I’m en route to New York City for TBEX, the Travel Blog Exchange conference. Through the miracle of Virgin America’s in-flight wifi, I’m writing this from thousands of feet up in the air.
Pam at Nerd’s Eye View has a Q&A for travel bloggers going to TBEX. Some people are responding in the comments but I thought I would answer on my own blog.
* Who’s your favorite travel writer? I don’t really have a favourite. I probably don’t read as much in the genre as I should. It’s important for me to have a sense of place in any story, travel or otherwise. There are a lot of great fiction or memoir writers who do that really well. For example, I learned more about Iran from watching Persepolis based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel and Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi than I would have from a travel book or article.
* What’s your favorite blog for reading about travel? There are many great travel blogs. I do like the mix of stories on Intelligent Travel and World Hum. Also EcoSalon has really been ramping up its travel section Passport lately. For solo bloggers there are many but I turn most often to My Folie a Deux for mouthwatering stories about food and travel, My Melange for everything France and Italy, Travelojos for everything Latin America, Nerd’s Eye View for great writing with eclectic style and attitude and Camels and Chocolate for an infectious sense of fun.
* How much do you earn blogging? About $50 a month, mostly writing for other blogs such as UpTake and EcoSalon. I could earn more but journalism pays better by an order of magnitude so I tend to write for magazines and newspapers instead. I make some money from my blog but very little, mostly because I knock back all the offers to buy text links.
* What percentage of your travel is sponsored trips? None. I plan to keep it this way. (See this post).
* Do you have a day job, supporter, other source of income? I am a freelance journalist. 2009 was tough but it really feels like things are picking back up now. I am also married.
* What’s the last travel book you read? Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It was fantastic! Before that it was In the Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron, which was dazzling in parts but lost me for a while in the middle.
* Where do you come down on Eat Pray Love? I haven’t read it. I don’t begrudge her success but I have no interest in reading it.
* Do you think blogging and writing are the same thing? Blogging is a form of writing. Not all writing is blogging but all blogging is writing (except for photo or video blogs). The quality varies of course.
* Why are you blogging? I originally wanted to showcase my work and my travels and teach myself about new media. Now I do it because I love it and the community it connects me to. I don’t aim to make my blog commercially viable but I do look at it as good platform building if I ever write a book.
* Who have you met at TBEX that surprised you and why? [TBD]
* What have you learned while at TBEX? [TBD]
Photo credit: “Virgin America plane” by Binder.donedat on Flickr. Licensed for commercial use through Creative Commons.
Wow, great. Thank you, Caitlin!
pam´s last [type] ..TBEX Q&A
Thanks so much for the nice shout-out! And I’m super bummed to miss this weekend…I feel like high school all over again and that everyone was invited to the party but me! (I know I wasn’t actually NOT invited, but we’ve had my hometown reception planned since before TBEX was announced so there was no getting around that.) Have an awesome time!
(Also, I must say I’m terrible about reading actual travel writing–that aren’t blogs, that is–too!)
Camels & Chocolate´s last [type] ..Not Just Your Average Wedding
And I read your blog for info on good food, travel ideas, and the latest debates and trends in travel. Thanks so much for the mention! See you at TBEX today.
Great Q&A Caitlin! Enjoyed your answers very much! I’m honored and humbled that you mentioned me as one of your favorite blogs to read about travel. I always love reading your take on things too!
My Mélange´s last [type] ..Five Castles in Sicily
And wasn’t it good?
I wasn’t there in person (or I’d said hello), but I did see you, on day 2, in the corner of the screen on the livestream I was watching on.
(I said “hello Caitlin” out loud, into a silent room, thousands of miles away from you. So, well, I reckon you probably didn’t hear me).
I only caught Day 2 live (I’ve picked up on a lot of what was said on Day 1 from various blog posts), but thoroughly enjoyed it. Jealous of all attendees.
Mikeachim´s last [type] ..TBEX ’10 Keynote Round-Up