Travel spotlight: New York City. Plus: Travel resources, workshops, and pitching power hour.

Plus: The poignancy of Flaco the owl.

The Clothesline is a weekly newsletter about cozy business content for writers from Vanessa Chiasson. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while and receive value from it, I’d encourage you to sign up for a paid membership to gain extended content and access to the monthly pitching power hour.

Happy Friday, dear readers!

Once a month or so, I like to do a travel-focused newsletter because I know how many of you LOVE to explore - just like me! This month, I’m shining a spotlight on New York City. Read on for info on upcoming workshops, details of the next pitching power hour, travel-themed community resources, and some of my favourite NYC spots, shops, people to follow online – and Flaco the owl.

Pitching Power Hour Is Next Tuesday

Did you send out as many pitches as you wanted to this week? Did you promise you’d work on that detailed pitch for your dream outlet today but instead you kept yourself busy with other stuff? You need the accountability of the pitching power hour, a perk for all paid newsletter subscribers.

We’ll meet on Tuesday, March 5, at 9:00 AM EST. We gather on Zoom and share what kind of story pitch we hope to work on (don’t worry if you don’t know – maybe you can use the time to ponder your next story). Then we’ll work in silence for the better part of the hour, using this homework club-type setting to get tons of work done. At the end, we’ll update the group on how things went. Don’t worry – you don’t have to read out your pitches and there aren’t any critiques but you may just find some cool suggestions on where to send your ideas!

Paid members, you’ll find your Zoom link at the bottom of the email. See you soon! 

Upcoming Workshops 

Mark your calendars because something big is coming your way! 📅 My highly anticipated Writer Accountability: Q2 Planning Workshop is right around the corner, and trust me, you won't want to miss out.

Picture this: a two-hour session dedicated to setting actionable goals, refining your business strategy, and reigniting your creativity. It's your chance to take back control of your writing journey and make the second quarter of 2024 your most successful yet.

Space is limited. You won't want to miss this opportunity to invest in yourself and your writing career. Sign Up here. Early Bird tickets start at about $25 and you can bring a friend for free.

Know a new writer who could use a little help with their business? Or maybe an experienced writer who’s keen to see how someone else organizes their writing business? Come to my next workshop, “So You Want To Be A Freelance Writer” on March 22nd! As always, this 90 minute workshop is FREEEEEE! However, space is limited to 25 participants so everyone has a chance to ask questions. Grab your ticket here.

Travel Resources

• Curious about what it’s really like to be a travel blogger or influencer? Or have you seen ads for courses and products that promise you free travel, or being paid to travel, and you thought it was way too good to be true? I know from more than a decade of personal and professional experience that YES you can indeed get paid to travel – but it’s difficult unless you have a strong guide. My friend Jami Savage (who is a fellow member of the Travel Media Association of Canada) has a new course that takes you through the entire process. I think this is an invaluable resource for anyone who dreams of travel writing.

• Speaking of travel, if you know an inspiring female traveller over the age of 50, I urge you to check out Journeywoman’s new travel awards! They’re taking nominations right now to honour incredible travel leaders and pioneers in several categories. 

New York City reads and recommendations. Plus: Flaco the owl.

• Did you know that there is a pickle & used bookstore in New York City? Sweet Pickles Books in the lower east side sells small-batch pickles and used books. You can even exchange your used books for jars of pickles! Obsessed. What’s not to love about this? (And I don’t even really like pickles all that much!)