How to Edit Travel Content Like a Pro

Writers get the glory and the byline. Editors rarely get a mention. Yet their role in creating great content is vital.

For some, the process of writing seems to be effortless, a natural gift. Their prose is engaging, witty, evocative and always clear. But the chances are you are reading their end product. What if you were to see their first draft?

It might come as a surprise to learn that even the most talented of writers don’t always get it right first time round. First drafts are frequently lacking finesse, and it takes significant refinement to make them absolutely perfect.

Most top publications and blogs have professional editors to tweak and fine-tune their content — to give it a little nip and tuck where needed. Other writers and bloggers have to edit themselves, which can prove a lot more difficult. Editing is not an easy feat — it’s time-consuming and draining — but it is a necessary one. Not editing your travel content is like bypassing quality checks. Without doing it, the results can be embarrassing or, even worse, damaging to your brand. Fortunately, there are techniques and tips that can help you with the process.

So whether you’re a travel writer looking to improve your own editing skills, or a travel brand trying to ensure that the content you receive from writers is the best it can be, here’s our eight-point checklist for editing travel content.

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David Radzynski: A 28-Year-Old Concert Master – A Blog for From the Grapevine

The soaring swell of strings, the mellow call of the French horn, the rhythmic thud of timpani; there is something about orchestral music that resonates deeply with audiences, whether it’s heard live in a concert hall or as the background score during a film screening. In each and every orchestra, a cast of individual virtuosos work in perfect harmony to produce a cohesive, synergistic sound. Yet despite the impressive collaborative nature of these musical ensembles, there is a clear hierarchy at play. There are first chairs or section principals, who act as the main voice or lead for their respective sections. There are assistant principals who play second fiddle. And finally there’s the most high-ranking title of them all – the leader. Or, as it’s known in the US, the concertmaster.

When From the Grapevine approached us to write about David Radzynski, the recently crowned 28-year-old concertmaster of the highly regarded Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, we were delighted. As music lovers, we were excited to share the story of remarkably talented young man and his rapid rise to classical music stardom.

So that’s what we did. You can read our full blog on David Radzynski for From the Grapevine below.

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12 Tacky Travel Writing Clichés to Avoid

Every writer and editor has their personal peccadilloes about overused travel writing terms such as ‘off the beaten path’ or ‘sun-drenched’, but individual qualms shouldn’t mean a blanket ban on these phrases. These may all be overused clichés, but sometimes — to borrow another particularly well-worn cliché — they hit the nail on the head.

However, there are some words and formulaic travel phrases that are so overused, they are positively exhausted. Many of them are churned out so regularly in travel writing that they have lost all meaning, and no longer register with readers. And yet, thanks to writerly laziness, these hackneyed phrases keep on cropping up again and again.

We have named and shamed 12 of the worst offenders below; our very own dirty dozen of travel writing clichés.

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Not a quaff

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Alice Sachs Zimet: Straddling Arts and Business (Private Air New York Magazine)

Collecting photographs is an increasingly mainstream pastime for those with the artistic appreciation, the in-depth knowledge and, of course, the spare money in the bank. In fact, it has become so popular that this is the second photo collector profile piece we’ve written in as many months (following this piece on Richard and Ellen Sandor).

This article on Alice Sachs Zimet was produced for Private Air New York Magazine, a publication focused on high culture in the Big Apple and firmly targeted at the one percent. World Words’ senior editor Mandy interviewed the renowned collector about her love of art and her long-held habit for hoarding, and you can read her piece below.

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