Cutting the Cord

Hindsight is 20/20. I was contacted by an editor of my former publisher to write current content for their new website. I was charged and over the top over the prospect. I thought after their sale, there would be nothing left but memories and books yellowing with age. Patiently, I waited for the contract.

In the meantime, we had scheduled our trip to Ghent and Brussels. I had mentioned it to my new editor, who in turn asked if I would be willing to do some reviews of Brussels while we were there. She was offering $200 for 15 reviews, mainly of restaurants. Explaining this was basically a long weekend get-away with most of the time in Ghent, I declined. Had I done the math then, I could have saved myself some time, energy and aggravation regarding the Budapest project. There was that niggling voice in the back of my mind whispering “Don’t do it. You will be sorry!” However, ego took over, prompting me to plunge forth.

When the contract arrived, it stipulated 80 reviews with a breakdown of hotels, restaurants, museums, and nightlife. Each category had a specific target, but the contract did say the number was the suggested quantity as long as the total was met. Communications with my editor assured me that the hotels should be middle class as they were avoiding the high end traveler. The pay was to be $1,100.

The contract was signed and submitted. My copy returned in the mail. A couple of weeks later, the editor informed me that it should have been 82 reviews with remuneration of $1,200. Two additional reviews meant nothing, no big deal.

Part of the contract stated I had to prove I had been to all the places reviewed and none of the content could be similar to the writing of the past. The deadline for submission was November 1, 2013 ‘time being of the essence’ according to the contract. Really plugging along all of August and the beginning of September, I wanted to get this off my plate before school started. I also shared with my editor that come December, I would be out the country for 7 weeks.

Early October, I submitted my work. I can honestly say the tone, the style and the writing was identical to what I had submitted to 6 different editors in the past. My current editor sent me an e-mail that crossed with my submission. Her mail stated that I shouldn’t worry about the deadline as they were swamped with submissions, causing them to be behind in editing. This had me wondering about the wording of the contract “time is of the essence…” A couple of weeks later, her next e-mail assured me she looked over the work and it was magnificent.

Right before we left on vacation, another voice was heard from, this time the owner of the site. She was not at all thrilled with my content and wanted higher end hotels. Our e-mail conversations were succinct, but hers were dripping in attitude. She suggested we revisit this when I returned from Central America.

During the time away with an Internet connection slower than a sloth, there was an e-mail from yet another editor. All authors were to upload all their materials into a program called Zoho. We were to look for an invitation. When we returned home, I still had not received the invitation and more than one request was forwarded to the person in charge. Then when I did some checking, the work could not be uploaded to Zoho, but had to be copy and pasted. This would take more than a few hours, time no author was being compensated for beyond the initial work. There was nothing in my original contract about Zoho.

This was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. It was easily recognizable that once the materials were in Zoho, anyone with an 8th grade education could do updates without ever having to pay an author again. Paying for the dining we did at the various restaurants cost us about $400. This would net me $800 for about 60 hours of research spent in museums, touring hotels, and checking out nightlife options. When I added in the writing time, it came to less than $5 an hour. Now they wanted major editing since the voice was not what the new editor envisioned AND I had to copy and paste the work into their program.

It was time to cut the cord. I did. There was a sense of relief in doing so. My time as a travel writer may have come to an end, I don’t know. However, I know that I am not going to be abused.

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Back in the Writing Saddle Again

Yes, I have a memoir in the pipeline, but no one hanging over me to battle the computer to get it written. However, when my last Frommer's editor contacted me yesterday, things were different. There is a different editor for just about each book. She asked if I wanted to rewrite the Hungary chapter of the Frommer's Europe book. Of course I do! It is 34 pages, so not quite cumbersome, but having looked over the last time it was published, there are a number of things that need updating. I have until April 2nd to get it done. I do love seeing my name in print.   

Related articles

• Arthur Frommer's ten best travel websites for 2012 (thestar.com)
• Frommer's Caribbean Guide 2011 (mycaribbean.wordpress.com)
• Frommer's Buenos Aires 4th Edition Arrives With Gusto (forbes.com)

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Take the Travel Show on the Road

This morning when I opened my e-mail, I found this note from Margaret McMullan, who was a Fulbrighter here last semester in the outer regions of Hungary. She was gracious enough to come to Budapest to speak at the Budapest Creativity Group. While she was here, she left two of her novels for us: When I Crossed No-Bob and Sources of Light, but highly recommended young adult historical fiction.



