The truth about making money as a travel writer
What I’ve earned, what “hosted” actually entails, and the trip that fell through
A year ago, I had never stayed at a hotel for free. I had never been “hosted” as part of a press stay. I had never written a sponsored post, had no idea what a press trip really entailed, and barely made anything from affiliate links. I was simply writing Window Seat because I loved it, and because I believed there was room on the internet for the kind of travel storytelling I cared about most.
Fast-forward to today: what started as a little side project has turned into a legitimate and respected business. Despite Window Seat still feeling small (in the best way), in the past five months since going full-time, I’ve landed paid partnerships, press trips, and hosted stays—and I want to pull back the curtain on what that really looks like.
If you’re curious about how travel writers actually make money, what “hosted” really means, or what kinds of deliverables go into these partnerships, this one’s for you.
Read on for:
Exactly how much I’ve earned through Window Seat this year, broken down by revenue stream
How I landed each brand partnership and press trip
My biggest letdown of the year and what it taught me
What “hosted” actually means, what I owe in return, and how I negotiated my most recent hosted stay
The wildest dreams I’m manifesting for 2026