In between all the BlogHer blogging conference hullabaloo and tromping over 1500 miles across the Midwest to reach the conference in Chicago, I wanted to take a minute to highlight a few of my recently-published guest posts and a major travel article that may interest you.
** The new online magazine Automotive Traveler is really breaking some new ground in Internet-only publishing; it uses software that allows readers to “turn pages,” but also has links embedded in the magazine, like a Web site.
This month’s issue includes my feature article “Southern Comfort” on NASCAR and North Carolina travel. I wrote about the fun things you’ll find in the Charlotte NC/Cabarrus County area and the Blue Ridge Parkway, plus NASCAR’s All-Star event and Coca-Cola 600 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. This is the first time that my travel work and motorsports work have cross-pollinated, and I’m thrilled with how everything turned out (I also took a lot of the photos.)
You’ll need to complete the free registration to “open” the magazine, or download it as a PDF (huge files since it’s photo-heavy, so I recommend using the page-turning Olive software rather than PDF.) You may also want to participate in the road trip enthusiast forums; I hope you decide to join the Automotive Traveler community if you like what you see.
** My friend and fellow blogger Jon Rochetti was kind enough to run a Family Travel guest post on the DC Traveler blog about travel with kids to Virginia’s Historic Triangle of Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. That part of the state is an easy day or weekend trip for his Washington DC readership.
** Finally, writer and blogger Liz Lewis in New Zealand ran my guest post (on her writing blog) about initial impressions from my first organized press trip.
I mentioned the post on a forum thread on mediabistro, a community site for professional writers and communicators, and was rather nonplussed by the responses. Some commenters said that I would now never be taken seriously as a travel writer, that I was basically an unprofessional mooch, that I should have more fully addressed the ethics of taking such a trip, that I wrote for beginners, etc. The thread then degenerated into a name-calling snotfest between a few of the commenters, each trying to indicate who was the most experienced and savvy and higher in the media world food chain.
Yuck.
The lesson learned here is that if you already know that a forum/BBS tends to be snarky, then don’t be me….the cat who sticks her tail under the rocker and yowls when the tail is squashed. Avoid toxic people and toxic professional organizations; you don’t need them in your life. I thought I had something valuable to say, and still do, but you can be assured that I’ll be pickier in the future about where I say it. I plan another guest post for Liz about working with PR folks when you’re a freelancer, but the snarks will have to come find it on her blog themselves. 
Thanks for listening.
Technorati tags: travel, family travel, blogging, press trip
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Sheila -nrnrI saw your post — and the degrading comments — on mediabistro.com. I was blown away! The way it spiraled into personal attacks between two other commenters was UNREAL! I rarely visit mediabistro forums for that reason. Snarky, snarky.nrnrCheck out the forums at freelancesuccess.com — you can get a free week’s trial subscription. Fee is hefty — $98/year — but info & camaraderie are truly priceless. Everyone posts with real names and there are some top-tier freelance writers who participate. The weekly newsletters/market guides are excellent.
Thanks, Kara. Another freelancer friend of mine has recommended Freelance Success, and I’m reluctant to pay for both their service and mb, but it may be time to do so (I do like everything about mb except the forums.)
I appreciate your support very much.
At least check out the freebie week trial. And chances are, the $98 will end up paying for itself when you land an assignment, courtesy of a market you heard about via the FLX newsletter or the forum. (Okay, mine hasn’t yet, but I’ve got about 8 more months left and a promising lead!) Interestingly, I *have* made my Avant Guild mediabistro.com membership back — via a lead I found through the How to Pitch series. So I can’t knock mediabistro too much! (I agree with you, tho, I have found the mediabistro daily news feed, some Q&As and HTP helpful; forget the nasty people on the forums! Seriously, most of them seem to have chips on their shoulders. Waaaaaaay insecure.)
Hi Sheila,
Have just been reading with interest the responses on the mediabistro forum…wow!!! They don’t mince words and sure are opinionated.
I’ve put my own two cents in and challenged them to write a guest blog about their thoughts on the ethics of press trips.
Let’s see if any are up to the challenge.
I only joined mediabistro to read their ‘how to pitch’ articles … good thing I didn’t join for camaraderie and support.
Keep up the good work. Hope you had fun at the BlogHer conference.
Cheers,
Liz
Thanks, Liz, I think that’s a great idea and hope someone takes you up on your offer.
Frankly, I don’t sense a very high level of interest in blogs on that board; blogging is very inclusive and community-oriented, and many on the mb forum are not into that at all. We are all babbling hacks to some of them.
I wouldn’t be surprised if all you get is thundering silence, but we’ll see.
Thanks, Kara, I’ll check out Freelance Success when I get a chance.
Sheila, your description of the comment slog-fest on MB was right on. It’s clear some folks have too much idle time on their hands. . ..
After it’s all said and done, media trips are just one tool that travel journalists can utilize when it’s appropriate. And everyone involved, trip organizer, destination(s), journalists, and readers can “win” without anyone having to compromise his/her ethics.
keep up the fine work!
Hi Mike,
Thanks very much for the support; it certainly means a great deal coming from a media professional such as yourself!
I haven’t folded yet….
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