A controversial piece about food writing pay popped up online last week, with a response from another editor. I’m pleased that writers are even approaching the topic. But as someone who lives and breathes this stuff, I have my own opinions about their opinions.
Here’s my take on the piece on food writing pay, followed by my take on a response:
1. Will Write for Food (catchy title!): Out of touch
The editor-at-large of The Ringer, Bryan Curtis, takes the perspective of an employed staff writer and editor. He mentions mostly other white male staff and freelancers at newspapers and magazines. This is an outdated print-first perspective. It ignores three groups: food bloggers, who are mostly women and hobbyists; online entrepreneurs, who have made a fortune writing about food as a business; and those who write cookbooks. Later in the story, he acknowledges the lack of diversity in food writing, but still quotes mostly men about it.
Curtis makes some observations about how articles about food writing have expanded:
- We’ve moved from critiquing fancy restarants to covering chefs themselves as celebrities
- We’re obsessed with food trends
- We cover where food comes from
- We politicize food.
These are great subjects, but hardly new.
His biggest point is that it’s still hard to make money as a food writer. Yep. We already know that. I’ve been writing about it since I started my blog in 2009.
I give him credit for trying to figure out what’s next and who actually pays well for articles. He says it’s this new “darker stuff” that delivers “a decent paycheck” from sites like Lucky Peach (I received $250 for my essay, so I don’t know what he’s talking about) and Food52, where the writer in charge of diverse pieces, Mayukh Sen, is on staff.
Lucky Sen. There are so few staff food writers in the US that they would all fit into a one-room restaurant.
2. Actually, It Does Pay to Be a Food Writer: Misses the Point
Curtis’s piece prompted a response from Amanda Kludt, Editor-In-Chief of Eater, who disagrees with him. She says there are lots of full-time editor/writer people at Eater and that many fine publications and websites publish food writing.
That’s great. Except that just publishing a piece isn’t enough. We’d like to be paid a decent amount. In many cases the salaries are too low as well. She says the money is there. Could we have more of it then? Or here’s a darker thought: Perhaps we don’t demand decent pay because we “love what we do.”
Okay, those are my opinions and thoughts. Now, I’d like to read yours. What do you think about Curtis’ article? And are food writers their own worst enemy when it comes to demanding good pay?
I proposed something very close to this topic for IACP, and it was not accepted. I wanted to understand how web traffic and all sorts of other seemingly mysterious things go into the budget editors have and consequetly, what we get paid for stories. I have often asked for more and sometimes get it, and some places will pay you a little more for each piece after you’ve been sort of broken in. Still, the amount of work I’ve had to do for top websites related to food, for such little pay, is insulting. There’s always someone else willing to do it, but quality costs money. It doesn’t pay well. There is much truth to this, as this year’s tax receipts can testify over here. Still, I carry on with writing and teaching classes and working on my first cookbook.
Speaking as a former editor with a budget, I’m not sure that kind of info can be quantified. It’s always good to ask for more, but the bottom line is that the work pays very little anyway. It’s nice that Curtis quoted Alan Richman, but when he got paid $6k he was one of the top-paid food writers in the US.
Pitch your idea again for next year’s IACP conference! I think it’s a winner!
Thanks, Francine. Maybe I will. I think Dianne is right though–it’s not so easily quantified. However, there has to be a way to lift the veil a little bit in order for us to both understand the forces going into what feels like incredibly shrinking pay, and then figure out ways to be empowered by that knowledge? I don’t want to make a panel that’s a bummer–there has to be some good advice you can use. T
It’s a really tough topic – as I say, I’ve not been paid exactly the same thing for any 2 pieces of anything I’ve been published, and I’ve even been paid 2 different amounts from the same magazine for similar pieces for the same column. Fee ranges from $50 to $2500 and its almost unrelated to the type of piece, the amount of work put into it, and even the prestige of the publication. Many publications have a lot of their content created in-house and some do not. It’s impossible to know what you are going to earn in any one year unless you write regularly for one publication. There are obviously some writers who make a living only writing pieces for magazines and websites but many people have to spread themselves out and do other things to fill in the gaps – teach, write cookbooks, etc. I agree that Carrie needs to repitch the idea for an IACP session – I’ve loved her idea from the beginning. I do wonder how much the fee a publication pays to a writer is budgeted by necessity (they really cannot afford more) or by the fact that they know that people will create content for them for the fee they decide to pay. Thing is, there are not only a limited number of jobs available for staff editors and writers but a lot of us are situated, for a number of reasons, often, like myself, by location, where we just cannot apply for one of those jobs. Many of us prefer to freelance, as well, because it is just more interesting. It would make for a very interesting discussion but I’m not sure that we’d get anywhere other than in circles. I am looking forward to what others think.
