Travel Writing: The Inside Track

It’s a bit of a cliché but it’s true that no two days are the same as a writer – perhaps even more so when you’re writing about travel and adventure. The variety, and looking forward to what each day will bring, is one of the things we love most about our job. That and the feeling of being far more in control of our life than we ever did when we had jobs working for other people.

Pitching for new projects, whether they’re articles in magazines, collaborations with outdoor organisations, or books we’re keen to write is always exciting. Sometimes an editor will get in touch with a commission they think might suit us – this happens more these days than it did when we first started out – but usually the process begins with one of us having an idea…

If it’s a good one, we’ll spend anything from a few days to several months discussing the idea together, sketching out a rough plan, working on the details until it gradually takes shape and eventually becomes a proposal. Particularly with a book proposal, it’s really important to be as thorough as possible, demonstrating the project’s value to both the reader and publisher, along with why we’re the best people to write it. Good research is essential, as editors will want to know everything about that specific area of the market, from similar books that are already out there to the size of the potential readership.

While we’re putting a proposal together, we’ll consider which editors would be best to pitch to (the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook is a fantastic resource for this), who our readers are likely to be, and how the project might evolve. We’ll also try to pre-empt some of the problems we could encounter along the way. The most important factor with any idea is that it’s one we’re passionate about because, especially in the case of a book, it’s probably going to take over our lives for the next year or two.

Once it’s been commissioned, we work together closely throughout a project, with ‘meetings’ to discuss progress on a daily basis – often when we’re out walking the dog! Getting outside and being active at the same time as discussing work is a great way of getting the creativity flowing. We’ll each work on our own area of expertise – Sim tends to look after the mapping and directions while I write the main copy – and then we’ll check over and proofread each other’s writing and offer constructive feedback. Once everything’s written, compiled and handed in the really exciting part begins – working with an editorial team to bring it all together as a finished product. There really is nothing quite like flicking through your own book for the first time – that’s the point when it all feels real.

To date, we have only written about travel within the UK but hope to spread our wings into Europe this year. Our books and articles are usually quite specific in focus – family-friendly walks, amazing running routes, outdoor adventures all around the country – so we really try to immerse ourselves in that subject for the duration of our research and writing. We also take the majority of the photos in our books, so our trips are planned around the best light and weather, and we always pack brightly coloured clothes that ‘pop’ well in pictures. Our working year tends to be split into times when we’re away for research and photography and times when we’re at home writing, editing and liaising with publishers and editors. We definitely find that by the time we complete a big project like a book we’re ready to escape to the wilds again.

We love the writing life, but it can be an uncertain one. Being freelance means payments come in sporadically and we often have to chase people up in order to be paid, which can be frustrating. There’s an ever-present pressure to keep thinking up new ideas and finding editors to take them on. Sometimes pitches are unsuccessful, and it takes resilience and a little time to recover, regather and try again. The pandemic also made a big difference to our ability to travel and, therefore, to work and we’re still catching up as we missed out on our usual research trips. But these uncertainties are all part of what keeps the job fresh and exciting. The buzz of an editor saying YES, the satisfaction of seeing an article we’ve worked hard on in print, the joy of holding a book with our names on the cover for the very first time – these things make it worth every hardship. And we wouldn’t give up the freedom of this way of life for anything.

The Wild Year by Jen Benson is published by Quarto Books and available in May 2022

Jen & Sim Benson are outdoor adventure writers and photographers. They are the authors of eight guidebooks including 100 Great Walks with Kids and The Adventurer’s Guide to Britain, both published by Bloomsbury. They are regular contributors to Trail, Country Walking and Walk magazines and routes editors at Trail Running magazine. Jen’s forthcoming memoir, The Wild Year, which tells the story of a year in a tent in Britain with a baby and a toddler, is out in May from Aurum Press.

Twitter/Instagram: @jenandsim

Website: jenandsimbenson.co.uk