Whether you’re a travel writer or an author, the chances are that you spend time on the road in some capacity. After all, making money is all about getting out there, meeting people, and proving to them why our writing is worth investing in. The only trouble is that, with most writers having to travel pretty long distances, ensuring a realistic return/hourly rate isn’t easy.
Most writers work with relatively small-scale salaries in the first place. When you add the time and travel expense of moving around the country, you’re at risk of eating up profits before you even have them. Luckily, many writers do manage to offset the cost of travel so that it doesn’t nibble its way into their profits. And, we’re going to look at some of the simple ways that they make it work.
Seek only lucrative opportunities
Except for some writer festivals and workshops, things like talks in bookshops, etc. are almost always reliant on resulting sales. As such, before accepting any appearance that requires extensive travel time, writers need to think about how lucrative each opportunity could be to ensure travel is never at a loss. Most importantly, consider whether an appearance is paid, if so, how much of that money will be spent on travel and, if not, how many sales you could realistically make vs the money you’ve already spent.
Put it through the books
Appearances might not always be paid, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be left out of pocket for the privilege. Admittedly, you are going to need to pay for things like train tickets, fuel costs, etc. upfront, but these are all additions that can go through your books at the end of the tax year.
In fact, many more travel expenses than people realize are claimable on expenses. If you eat out while you’re on the road, for example, you should keep your receipts and claim later. Equally, if you’re involved in an accident while traveling for business purposes, there’s a strong case for claiming the expense of a personal injury attorney later on.
Perhaps the best thing to do in this sense is to simply develop a ‘travel pot’ from which all your travel expenses are paid. Then, make sure to organize your files and receipts so that you’re easily able to top that pot up again without feeling the sting of doing so.
Use your travel time wisely
Missed productivity is too often the real issue in terms of monetary losses during travel. In fact, for writers who tour the country or even travel abroad, as many as a few months away from dedicated writing can have a significant knock-on effect. This is especially the case if you struggle to meet deadlines/accept new work in the interim, and is something that should always be considered in light of the financial viability of travel overall. Luckily, many writers manage to work well and attend events/long-distance meetings, and they generally do so by writing on the road wherever possible.
Travel writers are especially adept at this, but even novelists, journalists, etc. should practice the art of working wherever they are. Most obviously, catching the train with your laptop/notes in tow is the best way to achieve this goal. Equally, it’s worth seeking peaceful accommodation with wifi included so that, between meetings or appearances, you’re able to get to work in much the same way as you would back home.
Carve out time at home
Let’s not forget, either, that it’s still important to carve out time at home where possible. Sometimes, especially in light of a book launch or other extreme moment in your career, you may feel the urge to stay on the bandwagon and keep doing the rounds. However, writers have to write, and even if you’re writing on the go there will inevitably come a time when you need to return home and gather your thoughts/materials. As such, it’s always worth making sure to spend no more than a month or so on the road at any given time where possible. Even if this means spacing out long-distance meetings, etc., it’s worthwhile for the longevity and continued profits that it can provide.
For writers, traveling is an amazing way to meet new readers, clients, and opportunities, and that’s before we even consider the value of seeing people out in the real world. Still, steps should always be taken to ensure travel doesn’t eat too far into profits overall, and these pointers can help you to avoid precisely that.
