Testimonials from previous Boot Camps:
"The class was fantastic and I really learned a lot from it. The personas exercise was great, as was the follow up about how to keep in mind all the different travelers you're writing for when you're out scouting." --Suzanne Russo
"A great way to learn about a day in the life of a guidebook writer."
"All the instructors seemed genuinely interested in helping students learn and improve."
"A good base for hopefully a new career!"
"It was a great way of really doing the work, getting real feedback and meeting other writers. Tips were helpful as well."
"The critiques were very helpful...speakers were great."
"...the course was definitely informative and inspiring."
"Writing up everything was a huge learning experience as far as trying to be an authority on a city brand new to me. The talks about the biz were also an interesting insight into travel writing."
"Learned a lot!"
Meet the Professors
Jason Halberstadt
After falling in love with Latin America as an Instructor for Costa Rica Outward Bound in the mid-nineties, V!VA Travel Guides CEO Jason Halberstadt settled down in Quito Ecuador. As an online media consultant in the small Andean country he became a pioneer in online travel marketing, E-government and E-business, finally settling on his passion for travel and the dream of creating V!VA, a better travel guide.
Paula Newton
Paula Newton is the editor-in-chief and operational genius that keeps the V!VA Travel Guides team moving forward like a well-oiled machine. She brings expertise from 11 years in the Broadcasting and New Media industries where she has been a pioneer in interactive television. In the past ten years, her passion for travel has taken her to more than 25 countries across the globe. Her bag of travel tales includes a somewhat dubious locomotive experience attempting to travel local-style through Kerala Province, India.
Dr. Chris "Crit" Minster
Dr. Christopher Minster is currently an instructor at the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, and a graduate of Penn State University, The University of Montana and Ohio State. Before becoming head writer for V!VA Travel Guides, Crit worked for the U.S. Peace Corps in Guatemala as a volunteer from 1991 to 1994, and has traveled extensively throughout Latin America. He is the V!VA Travel Guides resident expert on ruins, Latino history and culture, and has surprisingly in-depth knowledge of haunted museums. If he's not at work pounding out new stories, you'll probably find Chris gallivanting around the Galápagos with his wife or beating everyone in the room at a local pub quiz in Quito.
Attend V!VA’s Travel Writing Boot Camps
Learn to Travel Write. Get Published. Get Paid.
V!VA's Boot Camps are five-day-long travel guidebook writing crash courses. Students hit the ground running with assignments, learn how to write guidebooks and have their work critiqued by seasoned professionals. This is a great opportunity for aspiring writers to gain hands-on travel writing skills and experience and get paid!
Upon successful completion of the course, Boot Camp graduates have the opportunity to stay on assignment as field writers and be compensated. Works will be published in the upcoming
guidebooks for each country.
The cost of the course is $250. (Does not include transportation, lodging and other expenses.)
Writers who perform up to standard, and who stay on assignment and produce more than 200 reviews will have their course fee refunded in addition to normal compensation.
2009 Boot Camps:
Guatemala: 23-27 March
Panama: 30 March-3rd April
Brazil / Argentina: 13-17 April
Miami: 15-19 June
Mexico (North): 17-21 August
V!VA is looking for a select army of talented and adventurous writers to train out in the field and start their travel writing careers.
Learn from the pros what it takes to be a travel writer, start writing, get published and get paid!
Pre-apply now. Fill out this short form and a VIVA Editor will follow-up with you:
Still have questions?
Take a look at our Application Process , FAQ, student testimonials, and essential skills and abilities pages to find out more about VIVA boot camps and career opportunities.
Also contact us if you are knowledgeable about or have writing experience in one of these countries and are interested in being a guest speaker.
Have you checked out VIVA's innovative travel guides?
See some of them on Amazon.com:
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