Jen Ruiz's Journey from Self-Publishing to Traditional Publishing

When Jen Ruiz was about to turn 30, she set herself an ambitious goal: She would visit 12 countries in 12 months. Working as a lawyer in the US with scant vacation days, she hustled to save money and take advantage of any opportunity to see the world. Once she started traveling, she realized she never wanted to stop. Pivoting to writing, she educated herself about the ins and outs of self-publishing and launched a series of highly successful self-published travel advice books, including "The Affordable Flight Guide" and "The Solo Female Travel Book." At the same time, Jen was acquiring a lifetime of experience on the road, with stories pertaining to her time of life that she knew other readers, particularly women in their thirties, would relate to. Using her self-publishing track record as a launching pad, she strategically applied herself to getting a traditional publishing contract. This resulted in the book "12 Trips in 12 Months", and the upcoming memoir "All You Need is Flights", both published by Blackstone. Listen to Jen Ruiz on the Travel Writing Podcast for a wealth of advice on writing travel books that people want to read and confidently navigating the worlds of self-publishing and traditional publishing. You can also find the travel writing podcast on Spotify or iTunes.