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Basic Training: An Introduction to Food Writing

Course is closed.

DURATION/TIME
8 weeks
Tuesdays
August 16-October 11
7-10 p.m.

LEVEL
This class is taught at a beginner level. Students need only have an interest in pursuing journalism or food writing.

LOCATION
Soho

PRICE
$499 ($475 for )
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Course Details

You're a chef, a restaurateur, or just someone who has had a lifelong love affair with food. You want to turn your hobby into a career, but you know how competitive the glamorous field of food writing is. Well, we have a shortcut for you. Basic Training: An Introduction to Food Writing is an 8-week course for foodies who want to break into food writing, whether your focus is restaurant reviewing, food history, cultural food trends, nutrition, or any other epicurious topic.

Over the course of 8 weeks, you will fully workshop two food-related pieces, including a perfectly polished, no-fail pitch letter. Your work can range from personal essays to profiles, from news stories to business or travel features. You will also receive weekly lectures on every angle of the business, from interview techniques to editor relations.

In this class, you can expect to learn:
  • The different types of food articles, and which magazines, newspapers, and websites publish them
  • How to create captivating stories that editors will buy and readers will love
  • How to write compelling pitch letters
  • What the table of contents in a magazine means to you
  • Which magazines will be interested in your story
  • How to approach editors
  • How to network
  • How to understand the market and detect changes
  • All the basic skills any journalist should have
By the end of class, students can expect to have:
Two salable pieces, pitch letters to match, and knowledge enough to survive in the world of journalism.

Admission Requirements
You must submit a letter of interest, which includes a brief work history.

Instructor Bio

David Leite's Courses

No courses available at this time.

David Leite
David Leite has written for Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Food Arts, Gourmet, Saveur, Chicago Sun-Times, The Charlotte Observer, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and the Gannett newspapers, among other publications here and abroad. His site, Leite's Culinaria (www.leitesculinaria.com), won the 2006 James Beard Award for Best Internet Web site for Food, the 2005 World Food Media Award for Best Food and/or Drink Web site, and the 2002 Best Writer's Web Site Award from Writer's Digest.

David is a triple nominee for the Bert Greene Award for Outstanding Journalism, which he won in 2006, and a winner in the 2006 Awards Competition of the Association of Food Journalists. His essays have been included in the Best Food Writing series in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. David reads his work on The Splendid Table and was featured on Radical Sabbatical on Fine Living Network.

Testimonials


Just one week after the end of my eClass, Intro to Food Writing, I was published in L.A. Alternative. The valuable feedback I received from David and my classmates helped me shape the article's topic into a saleable feature article. David's guidance helped me think outside of the ice box and research non-food, alternative markets for my writing. Plus, he's got a great sense of humor. For anyone serious about breaking into food writing, a class with David is a must. -- Candace Ryan, www.pitofmystomach.typepad.com

"I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to learn from such a well-respected, well-published food writer. David has the uncanny ability to edit, give incredibly detailed, thoughtful, constructive criticism, and still encourage his students. His critiques were always insightful and made perfect sense; we could tell that he put a lot of time and effort into them. I recommend this class so highly, I'm taking it again!" -- Leora Bloom, freelancer

"David's seminar was not only an entertaining three hours, it was an inspiring one as well! I've been a fan of David's website for a long time, and it was really fun to meet this food-writing master in person! I especially appreciated David's tips on networking, and I liked that he took the time to discuss the industry in general. I look forward to taking another class with him in the future!" -- Sarah Eveans, Associate Editor, In Touch Weekly

"David did a great job. His stories and tips about being in the business gave me the confidence to approach publishers without fear. His dedication to our success was evident by the discussions of realities in the food writing world. My pitching rate improved dramatically after learning how to do it correctly. The most valuable information David gave us was how to sort out what types of stories publishers really want, and how to give them what they want." -- Arlene Coco, former student

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