For this piece of Women in Travel, I chatted with Fodor’s editor, Nikki Vargas, on her journey into the travel world. Published author, journalist, founder, and traveler, she’s helping aspiring writers and solo travelers worldwide with her stories.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and where your story begins?
My name is Nikki Vargas and I’m a Senior Digital Editor at Fodor’s Travel, a legacy publication dating back to the 1930s and reaching millions of readers a month. Additionally, I’m a two-time published author. My first book Wanderess is a women’s travel guide published by Penguin and my second book Call You When I Land is a bestselling travel memoir published by HarperCollins.
Call You When I Land was named a best women’s memoir by Glamour, an Apple Book staff pick, a Real Simple book club pick, and a recommended read by Good Morning America, Shondaland, and more. I’m also the founder of Unearth Women, a women’s travel publication I founded back in 2018. In its heyday, Unearth Women was a print magazine available in over 800 Barnes & Noble bookstores across the United States.
I’m originally from Bogota, Colombia but now live in New York City with my husband, cat and dog. I graduated from Indiana University with a degree in journalism, after which I spent some time living in France, before moving to New York to try and break into the journalism space. At the time, journalism jobs were few and far between, so I ended up taking quite the scenic route in my career, wandering through advertising, marketing, and public relations jobs while doggedly trying to break into travel writing.
On the side, I started a travel blog (the now defunct, The Pin the Map Project), in which I’d work on showcasing my travel writing and building a personal brand in the hopes of parlaying it into an on-staff editorial role one day. It took some time, but eventually I did manage to jump into an on-staff role, eventually going on to be an editor at Atlas Obscura, The Infatuation, Culture Trip, and now Fodor’s Travel. I’ve now been working in media for upwards of 10 years.
Is there a standout travel memory that encouraged you to pursue a career within the travel industry?
My first big travel writing assignment was for Food & Wine Magazine, and saw me traveling to Colombia to write about the 10 best dishes to have in Cartagena. This first assignment really inspired me in countless ways. Not only did it give me the opportunity to reconnect with my homeland as an adult, but it also saw me falling in love with travel. I realized then that not only could I afford to travel in my twenties if I was savvy about my expenses and prioritized travel, but I also saw a path to my dream career in which I’d be able to combine my two loves: writing and travel.
Starting anything new can be a huge challenge. What were your biggest obstacles you’ve faced along the way?
In becoming a travel editor, I faced the challenge of breaking into a volatile industry that is constantly changing, where budgets are being routinely cut, and where opportunities (especially on-staff roles) are hard to find. It took a while for me to finally land my first on-staff role, but one thing I learned was the importance of getting creative. Rather than wait for my dream job to arrive, I launched a travel blog, began connecting with other travel content creators, and began freelance writing in hopes that I’d amass enough of a portfolio to eventually turn my passions into a career.
In becoming a published author, I faced the challenge of getting the words on the page. Writing a book, especially a memoir, is a vulnerable endeavor that had me fighting self-doubt and insecurity. But, I found myself a wonderful editor to work with over at HarperCollins, and was able to keep my creative process pure. What I mean by pure, is I tried to limit the number of people I’d share rough drafts of my manuscript with to just my editor and my husband. By doing this, I was able to keep external voices at bay that may have made me second guess my writing. When writing a book—whether it’s fiction or nonfiction—the hardest part is just getting the words out. So, do what you can to remove whatever mental and emotional roadblocks are keeping them from flowing.
In launching Unearth Women, I had started a women’s travel publication from scratch with no funding or support. The challenge, of course, was financial backing for an idea that seemed to have no place in the digital space. And yet, I managed to align with a team of inspiring women and pull together a first issue (funded by a grassroots Kickstarter campaign) that embodied everything we hoped the Unearth Women brand would come to represent: feminism, travel, women empowerment, equality, diversity. From there, we were able to secure funding and launch an international magazine and online publication.
What do you think sets Fodors apart from other outlets out there- what advice would you give those looking to pitch?
Fodor’s Travel is a legacy publication dating back to the 1930s, which means the Fodor’s brand is not only trusted but has amassed a loyal following who have quite literally grown up reading our travel books and online content. I think that having such an enduring brand that has quite literally shaped decades of travel is truly inspiring and rare these days.
For those looking to pitch stories to Fodor’s, my advice is to first read through our writer’s guidelines. We put a lot of effort into updating our writer’s guidelines regularly, offering prescriptive advice to writers keen on contributing to Fodor’s digital. Once you read through the guidelines and have a story idea to share, please pitch us at pitches@fodors.com, which is where we review every single pitch we receive. We do our best to respond to every single pitch, regardless of whether we decide to move forward with an assignment or not. We just ask that you please allow us a few weeks to get back to you.
Can you share anything that’s new or in the works with Fodors or yourself this year?
I am currently working on my third book! My third book will be a fiction novel that combines two of my other interests: travel (of course) and true crime. Inspired by a real cold case that rocked the travel community, I’m excited to share updates as I work on the manuscript.
What’s one piece of advice you can give the solo travelers out there, or those looking to take the leap into traveling alone?
My best advice (especially to women looking to solo travel for the first time) is to utilize the myriad of travel networks available to you. Consider checking out Wanderful, a massive women’s travel community with in-person chapters in numerous cities, annual travel conferences for women, and a stellar digital hub with virtual events.
Read the full interview with Wanderful founder and CEO, Beth Santos here!
Wanderful is amazing at connecting women around the globe with a shared love of travel. Not only is this a great way to connect with people in destinations you’re planning on visiting, but it’s also helpful in planning your trip and getting advice from locals.
