Food Writing
A Bi-weekly Ezine
Volume V, Issue 11
March 25, 2008
www.food-writing.com
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For writers who love food and food lovers who write. Subscribe and Unsubscribe instructions are found at the end of the e-zine.
Our subscribers' privacy is important, I will not sell or share e-mail addresses or names with other businesses or publishers. This
newsletter, in its entirety, may be shared via e-mail and on lists. This issue goes out to 1979 subscribers! Thank you!
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"You will never get out of pot or pan anything fundamentally better than what went into it. Cooking is not alchemy; there is no
magic in the pot." - Martha McCulloch-Williams
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In This Issue: 1. Editor's Note – I TUBE, WE TUBE, YOU TUBE
2. WRITING ON SPEC by Ward Tipton
3. COOKING WITH KIDS, OR HOW TO SELL FOOD TO CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES by Pamela White
4. Markets and Jobs for Writers
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Make Money as a Food Writer in Six Lessons by Pamela White, available at Amazon.com:
http://tinyurl.com/2b4t3n
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1. Editor's Note – I TUBE, WE TUBE, YOU TUBE
Another week, another ezine filled with, what I hope is, inspiration. One of my recent finds, although you may laugh that I just
discovered these gems, is the number of videos on YouTube.com that deal with food writing, food, writing and food writers.
You can stop laughing at me now. I know YouTube.com thanks to my children introducing me to Kyle Sullivan's Shoes video. I
never thought that amazingly endless crop of videos held more than just creative people spoofing life, love and banana hands. Sure, I
used it to look up funny videos on animal antics for the children I babysit, and spent hours trying to find a ghost video that wasn't
boring.
A few months ago, I decided to type in food and writing in the search bar and voila! I found a diamond in the midst of all the
pebbles of no account.
Here are a few videos to get you started if you haven't seen them. The video of Ruth Reichl is from her food critiquing days at
the New York Times and hence she is disguised in a really awful looking wig and goofy glasses.
And that's all I have for your right now! Cheers for now, and we'll meet again next week.
Nina Planck on her book REAL FOOD
Robin Miller on her food writing career
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn9GgZ53coc
About half-way through, an interview with Ruth Reichl in disguise, circa 1998
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1cqvkPIGJw
Interview with Calvin Trillin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYuHZT6reOo
Amateur video of Alice Waters at a book signing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRfj-91fNj8
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2. WRITING ON SPEC by Ward Tipton
Many writers want to have a solid and viable market before they even consider putting the pen to the paper, much less actually
creating a literary masterpiece. A lot of other writers however, are not quite so particular. Many of these writers will work on "spec"
or speculation. While both arenas have their good points and bad points, we will look strictly at writing on "spec" in this article.
It is called writing on speculation for a reason. You are writing and hoping to get your work published and paid for it. This can
be both a really good thing and a really bad thing all at the same time. The benefits and the detriments both exist much as they do
anywhere else. The difference here will be in how you deal with them as a writer.
Writing on spec allows the writer to write about literally anything and everything that interests them. This often results in much
better writing because the writer is more comfortable and more relaxed with the subject matter. Often times the writing will be in
regards to a particular subject and a viable solution to a common problem within that subject. Other pieces written on speculation
include informative articles as well as articles of general interest about a particular subject matter or topic.
The biggest problem with writing on speculation is that the author never knows for certain whether or not they will ever
actually be able to sell the pieces that they write. While this may seem to be an absolute negative to many potential authors, for others
it is not necessarily a bad thing. While ultimately, everybody who is writing would like to be paid for his or her work; this same work
can serve other purposes as well.
If the article does not sell, it can often be used on a personal web page or even as a part of the writer's portfolio and writing
samples. While no money was made on the original writing, it could still lead to other opportunities that do allow the writer to get
paid for their work. So while they do not actually make money on the article that was originally written strictly on speculation, it did
open up doors and opportunities that allowed them to earn money in the long run.
If you are one of the many people who write simply out of some unspoken love for the beauty of the written word, writing on
speculation may be one of the quickest and easiest ways for you to break into the world of writing. While there is certainly no
guarantee that you will be paid each and every time you put the pen to paper, you will stand a lot better chance of getting published
than someone who never even tries.
Even more, the experience that you gain as you go along will also be reflected in your writing and your passion and dedication
to the written word will probably never be brought into question. Throw in a few tear-sheets with that and you will be well on your
way if not to fame and fortune, at least to a viable career as a professional writer.
