Great Escape Radio: Travel Writing | Photography | Publishing | Writing

Great Escape Radio Episode #34 - Introduction to Travel Videos “The market for travel videos is wide open right now – don’t miss this opportunity.” Lori Allen For more information on how to get started creating travel videos, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/video/ As a follow up to Melanie Wood’s success story from podcast 33, host Jody Mayberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, take a deeper look at the process of creating travel videos. “Most people think travel videos require a long learning curve and a lot of expensive equipment, but that’s just not the case,” explains Lori. Although the travel video market seems new, it’s been around for a while. And with the video capability of smart phones, it’s easy to get started taking videos. Here are some opportunities that are available… “Companies are using videos for promotion on their websites. These companies can be anything from a hotel promoting its amenities to a destination promoting an activity like zip lining in Costa Rica or a

Great Escape Radio Episode #33 – Get Paid to Create Travel Videos “Just do it!” – Nike and Melanie Wood For more information on how to get started creating travel videos, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/video/ Great Escape Radio host, Jody Mayberry, talks with Melanie Wood about her success in creating travel videos and a few mishaps along the way in this week’s podcast. It started with a choice. Melanie had attended several Great Escape Publishing workshops and was considering going to a Great Escape Publishing photography workshop in Portland, Oregon. At the same time, she also had the opportunity to go on a photography expedition to Peru. “I wasn’t sure if I should choose the workshop, the trip to Peru or choose neither and save money,” says Melanie. It turns out, Melanie didn’t have to choose after all. A friend of hers, Vera, who leads tours to various destinations presented her with an offer that would make everything work. Vera asked Melanie to go on a trip to Peru and do travel videos for he

Great Escape Radio Episode #32 – The First Step to Success “Tools, skills, determination and courage come second – the decision comes first.” – Lori Allen On this episode host Jody Mayberry speaks with Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen about the most important things when learning anything new or accomplishing any goal. Lori has just returned from the Ultimate Travel Writing Workshop in New Orleans where she was inspired by the attendees and their enthusiasm. She offers this insight… “I’ve always had this idea that we need a combination of skills, tools and determination to achieve our goals. But before all of those things happen there has to be a decision.” Lori shares the story of her young daughter who – despite never haven taken swimming lessons – made the decision to learn to swim one day. She kept at it until she actually swam across the pool without any tools, skills or lessons – she did it just because she had decided that she was going to learn to swim that day. The experience with her you

Great Escape Radio Episode #31: Trends Matter in Travel Writing This week is the last installment of a three-part series where we hear from the editors’ panel at the Ultimate Travel Writers Workshop in New Orleans. Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, introduces us to the reason trends matter in travel writing… “There are certainly always stories that will sell on places like Paris, Hawaii and now, Costa Rica. But if you pitch one of these, your story might end up on the shelf for a later publication date – which means you’ll be waiting for your paycheck.” Trending articles help you in several ways… ***get more bylines ***get faster bylines ***get paid faster These three points are crucial for freelancers. Lori also points out that travel writing requires two different skills… ***The ability to write the travel article ***The ability to sell that article “The first story takes the longest to finish. It takes more time for research, writing and it takes more time to get it published,” says Lori. From

Great Escape Radio Episode 30: Travel Editor’s Pet Peeves “A large part of success is just not screwing it up!” – Lori Allen This week in part two of a three-part series with the editors’ panel from the recent Ultimate Travel Writers’ Workshop in New Orleans, host Jody Mayberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, pose the question: What are some of your pet peeves in working with freelancers? Lori explains… “It’s really just about following the rules. As a travel writer, you’re not just competing against other writers who write travel articles. You’re also competing against other freelancers who are sending editors the wrong stuff in the wrong way and the wrong format. About 80% of freelancers don’t follow the rules…and that gives you an advantage if you just don’t screw it up!” A highlight at the Ultimate Travel Writers’ Workshop each year is the editors’ panel. A group of editors from a variety of publications are on hand to discuss what they need from freelancers and what they don’t like. Fo

