How to Pitch Travel + Leisure

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We inform tales from around the globe: tales which are huge or small, visually pushed or essayistic, first-person or as-told-to or service-oriented.

Our viewers is made up of lively and passionate vacationers — vacationers who guide a median of seven journeys per yr, huge and small. They’re up for something: journey, lively journey, historical past, solo journeys, luxurious, the humanities, spa holidays, multi-generational journey, meals, wine, RVs, personal jets. (Properly, some of them take personal jets.) Our readers wish to find out about individuals and locations around the globe, even when they will by no means go to these locations themselves — to achieve a deeper understanding of what is related there, and to problem their very own assumptions.

If you wish to pitch a narrative to us, be certain your thought provides one thing to the dialog. We do not wish to have seen that story elsewhere. We love tales about a spot that’s misunderstood or altering, tales about seeing the world in a brand new manner, and particularly tales by writers or photographers who deliver a brand new voice to the dialog about a spot or matter.

What We Need From a Pitch

A paragraph encompassing:

The subject and angle
The scope of the story
Why we must always cowl it
Why you’re the author for the job
Whether or not you’ve got traveled but
If not, what sort of editorial help you’d want for journey bills

If we have by no means labored with you earlier than, a pitch is your shot at giving us a way of what your (unedited) writing is like — be at liberty to point out us your voice.

For tales a couple of explicit vacation spot: possibly you’ve got by no means been to the place earlier than; possibly you went there on a regular basis whenever you had been rising up; possibly you reside there now. That half would not matter a lot as why you are the correct particular person to inform this story, and what explicit angle you’ll deliver to the desk. For longer, first-person tales, we choose to have the author journey on task, or write based mostly on a latest journey. In case your story would require further journey, tell us. If you happen to simply bought again from a visit, or are already planning your personal journey, tell us.

If in case you have by no means labored with us earlier than, please additionally embody some related clips and/or a hyperlink to your portfolio. Clips for digital publications are completely high-quality, however should you’re pitching print it is also useful to see what work you’ve got carried out that is related in size, fashion, and scope to what Journey + Leisure does in print.

What We Do not Need From a Pitch

A listing of locations you are going.
A forwarded press launch, or a copy-and-pasted press launch.
A pair sentences with no actual angle.
A pitch that can justify you happening a press journey (even should you do not inform us in regards to the journey, we are able to often inform).
A narrative you’ve got already written for another person.
A narrative that is already appeared just lately in Journey + Leisure or on our web site, or a competing journal/web site, or perhaps a not-really-competing journal/web site.

Please don’t ship a pitch to everybody on the workforce; as an alternative, use the rules under to determine who is perhaps the most effective goal to your thought. If an editor says no, it’s best apply to not ship the identical thought to a different editor. And if an editor says sure, it is typically advisable to attempt to hold working with them sooner or later; if they are not the correct particular person for a specific story, they will level you to a colleague. All these writer-editor relationships are important and assist streamline the pitching course of for everybody.

One other factor: we regularly get requested “what we’re in search of” or “what we’re at the moment engaged on.” We completely get it, however we’ll nearly by no means be capable to offer you a transparent response. The solutions to those questions change by the minute, and it is uncommon that now we have a “gap” that we have to fill or a narrative concept that wants a author. One of the simplest ways to begin working with us is displaying you’ve got distinctive story concepts that we would not discover anyplace else.

What to Anticipate When You Pitch

Many people have been on the opposite aspect of this dialog (i.e. we have freelanced ourselves, and pitched many different faceless editors) and we all know it is typically irritating. Be at liberty to comply with up. If you happen to do not hear again, comply with up once more! We are going to by no means be offended by “if I do not hear again by X date, I am going to assume you are not and pitch this elsewhere.”

