PLEASE NOTE: These guidelines are for travel bloggers only. If you are a business trying to place a guest post, a sponsored post or something commercial, I am not taking any at this time.
What is Women on the Road?
Women on the Road is one of the original women’s travel websites. It all started with an email newsletter in 1996 and by the end of 2006 this website was born – for women who travel smart, safe and solo, who are respectful of and curious about other cultures, who want to discover the world on their own terms and leave their preconceived ideas behind.
Although we do have many younger readers, this site is specifically aimed at solo traveler women over 50. Please bear this in mind when you pitch. Speaking of which…
Please query first
I’m looking for destination posts only – no solo travel, cheap travel, why travel solo or the like. Simple destination posts, written through a female lens and containing practical destination-related advice for the smart, independent and mature female reader.
Please email me 3 story pitches – they can be in the same place but each with a different twist, or in different places. In addition to three story ideas, tell me a little about yourself, your blog, and what qualifies you to write about this destination. Please understand that I receive a lot of pitches and cannot accept every one – I’m a one-woman shop and the entire editing and posting process takes time, so I am very selective.
Here’s what I’m looking for
- I am interested in most European countries, except France. I can take country guides for countries I have not covered at all, or city guides for countries already covered.
- For the rest of the world, please check with me.
- I am not actively seeking Canada or USA but might consider major city guides on Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, New York City or Chicago, although these are not a priority at present and they will be looked at last.
And here are the guidelines
Posts must be based on in-depth knowledge of your destination gained from your having lived there or traveled there extensively. Information should be honest and realistic – no promotional rose-tinted glasses prose. Imagine a reader will want to visit after reading your piece, and possibly recreate your trip.
I’m redeveloping the site so existing posts are not necessarily a reflection of what I’m looking for.
Posts should be long form – on average 2000-3000 words, with a sweet spot at around 2500.
Your story should contain all the elements in this template. Please download, make a copy, and fill it in.
Once you’ve downloaded the template, please follow these guidelines – because yes, there are a few rules.
- Show off your knowledge of offbeat places and things to do, of what to eat, of habits and customs that help a reader understand a place better.
- Remember – this blog is for solo women travelers over 50. You must write from that point of view. No tours, no cruises, and no adventures you wouldn’t recommend to your mother or grandmother.
- No bullets (unless you’re trying to highlight something specific). Narrative only, please.
- No rants – be factual. If you had a terrible experience, by all means mention it, but don’t color your entire piece with negativity, as in “why I hated X country”. We all have different experiences and see things from different perspectives.
- Absolutely no AI. We will check and will immediately refuse your piece if any of it has not been generated by you. And no affiliate links, as I will add my own.
- Please write well. That means – pack your piece with information, not fluff. If you try to reach the word count by weaving in senseless padding, I’ll see it and won’t be able to publish your piece. Make each sentence count!
- Please include at least 4 original photos, taken by you. Three should be horizontal, and one should be vertical. Feel free to send more if you’d like. No selfies, no watermarks, and no recognizable faces.
Not sure your idea fits the bill? Have questions? Please ask!
What’s in it for YOU?
- Three strong do-follow (non-commercial) links back to your own travel blog or site, two in the text (to relevant but non-competing posts) and one in your bio (to your homepage), along with a link to your main social media platform.
- Ongoing promotion through my own social media channels.
- Promotion in Women on the Road NEWS, my weekly newsletter (10,000+ subscribers)
- And yes, association with a respected, mature travel website.
How to submit your articles/posts
Make a copy of the template and fill it out.
Disclosure
Women on the Road is a member of the Mediavine ad network and ads appear throughout the site. In addition, I may add affiliate links to your post for relevant products and services. I will also edit for grammar and style.
I commit to keeping your post up as is for a minimum of one year (standard in the industry) but if I should then take it down, I will maintain the link to your site for as long I own this site, so you will not be penalized by Google.
Finally, the best guarantee of publication is relevance (woman-centered), reader demand (that’s why I ask you to check the destination with me first), expertise and above all, good writing.
Have you got the perfect piece? Let’s find out…