Kim KavinKim Kavin is a freelance writer, photographer and published author based out of Long Valley, NJ. She was formerly the Executive Editor of Yachting Magazine. Her writings have appeared in media publications like Elite Traveler and Traveler Overseas. She has visited more than two dozen countries, and she writes prolifically, literally about ‘everything’. Another one of her books – Everything Family Travel Guide to Northern California and Lake Tahoe – is set for a launch in November 2008. So I asked her a few questions about the book and her career as a travel writer.

Question: Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself, and how you got into travel writing?
Ans: I’ve always been good at writing and editing. In first grade, I found some typos in a textbook, and my teacher helped me write a note about them to the publisher. It was a natural that I’d become the high school newspaper editor, a journalism school graduate, and then a professional journalist.
I actually started out professionally as an editor working in newspapers, but decided I wanted to work regular hours and write about more than crime and politics. I answered an ad in Editor & Publisher for an “outdoor magazine editor” near where I lived. It turned out to be Yachting magazine, and I got the job as executive editor. After a few years there, I realized that the writers were having all the fun, so I quit and went freelance. I started out writing about travel onboard yachts, and the books about general travel were a natural outgrowth of all my reporting experiences around the world.

Question: You have written books about everything from cruise vacations to a kid’s guide and timeshares, not to mention about writing for magazines itself. For 2008, you have two books, one which is a travel guide for the New York area, while the second one is a guide for Northern California and Lake Tahoe. I understand you live in New Jersey, so the first book would come naturally to you. How about the California guide? Why choose Northern California? How long did it take you to go around this area?
Ans: The Northern California idea actually came from the publisher. My editor at Adams Media asked me if I’d done any traveling there, and I had, because my husband and I have good friends who lived in Santa Cruz at the time. So I knew a fair amount about the area before even beginning the research for that book.
I don’t think a travel writer’s home base has anything to do with the areas she can cover. I travel so much for assignments that I know some Caribbean islands and Mediterranean ports better than the towns a few miles away from my own bedroom.

Question: Related question – Could you describe the California guide for our readers? I understand it has 432 pages. What is it about? Which are the major locations, what kind of travel tips? Is it a travelogue with restaurants and shops and stuff or do you focus on the natural beauty of the region, or both, or something else?
Ans: The Northern California book follows the standard Everything Guide format, which means straight how-to and general information that will help with planning a vacation. There are chapters on everything from San Francisco to Wine Country to Gold Country, as well as tips for places to visit whether you’re traveling as a couple or with children. There are extensive listings of restaurants and hotels in each chapter, too, so that no matter which part of Northern California interests you, you will be able to plan your vacation soup to nuts.

Question: The title of your book contains San Francisco, Yosemite, Monterey and Lake Tahoe. Which part of Northern California do you like the best?
Ans: I’m personally a fan of Napa and Sonoma, which is California Wine Country. My husband and I love wine and food, and Northern California labels are a big part of our life out in New Jersey. I think anyone who drinks California chardonnays or pinot noirs regularly would enjoy touring the wineries, learning about food pairings, and such.

Question: People in Socal might feel a bit depressed that you chose to ignore them. Any plans to do Southern California? And how does California compare with the East Coast?Ans: If the Everything Guide editors want a book about Southern California, I’d be happy to write it. I have friends and family from Los Angeles to San Diego, and it’s beautiful out there.
As for California versus the East Coast, I would simply say that they’re different. They’re both great in their own way. I live out East because that’s where most of my family is located. If somebody told me we were all up and moving to San Francisco, I’d go along without a single complaint.

Question: You were a copy editor and have been in other editorial positions for mainstream magazines before you got into the travel sector. Is it any different, or do you just do the same thing?
Ans: I get to leave my desk now. That’s certainly a lot more fun. And instead of interviewing police officers and politicians in fluorescent-lighted offices, I get to hang out with tour guides and restaurant owners on beaches and mountainsides.
Being a full-time freelancer also means I get to pick and choose my projects instead of doing whatever the new corporate boss wants on any given day. I must say that’s pretty great, too.

Question: You have any other passions or hobbies, other than writing?
Ans: I like to hike, which I do most every day with our two dogs. They’re probably my biggest passion. I’m one of those weirdos who treats the dogs like kids. They sit on the couch and eat better food than most people.
I’m also a fan of scuba diving, which I do every chance I get. And my husband and I both like to cook, so that’s a bit of a hobby as well.

Question: Are you currently writing any new books, or have plans for one? If so, what is it about?
Ans: I’m currently finishing the Everything Guide to Las Vegas, after which I will immediately start writing the Everything Guide to Italy.

Question: Any advice, tips or suggestions for travel writers?
Ans: Fill up your notebook and take lots of pictures. I find that I always return home from an assignment with vastly more information than I need for whatever book or article I was sent there to collect. I can almost always use the “leftover” content in other magazines, on websites, or as the basis for new book proposals.