So what on earth that's related to such a playful "work" can upset one who has the best jobs in the galaxy? Nothing really, well nothing except for these seven common requests from establishments and/or potential clients.
There are many instances where we all retweet, post and share social media interactions, however, it is often done in our own capacity. If you want to market and advertise yourself by riding on a travel writer's tweet, that's marketing.
Industry pays for that. Please think of some sort of exchange before sending an email with a string of requests to be posted and retweeted particularly if it stops there and there is no budget.
Most of the time, we may travel alone due to logistics. However, it is so much nicer if establishments invite a travel writer (and partner). Chances are that we will come alone, but please give us the option.
Even if the partner is a colleague or neighbour, we will gladly share the same room. We don't expect two rooms. It is just so much nicer to have company for the lonely, long drives. Requests to "come alone" are also welcome, but not preferred.
Nothing is more daunting than reading an email saying how much you would like a travel writer to be your guest and will take care of their every need, but when they get there, there is absolutely no food whatsoever.
We will gladly write about whatever you offer us. Even if it is just a glass of water for refreshment, it means so much. Asking us to write paragraphs and paragraphs about your restaurant, delicious food and executive chefs when we have not even tasted a boiled egg is not on.
We will definitely not let it count against you and may write about the ambiance and awesome decor, but please don't expect us to go into too much detail on the taste if we ourselves don't know.
No thanks, we - like most other writing professionals - do not like being dictated to. Perhaps you should not go for a travel writer/blogger, but get an advertorial or ad in a magazine.
We will happily let you make edits, verify facts and change here and there, but please don't replace the bulk of our articles with your website copy when we are using our by-lines. That is plagiarism.
School fees, groceries, rent and other utilities are not paid in vouchers, but money. If you approach a freelance travel writer/blogger to come and visit you and/or write about your establishment, please compensate the professional in monetary terms.
In most cases, we are professionals. While we do come to your establishment which is like a "free holiday", we write about you, get you publicity, increase your exposure and offer you our skills. We act as brand ambassadors and tell your story. The postgraduate degrees we have to qualify for (or whatever qualifications possessed) were paid for using money. The petrol to get to you cost us money. Freelance travel writers/bloggers often do what they do to earn a living. We do appreciate the invitations and frankly, are most willing to work with big and small budgets, but please offer something, anything.
That's what it seems like when an establishment from far-far away invites a freelance travel writer/blogger but makes no mention of travel costs. We are so interested and grateful, but unfortunately, we have not yet discovered how to teleport. In some cases, the writer will pay for their own transport, but from speaking to several other writers, such requests are sadly and politely turned down.
We are travel writers, not salesmen (although we are there to sell and market locations). Travel writers prefer to touch, smell, taste and experience a place. Walking from one room to another with a notebook in hand and then shaking hands and leaving is "housekeeping inspection", not a travel writer's definition of a "tour".
Yes, we will definitely do that and enjoy the tours, but it is so much nicer when we experience your establishment, preferably sleepover or, at least, have time to let our souls connect with the spirit of the place. Leave us alone at some point to walk around, smell the air, see the views and perhaps "do something". We are writing for potential tourists and guests and sometimes need to walk a step in their shoes so that we can be relevant to our readers.