Hi Ryan:


Hope you all are very well and enjoying a lovely summer!


I've been here in England running a summer writing program at our campus in Grantham. Today is our last day, and already we're planning for the summer of 2013, which will be the next time we come to England to run the program. I'm writing to ask if you think you would be interested in coming to talk about travel writing, and also, how much you think it would cost to get you here. Do you think you could come up with a sum? I really think you would be a terrific addition, but I have to say, we don't have a ton of money. You could come for two days, stay in the manor house, give a craft lecture or talk, maybe a reading if you would like. Whatever you think would be a good idea. Just let me know.


My very best wishes,
Margaret McMullan
Professor of English
Harlaxton College
The British Campus of the
University of Evansville


You won't need to guess at my response.

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Poke Me Man

I decided to cancel my last acupuncture session this morning. There are three doctors that seem to rotate, though I have not been able to find the sequence of who is there when. The one doctor that took the time to communicate with me through an interpreter was the female doctor. It was at the end of her two sessions that I felt an enormous difference in the way I feel. One of the male doctors makes me feel like I am back to square one. Without the female doctor's interpreter, there is no one there to find out her hours, but being here alone with Ron in the States, it would be too difficult to arrange my times with her times regardless. They also insist that the treatments need to be spaced within days of each other further complicating matters. When I returned from my last appointment on Monday, one of my guests asked how I felt. I said "Holier than thou." His response was that I did not need to be needled to feel that way. Yesterday and today the weather has been less desirable for wandering the streets, but out I go again in a different neighborhood checking for vacant store windows that were once filled with delectable merchandise to catch the traveler's eye and imagination. My creativity is challenged by having to find a replacement offer for each one I delete. This is followed with prayer beads, novenas, mantras, and pouring out white light on these storekeepers to stay in business until my book is published.

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Street Walker in Budapest

Up one street and down another, but mostly in the Vaci utca area, the area most notoriously known for the Budapest working ladies, was my beat today. I was not hustler hunting, but store window shopping with no intentions of ever making a purchase. My goal was to update my SHOPPING section for the next edition of my book. This section of the city does not normally draw my attention unless it is for the Christmas market, being mostly tourist attraction, I have no real reason to venture here. When you return to a section of the city with a specific goal in mind, there are differences in what stimulates your senses. I became acutely aware of the tourist activity; how many were just strolling, how many were working their way into shops, how many were carrying shopping bags of newly acquired purchases. With my current book in hand, a pen, and a notebook, I started at the lowest end of the street. Checking my book for addresses, I stopped at each address along the way, while perusing what is new and different to see if something should be added this time around. What was interesting or disheartening was the number of places that are in the current edition that no longer exist. Even some shops that have been around since before our first trip here in 1998 are now vacant shells with "For Rent" signs plastered on the windows. In my book, I drew lines through the submission; in the notebook, I made notes on the page and the result. Those that were still doing business as usual, I went in to speak to them about their hours, any changes in credit cards, or other information of value to my readers. Most were so enthused about my having listed them, sharing how many people have wandered into their shop specifically because of my book. I thought one designer was going to hug me, she was so thrilled. She said she was listed for years, then was dropped, so was especially excited to see she has made a come back like a long lost silent screen actress returning the silver screen. Feedback such as this motivates me to move onward to the next shop. What chuckles me is when I tell them that I will return with a "Recommended by Frommer's 2010" sticker to put in their window, telling them this will draw people who have not seen the book, but know Frommer's. The perpetual question is "How much will it cost me?" Unfortuately, the stickers have not been printed yet, so when my publisher sends them, I will have to backtrack to distribute them, not a time saving system.

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Dear, Dear Students and Other Musings

