Welcome Written Road Readers

As many of you know, I also write for Written Road. Finally, after two months of work, I was introduced today, which has yield a numerous hits on my personal website and Traveler's Pen. I just wanted to take the time to welcome everyone coming from Written Road and tell you a little bit about Traveler's Pen.

Somewhere, you read a travel article you loved, or one you felt you could write better. Heard a story or had an idea that needed to be published. Or, read a book by one of your favorite travel writers. All leading you to one conclusion: you want to be a travel writer.

There are many questions and frustrations associated with becoming a travel writer. How do I begin? What are the components of a great query letter? How do I make a name for myself? Which publications are open to new/beginning writers? Do I have what it takes to make it? As I travel writer, I've asked those same questions. However, those questions are not easily answered. I looked for support within the travel writing community, but grew frustrated when I found that nothing catered to beginners. We wanted to create a community where all travel writers --- especially beginners --- could feel welcome, ask questions, vent their frustrations, and communicate with others in their same predicament, without being made to feel inferior, untalented or unwanted.

My co-founder, Denene, and I are both on the beginning side of our travel writing careers. We understand how it feels to receive rejections, watch queries go unnoticed, and try to succeed in a career many attempt, but most fail. Traveler's Pen will be a much needed umbrella in an unexpected down pour of rain, a place to get answers to the simple questions, share in other travel writers successes and rejections, and more importantly, a place to grow their ambitions into a career.

Traveler's Pen will offer readers an inside look at the start of noted travel writers, market leads that cater to new writers, an open forum to discuss travel writing, interviews with other new travel writers, a first success column, Q&A's, writer's resources, and much more.

Take a few minutes to read back posts, join our Yahoo! Discussion Forum, and leave a comment. We would also love to know who else -- besides us -- is reading this blog. Thank you for reading Traveler's Pen and we hope to hear from you.