Want to be a travel writer? Enter to win full tuition at MatadorU!

by Grant Martin on

Ever wanted to break into the travel writing world but with no clue where to start? The travel blog and writing communities have grown dramatically in the last five years, fueled by the shrinking traditional media, ease of online growth and a wealth of freelance talent. Now more than ever there are tons of opportunities to get your work published, giving you the chance to work from home or from that remote island in the South Pacific.

But where does one start? It’s true that it’s possible to build a writing career from scratch, manufacturing a blog, fostering relationships and hounding editors and publicists, but in reality, the process has been done before — and mastered. Our friends over at Matador know the system well — so well, in fact, that they’ve distilled the entire process into a series of courses and resources called Matador U.

We’ve spoken about Matador U a few times at Gadling, and a few of our bloggers have taken some of the courses. Tuition includes both a series of writing courses including assignments and suggestions as well as student forums and a market lead board, both of which are key, useful components towards breaking into the writing community.

Coming from the experts, this is a huge kick start to your travel writing career. And as part of Gadling’s Holiday Giveaway week we’re giving away full tuition to the program, $350 worth of travel writing tips, tricks and secrets to get your career started on track. All that you have to do to enter is leave a comment below.

Legalspeak:

  • To enter, leave a comment in the section below. You may enter only once. Our robots will delete multiple entries.
  • The comment must be left before Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
  • Approximate retail value: $350
  • One winner will be selected in a random drawing to each receive full tuition to Matador U.
  • Winners will be notified by email.
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, including the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
  • Click HERE for complete Official Rules.

Twitter to win free MatadorU tuition

by Katie Hammel on

Last month, Brenda announced the Matador Network’s new travel writing curriculum, Matador U. The 12-week course is geared towards travel writers at all levels in their careers, from those who are just dreaming of a getting their first piece published to writers with years of experience.

The course covers topics like crafting the perfect pitch letter, using social media to promote your work, honing your voice, working with editors and going on press trips. Students also have access to exclusive market leads and forums where they can discuss what they are learning with other students. I’m on week two of the class and finding it to be very helpful and motivating.

The course isn’t cheap at $225 (for the first 100 students, then it goes up to $350) but if you can’t quite afford it, you may still be able to participate. Every month, Matador will award free tuition to one of its Twitter followers. The rules are simple. Just follow @MatadorNetwork and send them a tweet saying you want to win free tuition. If you are selected, they’ll contact you with details on how to register for the course free of charge. If you’ve ever considered a career as a travel writer, or if you are already getting published and want to move to the next level, here’s your chance to take the course for free.

Matador Network launches new travel writing school

by Brenda Yun on

It sounds like a dream job: getting paid to explore the world as a travel writer. For many, this job remains a far-fetched dream. However, for those willing to dream big even during these recessional times, travel writing can be a profession rather than a pipe dream.

Count on Matador, the world’s largest independent travel publication, to turn dreams into reality. The travel network has developed its first educational component, MatadorU, which is aimed at revolutionizing the way travel writers of all levels launch and accelerate their careers.
Matador and its fleet of independent travel writers know how to thrive. In less then 3 years, Matador has grown from a small community of passionate travelers, to a massively popular network of niche travel blogs, reaching over 800,000 unique visitors a month. With its growing popularity, it is turning to its travel writing school, MatadorU, to make the travel writing profession a realistic aspiration.
MatadorU‘s first course is a 12-week curriculum aimed at travel writers of all levels. I was able to browse the course materials myself, and I have to say that the course is rich and informative, and in many ways itliterally gives away the blueprint used to navigate the continuously evolving world of travel publishing. Each week, students receive online chapters and assignments, with lessons ranging from: ways to improve your storytelling, learning how to organize submissions for publication, to mastering social media, monetization blogs, and negotiating ad contracts.

In addition to the course materials, MatadorU students also gain access to travel writing market leads as well as an exclusive online forum. To promote its new school, Matador is offering this free download, which provides helpful insider information on how much travel magazines pay — a great resource for travel writers looking for more exposure and some $$$ too.