Press/FAM Journeys and Conflicts of Curiosity

We’re conscious that press journeys are sometimes a necessity for writers to familiarize themselves with new locations, make trade connections, and develop their voice within the journey area. We cannot fault anybody for taking press journeys, and we do not thoughts should you pitch one thing to us based mostly on impartial reporting from a previous press journey. What’s necessary to us is editorial integrity and contemporary storytelling. If you happen to went on the journey for one more publication, or have written about it elsewhere, your pitch must be distinctly completely different out of your earlier work on the subject. If it was a bunch journey, your pitch ought to hinge by yourself contemporary reporting and angle, not the identical itinerary attended by a dozen different writers.

Writers should disclose any and all affiliations with journey firms, tourism boards, or authorities entities that might current a battle of curiosity of their reporting. This contains beforehand contracted work akin to copywriting, social technique, consulting, or performing as a model ambassador. If unsure, level it out! Those that fail to take action won’t be thought of for future assignments.

It is extremely, very uncommon that we actively ship writers on press journeys for print tales. In case your pitch is tied to your attendance on an upcoming press journey — and we are able to often inform — we’ll almost definitely say no, although we all the time welcome you to report again afterwards should you discover something fascinating.

How one can Pitch Us: Digital

Journey by no means sleeps and neither will we (nicely, we do typically). At travelandleisure.com we write inspirational and tutorial tales for passionate vacationers. Digital editorial is a mixture of short-lead and long-lead story creation. We’re in search of all varieties of journey tales: From sensible journey suggestions and knowledgeable recommendation to inspirational first-person tales and options a couple of vacation spot or expertise. We cowl small cities and large cities, seashores, lakes, and rivers (principally if it is a physique of water, you may discover us there), mountains and valleys, outside adventures and exploring hidden gems, high-quality eating and speakeasies, and all the pieces in between all around the world.

The Writing and Enhancing Course of: Digital

We fee short-lead and long-lead tales day by day. We usually work with common contributors on our day by day tales. Phrase rely varies…so much. We aren’t constrained by web page rely or, fairly, frankly, pages in any respect — our pages can scroll ceaselessly. That mentioned, our information tales are usually 300-500 phrases. Our common journey tales, first-person storytelling, or listicles will be anyplace from 500 – 2,000+ phrases.

As you’ll be able to think about, we’re pitched so much and do not all the time have time to answer each single e mail (please do not be offended!), so with the intention to make yours stand out, here is what we advise:

We’re in search of distinctive tales we do not have already got on our web site. Please do your analysis first and ensure the story you are pitching wasn’t just lately revealed on travelandleisure.com.
Your story can be a listicle or an in-depth have a look at a specific exercise in a vacation spot as long as there may be an inspiration and repair aspect. For instance, should you’re pitching a narrative on chicken watching in Colombia, please you should definitely embody in your story the binoculars you used, locations that provide the most effective watching alternatives, and any accommodations that will supply this as an expertise.
Please do not ship a pre-written story — we do not usually settle for them. We do nonetheless wish to learn a brief blurb about your thought (4-5 sentences) together with a grabby headline. If we have an interest, we’ll attain again out to get extra particulars. However, do not miss the necessary bits of your story within the pitch! Bear in mind: The way you write your pitch provides us perception into the standard and elegance of your writing.

We don’t pay by phrase rely. We now have a flat charge that we pay by kind of story. Your editor will share our charge sheet with you. That mentioned, we pay upon receipt of the story and your story have to be filed with an bill. Alongside along with your story, you could additionally present press contacts and press releases.

Our day by day information writers have a minimal variety of tales they write for us every day. If you happen to’re eager about turning into a day by day information author, please e mail christine.burroni@dotdashmdp.com together with latest information clips, why you are eager about turning into a day by day information author, and your experience within the journey information area.

