Writer’s Guidelines

What we look for in your writing style

There are no limitations on style, as long as the writing is lively and exciting, although a sense of discovery should be at the heart of every DU-Traveler story. We want our writers to project a curious and knowing voice that captures the experience of travel—the places and personalities, the insights and idiosyncrasies.

Writers who work for us must see destinations with fresh eyes and genuine insight. We place a premium on surprise and good storytelling—the compelling anecdote, the colorful character, the lively quote, the telling detail.

And we prefer that our readers be allowed to experience a destination directly through the words and actions of people the writer encounters, not just through the writer’s narrative.

Beyond being intensely evocative of place, our articles attempt to speak to the soul of traveling. No matter how seasoned, every traveler wonders what awaits at a new destination, and it goes beyond weather and accommodations and language and scenic and museums.

There’s a certain frisson of expectation: How foreign is this destination? What new experience will I have? That is travel as texture—the feel of a place, its essential differentness, its look, its flavor. We seek that texture in every story we publish.

Photo guidelines

DU-Traveler stories usually include photos of people involved in and enjoying the activities of the place being featured. This doesn’t mean tourist pictures in the pejorative sense. Generally speaking, we are trying to show a destination from a number of different points of view: overviews from a distance, medium-length views, close-ups of interesting details, intriguing people, street scenes (where relevant), interiors, restaurants, and interesting inns or other lodgings, cultural sites, scenics, and anything else that helps give readers a sense of what a place is like.

DU-Traveler stories feature places that are accessible to the public. Thus, we seldom go behind the scenes. The general rule is: If the average visitor can’t do it, then don’t shoot it.

National park personnel occasionally object to activities being shown in photographs because they violate park rules or constitute a hazard to the visitor, the environment, or the wildlife. Please check with park officials and advise the illustrations editor if a potential problem exists.

Photographers must furnish complete caption information, including who, what, when, and where. Failure to comply will result in holding back on publication. Please jot down any quotes that could be used in captions to illuminate the photographs, and obtain telephone numbers of any persons prominently featured in case the caption writer wants to interview them.

Offset printing generally reproduces a slightly lighter exposure better than a dark, highly saturated one. The “right” exposure is difficult to define and varies greatly due to many factors, so subjective judgment is required. Flash may help fill in dense shadows.

DU-Traveler pays all field expenses for anyone on contract. Photographers must work with the DU-Office to find complimentary transportation, lodging, meals, admission fees, or activities for which a charge is usually made.