Due to some poor note taking and short term memory loss, I ended up with twelve thesis students this semester. The average is two, the usual maximum is four. How could I do this to myself? Well, it is a systems problem. They must turn in their title, which is engraved in stone, one year ahead of time. As they meandered into my office at various times, I said yes, but not really making notes of the semester they were planning on the actual work. I arranged my other course workload accordingly, when the reality hit me. All of the essays I had assigned were pushed back on each syllabus, due after April 1st. The theses would all be due March, so it would give me time to focus on the essays without stress. The university had other ideas. They too extended the deadline for thesis submission to April 15th for the first time in my seven year tenure. Why? Do they need a valid reason? Surely not! Two of the twelve were great achievers and had their thesis completed to my level of perfection by January. That left ten to chase. Each student I advise gets a calendar of due dates. They have to submit five pages a week and meet with me once every two weeks. Rules are made to be broken and they did. I still have four Masters thesis students struggling to make the deadline. Two others are BA students and their deadline is May 1st, so the suffering still had time to fester. Thursday, I had a computer technician here for issues beyond my scope of knowledge. I felt justified in calling him in when it took him five hours to resolve some issues and he will return the first of the week for others. Handing over a wad of cash was satisfying in the fact that these were not simple band-aids I could have solved with some critical thought and Google. This put me yet farther behind in a writing assignment that has been waiting for my attention. Hating procrastination, this has been eating at me knowing it needs my attention. Even blogging has taken a backseat. Yesterday, putting other students at an arms length, I started the assignment, but first had to review a list of 222 restaurants to be certain they still existed. With the restaurant culture being what it is here, the life span of a restaurant is usually death within the first year. Often, another restaurant will move into the same space, spend a fortune remodeling, even keep the same phone number, only to repeat the process nine months to a year later. There seems to be no learning from history and demographics...they have no clue what they are. One area had four Indian restaurants within two blocks. Three are now history. So from the list, an overwhelming number of them have gone by the wayside. The Hungarian Restaurant Association predicts that with the economic crisis, 30% of all restaurants in the country will close up shop within 2009. That is not to say that some optimistic, dare I say 'fool' will believe he or she can beat the odds and succeed. If nothing, it does bring continual variety to the food culture, but it is a horror when writing for travel publications. My first Frommer's book, three restaurants went out of business after the manuscript was submitted, but after it went to press and before it came out in stores. The total sum cost of reviewing those restaurants was over $100. of wasted money.

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New Writing Assignment

Through a professional travel writers organization I joined, I found an advertisement for destination experts being needed. Budapest was on the list, so I sent off my C.V. and all of the other required information. Thursday, I received an e-mail stating they would like for me to write for them. I am reading through the contract and other information they sent today, but it looks like I will be signing on the dotted line. The site is www.nileguide.com.

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Feeling a Bit Guilty

I feel a bit of guilt when I don't get here to write something, but perhaps it is just my Italian gene pool kicking me in the butt. However, I have good reasons, I am writing for money elsewhere. Keep an eye on this site: http://www.gayot.com/travel/citytrips/budapest.html. My article should be replacing this one in another two weeks. I am also working for the same publication writing a Business Traveler's guide to Budapest. They have not had one before this, so it is from scratch. The link will be posted when it is up. I also received the files for Frommer's Eastern Europe guides, so I have that to work on also, though it is not due until July. My compulsive type A personality will need to have it completed long before and then just do last minute revisions on any sudden changes. Word was that there was a fire in the Red metro yesterday, actually, hearsay from a student. When I was walking to school, there was a herd of police cars on the street and some major heavy duty equipment. I am not sure if they had to go down from above, since it was between stops. Scary stuff and I will have to keep my eyes peeled for any news about it. Today is my last teaching day before spring break. It should have been Tuesday, but I only have six students in the class and three of them are doing teacher training, so it was convenient to just cancel it. Wednesday, we leave for Istanbul and a hotel with a hammam on the ground floor. Yahoo!!! As I go, so does the laptop, so if I am able, I will post from there.

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7 Degrees of Separation

I went to my therapist today, continuing my back therapy, though I have not had problems. Now it is more preventative than healing. I offered to correct the English on his web site when he asked me about my book. I went to the Frommer's site to show him and clicked on their bookstore. Low and behold, my book was listed. I had no idea. It is slated for April 21st release.

We then started chatting about his clients. He mentioned he had three American clients while I was on vacation, so I asked how they found him. He said Craig's List. I only heard the name, but knew nothing more about it.

When I came home, I Googleed it and found they have a Hungary page. I immediately signed up to post an ad for our B and B. After submitting the post, I was looking at their list of categories spotting one called "Writers". When I clicked on it there was one ad. An online magazine was looking for a travel writer to write an article on Budapest. After looking over their site, I decided to send my C.V. and the samples they asked for. Within minutes, I received a response saying I was exactly what they were looking for and they asked if I wanted the job.

They only need 2,000 words and it is an update of their article from a couple of years ago. I could write this in hours, not months like the book took. It is easy money. I accepted and they are sending me a contract.

Maybe those silly e-mails that threaten you to send it on to 10 friends and make a wish are not so silly after all. Being superstitious about not sending them, I have been guilty of clogging friends' e-mail boxes with them all the time saying I want to be a travel writer.

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