What We Learned about Travel Writers from Searching for Their E-mail Addresses on the Internet

Most of the names on Krupin’s list (see our posting on January 18, 2010) are freelance writers (as opposed to staff writers) in the travel-writing field. Most of them do not limit themselves to travel writing. Quite a number of them have their own Web site, where they promote their writing skills and other services, such as editing or teaching the writing craft. Many of them state that they are “award-winning” writers. The ones that appear to be the most successful (in terms of awards, or number of magazines for which they have written, or popularity with a reading public) are the ones that have taken the greatest care to hide their e-mail addresses from the Internet. A good number of those that have Web sites declare a passion for writing, as well as for traveling. A number of writers have Web sites or blogs in which they promote travel. For the most part, those that promote travel on these sites promote travel as amusement (travel as fun). Unfortunately, this is not the type of traveler that I am trying to reach. I hope that the readers of my book enjoy themselves when they travel, no doubt. But I also hope that a traveler to Paris views the trip as an opportunity to learn about the richness of French culture. A different state of mind all together!