writing beats rodeo

Tom Claycomb is a cowboy at heart and a writer by trade.  He hails from a small town in Texas where cattle ranches stretch from sunrise to sunset. When all you can see are ranches, rodeo is bound to play a significant role in your life.  This is certainly true of Tom.  From an early age, he took a liking to the rough and tumble sport.

After giving college at Texas A&M a try, Tom dropped out and pursued his true passion- riding broncs.  Unfortunately, finding money in rodeo is like finding water in Death Valley- it just doesn’t happen. When Tom realized he had more broken bones than decent paychecks from bronc riding, he returned to college at A&M and completed his degree in commercial animal science. He’d always harbored a love of animals and wild places.

Shortly after graduating, Tom got into outdoor writing. He now writes for numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites in the outdoor media space. He publishes 325 articles per year. Tom is not an easy man to track down.  He frequents airports, often journeying great distances in search of adventures and big game. When he isn’t traveling, he calls Boise, Idaho home. He lives with his beautiful wife Katy and enjoys all things that come with an Idaho life: fishing, hunting, and getting lost in the beauty of the great outdoors.

Member Spotlight- Q & A with Tom Claycomb

• Tell us a little bit about your background and how you became a writer/author. 

My writing journey started 22 years ago. On my first attempt at an article, I got lucky and won an outdoor writing contest with a local newspaper. I figured the editor must have enjoyed my work, so I submitted two more articles to him. Shortly after, he asked me if I would write a weekly column for him. Of course, I agreed to this. I now had my foot in the door. I leveraged my work with my first newspaper to acquire new writing gigs. I began writing weekly columns for magazines in Alaska and Idaho, as well as receiving sporadic work from magazines.

As my career progressed, my primary writing medium changed from pen and paper to digital. I began writing articles and gear reviews for retail companies in the outdoor world. I also started writing e-books and instructional manuals on topics such as knife sharpening.

I love the process of writing articles but have found outdoor seminars and speaking events to be a much more lucrative affair. I try to do about forty to sixty seminars a year, on anything from writing techniques to firearms reviews. I have conducted seminars at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, SHOT show, Dallas Safari Club,  and Safari Club International, among many others.

• Describe one of the most memorable projects you have worked on thus far.

A personal favorite of mine was a project I worked on with Charles Allen, owner of Knives of Alaska. Charles is a good friend of mine and has decades of experience as a bush pilot, guide, and outfitter in Alaska. When Charles began designing a new boning knife for his business, he invited me to help design and test the prototype. We flew down to Charles’ ranch and butchered a wild hog, deer, and Wagyu steer with the knife. The High Road With Keith Warren filmed the process and produced three tv episodes featuring me and Charles! There was even a renowned chef on the scene to prepare gourmet meals from the game we harvested.

One of the coolest aspects of outdoor writing is that it allows you to connect with some amazing people. Eugene Gutierrez was manning the Case Knives booth at the SHOT show when I met him. We started talking, and eventually, I secured an interview with him. He was on America’s first-ever special forces team, and it was truly an honor to transcribe his incredible stories.

• What resources have been the most beneficial to you in your professional journey?

People and God. It’s as simple as that.  When you make connections and listen to people’s stories, they tend to be much more willing to vouch for you. Aside from that, I feel incredibly blessed that God has given me a platform to speak and write about the things I love.

• How’d you hear about POMA and why did you join?
  

I was on the pro staff for ThermaCELL and ended up meeting the Vice President of Marketing, Allegra Lowitt.  He encouraged me to join POMA, and soon I was introduced to a group of members. It didn’t take long before I was invited to join them as a media member. I am always trying to partner with like-minded people. I found my new friends at POMA to be excellent representations of professional outdoor media, so it was a no-brainer to join their ranks.

• Lastly…do you have any hidden talents?

(In true Tom Claycomb fashion)

“I wasn’t born with any super skills, so all I can do is work hard every day.  That is what I am in control of, so that is what I focus on.”