Great Escape Radio Episode #29: What Makes a Great Story “What makes a great story is what it takes to sell that story. The end goal is to give that story life.” – Lori Allen This week on Great Escape Radio, Lori Allen introduces us to the Editors’ Panel from the 2016 Ultimate Travel Writers Workshop in New Orleans in the first of a three-part series. “Our travel writing workshops are so much fun. I’ve just returned from New Orleans where we were located right on Bourbon Street. It was a great location, a great event with great people and amazing food. All of our workshops are fun but being in New Orleans just kicked it up a notch. There are stories on every corner in New Orleans, “ says Lori. One thing that sets Great Escape Publishing’s travel writing workshops apart from other writing events is the editor’s panel. GEP programs are written and approved by editors every year. Consulting editors means the programs stay up to date with the current trends in travel writing. “Years ago long travel narratives wer

Great Escape Publishing Radio – Episode #28: Great Escape Publishing Events! “Sitting on the red sand dunes in Namibia and watching the sun come up, it almost feels like you shouldn’t be allowed to see something so beautiful – it’s that amazing.” - Lori Allen To learn more about the workshops and expeditions offered by Great Escape Publishing go to http://www.greatescapepublishing.com/menu/?type=event and check out the events listed. Host, Jody Mayberry, talks with Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, about the amazing live events Great Escape Publishing offers. “There’s a difference between education and training,” explains Lori. “Education is what you get when you read a book. Training is what you get when you are actively doing whatever it is you’re learning and someone is there to provide feedback.” The home study programs offered by Great Escape Publishing will give you the education you need to get started in travel writing or photography. But the live workshops and expeditions will give you th

Great Escape Radio Episode #27 – Getting Started with Stock Photography “We live in this culture where we’re told we have to get in line, follow the rules and get a safe job. But if you are an artist on the inside, you have to push past the naysayers and overcome those road blocks to find success.” – Bonnie Caton Host Jody Maberry talks with Breakfast Stock Club Creator, Bonnie Caton in this episode. Bonnie previously joined Jody on Great Escape Radio to introduce listeners to stock photography. You can listen to that episode and get more details on stock here. This week she gives us a few more reasons about why stock photography is such a great place to start selling your photos and highlights some current saleable stock trends online… She also shares her theory of the underdog and why she started the Breakfast Stock Club – “We go through life in this culture where we idolize people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs – the innovators, the doers who go out and take risks. But in our daily lives when we tell people

Great Escape Radio Episode 26: Introduction to Microgigs “It’s crazy, ridiculous and fun all at the same time, but it works because people like weird.” - Lori Allen For more about how you can get started earning an income by offering your own microgigs, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/microgigs. Director of Great Escape Publishing, Lori Allen, talks about the idea of “micro-entrepreneurship” and completing small jobs or “microgigs” on this episode. Microgigs have been around for at least 5 years and have been featured on the Today Show, ABC, CNN and Forbes. Great Escape Publishing developed its Microgig Riches program about two or three years ago to help people take advantage of this hot trend. Lori explains more… “Many of our Great Escape Publishing programs are romantic. It’s romantic to travel the world and get paid to write about your experiences. It’s romantic to get paid for your photos and see them on a billboard, or in a magazine. But often people don’t have the money to get started – or po

Great Escape Radio Episode #25: Securing that press trip! “This travel writing life of mine has snowballed into an amazing adventure. I’m living it and even I can’t believe how amazing it is sometimes.” – Terri Marshall For more about how you can get started with travel writing today, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting. This week on Great Escape Radio, host Jody Mayberry talks with travel writer, Terri Marshall, about how to secure FAM, or press trips. Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen introduces us to Terri… “First of all let me say I love Terri. She is a genuine nice person. I love that she loves adventure and she’s up for anything. Terri has done everything from harvesting cacao in Belize to driving a reindeer sleigh in Norway. She’s taken her kids and even her grandkids on some of her press trips.” Terri explains what a FAM trip is… “FAM stands for familiarization which basically means that a public relations firm or tourism representative will organize a trip for travel writers

