Disconnecting in Bolivia, Traveling Alone in China, and Chasing the Infidel in Morocco

Happy new year and happy birthday to Perceptive Travel! It was 10 years ago this month when we published the very first issue , which you can still see at that link. It’s got Rolf Potts, Jen Leo, Bruce Northam, Peter Moore, and Harold Stephens, plus me reviewing some books like the very first edition of Signspotting. We started off with a bang if I may say so myself, especially considering that Rolf’s story went on to win some awards and get into some book anthologies. It was also popular in searches for many years: look at the title and you’ll probably see why…

I launched this online magazine out of frustration. Magazines aimed at independent travelers were going under faster than you could say “world wide web” and it was clear that the ones still surviving were dumbing down their shrinking content more each quarter. Since it looked like we could run out of places to publish real narratives outside of books, I took matters into my own hands and mined my network of fellow authors to get things rolling. No market research, no e-mail list, and no startup funds to get the word out. And who is crazy enough to launch an online magazine where only book authors can submit a story?

Thankfully it wasn’t a stupid idea and ten years later I haven’t run out of great travel story submissions. Sometimes I kick in one myself, like this issue’s story on disconnecting in the unpopulated high desert of Bolivia , but more often I’m just the man behind the curtain putting all the pieces together. I just try to make sure all those pieces are interesting.

This month one other piece is a typically offbeat tale from James Michael Dorsey on what happens when an innocent attempt to purchase a trinket goes awry and gets him chased through the medina in Marrakesh . New contributor Anna Elkins conquers a lingering travel fear by heading to China solo and hiking along the Great Wall. See Beyond the Fear of Other in China .

I decided a decade ago that it would be a worthy reader service to review new travel books and world music each issue. Anyone doing a commercial audit of my publishing business would say I’m throwing money down the drain commissioning these review pages each month, especially since hardly anyone seems to be buying CDs these days. But I’m going to keep doing them anyway because when people put their heart, soul, and sweat into a work of art, someone needs to tell those artists’ stories if they’re ever going to earn enough to do more of it. So please follow these links to check out some worthwhile new music albums reviewed by Graham Reid and see the new and notable travel books William Caverlee has checked out from what’s hitting the virtual shelves.

Load Up Your Kindle

How does an online magazine filled with stories and reviews from book authors celebrate its 10th birthday? Giving away 10 books seemed pretty appropriate, so this month one lucky reader will score a $100 Amazon gift certificate. We can’t make them buy 10 books, of course, but we hope they’ll get their first Kindle and start reading more if not.

We give away something every month though and in 2016 there will be all kinds of cool gear up for grabs, like hiking shoes, sunglasses, and luggage. Last month Mark G. of Alberta came out of the randomizer and will be getting a new Tilley wool hat that retails for $109. If you want to get in on this action your odds are pretty good, but first you have to get on our newsletter list . Or you can follow Perceptive Travel on Facebook , but you’ll need to pay close attention to the feed.

Thanks for keeping the virtual lights on and helping us get to decade #2!