One man's attempt to break into the world of travel writing

I swear I’m not a pessimist.  Really.  You may think otherwise with the amount of bitching I’ve done in a few of my other posts, but really, I’m an optimist at heart.

It’s been about two months since I started this site and officially joined the travel blogging community.  Sure,  we had our blog on our RTW trip, but that was started as a way to chronicle our trip and keep up with family and friends.

The goal now is to somehow make a living out of this whole venture.  I’ve done things much differently with this blog, like embracing social media by spending tons of time on twitter, trying to figure out things like StumbleUpon, and reading and researching everything SEO to better help me understand this new business that has popped up from seemingly nowhere.

First — The Optimism

One of the best and most surprising aspects of the travel blogging community has been the camaraderie and support I’ve received from everyone.  It has been truly remarkable, and I can’t speak highly enough of the friendly advice I have received.

Any time I’ve contacted or been contacted by someone within the travel blogging community, they’ve been nothing but helpful with tips and advice for a newbie like myself.  Whether it’s bouncing ideas off one another, receiving reviews and comments about different blogging and writing classes, trying to promote one another’s work, or asking how someone has gone about designing, writing, or making money from this venture, I have  been blown away by the kindness and help everyone has been so forthcoming to offer.

Many of us have come from another career spanning about everything one can think of.  A good portion of people within the travel writing community have worked in a different career, hated the corporate greed and structure that came along with it, and decided to do something different.

We want another way of life.  We want to be freer to do what we want when we want.  We want to travel, see the world, and live life.  We all work very hard to try to make this new life for ourselves and attain these new goals.  This is such a new business that we all need each other’s help.  There’s no one tried and true method for success, and each day someone is finding a new way of making money and being successful by blogging and writing.

So we share these with one another.  We are friendly, helpful, and generous when offering advice.  We have no problem sharing information on how we completed a certain task or figured out a new and more efficient way of doing something.

Now Here Comes the Pessimism

Here’s my question: “Is this sustainable?”  I hate to think in such negative terms, but can this positive energy and altruistic way of going about business last forever?

We have seen it in almost every other walk of life.  Something so nice, pure, and innocent gets ruined by greed.  Whether it’s your favorite mom and pop store going out of business because of the new Wal-Mart that just moved in, or that ideal, quiet, and pristine country or city you visited less than a decade ago that has been ruined by commercialism and irresponsible tourism.  It seems that eventually money and greed seem to ruin everything.

Can We Change the Trend?

So many of us are trying to switch to a new way of life, one that allows us to do something different and against societal norms.  Something that allows us to do what we truly love and doesn’t tie us down and make us slaves to a larger corporation that only uses us to make more money for themselves.

Can we be different?  Or will we fall prey to what so many others eventually give in to.  Money.  Success.  And ultimately wanting to keep it all to ourselves.

The signs thus far are very positive.  While there has only been a small percentage of people who have been truly successful in making a living out of  blogging, it’s doable.  We all know it’s not easy, and it’s a constant learning process that forces you to stay ahead of the curve.

People like Nomadic Matt and Dave from Go Backpacking are doing it right now and sharing their knowledge with everyone.  Others have had success starting online communities like BootsnAll and Matador and remain active and helpful within the community, so these are all great signs.

I have seen nothing thus far within this niche of people that suggests we will succumb to the greed that has taken over so many other businesses.  I have been ecstatic with all the generosity I have received from so many people within the community.  I really do want to believe that we will be the ones who are different.  That we will be the ones to realize that there is enough to go around, and we will continue to share ideas and information with each other.

But I do have to wonder.  Will this last forever?  Can we be the ones that find the ideal way of making a living and continue to be generous and forthright with information?  Or will we ultimately give in to what so many others have given into?  Will we start using cut-throat business practices, be greedy with our information and expertise, and want to keep all the success to ourselves?

I’d love to hear other’s thoughts on the matter?  What do you think is the future of the travel blogging community?  Comment below.

*photo by Kevin Collins

** photo by Andrew Ratto

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