Travel Writer’s Glossary | Dream of Travel Writing

advertorial: an article that is sponsored by an advertiser and not assigned as part of standard editorial
angle: a variation of an idea that has a narrow focus for a particular audience; can be used as both noun and verb
art: the photography or graphics that accompany the text of an article
assign: when an editor officially requests that a certain writer take on a story
assignment: a firm offer to write a story for a website, magazine, or company
back of book/back matter: the pages in a magazine following the feature well
break in: the act of getting an article published in a new-to-you magazine
byline: the name of the writer who has written a particular article; also used occasionally as a synonym for clip
client portfolio: the clients that a writer works with regularly
clip: a sample of a writer’s writing; originally short for clipping, from when clips were physically cut out of newspapers
cold: an approach to a prospective client or editor without a prior relationship
comped: when a meal, hotel, tour, mode of transportation or other expense is paid for by a sponsoring body, not the writer
commission (verb): when an editor solicits a writer to complete a certain piece of writing
consumer magazine: a magazine that is aimed at the public and can be purchased in bookstores or other newsstands
content marketing: pieces of writing created for a company to use to promote their business
content management systems: software or web programs that facilitate easy entering and updating of writing on dynamic websites
contributing editor: a freelance writer who writes frequently for a magazine, often on contract to complete a certain number of articles each month; this individual does not typically assign articles
copy: the text of an article
copywriting: writing that sells products
custom magazine: a magazine that is published for a specific company and limited in circulation to that company’s customers
convention and visitors’ bureau (CVB): an organization, typically governmental, that oversees tourism promotion and coordination in a certain city, town, region, state, or country; also known as tourism board
departments: articles before the feature well of a magazine that follow the same format every month; also sometimes called columns
destination marketing organization (DMO): a non-governmental organization that oversees tourism promotion in a certain city, town, region, state, or country
editorial: the parts of the magazine or website that include commissioned content, not advertorial, and/or the group of people who create them
editorial calendar: a list of varying specificities of the topics and destinations a magazine will cover in a given year; often included in the media kit
fam(iliarization) trip: a trip for travel agents and sometimes also press to get to know a region, city, or resort through a variety of tours, site visits, and activities
feature well: the part of a magazine that contains the features
front of book (FOB): the first articles in a magazine, typically very short in length
front matter: everything in the magazine before the features
ghostwriting: a type of writing in which the writer mimics the voice of another person, whose name is used as a byline in place of the writer
glossy: newsstand magazine with a shiny cover
put to bed: finishing an issue of a magazine and sending it to the printer
hook: the beginning part of an article that grabs the readers attention
in-house: when an article in a magazine comes from a member of the magazine’s staff
junket: a free trip for journalists to explore a destination
kill fee: a sum of money paid to a writer when his or her article is dropped from the magazine
lead time: the amount of time between when a writer should pitch an idea and the publication date of the issue of the magazine in which the article would appear
lead/lede: the first sentence or paragraph of an article
letter of introduction (LOI): a type of pitch used for trade magazines or recurring writing gigs that pitches the writer rather than a specific idea
market: a place a writer’s work can appear
marketing: the act of sending pitches to markets to obtain work
masthead: the page toward the front of a magazine that lists the names of all staff members
media kit: a set of statistics, demographics, and pricing information that magazines use to sell space to advertisers
media rate: a discounted rate available with hotels, attractions, and tour companies for members of the media
narrative: a story that has a beginning, middle, and end
newsstand (adj): a term used to describe consumer magazines that are readily available on most newsstands
on acceptance: when a writer’s invoice for an article is requested when an editor accepts the final draft of the article
on assignment: when a writer travels for the sole or original purpose of completing a particular assignment
on publication: when a writer’s invoice for an article is requested when the article is published in print or online
on spec(ulation): when an article is written in full before an assignment is officially extended
outlet: a place a writer’s writing appears
package: a set of articles of similar or varying lengths centered around a theme or destination; can be written by one writer or many
per-piece rate: a type of pricing in which a set price is used for an article regardless of length
per-word rate: a type of pricing in which the writer is paid for each written word
pitch: a type of communication that requests the assignment of work; can be used as both noun and verb, as in, to send this type of communication; used in journalism for the proposal of an article idea to an editor
portfolio or writing portfolio: a collection of a writer’s clips
PR: a person who does public relations work for a company
press pass: a typically laminated piece of paper identifying an individual as a member of the media
press trip: a trip organized by a CVB, DMO or private entity paying the expenses of writers visiting a certain destination in order to write about it
put to bed: finishing an issue of a magazine and sending it to the printer
query: a type of communication that requests the assignment of work; can be used as both noun and verb, as in, to send this type of communication; used in journalism for the proposal of an article idea to an editor
recurring income: income that is guaranteed to arrive in your bank account every month without additional marketing
reported: an article based on interviews
round-up: a type of article that includes multiple mini-articles on different topics or places around a theme
service: a type of writing that gives advice or tips or instructs the reader in the best manner to do something
simultaneous submission: when the same query is sent to two editors or more at the same time
site visits: short tours of hotels and other venues for press and tour operators to get a sense of the venues’s offerings and ambiance
slant: synonym for angle; can be used as both noun and verb
slush pile: a term for unsolicited queries that originated from the physical pile of mail from unknown senders that magazines and other publishers previously maintained when queries arrived by postal mail
spin: a narrow approach to an idea that is adapted to fit a specific audience or circumstances; can be a noun or verb
stable: a group of writers that an editor works with frequently
time peg: a type of hook that involves a specific date such as an opening date or anniversary
title: a synonym for magazine used by publishing professionals
trade magazine: a type of magazine that is not available to the general public and only reaches members of a certain industry through controlled circulation
tourism board: an organization, typically governmental, that oversees tourism promotion and coordination in a certain city, town, region, state, or country; also known as CVB
unsolicited: pitches, queries, and entire articles that are sent cold, without being requested by an editor
writer’s guidelines: instructions of varying degrees of accuracy and use on how to pitch a story to a magazine, newspaper, or website

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