Travel Writer...hopeful author

[smarsian]

I have secured a position as a freelance travel writer.  I am also working on a book.  

To establish myself I have to travel to create content for my travel writing and I am using locations for my book.

This is my first year doing this.  Can I write off my travel expenses if they are in a published article and if I use them as locales in my book...which has not yet been published?

Thank you!

Sandra

[Michele Catlett]

It sounds like you are already a freelance travel writer.  As such, traveling to locales which you are writing an article about should qualify as a bona fide business travel expenses.  You may be able to deduct those travel expenses as associated with the freelance writing gig.  It is just secondary if you can also use the locale in your book which is not yet written or published.  Just don't try to deduct the same expenses for both activities!