Great Escape Radio Podcast #24: Times have changed “All of your struggles are not forever, they’re just for now.” Lori Allen If you’d like to learn more about Great Escape Publishing’s programs, Lori suggests starting with the travel writing program. You can find more information and a video to see if travel writing is right for you here: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting. This week host, Jody Mayberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, talk more about last episode’s interview with Jeff Kontur and the concept of figuring out what works for you. Lori shares with us more about the DC Social Summit where she met Jeff Kontur… “The idea behind the DC Area Social was to invite people in the area to come in and meet us and learn about our events and products and then to have drinks and socialize. We’ve found that our most successful members are the ones who have formed networks with other writers and photographers.” Since Great Escape Publishing began, Lori has noted trends that come a

Great Escape Radio - Podcast #23: Winners quit all the time “Winners quit all the time, but they quit without fanfare. Winners are quick to realize what isn’t working for them and to move on to something else.” – Jeff Kontur If you’d like to learn more about Great Escape Publishing’s programs, Lori suggests starting with the travel writing program. You can find more information and a video to see if travel writing is for you here: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting. This week, host Jody Mayberry interviews Great Escape Publishing member, Jeff Kontur about his experience with GEP and their programs. GEP Director, Lori Allen introduces us to Jeff… “I first met Jeff at our DC Social Summit. This is an event we created to bring people together in the Washington DC area to help them get to know us and create networks with other writers and photographers in the DC area.” GEP members with the greatest success tend to be the ones who have formed networks with other writers and photographers. It provide

Great Escape Radio - Podcast #22: The Tapestry of Success “Life is like a tapestry, on one side it’s beautiful and seamless and perfectly woven together. But when you flip it over it’s a jumble of strings. “- Metaphor inspired by Corrie Ten Boom For more information about how you can get started with travel writing, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting. Jody Mayberry, host of Great Escape Radio, sits down with Lori Allen, Director of Great Escape Publishing, to talk about what’s really involved in finding success with travel writing, photography or any new venture. Lori tells the story of the funeral for a friend’s grandmother… “This lady was extraordinary. She was well-known and loved by her community. Her family loved her…she had lived a truly extraordinary life. In describing her the preacher said, ‘Life is like a tapestry, on one side it’s beautiful and seamless and perfectly woven together. But when you flip it over it’s a jumble of strings’ – I love that metaphor because it is true a

Great Escape Radio – Podcast #21: What Keeps People from Accomplishing Big Things? “One thing you have to realize is there is no such thing as failure. Failures are just road signs that lead you to more successes”. – Oprah Winfrey For more information on getting started with travel writing, go to www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting and for information on getting started with photography, go to www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography. In this week’s episode, Lori Allen, Director of Great Escape Publishing, talks with Great Escape Radio host, Jody Mayberry, about what keeps people from accomplishing big things in travel writing, photography, and in life. Lori says, “We buy into this dream of becoming a travel writer or seeing our photos on a billboard or a magazine and it is that dream that helps you reach the end goal. The idea of that dream governs all of your actions.” Great Escape Publishing’s programs provide the steps to becoming a travel writer or photographer but sometimes there ar

Great Escape Radio – Episode 20 Photography and Travel Writing Go Hand in Hand “Publishing a story about the tree in my front yard is proof that you can find a story anywhere.” – Amy Muschik For more advice on how you can get started with photography, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography. And for more advice on how you can get started with travel writing, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting. On this episode, we meet Great Escape Publishing member, Amy Muschik, who is both a travel writer and photographer. Director Lori Allen explains, “When we started our travel writing and photography programs several years ago… most writers weren’t photographers. Things are new and different today. Travel writers are photographers and photographers are travel writers. Amy is both – an excellent photographer and a travel writer. She sells her photos to stock agencies, magazines and has even had success by entering photo contests.” Amy discusses how she has found success with travel writing an