About the Author: Ward Tipton has been an author and editor for over twenty years. He has specialized the last three years in
writing for some of the most prominent Internet Marketers around the world. He is now breaking out on his own and slowly but surely
breaking into the world of Internet Marketing from a unique perspective and with a style and abilities that go much farther than his
power of persuasion utilizing nothing more than the written word.
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3. COOKING WITH KIDS, OR HOW TO SELL FOOD TO CHILDREN'S MAGAZINES by Pamela White
Taking food writing to children's magazines is not as off the mark as it may, at first glance, seem. Children love to eat. They
tend to snack all day long. And they admire and imitate their parents, older siblings and caregivers.
It's up to the food writer to create a positive experience combining all three.
* Be crafty. Children's magazines clamor for craft activities that are appropriate for their readers' ages. Since most children's
magazines are divided into pre-schoolers, early elementary ages, and pre-teens, begin to think of cooking activities that can be done
for each age group.
Crafts are hands-on activities that the children can handle by themselves, except for a few preparation steps. When providing
food crafts for pre-schoolers look for recipes that involve cool, healthy ingredients: fruit salads, simple sandwiches, fruit juice drinks.
Anything that needs to be peeled or cut up will need to be prepped by adults, or, in the case of soft fruits like bananas or melons, be
cut up with plastic cutlery or scooped with spoons. You want to avoid anything that needs to be heated and all sharp tools.
* Center the craft around an event or holiday. This is especially attractive to older children, and tweens and teens. They want to
feel grown up when friends come over or when they are hosting a party. Pitch an article that combines party food with easy prep
involved and step-by-step instructions for the novice, but eager, young cook.
Nutrition is another angle for tweens and teens. When writing food articles for this age group, provide solutions for their busy
and confusing lives – food that boosts energy or supports clear skin; food that can be used for beauty treatments: masks, hair
conditioners; food that helps with hormonal changes; or easy recipes that mimic favorite fast foods without the grease or sugar.
* Tell a story. Children's stories (and stories for older children through the teen years) work if they offer something familiar that
the reader can connect with. Food is certainly a connecting force, whether we grow it, eat it, share our traditions with newcomers,
visit a new county, or celebrate a holiday. Write about foreign holiday traditions that will expand the culinary horizon of your readers.
Create an historical tableau by showing how food was grown, harvested, preserved and prepared by early pioneers.
There are many ways to integrate food into articles for children of all ages. Stretch your own experiences to open up new paths
for young readers as they learn to explore cooking, enjoy eating new foods and learn the most basic of life skills, that of providing for
oneself and others.
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4. MARKETS AND JOBS FOR FOOD WRITERS
MARKETS
LADIES HOME JOURNAL
www.lhj.com
Guidelines Online:
http://www.lhj.com/lhj/file.jhtml?item=/help/writersGuidelines
articles 2000 – 3000 words; $1 per word and up
JACK AND JILL
Children's Better Health Institute P.O. Box 567 Indianapolis IN 46206-0567
www.jackandjillmag.org
Guidelines Online:
http://www.cbhi.org/cbhi/writersguidelines.shtml
not buying much now, but plan ahead…
500 to 800 words, 17 cents per word and up.
AMERICAN GIRL
Magazine Department Assistant
American Girl
P.O. Box 620986
Middleton, WI 53562-09868400
www.americangirl.com
Guidelines Online:
www.americangirl.com/corp/guidelines/index.html
$300 for features; Quick how-to crafts, short fiction, non-fiction profiles
GIRLS LIFE
Monarch Publishing 4529 Harford Rd. Baltimore MD 21214
www.girlslife.com
Guidelines Online:
http://www.girlslife.com/page/contact.aspx
700 – 2000 words; $350 column/$500 feature
JOBS
Writers on Food, Leisure, Wine, Travel, Golf, covering Napa, Bay area
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/wri/615457828.html
Freelance Editorial Assistant – Cookiemag.com
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=73804&page=1
Editor, Wine and Spirits Trade Magazine
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=74623&page=1
Food Writer, Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, FL
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=897413
Seeking Food Writers, About.com
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=625412
Freelance Food Writer, online dining guide
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/wri/610297925.html
"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little." - Henry David
Thoreau
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Food Writing is copyrighted by Pamela White, 2008
Thanks for reading.
