The Year That Was
Well, what a year it’s been. As we all reflect on our 2023 and look ahead to 2024, I have to say, professionally, 2023 has been a top drawer year for me. I’ve been published by some dream publications like Fodor’s, Tripadvisor, and My Weekly. I wrote my first chapter for a Lonely Planet guide, while the Frommer’s guide to England and Scotland I contributed to was published this year too. If you’d told 20 year old me, working in a bookshop and stocking the shelves with Lonely Planet guides I’d one day be writing for them… first of all I’d say ‘why aren’t you writing novels?’ (because I can’t afford to), but then, I reckon I’d be pretty impressed!
I’ve also been on some dreamy press trips. The big one was that Greek cruise with Variety Cruises, most definitely the biggest press trip I’ve landed so far. I’ve written 6 articles to date off the back of that cruise, with, hopefully, more to come, and I’m in talks with the PR to go on another cruise next year. I’ve also got some other exciting trips tentatively lined up, so fingers crossed 2024 is going to be even better in that department.
I’ve also started a YouTube channel for my travels, which you can have a look at here –
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCejQ0s26m1UQP5ZJs8lY-BQ
Channel name Samantha Priestley
Maybe not very imaginative, but it says what it is. Please do like and subscribe if you like it. I figured, I’m going on the trips anyway, might as well film it while I’m there.
I feel like a year with so much progress and change has lifted my confidence too. I’m still most confident when I’m at home writing, but as more people believe in me and my writing, I’m slowly starting to feel that maybe I’m not a fraud – ah, that ever present imposter syndrome!
I’m coming to the end of a big travel copywriting job for Great Railway Journeys right now, and hopefully continuing to always have lots of work in the new year – every time I think, things should calm down a bit next month, of course something else comes up, but I have to remind myself, no matter how much work it is, that’s a really really good thing!
If you want to ask any questions or would like to see me cover anything in particular about travel writing, pitching, publishing, Prs and press trips, do leave a comment with what you’d like to see and I’ll get to it.
Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me this far, I hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year, and here’s to a trip filled, writing fuelled 2024!
