Interviewer: Judith Fein, an award-winning travel journalist and photographer,
is in the studio today. Judith, how did your career start? Did you work for
magazines and newspapers from the very beginning?
Judith: Not really. I used to be a Hollywood screenwriter. The problem was I couldn’t write
what I wanted to but only what the producer was willing to pay for. After 12 years
I realized I couldn’t stand that any more. Then one day my sister called me and said
they were starting a new travel show on national radio and that I could submit
something. Fortunately, we had a recording studio in our house and my husband
helped me record a piece about people going to a monastery on a silent retreat.
A week later the producer called me and asked me to do another piece for them.
Of course, I agreed. From there, I moved into travel writing for magazines and
newspapers.
Interviewer: So which is better for somebody considering a career like yours–writing for
the printed press or online magazines?
Judith: Online doesn’t pay much but it’s good to get clips and exposure and it’s relatively
easier to get published there than in traditional magazines and newspapers, especially
that they are all cutting back. The best you can get starting in the business is to write
short pieces for different publishers, usually as a free-lancer, so forget about
a long-term contract and stability.
Interviewer: And moving on to your own experience, how much research is involved
in travel writing?
Judith: That depends on the person. I research very little before I travel. But on the road, I’m
a sponge... soaking up everything I can. Using outdated materials is a crime for
a travel writer so I pick up info sheets everywhere I go. When I get home, I refer
to this info, check with experts and use the net.
Interviewer: And is note taking useful?
Judith: Of course. Two years from now, if you find an outlet for an article, you can refer
back to your notes to get the first draft quickly. But to record factual information like
opening hours or information panels at sites and museums I prefer to use a digital
camera. It’s just quicker than rewriting them. I stick to note taking when I want to
record more abstract, peculiar things, for instance, what the place smells like, how
I feel there, things photos can’t really show.
Interviewer: And in what way has the new media, especially the Internet, reshaped
the role of guidebooks and travel magazines?
Judith: I think many traditional publishers are evolving to keep pace with the new media.
Reliable information is key. Many online sites offer up-to-date tips about
destinations from locals living within those destinations. I’m sure the websites will
follow the current craze for networking and encourage people to contribute even
more than today. Two obvious options are linking your blog to a publisher’s website
or sharing your travel photos there. As for traditional guidebooks, I can envisage
publishers ‘recycling’ existing print titles into applications and ebooks. I remain
skeptical, however, that they will ever totally replace traditional guidebooks. I think
that people still enjoy reading from paper and, personally, I would still rather take
a guidebook with me than scroll around online for information while out and about.
Interviewer: Well, Judith, thanks for coming to the studio today.
adapted from www.travel-writing.suite101.com