For all the pieces else, here is who you may wish to pitch:

Nina Ruggiero, editorial director, manages day by day, web optimization, and ecomm tales, and the podcast. nina.ruggiero@dotdashmdp.com
Alisha Prakash, senior editor, private essays and first-person narratives, reported options, profiles, evergreen and seasonal web optimization tales and roundups, journey suggestions and developments, and under-the-radar vacation spot spotlights that provide a contemporary perspective on a spot. alisha.prakash@dotdashmdp.com
Christine Burroni, information editor, journey information, explainers and first-person experiences that increase upon how well timed information is affecting vacationers, service items, wellness developments and suggestions for vacationers, and celeb interviews with a journey angle. christine.burroni@dotdashmdp.com
Maya Kachroo-Levine, luxurious and experiences editor, protection on new accommodations and luxurious journey experiences, in addition to meals and beverage, artwork, structure, and vogue tales informed by a journey lens. These will be pitched as options, shorter write-ups, or web optimization roundups, ideally with a well timed hook or sudden perspective. Longer-form profiles and reported options on typically ignored communities throughout the journey realm. maya.kachroo-levine@dotdashmdp.com

Sam Lauriello, social editor, all social requests and platforms. samantha.lauriello@dotdashmdp.com
Elizabeth Rhodes, affiliate editor, all-things Disney, cruising, journey concepts, and over-the-top suites. elizabeth.rhodes@dotdashmdp.com
Jamie Aranoff, affiliate information editor, journey information, snowboarding, browsing, and outside journey journey. jamie.aranoff@dotdashmdp.com

Whereas we’re at it, meet the remainder of the Journey + Leisure digital workforce:

Annie Archer, assistant social editor

Mariah Tyler, visuals editor

Alessandra Amodio, picture editor

Courtney Dennis, producer

Madeline Diamond, ecommerce editor

How one can Pitch Us: Print

Journey + Leisure is the one month-to-month print journey publication in the US, with a circulation of practically a million.

Print editors are often considering a minimum of three months forward, and typically as much as a yr or extra. Breaking, same-day, or in any other case time-sensitive pitches won’t be thought of; the T+L digital workforce is the most effective level of contact for pitching journey information tales, and social takeovers.

We’re additionally constrained in our assigning by the straightforward reality of web page counts. Pitching for print, by nature, includes a number of rejections. Possibly we have carried out an analogous story just lately, possibly now we have one thing related within the works, possibly that specific editor simply would not love the pitch as a lot as others they’ve gotten, possibly it is simply not proper for our viewers in the mean time however two years from now it might be. It occurs on a regular basis, even for these of us on employees, and it is not a referendum on you as an individual or the standard of your concepts and reporting.

One other factor: If you’re used to digital timelines, please handle your expectations for print. Our inner pitching course of is rigorous. If the editor you pitched likes your thought, it nonetheless has to get previous a variety of different individuals. Generally these individuals will say no. You could be grumpy about this, and understandably so! Your editor might be grumpy, too.

Most constructive responses appear like: “That is such a cool thought! I might like to run it previous our govt editor to see what she thinks.” or “Hey, I like this concept and I believe it could possibly be match for our Discoveries part. I am going to deliver it up with the part editor, and if she likes it too, she is going to suggest it to our editor-in-chief at their subsequent assembly.” At that time, we hope that you just will not pitch the story round whilst you’re ready for subsequent steps. Generally we’ll be capable to get a solution for you after a couple of days; typically, relying on the story, it could possibly be a month or longer. Be at liberty to comply with up should you’re interested by the place we’re at, and should you’re getting antsy and contemplating pulling the piece, let your editor know!

The Writing and Enhancing Course of: Print

Journey + Leisure is the one month-to-month print journey publication in the US, with a circulation of practically a million. We inform tales from around the globe: tales which are huge or small, visually pushed or essayistic, first-person or as-told-to or service-oriented.

Our viewers is made up of lively and passionate vacationers—vacationers who guide a median of seven journeys per yr, huge and small. They’re up for something: journey, lively journey, historical past, solo journeys, luxurious, the humanities, spa holidays, multi-generational journey, meals, wine, RVs, personal jets. (Properly, some of them take personal jets.) Our readers wish to find out about individuals and locations around the globe, even when they will by no means go to these locations themselves—to achieve a deeper understanding of what is related there, and to problem their very own assumptions.

