Instructors:
The Santa Fe travel writing workshop will be led by an experienced team of travel writers, editors and PR professionals.
Director Janna Graber has spent 12 years as a professional travel journalist, covering destinations in almost 40 countries in print, online and video. She has written for more than 50 publications, including Parade, Reader’s Digest, The Chicago Tribune and many more. Janna was the on-camera host for Frontier Airlines Great Escapes. She has extensive experience in online publishing, and has developed — and sold — several travel media sites during the last 10 years. She is the founder and managing editor at Go World Travel Magazine, an international magazine site celebrating world travel. Having gotten her own career start at a writing workshop many years ago, she is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others. She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers.
Photography instructor Jerome Shaw has been involved in photography for more than 40 years. He is a graduate of the University Photographer Jerome Shawof Nebraska with a BFA degree in photography and film. He began his commercial photography career in Aspen, Colorado shooting skiing and outdoor recreation before eventually moving to Boulder and Denver where he worked for a variety of travel & tourism clients including: Colorado Tourism, United Airlines, British Airways and Globus and Cosmos Tours.His work is published in national and international publications ranging from Time Magazine and Outside Magazine to German Geo and The Singapore Strait Times. He is the editor for Travel Boldly and contributes to Examiner, JohnnyJet and Confluence-Denver.
Adventure travel writer Gina Kremer specializes in adventure travel writing. She spent four months hiking the Appalachian Trail, and has covered adventure travel all over the globe. She brings a strong background in media relations, writing and online promotion.
Our team of local Santa Fe experts will also provide in-depth local knowledge of the region and its culture, as well as insight into the working partnership between working journalist and PR professionals.
Workshops:
Class #1: Overview of Travel writing Today
What does it mean to be a travel writer these days? How has the field changed? What opportunities are there for today’s writers? This workshop will explore both the facts and the fiction about this exciting genre.
Travel writing takes many shapes and forms, from round-ups to service pieces to travel essays. We will also discuss the different types of travel writing that are popular today and when — and where — these forms of writing are used. You’ll examine your own writing styles, and determine what types of travel writing suits you best
Class #2: Developing Story Ideas and Angles
All travel writing is grounded in a story topic and story angle. This workshop explores where to look for story ideas and how to develop a strong story angle. You’ll start work on a writing assignment by developing a story topic and angle to discuss with your small writing group in the afternoon breakout session.
Class #3: Illustrating Your Story with Compelling Photography
You don’t have to be a professional photographer to create professional-looking photos that will compliment your article and help sell your writing work. This workshop will discuss subject selection, framing, composition, lighting and more.
Assignment: “Shoot Out” in Santa Fe. Each writer will shoot their own photos during our afternoon travel outings. Photos will be reviewed the next day.
Class #4: Photography Class Continued: Review of Photo Shoot Out
How to shoot photos that will not only complement your story, but bring in more income.
Class #5: Using Social Media to Promote and Sell Your Work
Power to the people! This workshop will discuss the growing role of social media platforms like Pinterest, Twitter, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn and Facebook, and how to use these platforms to promote your work.
Class #6: Pitching and Placing Your Work
Where will your work appear? How can you promote your writing? We’ll discuss how to research publications, query an editor and submit your work. We’ll discuss current online and print outlets, as well as non-paying publication opportunities.
Class #7: Self-Publishing and Self-Promotion
Self-publishing opportunities continue to grow. We’ll discuss creating your own blog or website, monetization opportunities and other income-generating publishing opportunities.
Small Group Breakout: Meet with your writing group to share and discuss your article progress
