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Because The Connection, also known as "Writersmarketplace," is the best place to find market data, press trip postings, story leads, area-searchable info on hotels, restaurants, etc., and to exchange views with your travel journalist peers in a lively, illustrated forum.
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Specific benefits of Writersmarketplace
Admission guidelines and cost
Feedback from our members
Specific benefits of Writersmarketplace
Writersmarketplace connects you with the travel PR community. Our site's PR membership includes virtually every major PR firm with travel
clients.
This is not merely a mailing list; these PR pros are actively online here, responding to journalist's requests. They have listed:
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Planned press trips (from 5 to 25 depending on the season). These are listed by area, so you can quickly check them out to see which may pertain to one of your specialties or assignments, and then you can easily reach the PR person involved with our "one-click e-mail."
Dozens of story leads. Our PR members post these when there's an interesting angle on a property or destination which has not yet been covered. For journalists, this is a rich source of fresh ideas for queries or for general inspiration.
In addition, our site also enables you to:
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Post your assignments, and send them via e-mail to PR folks, with you having full control over the distribution of your announcement.
Access current, accurate market data. Our special, frequently-updated online version of Pat Snider's highly respected "Travel Publishing Update" publication data includes detailed information on hundreds of magazines, newspapers (U.S. and Canadian), and online publications which pay for articles. Her data, unlike Bacon's and other sources, is tailored specifically for the needs of travel media. This alone is a $32/yr. value.
Access over 3000 hotels, condos, B_and_Bs, cruiselines, restaurants and other travel database entries. These are easily searchable by area, with the search showing not just what's in a given area, but the PR contact for each entity, reachable with a click.
See other writers' websites. This enables you to see what other writers are doing to develop an online presence.
Visit the "Forum."
This is the most-frequented "meeting place" in all of travel media. Featuring the wit and wisdom of your fellow members, it contains 15,677 searchable postings as of today, many with photos, including such topics of interest as contract issues and reports on what various markets are paying.
Admission guidelines and cost
Since we are unable to qualify individual journalists, writers and photographers are admitted to this site on an organization-by-organization basis. (More info on this admittance procedure.) Currently, the organizations whose admittance standards we have approved are:
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- ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors )
- ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers)
- ASTW (Australian Society of Travel Writers)
- BATW (Bay Area Travel Writers)
- BGTW (British Guild of Travel Writers)
- IFWTWA (International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association)
- ITM (International Travel Media )
- MTWA (Midwest Travel Writers Association )
- NASJA (North American Ski Journalists Association)
- NATJA (North American Travel Journalists Association)
- NYTWA (NY Travel Writers Assn.)
- OWAA (Outdoor Writers Association of America)
- OWG (Outdoor Writers Guild)
- POMA (Professional Outdoor Media Association)
- PWAC (Periodical Writers Association of Canada)
- SATW (Society of American Travel Writers )
- SEOPA (Southeastern Outdoor Press Association )
- TJG (Travel Journalists Guild )
- TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada)
- TOWA (Texas Outdoor Writers Association)
If you are a full professional member in good standing in one of those organizations, just
click here to request an ID and password,
being sure to clearly state your first and last name and affiliation.
Access begins with a free 30-day trial, allowing you plenty of time to try out the site and to log yourself into our system (a permanent benefit of the trial, as explained below). After this 30-day trial period, continued access to all the site's features requires that you become a subscribing member; a one-year subscription for a journalist is $29.
If you're on a tight budget and can't subscribe right now, you can still take advantage of our free trial by posting and e-mailing assignments and getting to know new editors and PR folks during the 30-day trial period.
Most important, you will remain a registered member of our website whether you decide to subscribe or not, which means you will continue to receive press trip invites and other valuable mailings at no cost whatsoever, as long as you keep your e-mail address and other info up to date in our records.
So go ahead and take advantage of our trial offer. You have nothing to lose, and long-lasting benefits to gain.
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