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My Book:
An Introduction to Traveling


I wrote this Travel Handbook to inspire people, especially people of color, to travel and learn the travel skills needed to become a confident traveler!  In it, I share the essential topics, processes and steps to travel.

An Introduction to Traveling:
The First Step of Many Around the World
By Lydia Copeland


This comprehensive travel skills guide teaches you how to:
  • Plan and set your travels up for success
  • Avoid travel disasters like getting lost, losing items, wasting money or being unprepared
  • Book hotels, transportation, flights and travel activities
  • Find your travel “why” and travel around your interests
  • Travel the world confidently with my helpful travel tips and tricks
  • Manage your travel finances and save money when traveling
  • Stay safe and keep everything organized in an itinerary (and budget) that fits your style!
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first-timer, this book has travel skills for everyone. This is the book I wish I had when I wanted to see the world but didn’t know where to start. We all should have access to the world, My book will give you the skills to see it! 

What makes my book different from other travel skills guides? 
  • Shares travel tips that are easy to learn and use
  • Provides foundational information so you can easily use other travel guides 
  • Covers the entire travel spectrum - local day trips, travel across the United States, road trips, train travel, flights and international trips
  • Gives you the tools to find your travel style instead of telling you how to travel
  • Learn how to travel more often and incorporate more travel into your life 

Get your copy of “An Introduction to Traveling” and start traveling like a pro! 




Why I Wrote This Book (and How I Did)

Being from a small town, travel wasn't common and as a BIPOC (black indigenous person of color), travel was even discouraged by my family, so I had a difficult time learning the basics of travel. I had a hard time learning the basics of traveling, like navigating transportation, planning trips and even learning what to pack. Now that I've traveled internationally and across the United States, I've realized that traveling is an amazing gift and I want more people to experience it.

I wrote this book to increase BIPOC travel representation and access to these essentials of travel. Access to travel isn't just about having the money, it's also seeing it in your community and being able to find the information to build your knowledge and confidence in traveling. Promoting access is about removing barriers, I wrote this book to do just that.

Traveling opens our perspectives to what is possible and our hearts to other cultures and backgrounds. Traveling also gives us access to jobs, education and opportunities. Many of these valuable things have been out of reach for minority groups. We all should have access to the world.


I am so happy I published my book through Amazon KDP publishing! I'd highly recommend it. Here's my timeline for how long it took me from start to finish!
  • Idea: Since Jan 2023, I was working on a YouTube series on the basics of travel and I decided to write a book instead! 
  • Writing: July 2023 to August 2023 - 2 months 
  • Editing: 2 reviews - September 2023 - 1 month 
  • ISBN: Instant - September 2023 - COST - $125 
  • Copyright: Submitted Sept 14th 2023 and received Oct 18th 2023 - COST - $45
  • Draft Review: October 2023
  • Published on November 1st! on Amazon and people started buying it that day! 
Next Steps and Continuous Work
My goal is to get my book out there as much as possible. That means reaching out to libraries, charities and other organizations that support life skills and travel literacy. I am also contacting other bloggers, book reviewers, podcasters, magazines and even travel agents to share my book with them and why I wrote it, to share the basics of traveling so more people have access to travel! Wish me luck! 




For Libraries, Charities and Bookstores


Want to add my book to your library or bookstore? Or do you want to add my book to your charity program? Here’s my sell sheet, packed with information about my book. 

My book can be purchased through the channels below via searching for my name, Lydia Copeland, or the book ISBN 979-8-218-28602-6
  • Amazon & Kindle
  • Barnes Noble
  • Amazon Expanded Distribution wholesale (many book distributors) 
  • Author Direct via Bookstore Consignment Program 
  • Ingram Books

Send me an email at LydsLifeSkills@gmail.com if you have any questions on purchasing in bulk or a consignment program! I keep many author copies on hand to fulfill consignment requests quickly. 
 

Book Sell Sheet

Publisher: Self Published through Amazon KDP
Contact Email: lydslifeskills@gmail.com
Website: www.lydslifeskills.com

Book Details
  • Format – Paperback
  • Category – Reference and Travel 
  • Age – High School and Adult 
  • ISBN: 979-8-218-28602-6
  • Publish Date: November 1st, 2023
  • Copyright Confirmed: October 18th, 2023 
  • Pages - 107 
  • Size - 6in. x 9in. 
  • Price - $14.99 
  • Flesch Reading Ease - 69.6
  • Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level - 7.3
  • Passive Sentences - 6.9%
Here is the table of contents of the 107-page book, so you can see what it covers! 
  • Chapter 1: Find Your Travel "Why"
  • Chapter 2: Finding Travel Activities & Ideas 
  • Chapter 3: Trip Budget & Saving for Travel 
  • Chapter 4: Planning Timeline
  • Chapter 5: Itineraries: Formal vs Informal 
  • Chapter 6: First Purchases 
  • Chapter 7: Transportation - To Your Destination & At Your Destination
  • Chapter 8: Hotels 
  • Chapter 9: Packing Your Bags
  • Chapter 10: Safety 
  • Chapter 11: International 
  • Chapter 12: Pre-Travel Prep & Recovery 

Book Description
This book is a great resource for high schoolers and adults who want to learn how to travel. This book covers the basics of traveling and is an introduction to the topics, terms and processes to expect when traveling.

The goal of my book is to make travel more accessible by preparing readers to find travel activities, lodging and transportation so they can travel successfully and confidently. The book also focuses on how to stay organized, safe and manage your budget when traveling.


Author Bio
I am a Sr Data Analyst and Reporting Developer! I was raised in a small town in Western Pennsylvania, West Newton, and now I live in Tampa, Florida. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture: Animal Science from Pennsylvania State University. 

You can find me trying new recipes, planning trips, watching documentaries or trying new restaurants! I also like to volunteer with different charities and libraries to lead workshops on resumes, financial literacy, travel planning and other life skills.

My travel why is food and culture – I love food festivals and just exploring a city through food. My life travel goal is to refurbish a private train rail car for traveling across the United States and Canada!


Library and Bookstore Locations (by state) 
Florida
New York 
  • The Free Black Womens Library - Brooklyn, NY

Pennsylvania 
  • West Newton Public Library - West Newton, PA (author hometown)