Conde Nast Traveler
360 Madison Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10017-3136;
Phone: 212/880-8800
Editor's Note: With a circulation closing in at nearly 800,000, pitching this consumer pub is clearly worth your while but here's the caveat: if you're not familiar with the magazine and don't study it regularly, it'll be difficult to capture the essence of what these editors want: Conde Nast Traveler isn't just a travel magazine for the occasional globe wanderer; it's for those who travel on a regular basis and enjoy the finer things in life. For those who love luxury, it's a travel bible in much the same way Gourmet is gospel for food aficionados.
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COMMENTS |
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Service Dept. Wrap-ups and pieces include hotel and resort news, and blurbs about tour operators. Expect to see a lot of news along the lines of renovations and openings and very little about special packages and deals. Traveler editors are targeting those in the upper socio-economic tiers: you're not going to be able to make a story fly that's about bargain family vacations. |
Senior Editor Irene Schneider Address: 360 Madison Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017-3136 |
News can arrive on any day of the week since Schneider's working about three months ahead of time. Schneider also pens a first-person health column but it's unlikely you're going to find a font of ways to pitch her for this electic overview that weaves together travel and health. One recent colum focused on two kidney transplants she's endured. | Stick a 32-cent stamp on your pitch and bid it adieu. Schneider also doesn't want faxes or e-mail (she keeps her address private) and despises, we mean despises, calls. Even if you have an unexplored angle about Princess Di's untimely death, the chances of her calling you back are on a par with how often the El Nino rolls around. | Because most of these editors don't field calls (even when they're from other editors), and because Schneider was out of town, we relied on advice from her assistant - which we actually learned was common practice at Traveler. About 50 pitches, out of about 60, that come Schneider's way every week are tossed and the ground rules are about as pointed as they come: you'll be doing a lot of homework, pitch tailoring and research to give these editors what they want. Our recommendation? Grab some milk and cookies and spend several nights going through the magazine. Footnote: press kits from new luxury hotels, B&Bs and high-profile chains get the most attention. |
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News This focus is breaking news, not just news in the travel industry. For instance, an analysis might include how an airplane crash affects a particular market and region; how questionable medical practices in China can affect your trip; or what the Hong Kong handover means not only from an economic perspective but from the travel industry's vantage point. |
Consulting Editor Graham Boynton Fax: 212/880-2190 |
Boynton, like Schneider, is also working months (somtimes six) ahead of time but faces a very tough challenge: he's covering breaking news so it's expected that content is timely but it's obviously tough for him to predict what's going to happen. You'd best serve his needs by being able to provide insight for the big picture should he be on the verge of a deadline but still trying to do a bang-up editorial job. | Faxes are the way to go with Boynton and snail mail and phone calls aren't. | Once again, if this is any window into what you'll face, we were re-routed to an assistant. At Traveler, editors rely on these go-betweens all the time so don't be discouraged if you never make it inside the inner chambers. "In an ideal world," we were told, "you'd send us a one-page fax (no press kits or pages-long pitches) and we'd call you if we were interested." |
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Editorial Contacts at Conde Nast Traveler Main Number - 212/880-8800 |
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Editor In Chief - Thomas J. Wallace 212/880-2133 Managing Editor - Dee Aldrich Editor At Large - Paul Grimes Consulting Editor - Graham Boynton International News Editor - Simon Winchester Investigative News Editor - Gary Stoller Photography Editor - Lucy Gilmour Automotive Editor - Stephen Wilkinson |
Book Review Associate Editor - Matthew Fox 212/880-2547 Entertainment/Arts Editor - Theodore Moncreiff 212/880-2107 Fashion, Grooming, Beauty, Senior Editor - Dana Dickey, 212/880-2108 Features Editor - Alison Humes 212/880-2132 Food, Wine Editor - Joseph Ward 212/880-2102 Restaurant Reviewer, Senior Editor - Gully Wells 212/880-2148 Medical/Health Senior Editor - Irene Schneider 212/880-2104 |