If you’re clued in in the kitchen, wise to what goes on behind the concierge desk, or keyed into major players in the foodservice and hospitality world, there’s a wealth of writing gigs you might never have thought to pursue at trade publications. You don’t need to be a life-long grocery store guru or award-winning restaurateur to pitch, either. Talented reporters who can prove their writing chops can earn the chance to provide news and analysis that food industry experts need to stay on top of their businesses. With tight budget constraints, many mainstream culinary mags and trade publications are turning in-house for their writing needs. But for some, freelance opportunities are growing even more, and a compelling, well thought-out pitch will catch an editor’s attention. We talked to five food and hospitality editors at both print and digital trade outlets to find out how you can get your next freelance idea on their menus.
InsideFandB.com
Background: Billing itself as “the authority on food and beverage,” InsideFandB.com is an online magazine and industry resource that launched in February 2010. Says founder and editor-in-chief Francine Cohen, the site “goes behind the scenes for an unvarnished look at the food and beverage world, putting trendsetting news at the fingertips of hospitality industry decision-makers who need to stay at the top of their game.” With that mission in mind, the Web site publishes both daily (ongoing event coverage and breaking news) and bimonthly feature stories and columns and aims to keep its readers intrigued, enlightened and engaged about their business. InsideFandB.com covers design, technology, equipment, legislation, management, operations, and more.
Experience required: Writers with a passion for exploring the “whys” behind the food and beverage industry are welcome. Says Cohen, “Experienced writers with a business, hospitality and/or travel industry writing background are preferred, but if you know how to ask the right questions and really care about what’s going on in the food and beverage industry, then you should be pitching your story ideas to InsideFandB.com.”
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How to pitch: InsideFandB.com looks for industry insights, trends in management, techniques, equipment, operations, service/guest relations, and the like. “Additionally, we have a section for book reviews, profiles, new products, and a travel/dining story in every issue,” says Cohen. Examples of recent freelance stories include “Dirty Little Secrets: Food Safety in Kitchens” and “Mixology, The Sweet Science: Thinking Outside The Box In A Bronx Cocktail Lab.”
Lead time is two weeks for feature stories and columns, daily for the events calendar and events coverage. “When pitching, please consider how our trade audience would benefit business-wise from reading your story,” advises Cohen. Pitch by email only.
Pay: Currently $20 per article. Word counts are between 350-1200 words.
Send pitches to: Francine Cohen: FrancineCohen [at] InsideFandB [dot] com
SupermarketGuru.com
Background: SupermarketGuru.com, created by food and retail journalist Phil Lempert, is a daily consumer-friendly Web site offering news, shopping and nutrition advice and food product reviews for the past 15 years . The Supermarket Guru also publishes a daily B2B e-newsletter: “The Lempert Report,” along with two monthly B2B e-newsletters, “Food, Nutrition & Science” and “Facts, Figures & Future.” Additionally, Lempert puts out a B2B video twice a week.
Experience required: Writers may come from a variety of relevant backgrounds: Nutritionists, health professionals (doctors, nurses), marketers and designers. Founder and editor Phil Lempert says he’s “less worried about background then depth of info and writing ability.”
How to pitch: The editor looks for food trends, health trends and consumer issues; an example of a recent story is, “Before You Bite: How Natural Is Natural Flavoring?” For the daily publications, lead time is one to two days, and for the monthly publications, lead time is one to two weeks. Lempert advises potential freelancers to consider what their readers — consumer or trade — can learn from the story. Pitch by email only.
Pay: $50-$250 per article. Word counts are between 250-400 words.
Send pitches to: Phil Lempert: Phil [at] SupermarketGuru [dot] com
| “If [freelancers] have a background in commercial foodservice, golf, course and grounds maintenance, fitness, etc. we’re more likely to work with them. If they don’t, they need to be real go-getters who are willing to work harder to make up for their lack of industry know-how.” |
Nation’s Restaurant News
Background: The self-proclaimed “news leader in the foodservice industry” since 1967, this publication covers the business of restaurant and commercial foods, reporting on topics such as food trends, finances, consumer trends and the latest equipment innovations. This weekly print publication will go bi-monthly in 2010 and is available by subscription, though they also feature it in a digital format at NRN.com. Although much of the magazine’s content is provided by staff editors, they do use some freelancers.
Experience required: While most of the magazine’s content is provided by staff editors, former editor-in-chief Ellen Koteff says they do use some freelancers. When considering a writer’s credentials, she says, “We often use editors that have both publishing and foodservice publishing backgrounds.”