Great Escape Radio Episode 19: From Lobbyist to Travel Writer “At the end of their lives, people don’t regret the things they’ve done, they regret the things they haven’t done.” – Patti Morrow For more about how you can get started with travel writing today, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting. In this episode we meet Great Escape Publishing member turned successful travel writer, Patti Morrow. Patti attended the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in Chicago back in 2011. She loves to travel and initially was looking for a way to fund her travels. What she found was a new career. GEP Director Lori Allen says, “Patti is a former lobbyist turned travel writer. She’s one of my Facebook friends and I love watching her news feed about all the places she goes and the things she does. Patti freelances for several publications but she also has a blog – Luggage and Lipstick. Don’t let the name fool you – it’s a great blog for women AND for men. Patti’s travels and adventures are inspiring to everyone.” P

Podcast #18: The Journey to 100 Bylines “We have a big beautiful world out there. If you can, go experience it. If you can’t, live it through my stories.” – Noreen Kompanik For more information on how you can find success with travel writing, like Noreen, check out the Travel Writer's Café, here: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/cafe. On this week’s episode, you’ll hear from Great Escape Publishing travel writing success story – Noreen Kompanik, and how she’s had more than 100 articles published in less than two years. Noreen attended the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in San Diego in 2014. She is a career nurse and was looking for something to transition into when she retires. She went as the guest of a friend who talked her into attending. She knew on day one that she had found something she could transition into as a second career. She knew the instructors were talking to her. The opportunity to be able to travel and write stories about that travel was something that just spoke to her. She followed t

Podcast #17: Starting locally with travel writing “Good things happen if you just get out of bed.” – John Bechtel For more about how you can get started with travel writing today, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting. On this week’s episode, you’ll hear from Great Escape Publishing travel writing success story – John Bechtel, and how he got started writing locally. John attended the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in San Diego in 2014. And in just one year, he was asked to come back and speak on the success panel at the 2015 annual event in Denver. “John says he lives in ‘Nowhere’s Ville’ and he questioned the concept taught at the travel writer’s workshop of starting local,” Great Escape Publishing Director Lori Allen says. “Local for John is Minot, North Dakota and he couldn’t imagine finding anything to write about locally.” So he set out to test the theory… and it worked. We hear a funny, entertaining and enlightening clip from John speaking to the attendees at the 2015 Ultimate Travel Wri

GEP Podcast #16 “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous For more about how you can get started with travel writing today, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting.   Great Escape Radio Episode 16: The Benefits of Travel In this episode, Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen highlights the benefits of travel. She says, “I learn more about myself when I’m in travel situations than I do in practically any other time in my life. I meet new people, see new things, try new foods, and find more time to read.” Travel is a great way to make time slow down. Travel can be challenging, but it offers many benefits… …Handling the challenges of travel help you find yourself and grow as a person …Traveling brings more experiences into your life The programs offered by Great Escape Publishing teach people how to experience a destination in a completely different way than a typical tourist. Everything taught in the GEP programs comes from people who are living, working and ha

GEP Podcast #15 “Planes are meant to fly – people are meant to build things.” – Lori Allen For more about how you can get started with travel writing today, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting.   Great Escape Radio Episode 15: It’s all about the journey This week on Great Escape Radio our host, Jody Mayberry, chats with Great Escape Director, Lori Allen, about following through on our ideas. And Lori brings up an important lesson she learned while studying for her pilot’s license… “I had this great idea to become a pilot, but the truth is I was a little scared of the plane…” Lori explains. “But my instructor always said planes are meant to fly. They aren’t meant to sit on the ground or taxi around the airport – they are built to fly.” And Lori believes the same is true of people… She says, “Planes are meant to fly and people are meant to build things.” And she sees this often in the people she works with through Great Escape Publishing. Many come to GEP as they begin retirement. They’ve spent a