Rob Bhatt
writer, editor, consultant
Articles and Content
Please click on a headline to open a pdf of the article you'd like to view. As you scroll down below the headings for feature and news articles, you'll find travel stories. The section at the bottom shows my approach to content marketing, including short-form items.
Feature Writing
During my time as editor of AAA's Journey magazine, my team was frequently asked to produce articles based on the latest traffic-safety statistics. I took things a step further by setting up a ride-along to get a first-hand look at what was happening on our highways. This article was recognized as a Maggie Award finalist for feature writing. March/April 2016, AAA Washington Journey magazine
It's hard to take safe-driving tips for granted when you're flying around a race course at more than 100 mph. At least, that was my thinking. To research this article, I joined the team at ProFormance Racing to learn about and share tips on safe driving that are just as useful on the daily commute as they are on a high-speed track. March/April 2014, AAA Washington Journey magazine
As a transplant from California, I've never had a deep rooting interest in either of the Apple Cup rivals. But as a sports fan and wine fan, there was something about the tradition that compelled me to put together these comparisons between Drew Bledsoe and Damon Huard, former Apple Cup quarterbacks who also played in the NFL, and now own Washington state wineries. November 2019, 425 Magazine
News
Bidding Wars on Seattle Home Purchases Continue to Soar
I recently had an opportunity to contribute to Seattle Agent Magazine, a digital publication for real estate agents. The parent company operates similar publications in other cities, including Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Houston and its hometown, Chicago. The content is a mix of news and feature articles. May 2021, Seattle Agent Magazine
Homes Listed on Thursdays Before Labor Day Perform Best
Here's another quick-hit news item I wrote for Seatte Agent Magazine. The emphasis was on writing short pieces offering a nugget or two of useful information. In one of my previous lives, I was the courts-and-crime beat newspaper for a daily newspaper, and this helped me develop the ability to research and write news articles rather quickly. June 2021, Seattle Agent Magazine
New Owners Breathe Life into the Historic Captain Whidbey Inn
I like combining the elements news and feature writing, when appropriate. A little flair can make a news article more engaging, and some lifestyle topics have newsy characteristics. This was the approach I took when I put together this article about the re-opening of a historic Whidbey Island inn, following a major overhaul. June 2019, Seattle Refined
Maryhill Takes Center Stage in Woodinville
In my mind, when one of the state's largest wineries opens a tasting room in one of the most beloved sites in a popular visitor destination, it's as much of a news story as it is a travel or lifestyle feature. In addition to addressing the 5Ws, I also shared a little about the travel- and wine-related elements of this story. February 2020, 425 Magazine
Travel
It's pretty amazing to think about what travel was like before the pandemic. Even though this piece is a bit old, it's still an accurate reflection of my approach to travel narratives. There's a little bit of a newswriter's tone in some of the passages, but overall, I believe it engages readers on emotional and intellectual levels. January/February 2014, AAA Washington Journey magazine
Even in travel writing, less can be more. During my time at Journey magazine, we regularly ran two-page destination profiles that provided readers with a convenient guide to cool places, including those that were not getting a lot of attention from other media outlets in our market. July/August 2018, AAA Washington Journey magazine
As a writer, I prefer long-form narrative features to roundups. But as a reader, I find myself drawn equally to both. When the opportunity arose to put together a roundup of cool Washington state hotels for 425 Magazine, I jumped at the chance. I tried to emphasize what makes each property unique, while keeping the content fresh and easy-to-scan. February 2020, 425 Magazine
10 Cool Things to Do in Phoenix
Speaking of travel roundups, here's an item that looks at spring fun in the Valley of the Sun. The article was scheduled to coincide with the time of year when baseball fans head to the Phoenix area to catch spring training baseball. This article helps guide people to a wide range of the area's cool experiences, include a few at the ballparks. January 2020, AAA Southern California Westways magazine
Content Marketing
One of my duties as editor of Journey magazine was developing articles that reinforced AAA's reputation as a leading expert on auto technology, travel, insurance and traffic safety. This article is an example of my approach. In this case, I had an opportunity to amplify findings from AAA-sponsored research on a lesser-known aspect of distracted driving. January/February 2018, AAA Washington Journey magazine
Regular unleaded? Plus? Or Premium? These are the questions that AAA's national automotive-engineering team answered in this fascinating study. My article about the research was not very long, but we received a lot of favorable responses, and it was fun to share the results with our readers. March/April 2018, AAA Washington Journey magazine
I caught the insurance bug while researching insurance topics for Journey magazine. While AAA has a clear interest in selling insurance, we shaped our articles to increase our audience's awareness of how insurance works, regardless of whether they purchased insurance from us or any other agency. November/December 2018, AAA Washington Journey magazine
An Extra Layer of Protection From Life's Uncertainties
In the past, there was a tendency to promote insurance by sharing horror stories involving people who didn't have enough coverage. At Journey magazine, I frequently tried to educate our readers by sharing real-life anecdotes showing how having the right amount of coverage helped things "go right." May/June 2018, AAA Washington Journey magazine
The Differences Between Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners
This article provides another example of my approach to service journalism, on a topic related to both healthcare and higher education. I wrote this piece for a digital marketing company that generated leads for adult-education schools. The article was designed to attract prospective students to the site. All Star Nursing Schools, June 2020