I can be something of a travel magazine junky. I have cut back my habit to just two publications delivered in print to my home each month; Afar and National Geographic. But there is a new entry in the competitive travel writing market and it comes form the world of blogging. Nellie Huang and her husband are taking their passion for travel and storytelling and are turning it into a life goal realized in the form of Wild Junket Magazine.
Currently the magazine is offered as a download (Apple iOs and Google Android versions are also available) to be readable on almost any device. I found the layout to be pleasant but at times was a bit full on my laptop screen. By full I mean there are a lot of informational sidebars that help take the reader in other directions (all with handy links to internet pages for further exploration, something that is useful and a benefit to reading in this format). The sidebars can sometimes shrink down the text space and make it a bit disjointed.
That honestly is my biggest beef with the magazine. It is rich in photos to help bring the stories to life and most are sourced by the traveler writers themselves, which helps add authenticity to their words. I enjoyed the quantity and variety of stories and the graphics used. Some of the articles could use a bit of polish but this is a new endeavor; you wouldn’t go back to the first few episodes of the Simpsons and expect the shine the cartoon has today. Likewise, I really enjoyed this first issue and look forward to more of what Nellie has to offer.
For those in the travel writing industry, you will recognize a number of the authors contributing to this first edition: Nellie herself, Abigail King, Lola Akinmade Åkerström and Candace Rose Rardon, to name a few. There is also a great section up front of reader pictures, sourced from far-flung locations and gorgeous imagery. I think this front section does a great job of pulling readers in with full size images rich in color and interesting subjects with a blurb by the photographer to help you learn more.
If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the magazine for download (about 22MB), it is just $2.95USD per issue and annual subscriptions are available. Click here for your own copy.
hi Peter, thanks for the review of our magazine and your valuable feedback! We’re definitely looking into cleaning up the look a little . as you said, it really is a constant process and we’re learning every step of the way and trying to improve the magazine as we speak. Stoked to hear so much positive feedback already! Looking forward to working with you on the next few issues. 🙂