Print editors are often considering a minimum of three months forward, and typically as much as a yr or extra. Breaking, same-day, or in any other case time-sensitive pitches won’t be thought of; the T+L digital team is the most effective level of contact for pitching journey information tales and social takeovers.

The Sections of the Journal

Whilst you need not have a piece in thoughts when pitching a print story, we encourage you to familiarize your self with them. It is a cliche for a cause: One of the simplest ways to have success with a pitch is to get to know the journal nicely. If you cannot see a narrative thought becoming into any of those, it is most likely not proper for us. All editors on our workforce can slot their tales into any of those sections, however every has a number of devoted editors who oversee the overall mixture of tales.

Discoveries

A globetrotter’s information to the newest in journey.

Our front-of-book opener part, made up of tales which are typically bitsy and news-driven. An ideal place to interrupt into the journal.

Story Codecs: Brief news-driven write-throughs, roundups, Q&As, step-by-step itineraries, neighborhood information maps, brief blurbs with a group of gorgeous footage, and so forth.

Story Size: 100-600 phrases, although the shortest items are often employees written.

Experiences

Vacationers’ tales, from close to and much.

First-person journey narratives, typically with a literary bent, in addition to the occasional picture essay. The place acceptable, we attempt to incorporate related journey information (e.g. new accommodations, eating places, retailers, galleries, and so forth.) or a “why now” aspect.

Story Codecs: Essays and written-through travelogues, sometimes damaged out into itinerary kind, nearly all the time first-person.

Story Lengths: ~700-1,500 phrases

Clever Traveler

Suggestions and methods that will help you journey smarter.

Journey hacks and insider data on the logistics and technique of journey: improvements within the trade, developments in how we’re touring, suggestions that will help you plan forward and lower your expenses whereas doing it, cool gear it’s best to have in your radar, and information about planes, trains, and cars.

Story Codecs: A mixture of written-through items and damaged out roundups; they’re usually not first-person or based mostly deeply in a private expertise, however fairly synthesize developments or give instructions. (It is okay to make use of a first-person expertise as a jumping-off level to debate one thing bigger within the trade.)

Story Lengths: Underneath 600 phrases.

Options

The longest tales within the journal, which dwell within the “nicely”—no advertisements, simply stunning photos and considerate writing. Most of those are place-based tales—often a metropolis or a route round a specific state, island, or nation—with a literary strategy and with loads of historic and social context. All these options all the time embody a reasonably complete “tips on how to do it” sidebar for readers who wish to replicate the journey. Generally, we’ll run journey essays or commentary that are not a couple of explicit journey, or we’ll wish to showcase an excellent picture portfolio and can fee an essay to accompany it.

Story Lengths: sometimes 2,500–4,000 phrases

A Observe About Function Assignments: It is difficult to interrupt into T+L with a function—they’re expensive to provide, we run fewer of them every year than other forms of tales, and barely assign them to new-to-us writers until there’s important proof (usually within the type of a number of feature-length bylines and/or a guide) that mentioned author can sort out one thing of that scope. That is to not say it by no means occurs, simply that you could be get extra traction along with your T+L pitches in one other part of the journal, a minimum of till we get to know you and your work.

Again Web page

“Your Finest Shot.” On this web page, we highlight an excellent picture from considered one of our readers, accompanied by a brief interview about their expertise getting the shot. This isn’t a paid alternative, however fairly a prize for our Picture of the Day contest. If you happen to’re , you’ll be able to submit your finest pictures HERE for the possibility to be featured on this web page in a future concern.

Who to Pitch on Print

Each print editor works on all kinds of issues and may direct you to the correct particular person if it is not them. However we every give attention to sure sections, themes, and geographical areas, and for brand spanking new writers, these will provide help to determine to whom to direct your concepts.

