If you’re interested in travel or travel writing, I hope you’ll check out the articles I’ve had published this week:

Sonidos de la Tierra: Saving Children Through Music

Cinterandes: Innovating Mobile Medicine in Ecuador

Top Five Secrets Travel Writers Won’t Tell You

Travel Stories: Knowing When to Pitch to an Editor and When to Blog: co authored with Peter Davison

As a travel or place-based writer, you’re not limited to telling personal narratives about the places you’ve been. The popularity of travelogues and memoirs continues to expand, and more publications, both print and electronic, are including book reviews among the content they offer readers.

As an established or emerging travel writer, you can request review copies of recently published books directly from publishing houses or authors’ agents. Publishers and agents are eager to stimulate book sales through reviews, and you can expand your own library while adding a new skill to your writing repertoire and resume.

Below, you’ll find a sample e-mail/fax that you can use to contact publishers to request review copies. First, though, a few pointers:

*Do not request review copies unless you (1) actually plan to review the book and (2) have a publication that has agreed to publish your review. Publishers are willing to send you books for free, but they want to be reasonably assured that you’ll write the review in exchange.

*Do direct your request to the correct publishing house representative. Each publishing house has an individual or department responsible for handling review copy requests. Once you’ve learned about a book you want to review, visit the publisher’s website and perform a keyword search for “review copies.”

*Do be specific–and honest– about your publication credits and the credentials of the publication in which you expect the review to be published. Publishers and agents want to know: (1) your publishing history, especially of book reviews; (2) the name of the publication to which the review will be submitted for publication; and, (3) most importantly, the circulation or total readership of the publication in which the review will appear. If the publication is electronic, citing the number of RSS subscribers is also helpful.

SAMPLE E-MAIL/FAX:

Hello-

My name is ______ and I am a writer for ______________.
I am writing to request a review copy of [author name] [book title], for which I plan to write a review for [name of publication]. My contact information and information about the publication appear below. If you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you in advance,

[Your Name]

Contact Information: [Your Name]
[Your Address]

Phone:
E-Mail:

Publication Information: [Name of publication] is an [online/print] travel magazine that [is published with what frequency]. [Name of publication] currently has a circulation of [number of suscribers; if online, mention RSS feed and, if available, number of unique daily visitors who are not subscribers]. The most recent book review I published was [author name/book title], published by [name of publisher].

Published by Matador Volunteer, March, 2008

*

Organization: Kiva.org

Opportunity: Fellows Program

Organization Overview: The U.S. based microlending organization, Kiva, has generated major buzz, enthusiastically supported by President Clinton and featured in The New York Times Magazine and a documentary produced by Frontline/World, all of which have praised the organization for its novel approach to linking social entrepreneurs and lenders through the Internet. With a 99.9% loan repayment rate, Kiva is popular with both lenders and loan-seekers, and is positioned to continue attracting attention.

Opportunity Overview: Less well-known is Kiva’s year-old Fellows program, a natural extension of Kiva’s mission. Anyone over 21 can apply for the Fellows program, the purpose of which is to strengthen Kiva’s relationship with its microfinance institutions (MFIs) by placing skilled volunteers on the ground in communities where the work that’s being funded is performed. The Fellows are a vital link between Kiva staff, lenders, and loan recipients, sharing information among the stakeholders, increasing exposure and awareness, and providing technical support to loan recipients.

Ideal Volunteer Profile:

-21+ years of age (current volunteers range in age from 21-60)

-Proficient with photography and blogging

-Strong travel history, especially independent travel

-Language skills: Fluency in French, Spanish, and Asian languages are particularly needed for West Africa, Asia, and Latin America placements

Expectations of Volunteers:

Volunteers are matched to regions, organizations, and tasks based on their experiences, skills, and interests. All volunteers are expected to photograph members of the microfinance institution and post blog entries to Kiva’s site; the blogs are intended to chronicle the lives of the working poor and provide first-hand accounts of how microlending is impacting people’s lives. Volunteers also work in the microfinance institution’s office 2-3 days per week, providing assistance with a variety of tasks, which may include data entry, accounting, document creation, training, and other forms of technical support.

Bonus Points for the Fellows Program!

-Couples can apply.

-The volunteer positions are largely autonomous (no supervisor on site) while also highly collaborative (working closely with the members of the MFI).

-Beyond the required 10 week commitment, the terms of service are flexible. Some Fellows have been in the field for more than a year, and have rotated through more than one organization… or country!

Details: For full details about the Fellows Program and to download an application and instructions, please visit http://www.kiva.org/about/fellows-program/.

Feel Good Story:

Anushka Ratnayake, Fellows Program Manager, shared the following story:

“One of my favorite Fellows stories is about Liz Vilette from Houston who went to Azerbaijan. She was finishing her MBA and wanted to see what she’d heard about in theory in practice. She’s a former soldier and was really gung ho to try anything. We really wanted a fellow in Azerbaijan because it has a really strong microfinance industry and we were sending lots of funds there. Liz was incredibly resourceful. [Even before she left] Liz found out that Houston is a sister city with a city in Azerbaijan and she found an expat community in Houston and got them really excited about Kiva and helped them connect to people at home. They helped her find a homestay and she went to Azerbaijan for over three months and ended up working with three of our partners there. She trained staff and provided English language classes, which really added value to the MFI, and helped improve staff retention. She was making Kiva real to them.”

We’re on the road this week in Washington, D.C., and here are some of the books that we brought along for the ride:

 Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages by Mark Abley

Targeted: Homeland Security and the Business of Immigration by Deepa Fernandes 

Down the Nile Alone in a Fisherman’s Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney