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You don't have to be an experienced writer and you don't have to make extensive trips to faraway places. Vacation spots in your own area will interest others who, like you, want to know about easy-to-make trips.

My own travel writing began purely as a hobby, and though I soon began making profits in the form of editors' checks, the greatest reward is still that of an enjoyable personal hobby.

Like most vacationers, I have always written letters home telling of the things I have done and seen. And, like everyone else, I usually included a few snapshots taken with an inexpensive camera. Sometimes, when I found that I was just repeating the same letter to different persons, I made carbon copies of the travel report and mailed these off, accompanied by personal notes. I also had duplicates made of the better snapshots and enclosed them.

My friends enjoyed these brief "travelogues" and I discovered later that some of them had saved the letters. When they showed them to me, I wished that I had kept copies for myself. Here was the perfect record of each trip! The letters vividly brought back the memories of each vacation.

That was the beginning of my new hobby. After this, whenever I made a trip, I saved copies of my letters and pasted them, along with the snapshots, in a scrapbook from the dime store. Soon I was devoting more time to my hobby, rewriting the reports that could be improved on; selecting only the few best snapshots and arranging them tastefully in the scrapbook. In no time at all, I had a fascinating travel book—recorded memories of all my vacations. Some of them were no more than weekend trips to my uncle's farm, or a brief visit to a nearby city—but it was all there in black and white.

WHEN I was showing my travel book to a friend one day, she enthusiastically suggested that I try writing travel articles for the newspapers. The idea sounded impossible—I knew nothing about writing! But the following Sunday I looked through the newspaper travel sections and the articles didn't seem so formidable after all. I began reading all that I came across, and asked my friends to save any that they found. Even if I didn't attempt to write for publication, I could improve my own hobby work by seeing how the professionals did it.

But the thought was always in the back of my mind, and finally the day came when I decided to make the try. Because I live in Houston, Texas, not far from the Mexican border, I had made several trips into Old Mexico. The memories of my last trip were still fresh in my mind, and I felt sure that material on Mexico would be interesting to other Texans who planned trips south of the border.

I spent an entire afternoon rewriting and combining some of the accounts in my travel book. Trying to find an approach that would be genuinely helpful, I decided to write articles that I would liked to have read before making my own trip. If I could make them helpful to me for planning a trip, they should interest others like myself. (And this has since been a guiding principle with my travel writing. While working on a piece, I ask myself, "Would this actually interest me?")

The results of my afternoon's work were: one piece entitled "Vacation in the Valley of Mexico." The special angle, or original approach, that I tried to give it was to present a more or less conventional account of places and things, but to give it added meaning for the typically time-short tourist. I told how he could spend his whole vacation in and around Mexico City, never leaving the Central Valley, and still find a wide variety of entertainment to suit each member of the family. I emphasized the different types of sights to see and different kinds of things to do. All of them, though diversified, were in easy reach of Mexico City so that a person with limited time could get at least an idea of the rest of the country. (This is, of course, a principle that could well be applied to any city or small section of a state, area, etc.)

MY SECOND piece, based on the same trip, was a slightly different type of travel article. It was what might be termed a "service piece." Called "Shopping in Mexico—U.S. Dollar Will Go a Long Way," it stressed the how rather than the what. Instead of describing a specific locale, I told how the potential traveler could get the most for his shopping money, no matter where in Mexico he might go. I mentioned a few of the best buys, and warned against a few of the cheaper, strictly souvenir kind of things. I discussed the money exchange rates and import tax rulings. I closed with a personal anecdote describing my first introduction to the Mexican custom of bargaining, and thus prepared the reader to enter into the bargaining with a little forewarning.

The third article was a purely descriptive piece telling of some ancient Indian ruins just outside of Mexico City, recounting briefly their history and telling the reader how to get there. All three travel pieces, you see, were based on a single trip, bringing out different aspects of it. That's one of the happy features of travel writing—one trip doesn't mean just one article. A little thought will suggest a number of possibilities.

I had read enough issues of the Houston Post travel section to feel that I had an understanding of the type of material they liked. So I mailed my three pieces in—and crossed my fingers.

Within two weeks a check came. They bought two articles—the shopping one and the account of vacationing in and around Mexico City. The other they rejected because, as the editor took time to point out, it was merely descriptive. It offered nothing new. That was enough to teach me always to look for some slightly different "angle" for all later articles.

The Post check was not a large one—just $10. But it was pure profit that came from doing no more than what I did for my own entertainment. And what a thrill it was to see my own article in print, with my name under the heading. Most newspaper travel articles are published with the author's name, his by-line.