At least you got paid $2500, which is pretty darned good these days. Most of it is more in the $100-$250 range. They know they can pay that because food writers will accept it. Very few are trying to make a full-time living from writing, which is part of the problem.
You nailed it Dianne! The bulk of food writers and bloggers being women, we’ve been conditioned to accept whatever is offered. I did this for years and only recently began sticking up for my proven track record and street cred. My last six gigs paid $400/500 words. A far cry from $170/1500 words. Though one has to be in a position financially to take the hit when the publisher goes with a lesser known writer because they’re a fraction of the cost. Quality food writing doesn’t appear to he coveted as much as it was in the old days of $1/word.
There is lots of research about women and their lack of assertiveness when asking for raises, promotions, etc. It must apply to writing articles as well. Good for you for getting better pay. You need a lot of gigs like that to pay the mortgage, though.
Dianne, I really love how you broke it down – your argument and analysis was spot on and logical. I believe that we are, perhaps, our own worst enemies. I can speak personally, for myself – I often think that if I do that one piece for *that* magazine or *that* website, then it will build my credibility, and next time, the pay will be higher. It’s not been the case – I have now written for many prestigious publications, and the rates have not gotten better. Us food writers often have to diversify our skill-set (as so many freelancers in other fields do, too) just to keep (financially) afloat! Thank you for writing this piece and for giving us your perspective on it.
My pleasure, Shayma. I hope you ask for more money each time. My favorite technique is to pause and say, “That sounds a little low.” You have nothing to lose.
As for diversifying, It’s not necessarily better, unless whatever it is pays way more than food writing and you are really good at it.
That’s a good tip, thank you – I will use that.
As for diversifying, I think it has worked for me, personally (and I know other writers who do the same). In my case, it’s been cookery classes and one-on-one writing consultations. I have a friend who is a writer for a top food magazine and teaches English over Skype, on the side – for financial sustenance. It’s a matter of what works for each individual.
COMPLETELY agree, Shayma. I have written for great food places with big audiences whose content I love and with editors I respect, and some other large outlets with good content, huge traffic, and terrible pay–I just wish I understood the matrix a little bit more. And it’s not going up, commensurate with my experience and skills as a writer and cook.
I think Dianne is right, we can subtly say, “that sounds a bit low”…I wish I knew the formula…but at least we do what we love.
Thank you for fighting the good fight! That article by Curtis gave me indigestion. To say he is out of touch and used a click bait title would be too kind. Staff writers and editors who work for publications that pay freelancers pitifully low rates should bite their tongues. And yes, I am a past Eater freelance contributor.
Thanks Amy. Do you want to say what you were paid as an Eater contributor? It would be nice to have some real data, if you don’t mind.
I was a paid contributor, but it was over 5 years ago. At that time the pay was pitifully low, even compared to other outlets. I have no idea what they pay now. I “covered” for another writer when she took days off. At the time, a day’s worth of work netted me significantly less than $100!
Yes two years ago my lists and maps for Eater would pull in a whopping $25 each, something like $8 an hour after the dust settles. I had to stop after getting a few clips; it was a joke.
I’m glad you stopped!
BRASS TACKS: This is and always has been a convoluted subject. I want to speak as an editorial food writer since 1980 and as a professional food writing coach since 1998. Let’s look back to 1992 – 25 years ago. At that time, I wrote a story about M.F.K. Fisher for AARP magazine, then called “Modern Maturity.” The going rate was $1/word. For a story of about 2000 words, that was not too bad. At that time, that fee was considered pretty high for freelance work, but the magazine had/still has one of the highest circulations in the US, 6 issues a year. The thing is: If you can make $1/word today as a freelancer, it is rare. Generally, in economics, salaries rise; they do not remain stable for 25 years, or even decline. So, what is an editorial food writer to do in this market? Unless you are a keenly sought-out ghost writer (highest food-writing gig at this time), the answer is you must either work for other income or receive $$ from alternate sources. This is tough to admit, but for the sake of many, it is important to realize. Fine food writing by established editorial cookbook writers continues to be paid at a range of solid rates, but you must be recognized for your voice, clarity and following. To advocate for food writers, over 22 years, the Symposium for Professional Food Writers existed to bring writers, agents, editors and publishers together and it worked…more than 200 books emanated from those conferences, as well as careers for some who have gone on to write even 10 or more food books. Also, money CAN be made writing for PR/marketing if you choose to do so.
It is odd that pay did not rise for freelancers. There is no one answer as to why.
