Please complete the application form electronically.  Once application form is filled out and the sponsor forms have been turned in, then MTJA administrator will share the materials with our membership committee for review.  See application requirements here.

 

To preserve the journalistic integrity of MTJA Inc., the following do not meet Active Membership Requirements and are not eligible to submit as writing samples/clips:

Travel articles, photos or advertorial/promotional content that has been directly paid for by Convention & Visitor Bureaus (CVBs), State Tourism Offices, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) or similar entities. Copy produced by brand ambassadors; paid influencers; or others who have been hired and paid directly to promote a particular destination, region, topic or carrier.

Clips and writing samples generated during press trips, hosted/sponsored events, FAM tours or MTJA conferences are eligible for submission, as long as the hosting organization or entity has not paid the writer directly to produce the copy.

Applicants must be sponsored by two current MTJA Inc. Active or Associate members in good standing who have been members of the Association for at least one year. Sponsors should be familiar enough with the applicant’s work to make sure that the applicant meets membership qualification requirements before submitting a sponsor form.

The sponsor form can be found here.  Applications will not be processed until all materials are received.

 

For any questions please contact our MTJA, Inc. office: 

MTJA, Inc. 
Administrator:  Erin Schmitz, CMP, CTIS 
PO Box 185
Jesup, Iowa 50648
Phone:  319-529-1109
Email:  admin@mtja.us

Media Outlets
* List up to 10 media outlets (publications, radio, tv and podcast) your work was published in within the past three years. Including name and date of publication.

Books:
* List up to five books you've written or participated in within the past five years, including title, date and publisher:

Specialties:
(note to user - this section looks like it will stall, if so click on the open space to see the selections)

Examples Include:

* Stock Photography
Wisconsin, Great Lakes Region; Midwest; Louisiana,Texas

* Public Speaker
"Take A Crooked Road," "Circling Superior," "The Great River Road," "Working with Travel Journalists"

* Spokesperson/Interview Guest
Auto Tours; Midwest Destinations; Autumn Travel; Economic Impact of Tourism; Better Travel Photos; Great Music Venues

* Group Tour Leader

* Teaches Travel Journalism

Credit Card:  

You may click here to make a payment via credit card.  

Mailing Address to Submit a Check: 
Midwest Travel Journalists Association, Inc.
c/o E&B Management
PO Box 185
Jesup, Iowa 50648

Active Member Categories are listed below.  Select from one of the following to be advanced directly to your category requirements:   

• Editor of publications with audited circulations of at least 10,000
• Staff Writers, Freelance Journalists, and Online Producers
• Book Authors
• Broadcast Journalists
• Travel Photographers
• Digitial Publishers 

Requirements include: 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. A copy of your publication’s masthead with your name indicated as editor.

3. Three samples of your work submitted electronically as PDF files.

4. Two Sponsor Forms. 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2.  A copy of your publication’s masthead with your name indicated as editor.

3. Five samples of your work submitted electronically as PDF files.

4. Two Sponsor Forms - list names. 

Requirements Include: 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. Three travel articles, columns or features with minimum word counts of 250 published within the previous 12 months in publications with audited circulations of at least 10,000 or posted in online outlets with at least 10,000 sessions per month. Clips may be print, online or any combination of the two. Submissions must be sent electronically as PDFs and must show byline, publication name and date. Two co-bylined articles with two or more author names listed on the published article are acceptable for two of the five article submissions.

Applicants must also submit proof of payment for their work (the amount of payment can be blacked out) and documentation that confirms audited print circulation of at least 10,000 and/or 10,000 sessions per month for online outlets. ABC audited circulation info, Google Analytics reports or confirmation of reach on publication/outlet letterhead are all acceptable forms of verification.

3. Two Sponsor Forms. 

 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. Three travel articles, columns or features with minimum word counts of 250 published within the previous 12 months in publications with audited circulations of at least 10,000 or posted in online outlets with at least 10,000 sessions per month. Clips may be print, online or any combination of the two. Submissions must be sent electronically as PDFs and must show byline, publication name and date. Two co-bylined articles with two or more author names listed on the published article are acceptable for two of the five article submissions.