THAT FIRST success was all the encouragement I needed. I proudly replaced my scrapbook accounts with the published ones and planned to write newspaper articles for every future trip I made. I even had visions of becoming a second Burton Holmes!

My decision paid off. Next, I wrote up an account of a weekend visit I made to nearby New Orleans. I stayed with friends who have an apartment in the French Quarter, and my article tried to give a feeling of life in the Quarter—a background picture for the tourist who only has time to see some of the more outstanding sights. In the course of the article, I mentioned these well-known attractions, but the stress was on smaller, less commercialized places that offered a more accurate picture of modern life in the Old Quarter.

I tried another local paper, the Houston Chronicle, and this time received double my first pay—$10 for the single article.

Not all the articles I've written have sold, of course. But, published or not, they are all there in my scrapbook for me to enjoy. And the many that have been sold have brought in extra money that I put in a special savings—a travel fund to help make the next trip possible.

I soon learned that travel writing was not as easy as my initial success had made me think, and I no longer think of making a career of it. But as a pleasurable hobby, and one that pays off in cash rewards, it's ideal.

It wasn't too long before I branched out from the newspaper pages to small magazines that feature travel stories. These markets pay a good deal more. One article that I sold to the Ford Times brought a check for $200. It was about the coatimundi, a small badger-like animal found in the southwestern states. I became acquainted with the fascinating little animals on a trip into southern Texas, and natives there gave me material for my story.

The $200 check, of course, was exceptionally high. My average magazine check runs about $30, sometimes a bit more.

THE FIRST thing I had to learn about travel writing was the proper way of submitting a manuscript to an editor. It must be typewritten, double-spaced, on one side only of a good grade paper. Type your name and address in the upper left-hand corner. Number the pages and put your name on each.

Be sure to keep a carbon copy of each article, in case the original becomes lost or damaged. (Also, I've found from experience that you can learn a good deal by comparing the original with the published version. Any editorial changes are valuable tips on how to improve your future articles.)

Don't fold the manuscript. Mail it flat in a manila envelope. If you want your article returned (in the event that the editor does not buy it), enclose another manila envelope, addressed to you, and accompanied by sufficient return postage. Mark the envelope First Class. Postal laws require that unpublished manuscripts go first class. So much for the mechanics.

Editors prefer short articles—factual, fast-moving, and to the point. I've found that for newspapers, the articles are usually about 700 words long. The magazines vary more, but 1,500 to 2,000 words is generally an acceptable length. Be sure to see copies of the publication you hope to sell to. This way, you can tell just what lengths they want, and get an idea of the style of writing they like.

The chief point of your article is to tell the reader about the vacation spot as vividly and factually as possible. Make him want to go there too. I always take pains to give all the important facts—how to get there, what to do and see, the best time to go. Then, I try to write my stories in such a way that the "armchair traveler" will enjoy reading them, even though he does not actually plan to make the trip.

I always give distances, costs, time required, as well as accounts of the various attractions. I look for colorful nouns and verbs to put sparkle into the piece and bring the subject to life. Verbs that make inanimate objects seem alive make for more vivid writing—mountains tumble down to the coast, Houston sprawls happily on the Texas plains, San Antonio's river snakes lazily through the down-town shopping district, etc.

Here is a trick the writers use that is especially helpful in travel writing: put distances in terms of something familiar. In a story of Texas's Big Bend Park, I compared a high cliff with a ten-story building. I compared an expanse of desert waste with the size of a well-known county. Most people have difficulty visualizing such figures. Do it for them!

I've learned that as a rule editors don't like hazy impressions or purely personal reactions. They like specific incidents; anecdotes that dramatize the points you are making; facts, concrete and made as visual as possible.

THE OPENING paragraphs, or "lead" of your article, require special care, because it is here that you must catch your reader's interest and indicate that the rest of the article will be worth his time. There are many ways of doing this. Books on article-writing have tried to break the leads down into categories. Here are a few of the more familiar types:

The "You Lead," which brings the reader immediately into the article: "You will find the charms of a bygone century, blended with the comforts of completely modern hotels on a weekend visit to historic Annapolis, Maryland."

The "Direct Statement Lead," which starts off right at the heart of your article: "Mexico offers an outstanding vacation bargain to the family looking for a complete change in scenery and living, yet anxious to keep an eye on the pocketbook and calendar. Here's why."

