“Oh man! I need a vacation!” It’s that time of year and everyone is itching to go. We’ve all seen enough of the same four walls, the same dandelions fomenting rebellion in the backyard, the same garage waiting to be reorganized. But how do you justify that well needed rest and relaxation when there is so much work to be done?

It’s not a vacation, silly! It’s research for your next freelance article. There is a huge market for travel articles!

Most travel magazines are 75 to 100 percent freelance written. They pay anywhere from $125 (Travel Smart Magazine) to $4,000 (for a feature article with photos in National Geographic Traveler). Writersmarket.com has a list of 31 magazines looking for freelance submissions. They cover every area of interest, method of travel and geographical region in the United States and beyond.

So what kinds of articles are selling? Most publishers are looking for interesting reading, not a list of prices and schedules. American Woman Road and Travel (courtney@awroadandtravel.com) wants lifestyle oriented, not technical, travel articles with a positive attitude that will appeal to both working women and mothers who want to make an informed decision about where to go.

National Geographic Traveler is interested in places accessible to most travelers, not just the intrepid or wealthy. Query and submission by mail only. Check out their web site at http://nationalgeographic.com/traveler. They do not want to see general, impersonal, or fact clogged articles. Nor are they interested in any articles similar to those they, or their competitors, have run recently.

International Rail Travel (irt.trs@aol.com) urges prospective free-lancers to focus on the train travel experience rather than a blow by blow description of the view from a train window.

Golf and Travel (rjberler@aol.com) publishes destination stories with golf as one of the elements, but not the only element. I love this one! Imagine the look on your husband’s face when you insist on stopping at two or three golf courses along the way. “I’m sorry to impose, my darling, but I MUST do my research!”

Northwest Travel (judy@ohwy.com) aims to give readers practical ideas on where to go in the region. They have a specific emphasis on avoiding places that everyone has already covered.

What sort of mistakes should you avoid? The editor of the AAA Traveler magazines says that they see too many “here’s a recount of our family vacation” manuscripts and that he is not particularly interested in first person accounts. There are versions for each US region. Call 314-523-7350 for more info.

ASU Travel Guide (chris@asutravelguide.com) is not interested in amateur efforts from inexperienced travelers or personal experience articles that don’t give useful experience to other travelers. They also warn against using prose that could describe any destination, such as “there is so much to do in (fill in the destination) that whole guidebooks have been written about it!”

Camperways prints several regional RV-ing magazines. Editor@woodlandpub.com. They like articles that are short and to the point. “No Camping from hell stories!”

Some magazines are looking particularly for a roll or two of beautiful photos to go with an article. This type of magazine wants the pictures submitted in the form of slides rather than prints or electronically.

Northwest Travel (judy@ohwy.com) says that a story with stunning photos will get serious consideration.

Travel America labels itself as heavily photo oriented. The editor states that the most successful approach is to send 2-3 sheets of “superb” slides with the query or complete manuscript. Submission by mail only. (847) 941-6440 for more info.

Most editors are looking for sophisticated writing that is in a clean and simple style, with verbs in the active tense. They want their magazine to be understandable and accessible to a wide variety of readers. They also want your article or essay to emphasize the travel experience, rather than to push a particular travel package, hotel or airline.

But there are exceptions to even this general rule. Travel Smart (travelsmartnews@aol.com) writes that they are “interested primarily in bargains or little known deals on transportation. No travelogs. Just hard facts. We are not part of the ‘Rosy fingers of dawn …’ school.” This company also has a unique method of inquiry. “When you travel, check out small hotels offering good prices, good restaurants and send us a brief rundown (with prices, phone # and address). Include your phone # with submission, because we sometimes make immediate assignments.”

As always, the best approach is to contact the magazine in advance to request a sample copy and writer’s guidelines. Most requested a 4 to 6 month advance for seasonal articles. While most magazines only want articles with an interesting angle on a specific destination, some noticeable exceptions (National Geographic Traveler and Camperways) accept freelance work for columns, new product, how-to, personal experience and inspirational destinations. And sorry, no one pays your travel expenses.

So the next time you travel or take a vacation, bring along your pad and pencil. Don’t worry about wasting time lounging on the beach or dining in fancy eateries. It’s all tireless, selfless research, research, research!