Editorial Submission Guidelines

Editorial Submission Guidelines

rajasthan Camel ride

World Footprints is a multi-award-winning and socially minded online travel media platform that uses the power of storytelling to uncover the world, bridge cultures and illuminate our common humanity. We publish stories no one else is telling including full historical narratives and we also use our platform to raise awareness about important global issues from the environment to human rights. Our mission is to inspire thoughtful and meaningful exploration through the stories we share.

Our readers are avid travelers who are curious about the world and who understand how transformative travel can be. They are interested in exploring and understanding the travel experience through authentic accounts of a country, city or region, and the people who live there.

If you have a compelling, unique, and authentic story to share through writing and visual media consider submitting to World Footprints.

Types of Pitches We’re Looking For

World Footprints is a story-driven platform so we want pitches that offer something different than the typical destination guidebook style article. We want original behind-the-scenes experiences, human-interest stories and insights into a destination that reflect a deep connection with a writer. Stories should reflect World Footprints’ voice and mission of socially minded travel either explicitly or implicitly in its focus.

We also welcome articles written on spec and thoughtfully curated photo-essays that reflect the story arc.

World Footprints stories are unique and engaging. We offer so much more than the a-typical travel story. We go deep and we don’t hold back. Each World Footprints article must fit within one of the following four core pillars:

  • COMPASS: Destination-focused articles that offer unique perspectives and hidden gems. See, e.g.: The Tiny Caribbean Museum That Inspired the Jurassic Park Franchise

  • TRAVEL BY DESIGN: Special interest and niche travel from archeological explorations and multi-generational family travel to accessible, LGBTQ and volunteer travel is the focus of this pillar. Unique experiences, lifestyle and special insights can be included here. See e.g.: How a Trip to Pakistan Changed My Life

  • CULTURAL HERITAGE: The people and things like food, music and art that have influenced the personality of a destination. This could be the portrait of an interesting human or community,  historical exposés and a deep dive into cultural traditions like cannibalism.  See, e.g.: Confronting Cannibalism Stereotypes in Papua New Guinea

  • GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP: Stories that give a voice to important global and social issues that are relevant to the travel community.  The preservation of UNESCO Heritage Sites, climate change, responsible travel, sustainability and human rights are key to this pillar. Remember, it’s about the footprints we are leaving as travelers. These could be investigative pieces that uncover the dark side of travel, the interaction between mankind and nature and humans and animals. See, e.g.: The Impact of Mankind on the Galapagos Islands

If a story speaks to your soul or inspires you and is thought-provoking, it may also resonate with a reader and that’s what we want.  

*When pitching, please indicate the pillar and subcategory applies to your article.

What we don’t want

  • No service pieces, or promotional material.
  • No more than three links including one internal link and one optional external source link.
  • No sweeping generalizations or stereotypes.
  • No clichés.
  • No guidebook summaries.
  • No photos taken from social media or other public sites (these do not carry a license for use on World Footprints).
  • No duplicate (identical) article published elsewhere.
  • On rare occasions we will publish the odd listicle but they are not preferred.

Article Format

Word count: Articles should average between 800–1,000 words.  No submission should exceed 1,200 words.

Links:

  • Do not include a link in the opening paragraph
  • One internal link to another World Footprints article should be included.
  • An optional link to an external source can be included.
  • No more than three links in total should be included.

Photos: Large horizontal images are preferred. Please advise if you can provide original images that you own to accompany your story. Photos taken from social media or that aren’t royalty-free will not be accepted.  By submitting images you grant World Footprints a limited right of use with corresponding articles and associated promotions.  **Note:  Horizontal images not smaller than 1240 x 930 pixels work best.

Include captions with all photos and provide name of the photographer images should be attributed to.

Editorial Process: There may be a few rounds of editing and fact-checking but please submit articles that are ready to publish. Sentence structure, story flow, facts, spelling and grammar should be checked before submitting. World Footprints has the right to refuse to publish an article that requires extensive editing, is promotional in nature or contains inaccurate facts.

Sources: Please include a list of sources with your article submission for fact-checking.

Additional Info

Linking policy: Authors are encouraged to include a link to their article (and podcast if interviewed by World Footprints) on their website and social media platforms. Cross-linking offers a great SEO benefit for everyone.

Press Trips & Payment:  We accept content that resulted from a hosted press trip but we require objectivity and full disclosure.   World Footprints will not provide assignments or pay for any travel or expenses.

Payment is issued via PayPal generally at the time of publication or scheduled publication date. However, World Footprints LLC may take up to seven (7) business days to issue payment following publication of the writer’s article.  Include PayPal address at the time of submission.  Payment is $45.

Author Support:  World Footprints wants to partner with you and offer you the best support we can. In addition to promoting your article on our site and social media networks, we provide greater exposure for you through our partnership with MSN.com. Additionally, as a World Footprints author you’ll have your own author profile page that showcases your World Footprints portfolioe and social media platforms.   Cross-linking offers a great SEO benefit to both parties.