to submit: All the requirements are set out on the submissions page. You can pitch for four different topics: destinations from beyond the backpacker’s scene, posts from the road, the practical traveler, and photography/video.

Who to contact: Send all pitches or complete articles to gomadnomadtravelmag@gmail.com.

£$€? $25 per article

#7 Go Galavanting

Go Galavanting is all about women travelling and doing it for themselves. The site encourages women to pitch ideas about stories of discovery, insider tips and practical advice too.

How to submit: Like most of the others there’s a designated submission page which has a complete list of requirements.

Who to contact: Email pitches to submissions@gogalavanting.com.

£$€? Pays £50 for feature stories and $15 for travel tips and blog entries.

#8 Off Track Planet

I love the voice of Off Track Planet – they’re the go to people if you’re ’young, horny and broke’ and like to encourage travel through sex and wild parties. Of course, I don’t believe that’s the whole purpose of travel, but it’s a big reason for many. And some of the wild parties I’ve been to have been the best, so it’s only right to celebrate them. They want raunchy and informative.

How to submit: Answer the open call for writers.

Who to contact: Apply to write for them online.

£$€? Just for the love of the site, sadly.

#9 World Hum

The online magazine World Hum focuses “not only on destinations but on the journey, on travel in the broadest sense of the word – to explore how travel changes us, how it changes the way we see the world and how travel itself changes the world”. Wow, so when something hits me hard and makes me feel it inside that’s the stuff World Hum wants to hear about.

They accept first-person travel narratives; rants or raves about any travel-related subject; “how to” stories about diving into foreign cultures and Q&As with travellers, writers and artists.

How to submit: There’s a comprehensive guide here.

Who to contact: Eva Holland at dispatches@worldhum.com.

£$€? From $100.

#10 And all of these, one day…

• 13 Ways to Get Paid for Your Travel Writing 
• 50 Travel Magazines That Want to Publish Your Writing
• Top 7 Market Leads for Beginning Travel Writers

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