Here is the breakdown:

Scott Bay, assistant editor, edits the again web page and handles our protection of the Midwestern U.S., Florida, and ski and winter journey. He additionally has a give attention to accommodations and assists with our annual World’s Finest Awards. scott.bay@dotdashmdp.com

Paul Brady, articles editor, edits the Clever Traveler part and is our level particular person for tales about cruise, aviation, and loyalty packages, in addition to East, West, and Southern Africa; the Polar Areas; the Maldives; and the Mountain West. paul.brady@dotdashmdp.com

Sarah Bruning, senior editor, curates our Experiences part in addition to our protection of the West Coast; Mexico and Central America; Australia and New Zealand; and Portugal and Spain. She additionally oversees our annual World’s Finest Awards and helps spearhead the International Imaginative and prescient Awards. sarah.bruning@dotdashmdp.com

Liz Cantrell, affiliate editor, edits tales in lots of sections with a give attention to outside and journey journey, in addition to Canada, Northern Europe, and the Southeastern U.S. She additionally helps edit the T+L A-Listing of high journey advisors. liz.cantrell@dotdashmdp.com

Samantha Falewée, affiliate editor, edits tales for Discoveries and Experiences with a give attention to South America; Fiji and French Polynesia; Arizona and New Mexico; and culinary, cultural, and procuring journey. She helps with the annual It Listing of the most effective new accommodations and the T+L A-Listing of high journey advisors. samantha.falewee@dotdashmdp.com

Tim Latterner, senior editor, focuses on artwork and design protection and in addition edits narrative tales for Experiences and the options nicely, with an emphasis on Scandinavia, East Asia, and Texas. timothy.latterner@dotdashmdp.com

Flora Stubbs, govt editor, has a hand in all the pieces, however focuses primarily on South Asia and East, West, and Southern Africa. flora.stubbs@dotdashmdp.com

Peter Terzian, options editor, oversees our options nicely and handles our protection of the Northeastern U.S. and Italy, Greece, the U.Okay., and Eire. peter.terzian@dotdashmdp.com

Hannah Walhout, senior editor, edits the Discoveries part in addition to longer-form tales on meals/wine/spirits; France; South Asia; the Center East; and Japanese Europe, Turkey, and Russia. She additionally helps with the annual International Imaginative and prescient Awards. hannah.walhout@dotdashmdp.com

John Wogan, particular tasks editor, focuses on our accommodations protection, together with the annual It Listing of the world’s finest new accommodations, in addition to tales associated to the Mid-Atlantic, the Caribbean, North Africa, Southeast Asia, and Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. john.wogan@dotdashmdp.com

Meet the remainder of the Journey + Leisure print workforce:

Jacqueline Gifford, editor in chief

LaToya Valmont, managing editor

Tim Latterner, senior editor

Ray Isle, wine and spirits editor

Erin Agostinelli, editorial operations supervisor

Fryda Lidor, artwork director

Devin Traineau, affiliate picture editor

Griffin Plonchak, manufacturing supervisor

Kathy Roberson, copy and analysis chief

Kevin Ford, affiliate analysis editor

How one can Pitch Us: Social

Journey + Leisure has over 15M followers throughout its social channels. On Instagram, we share awe-inspiring vacation spot photos, first-person journey experiences, and academic articles. On TikTok, we submit journey vlogs, lodge suite excursions, vacation spot roundups, and extra. General, we use compelling images and movies to encourage our viewers to discover the world.

We wish pitches for:

Instagram takeovers highlighting a latest journey expertise
Character-driven TikTok vlogs recapping a visit
TikTok sequence that intention to both educate or entertain (bonus factors if you are able to do each)

What pitches ought to embody:

The subject and angle
Why we must always cowl it
For TikToks, why it has viral potential
Whether or not you’ve got traveled but (or whether or not the journey is already booked)
A timeframe for when you may have the belongings able to go dwell
1-2 examples of your previous social media work (takeovers, TikToks, pictures, videography, and so forth.)

Please ship social pitches to samantha.lauriello@dotdashmdp.com.

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