Applicants must also submit proof of payment for their work (the amount of payment can be blacked out) and documentation that confirms audited print circulation of at least 10,000 and/or 10,000 sessions per month for online outlets. ABC audited circulation info, Google Analytics reports or confirmation of reach on publication/outlet letterhead are all acceptable forms of verification.

3.  Two Sponsor Forms - List names below 

Requirements Include: 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. A copy of your most recent travel-related title with a minimum press run of 3,000 copies published within the previous 12 months.

3. Two Sponsor Forms. 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. A copy of your most recent travel-related title with a minimum press run of 3,000 copies published within the previous 12 months.

3.  Two Sponsor Forms - list sponsor names below 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. A letter from station management carrying your programs that details program length; program frequency; station call letters or other identifying information; size of audience, how long the program has aired and confirms you are paid for your work.

3. Three episodes or segments via MP3, MP4, links to podcasts, cassette, DVD or CD air-check. 

4. Two Sponsor Forms. 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. A letter from station management carrying your programs that details program length; program frequency; station call letters or other identifying information; size of audience, how long the program has aired and confirms you are paid for your work.

3.  Three episodes or segments via MP3, MP4, links to podcasts, cassette, DVD or CD air-check.

3.  Two Sponsor Forms - list sponsor names

Requirements Include: 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. A minimum of three images published within the previous 12 months in outlet/s with print circulations of 10,000 or more, or a minimum of 10,000 sessions per month for online publications. For photography used in travel-related books, the initial print run must be at least 3,000. Applicants must submit proof of independent payment for their work (the amount of payment can be blacked out) and documentation that confirms audited print circulation of at least 10,000 and/or 10,000 sessions per month for online outlets. ABC audited circulation info, Google Analytics reports or confirmation of reach on publication/outlet letterhead are all acceptable forms of verification.
Travel photographer applicants must demonstrate a body of work beyond sole collaboration with one other MTJA Inc. member. Travel photographer applicants must note on their application if they work with a current MTJA Inc. member.

3. Two Sponsor Forms. 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. A minimum of five images published within the previous 12 months in outlet/s with print circulations of 10,000 or more, or a minimum of 10,000 sessions per month for online publications. For photography used in travel-related books, the initial print run must be at least 3,000. Applicants must submit proof of independent payment for their work (the amount of payment can be blacked out) and documentation that confirms audited print circulation of at least 10,000 and/or 10,000 sessions per month for online outlets. ABC audited circulation info, Google Analytics reports or confirmation of reach on publication/outlet letterhead are all acceptable forms of verification.

Travel photographer applicants must demonstrate a body of work beyond sole collaboration with one other MTJA Inc. member. Travel photographer applicants must note on their application if they work with a current MTJA Inc. member.

3.  Two Sponsor Forms - list names below 

Requirements Include: 

1. One-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travelwriting field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your
education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. Live of three blog posts each with a 250-minimum word count that the applicant has written within the previous 12 months.

* Any website that the applicant publishes must be active for at least two years prior to application.
** People who do not own a website but instead write for a travel site owned by someone else should be considered freelance or online content producers and not digital publishers.

3. Applicants must demonstrate at least 10,000 unique visitors per month on average over the previous 12 months through Google Analytics reports, top 10 articles must be travel related via Google Analytics, and submit documentation of website revenue sources (i.e. third-party ad revenue, affiliated links, etc.)

4. Two Sponsor Forms. 

1. A one-page letter detailing your work and experience in professional journalism, length of time in the travel-writing field, percentage of time devoted to travel journalism, and any other pertinent information about your education and/or work in the travel or journalism fields.

2. Live of three blog posts each with a 250-minimum word count that the applicant has written within the previous 12 months.

* Any website that the applicant publishes must be active for at least two years prior to application. 

** People who do not own a website but instead write for a travel site owned by someone else should be considered freelance or online content producers and not digital publishers

3.  Applicants must demonstrate at least 10,000 unique visitors per month on average over the previous 12 months through Google Analytics reports, top 10 articles must be travel related via Google Analytics, and submit documentation of website revenue sources (i.e. third-party ad revenue, affiliated links, etc.)

See examples here.

4.  Two Sponsor Forms - list names below