Description
Being a good freelancer requires a multitude of skills; having interesting ideas and being a great writer are obviously integral to the skillset. But you need to be able to communicate that idea quickly and effectively to a busy editor, who’s often working as part of a team, and juggle the various components of a story while also trying to place it. It’s not always easy.
So what can editors, editorial teams and publications do to make this process better? Right now, it seems there’s never been more conversation around the frustration of simply getting a pitch picked up, with many freelancers even ‘grateful’ for a rejection because they received a reply. But surely it shouldn’t be this way? What can we all do to ensure easier communications and better relationships? In this conversation, the panellists cover the full spectrum: Sarah Allard, Condé Nast Traveller’s Digital Director, and Laura a full-time freelancer after five years as Metro newspaper’s commissioning travel editor while I split my time between commissioning and freelancing. Fourth panellist TBC.
As ever, it promises to be an enlightening, interesting and inspiring discussion. There will be time for questions at the end or during the session. Questions in advance are very welcome.
If you’ve missed previous webinars, you can watch past sessions on everything from successful pitching, developing your writing, and decolonising/modernising travel writing to topics such as smarter freelancing, working with PRs, and mental health and wellbeing (free webinar). All available here.
Travel Writing Webinars by Meera Dattani is supported by Talking Travel Writing. This webinar is also sponsored by Adventure Travel Networking (ATN).
The panellists
Sarah Allard is digital director at Condé Nast Traveller. She has worked in digital publishing for 10 years and has been a digital editor for five. She started her career at women’s lifestyle brand GoodtoKnow, where she held positions as wellbeing editor, associate editor and digital editor before joining wedding brand Hitched as digital editor for three years. She joined Condé Nast Traveller in December 2021 and can’t quite believe she gets to talk about travel all day long. Sarah lives in east London, and when she’s not working she’s likely battling to stuff as much as she can into a small carry-on.
Follow on Instagram
Laura Millar has been a lifestyle journalist for over 22 years and has specialised in food and travel for the past 10. She spent five years as the travel and food editor of Metro newspaper where she won Best Travel Section, Tabloid Newspapers at the Travel Media Awards three times, and has bylines in publications including the Telegraph, the Times/Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Escapism, Business Traveller, the Scotsman, the NZ Herald, TTG, TTG Luxury, Olive and more. She was recently awarded the title of Freelance Travel Writer of the Year at 2025’s TravMedia Awards.
Follow on Instagram and LinkedIn
Meera Dattani (moderator) is the founder of Travel Writing Webinars, executive editor at Adventure.com, and a freelance travel and culture journalist with bylines in Condé Nast Traveller, National Geographic Traveller, GreenTraveller, Country & Town House, Olive magazine, Wanderlust, and others. Former Chair and Events Director of the British Guild of Travel Writers, she is also a mentor, awards judge, and a speaker and moderator on external panels about travel writing, DEI and the travel industry.
Follow on Twitter/X, Instagram and LinkedIn
*
This is the ninth in a series of webinars curated and hosted by travel journalist and editor Meera Dattani and this session is sponsored by Adventure Travel Networking (ATN), an award-winning organisation founded by Pru Goudie that promotes adventure and experiential travel with a positive impact. As well as an annual two-day hybrid Conference & Marketplace in London each February, the twice-a-year spring/autumn ATN Media Meet-up connects the adventure travel community with key travel media during an informal networking event with a panel session. If you write about positive impact adventure/experiential travel, contact Pru here.
Thanks also to Talking Travel Writing who support and promote these events. TTW is a Substack newsletter that promises to demystify the travel media for freelancers forging a career in travel writing. Follow on Instagram and Facebook.
