Ask Matador: How to Land a Matador Creators Press Trip

Say you’re thumbing through gigs on Matador Creators and a press trip catches your eye. You want to apply, but you have questions: How do you know if your writing style is a good fit? What can you do to make your application stand out? Can you bring a plus-one on a press trip if their expenses aren’t covered?

In this Ask Matador column, the editor responsible for writer selection covers everything you need to know about landing press trips, from optimizing your application to navigating the feedback process. You asked. We’re answering. And we’re sprinkling in some extra tips for good measure. See you in the apps!

How do you decide who can go on a creator trip?

We try to match writers whose experience, interests, or style best aligns with the trip at hand. We review every application and learn more about potential candidates by reading their portfolios, websites, blogs, etc. Beyond that, there’s no hard-and-fast rule for who can go on a creator trip. We like being a platform where new writers can get their first bylines as much as we like publishing stories from seasoned journalists or collaborating with creators who’ve delivered great work for us in the past.

What makes an application stand out?

Applications are the first writing samples we see. We’re not looking for writers to wax poetic, but we do look for proper grammar and syntax, the ability to follow prompts clearly and concisely, and a little bit of personality.

Beyond that, sharing examples of past work is incredibly helpful, whether you link specific stories or your whole portfolio. If you haven’t been published yet, that’s okay too — let us know what other writing experience you have, why you’re interested in travel writing, and what ideas you have for the trip at hand. And don’t be afraid to let some of your writing style shine through!

One last tip: Apply using your full name (first and last).

What disqualifies an application?

We consider every application, but there are tells that a creator might not be a good fit for a press trip with written deliverables. One example: using generative AI to craft your application. (We’re looking for writers, after all.) Another example: approaching your application like a resume, using the same language and framing you might lean on to land a job. (Again, we want to get a feel for your writing style.)

We also see trends that aren’t necessarily dealbreakers but aren’t doing prospective writers any favors, such as citing follower counts on social media or readership stats for your personal blog. It’s fine if most of your experience in the travel space comes from blogging or other types of content creation, but use your application as an opportunity to tell us how you plan to pivot that experience into more traditional travel journalism and capturing Matador‘s style and tone.

What type of content stands out in applications (ex: itinerary, story, format)?

The best applications are usually pretty straightforward. They open with who you are as a writer and why you’re a good fit for the trip. They include links to sites or stories where we can learn more about you and your writing. And if you’ve got a great idea for a pitch, they can include that, too.

What are the qualities you look for in a creator?

Professionalism is arguably the most important quality we look for in a creator. If you’re organized, responsible, responsive, easy to work with, and know how to meet your deadlines, chances are we’d love to work with you!

It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with Matador before applying. Whether or not you’ve written for us or even been published before, take the time to learn what types of stories we’re after and what type of voice we use to tell those stories.

How can we make sure we’re a great fit for certain trips?

If you have relevant experience for a specific trip — whether that’s personal ties to the destination, a love of birdwatching that aligns with the itinerary, or a sommelier certification that could come in handy — let us know. If not, tell us why the trip interests you and why you think you’re a great fit. One way to do that is to include a couple of brief pitches with your application. These thought-starters may not lead to the story that you end up writing, but they let us know that you’re already thinking about potential angles and how your perspective elevates them.

How do you decide between a writer who’s been to a specific location before versus one who’s newly exploring a destination?

Sometimes, we’ll get a great pitch from a writer based on their familiarity with a destination. Other times, a writer will propose an angle that only works because they’ve never been. Both perspectives can yield excellent stories; neither is a guarantee or dealbreaker. There are a lot of factors that go into picking the best possible writer for any given press trip — writing background, hobbies, specialties, other relevant experience, etc — and whether or not you’ve been to the destination in question is rarely the deciding factor.

Do you prefer international or domestic creators?

The host usually decides this based on what travel arrangements are feasible. If they have no preference, neither do we.

Why don’t we receive feedback when we aren’t selected for a trip?

Due to the high volume of responses we get for creator trips, we’re not able to send personalized feedback to every applicant — as much as we’d like to!

I have experience and credentials but haven’t been selected — what and I doing wrong?

There’s a very good chance you’re not doing anything wrong. We get a lot of applicants (and a lot of really great applicants) for every trip, and we’re only able to send one writer each time. Often, it’s a very close decision. The best thing to do in this situation is to keep applying. We take note when we see the same name pop up consistently, and we make a point to try to place those writers when the best possible fit for them comes around.

Can my partner and I apply for a press trip as a writing team?

Something we see fairly often that’s not positively impacting writer selection is two-person applications, such as husband-and-wife or writer-photographer duos. While plus-ones are often welcome to join individual trips — and can be credited for any photos they end up taking that get published as part of a story — we’re mostly looking to place one writer for each trip.

If a creator trip is on our radar but expenses aren’t included for plus-ones, can I still bring someone if we cover their expenses?

In many cases, plus-ones are allowed to join individually hosted press trips provided they cover their expenses. It’s less common for plus-ones to be able to join group press trips even if they pay their way (although certain trips can accommodate this).

Our team will gather as much information as we can from trip hosts to include in our initial postings. For any outstanding questions about what’s allowed or covered, applicants are more than welcome to follow up with us or confirm with the host’s PR representative directly.