How to pitch: Special projects and special issues, as outlined in the editorial calendar, are often the most likely sections for freelance work. An example story is a recent special feature on “Independents — Going it Alone in a Chain World.” Word counts vary. “Pitches are welcome,” says Koteff, “but most freelance pieces have originated from inside our newsroom as opposed to from outside pitches. It’s a good idea to pay attention to our editorial calendar.”
Pay: The freelance rate varies greatly depending on degree of difficulty or time spent on the particular piece.
Send pitches to: Executive editor Robin Lee Allen: RAllen [at] NRN [dot] com
FoodBizDaily.com
Background:FoodBizDaily.com, which began in March of 2009, is a Web site covering global news on the food and beverage industry. It features headlines, product reviews, a new products showcase and blogging; recent news items have covered Indian tea price increases and rice exports from Vietnam. This daily site aims to post news as it happens, and is online only.
Experience required: Writers must have previous experience writing about the food and beverage industry.
How to pitch: Executive editor Fernando Lopez is looking for, “Articles, blog posts — no fixed length. Stories must be relevant to our audience.” Featured articles have a lead time of about seven days. “Prospects should demonstrate knowledge of the F&B industry,” says Lopez. “Personal relationships with industry players are also important.”
Pay: Pay is negotiable with editor.
Send pitches to: Executive editor Fernando Lopez: Fernando [at] FoodBizDaily [dot] com
HOTELS Magazine
UPDATE:Hotels has shuttered as of April 2010.
Background: Established in 1966, HOTELS serves the worldwide hotel industry, covering hotel management companies and major chain headquarters, as well as trends in hotel design, operations, foodservice, technology, finance, marketing and new products. The monthly publication is aimed at hotel owners, managers, designers, architects, and buyers for hotel products and services. It’s available by subscription and at www.HotelsMag.com.
Experience required: “Our freelance writers typically have experience or expertise in some aspect of hotel operations, like F&B [food and beverage], interior design, back office technology, etc.,” says associate editor Adam Kirby. “Writers with an in-depth understanding of the financial side of the industry (i.e. real estate investing) are also useful.”
How to pitch: “We normally only freelance feature articles from our editorial calendar,” notes Kirby. (A request form can be downloaded here.) A recent special report covers, “Franchising Around the World.” Length varies but is usually between 1,200 and 2,500 words. Lead time is generally two to four weeks. “The best way to be considered,” says Kirby, “is to highlight your niche expertise, backed by credentials. Also, note that as a trade magazine we rarely publish ‘travel’ stories, but rather business-focused stories that happen to involve companies within the travel and hospitality industry.”
Pay: Varies based on the nature of the topic and the writer’s experience.
Send pitches to: Editor-in-chief Jeff Weinstein: JWeinstein [at] ReedBusiness [dot] com
Club & Resort Business
Background:Club & Resort Business magazine, launched in 2005, provides ideas for decision-makers at city and dining clubs, yacht clubs, upscale golf clubs and resorts. Topics covered include foodservice, recreation, design, and marketing, as well as news and issues affecting the club and resort industry. This is a monthly trade publication, available to industry subscribers. The general public can only view them online at www.clubandresortbusiness.com.
Experience required: “Freelancers need to have a understanding of our market, our readers and our mission as a magazine,” says managing editor Joanna DeChellis. “If [freelancers] have a background in commercial foodservice, golf, course and grounds maintenance, fitness, etc. we’re more likely to work with them. If they don’t, they need to be real go-getters who are willing to work harder to make up for their lack of industry know-how.”
How to pitch: “Our stories run the gamut from feature profiles of club and resort properties to round up features on topics under food and beverage, design and renovation, course and grounds, recreation and fitness, membership/marketing and golf operations,” says DeChellis. “We ask that features be at least 1,200 words and include three ‘summing it up’ points, as well as at least one sidebar.” Upcoming topics will include a design feature on wine rooms/cellars, and a membership/marketing feature covering information on charity events. Freelancers are responsible for obtaining art from the properties they interview. Lead time is two to three months. “We run very lean at C&RB, and we work with a solid group of regular contributors,” says DeChellis. “For someone to stand out from the pack of everyday inquiries, he or she would need to prove that he or she is worth my time.” She starts by sending potential freelancers the editorial calendar, asking them to pitch a story based on the calendar topics and telling her what angle they might take, what clubs they might talk to and what questions they might ask.
Pay: $500-$600 per article
Send pitches to: Managing editor Joanna DeChellis: JDeChellis [at] ClubandResortBusiness [dot] com
Rani Long is a writer in New York.
[This article was originally written by Rani Long and published on December 21, 2009. It was updated by Blake Gernstetter on March 1, 2010.]
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Though we’ve updated this article recently, the
speed at which things move in media means things may have already changed
since then. If you notice any outdated info, email us, and we’ll fix it
a.s.a.p.]
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