How to Build a Travel-Friendly Writing Career

Writing is a career that can be done from anywhere; it’s a perfect gig for those not looking for a traditional office setup. Whether you prefer to travel the world or enjoy the comfort of home, you can still make a living with a pen in your hand. Many writers live a nomadic lifestyle, traveling from one city or country to the next, enjoying luxury amenities and lush scenery wherever they go. If traveling as a writer sounds like the perfect fit, you must establish the best techniques to stay productive and generate income.

Become Tech-Savvy

Any writer can benefit from recent technological advancements, especially those who travel. In addition to your writing device’s local storage (like your hard drive), you can use online cloud storage to host your writing. With the cloud, you can access your work anywhere from any device, which is ideal for travel. If you’re still a fan of local storage, you can carry a USB flash drive to take your writing work in your pocket. Advancements in smartphones and tablets allow you to write from various devices of any size—you can even connect a small keyboard to a tablet conveniently. You no longer need to carry a giant computer for traveling, as laptops are smaller than ever. Harnessing technology can lighten your travel load and make connecting easier than ever.

Get Travel-Friendly Writing Tools

There may be better choices than bringing a bulky computer for a traveler. That bulky computer can suffer severe damage, and you probably won’t enjoy traveling with a heavy load. Consider getting a light laptop, a small notebook, or a tablet with a keyboard attachment. When you travel lighter, you can enjoy your destinations while still harnessing the tools of the trade. Cloud storage and internet hotspots allow you to connect and write with devices of any size—including travel size.

Invest in a Good Phone Plan

You will want a travel-friendly phone as a writer. It should provide good service wherever you plan to go if you need to keep in touch with literary agents or writing clients. Additionally, a good phone plan will usually offer unlimited data and hotspot capabilities so you can connect and start writing wherever you are. Did you get inspired in the middle of a National Park? Turn on your hotspot and get writing. Of course, you can always save your work later, but having an automatic backup is a good practice.

Take Notes and Photos

If you’re looking for writing inspiration as you travel, you’ll want to remember the little moments and scenery you come across, especially if you’re a travel writer. You can bring a small, portable notebook everywhere and write down moods, feelings, and ideas. You should also take pictures to capture a place’s lighting, mood, and view better than your memory can.

Hire a Remote-Friendly Team

As a writer, you may need to work with publishers, agents, editors, illustrators, marketers, or other writing industry professionals. When traveling, you won’t be able to work in a fixed location for very long. Ensure the team you recruit is happy with remote communication and work schedules. Many writers are nomadic, remote, or travelers, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding the right publishing team or editor who works with remote authors.

Consider Self-Publishing

If you’re writing a book, you may want to consider self-publishing as an option. Self-publishing is very travel-friendly, as you can recruit whoever you’d like without worrying about in-person interviews or finding local publishers. As a bonus, you can learn how to self-publish a book with some quick research on search engines or self-publishing platforms. Regarding self-publishing platforms—there are many to fit many writing styles, preferences, and methods. You will need to cover all expenses from cover design to marketing.

Smaller Writing Gigs

Smaller freelance gigs may be a great bet if you’re flexible about your writing work. You can take on as little or as many writing clients as you like to fit your traveling writing schedule. Freelancers typically work remotely, making them travel-friendly. Clients are usually short-term, giving you the most flexibility regarding pay, schedule, and workload. Traditional employment or larger writing projects may not provide you the freedom or income you need while on the road.

Create a Writing Schedule

Traveling is fun, and there is so much to see and do. However, this can also be a drawback when working and traveling. You may find yourself distracted, favoring sights and excursions over work. On the other hand, you may have tired yourself out from travel and aren’t in the right mindset to write. Creating a writing schedule that can balance travel, rest, and productivity is imperative. You’ll need money to fund your travel, including food and lodging. Plan a few days per week or a few hours per day for writing only. You may need to cut back on leisure if you’re not getting enough work done.

Find Productive Writing Spaces

When traveling, there is no shortage of places to relax and enjoy the fresh air. However, you must have a productive writing space, too. If it’s productive and comfortable, you can write in a Venice cafe on the water or a mountainside bench in Nepal. If you can’t be fruitful in settings like these, you may want to consider writing from your room, a quiet library, or office space to ensure you’re making the most of your time. Distractions can be detrimental to your work. You can enjoy the sights and scenes in your free time.

Feature Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash