A Fun Read
Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?
I just finished reading this controversial new book by Thomas Kohnstamm, who purports to reveal all with his "Swashbuckling Tale of High Adventures, Questionable Ethics & Professional Hedonism." Why has this life eluded me? I've been a professional travel writer for over thirty years now, but no such luck.
Kohnstamm, who contributed to numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, spins a yarn that will surely make his editors cringe. Sex, drugs, booze, payoffs, and creative writing about places he may never have visited are all part of it. He seems to attribute this to being perpetually broke as a result of a pitiful author's advance.
LET ME SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
I have been studying all of the major travel guide series for decades, including Michelin, Fodor's, Frommer's, Let's Go, Rough, and — yes — Lonely Planet, and have never had any reason to suspect serious shenanigans. It is possible that the odd restaurant here or there gets listed because the writer got a free meal, or a hotel in exchange for a night's sleep. But they would still have to be recommendable places or the writer would quickly lose all credence.
It is true that most travel writers are badly underpaid and must do it more for the love of travel and writing than for possible wealth. I found this out way back in 1989 when I wrote for Fodor's. In many cases the only way to earn a decent living is to own all rights to the book, including all copyrights. All of the authors on our Daytrips series own the copyrights to the books they wrote.
In my case, I have accepted free flights from major airlines in exchange for putting their logo on the rear cover of the book, a form of paid advertising. I do not recommend or discuss airlines in the text, so there is no conflict. I also do not recommend or discuss hotels in the books, so I am comfortable with free lodging arranged for by the national tourist authorities. I DO recommend restaurants along the travel routes; therefore I DO NOT accept free meals.
STILL, THIS IS A FUN READ.
Hillarious would be a more accurate word for this tale in the style of Hunter S. Thompson's "Gonzo" journalism, wherein the fine line between fiction and non-fiction becomes blurred while involving the author as a character. After this, however, I doubt that Mr. Kohnstamm will be doing any more work for Lonely Planet — or any other guidebook publisher.
Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? — By Thomas Kohnstamm — Three Rivers Press — 2008 — $13.95 — ISBN 978-0-39465-1
Comments