The "Striking Statement Lead," which interests the reader with some little-known fact or picturesque incident: "The pirate Jean Lafitte lived in New Orleans's French Quarter and is said to have left a fortune in stolen treasure there. Tourists don't have to dig for treasure when they come to New Orleans, however. Their reward is quickly and easily found in their first stroll through this oldest part of the city."

The "Timely Lead," which adds interest to the article by tying it up to an anniversary date or newsworthy event: "May Day in Birmingham, Alabama, will draw visitors from all over the country to see the city's famous roses and dogwood blossoms. A well-marked route will guide you through the most colorful sections, past hundreds of the flowering shrubs and trees."

There are many more types of leads. Your own will probably fall naturally into one of the categories. Just keep in mind that it must arouse the reader's interest and indicate what is to follow. The body of your article should develop easily from the lead, giving the important information and facts.

Conclusions, I have found, are not difficult at all. When you have said what you have to say, just stop. Occasionally, it's a good idea to swing back to your opening paragraphs, closing with a recapitulation of the lead and thus giving a rounded, finished feeling. A quotation of what someone has said can be used to sum up and express the mood you have tried to create. As in the case of the lead, your best conclusion will usually be the one that you feel is most natural and satisfying.

YOU WILL increase your own enjoyment of your trip—and prepare yourself for the coming article—if you learn as much as you can beforehand. Write to the chamber of commerce for available leaflets and literature. Write hotels, lodges, resorts and transportation services for their folders. Check your local library to see what reference books will tell you about your vacation spot. The American Guide series offers a wealth of enjoyable material.

From the very start of your trip, get in the habit of talking to people. Other vacationists, the people who live there, owners of the various concessions—all of them are potential sources of information. You may find that a chance remark or bright observation will be just the thing to give your article its own special slant. Of course, it goes without saying that the more people you meet on your trip, the more fun you are going to have—in addition to helping with your travel story.

When I have satisfactory photographs, I always send them with my articles. They act as good salesmen for your writing, and they bring in extra pay. You can take pictures worthy of publication with an inexpensive camera and a basic understanding of what is wanted.

For example, try to include persons in your pictures. Not closeups that emphasize the individual. Use figures for scale or to give meaning and a point of interest to a general landscape shot. Show the people in action, or have them looking off at the view that you wish to show.

Study the composition of each shot before clicking the shutter. A few minutes spent finding the best angle, the most effective lighting, can pay off in dollars. It will mean the difference between an ordinary snapshot and a professional looking travel photo.

Take a tip from the commercial photographers and "frame" your pictures, using an arch or gateway. Include an object in the foreground and give added perspective. An overhanging tree branch, rock or shrub will do the trick.

When you have your pictures printed choose only the best ones, and have them enlarged to an 8-by-10-inch size, with a glossy finish. Write concise, appealing captions for them and paste these on the backs of the photos. Be sure to include your name and address on each, and don't write on the backs. The pressure of the pen or pencil may injure the front surfaces.

Put the pictures in the manila envelope and protect them with a sheet of corrugated paper. It's always a good idea to print "Photographs—Do Not Fold" on the envelope.

There are not many markets that will accept non-professional color photos but if you use color film well, you stand a chance to make good money from pictures, either alone or as illustrations for an article. My own camera is a 35 mm. and a few publications will accept such a small size. Nevertheless, I did sell six of them, along with an article, to the Lincoln-Mercury Times. I received $25 for each picture and $150 for the article—a grand total of $300! The photos were of dancers in an Indian festival, and the article, telling the story of the celebration, was written in a narrative style, simply recounting the events of the festival as they occurred.

If you don't have a camera, you can obtain excellent photos from chambers of commerce, airlines, resort managements and other organizations. On a trip to Galveston, Texas, none of my own pictures turned out to be suitable for publication. When I went to the local chamber of commerce and told them my problem, they were more than helpful, turning over to me a huge file of excellent pictures to choose from.

Most of these organizations will give you the pictures free of charge, although they may ask that the published articles give them picture credits. Newspaper photography departments, another good picture source, will make a small charge for their photos—usually from $1 to $3.

IF YOU become as interested in your hobby as I have, you will find that you can even write travel articles without traveling! Study up on areas right around you. There are sure to be points of interest in your own town, county, and state. Because you live there, you may take them for granted. But remember that there may be others who would like to include a stopover in their travels to see your own part of the country.

Study all the travel articles you come across, in both newspapers and magazines. I suggest that you make your first tries, as I did, with your local newspapers. When you begin to branch out into magazines, stick to the small ones at first anyway. The pay is less—but so is the competition.