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My Expertise Drives Readership
— And Traffic.
So you need some fresh ideas for travel content. Perhaps a new strategy
for connecting with travelers via social media. Why should you contact me, of all people? Consider this:
•
When the Mexico Tourism Board and Northstar Travel Media, the nation's largest travel trade
publisher, needed to create multi-platform copy this year to spark renewed interest in the destination and combat negative
press, they hired me. • When American
Express Custom Publishing was in search of a seasoned writer, editor and project manager to handle content for its
Travel Insights Website, which targeted its top-level Centurion "black card" members, they hired me. Twice.
• When Orbitz Worldwide needed fresh, concise
online content to drive traffic and build sales in the business travel sector, they hired me — and I'm still working
with them today as the business travel blogger (the content I create, in fact, consistently ranks among the most viewed on
the entire site). You also might want to check out my complete list of clients and media outlets.
I'm a full-time freelance copywriter, project manager and editor, working with a variety of travel industry clients. I’ve
got more than 15 years of experience as a writer, editor and manager, including two stints with American Express Custom Publishing
Solutions and nearly nine years at Northstar Travel Media, the nation’s largest travel trade publisher. My range of
media outlets and travel industry clients has increased exponentially in recent years, thanks to online growth and articles
published in the following categories and media: • Consumer (Business Traveler, Caribbean Travel
+ Life, Gay Times, Hispanic Magazine, Latin Business Chronicle, LatinFlyer.com, Latin Trade, Miami Herald, Orbitz Worldwide,
Passport Magazine, Société Perrier, Splendid Magazine, Travel + Leisure Mexico)
• Inflight
(Aeromexico's Clase Premier, AirTran Airways' GO, American Eagle's Latitudes, LAN Airlines' IN Magazine, Mexicana's Vuelo,
TACA's Explore Magazine)
• Trade (Agent@Home, Meetings &
Conventions, Meetings Focus, Successful Meetings, TravelAge West, Travelpulse.com, Travel Weekly, Vacation
Agent) And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I can also talk your ear off about trends in the travel industry —
and I love speaking publicly on behalf of various media outlets and companies at consumer and intudstry events. I’ve
moderated and participated in panels at a number of travel and journalism conferences and workshops, including the New York
Times Travel Show, TravelAge Magazine, The Learning Annex, Passport Magazine, the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Assocation
and the International Conference on Lesbian and Gay Tourism. I’ve also been quoted and interviewed in a variety of media,
including Air Transport World, PBS’s “In The Life,” Detroit Free Press, San Francisco Chronicle and other
daily newspapers nationwide. My experience with niche markets includes years of covering Latin America
and working with clients in the region (I can conduct meetings and correspond with clients in Spanish). I’m also the
author of The Gay Vacation Guide: The Best Trips and How to Plan Them (Kensington Books), which is already in its second edition.
And I’ve co-authored an educational Lifestyle Specialist Course on the gay and lesbian market for The Travel Institute.
A partial list of my industry clients, editorial outlets and public
speaking experience is on the next page. Interested in seeing samples and references? Just let me know.
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Three ways to make reporters and editors love your Website.
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1.
Maintain a separate press section. Don’t make journalists jump through hoops when they want to give you free
publicity. Put a press section on your site, even if it’s just one page. That’s the place for news updates, press
releases, factoids, story angles and interesting tidbits that could spark a story. Date everything, and keep it in chronological
order. Include a library of low-resolution stock images depicting your product, destination or service, and be ready to respond
promptly to requests for higher-resolution versions for publication (you can place a watermark on each low-res image with
your copyright to protect against misuse, but the high resolution images must be watermark-free).
2. Make the press
section easy to find. Your site should have a clearly visible place to click that says “Press Relations,”
“Media Center” or something like that. If you have a completely separate Website (with a different address) that
serves as your online newsroom, include easy-to-find links throughout your main Website.
3. Don’t
force reporters through forms. Journalists shouldn’t have to register for access to the press section. After
all, the information inside is public, so why make it hard to use? You can, however, offer them an automated form where they
can register to receive updates — but don’t make it mandatory. And above all, always include a press contact name
(a real-live person), a phone number, an e-mail and mailing address. A “submit” form is not sufficient, as reporters
may need to speak by phone, or send an e-mail from their own address.
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