Dianne, it is going to be difficult to condense my experiences on this subject, but I’ll try. I have been making my living as a food writer for over 25 years, and like Toni, I have seen a lot of changes. Fact 1: Food writing has paid the same since 1992. My food development clients want to pay $250 a recipe, $350 tops. The price will go up if you provide photography or video. But personally, I don’t have the time to learn how to be a good photographer at the same skill level that I am a cook. That’s me. So, I have to settle for less or play that game. It used to be enough to write well and cook well. Now you have to provide other media well, too. I am of the opinion that it is a rare person that can do all three. I’m not saying they don’t exist. I’m just not one of them. But one thing, with all due respect to Chef Deb: ALL food writers don’t get paid fairly for their work. Gender has little to do with it. To answer your question, “are food writers their own worse enemy” assumes that the writer establishes the budgets, and we don’t. My clients (and I have some blue ribbon names on my resume) how much they will spend spend, I don’t tell them.
The food writing world has changed in the last 15 years, big-time. But perhaps one layer has stayed the same: magazines and cookbooks. Another layer has been added, though: online websites and publications, which didn’t exist ~10 years ago, which created a lower-paying niche, which didn’t exist before. Some of it is due to sites like Huffington Post which kicked off the notion of people would write for free (I if someone was asked to write an article for free in 1999, well…nobody would have done it…) – but food sites have low budgets and/or don’t pay well for other reasons. But they exist because people will do the work at that rate. The upside is that we’re getting a lot of new and talented voices. But the downside is the question of if it’s really a sustainable model for people trying to make a living at it.
Being a writer has never been a sustainable way to make a living for most. Freelance writing is the hardest, in my view, because you have to pitch a lot of stories to well-paying publications to get anywhere, and few have that level of success.
Remember when web editors said you should write for free for their website because of the “exposure?” I’m sure that notion hasn’t died out yet.
I admire people who are freelancers because it’s so much work pitching articles. (And you don’t get paid to pitch.) My friends who are successful at it are often contacted by publishers/editors, who know what they will get when they hire someone who is well-seasoned. (Like the people that hire Rick Rodgers: They know they’ll get a solid book.)
I don’t know if people ask people to work for free anymore but even if you get $50-$200, after the taxes and paperwork may not be worth it. I spent 4+ months doing the paperwork for a very short $250 piece for a national travel magazine, scanning & faxing tax forms, signing releases, etc, before I got paid. I almost gave up because it wasn’t worth the time. I read on some food writer board, a writer was complaining that a company was trying to pay him with a Target gift card for a $100 article – I said, “Take the gift card!”
Yes, once you are in with an editor you can work consistently. I had my favorites when I was a magazine editor. Re $250 for a piece, if you want the byline or more work in that area, it’s worth it. But what you found out is that your own business — blogging and writing cookbooks — works the best for you. There’s some value in that!
You have to take Curtis’s article with a grain of salt: he was only talking about staff writers and freelance writers for publications and websites. He did not mention recipe writing or cookbooks.
Re “gender has little to do with it,” I don’t agree, Rick. Pay and opportunity are linked to not just gender but race. White men are at the top of food writing. From there it’s white women and then everyone else. There are new studies now in food writing that back this up.
Re budgets, as a former magazine editor I can tell you that I paid people what I thought they were worth. The ones who didn’t speak up made less, even if their work was great. Maybe this rule doesn’t apply to ghosting cookbooks but it does to freelance writing.
Just wanted to chime in that editorial rates for ALL genres have been frozen in time since 1993 (when I started). I thankfully gave up writing 7 years ago . Today I make my living as a copyeditor and those rates are frozen too!
Twenty years ago this May we started Joyofbaking.com. Like many, my wife Stephanie wanted a career in food writing. Back then the discussion was much the same. It’s hard to make money, starving writers, etc. We looked at all the conventional ways to make money, write a cookbook, get noticed by someone etc. and concluded that if we want to make a go of this we need to be different than everyone else. Because those methods didn’t make much or any money. Fast forward to 2017, we live a block from one of the nicest beaches on the east coast in a paid off house, we put two sons through college to their masters degrees and we are still doing very well all because of Joy of Baking. How? By doing things differently than everyone else! It’s Economics 101. If there is an oversupply of something, the price drops and if the supply is enough, the product becomes worthless. So do something different than everyone else!! That’s what we do, even though some things we have to do we’d rather not. So in my view people need to decide what they want. Do they want to make a living? If so do what you have to do and that’s NOT what everyone else is doing. If it’s a hobby that’s cool. But please let’s not be discussing this issue in 2037.
You started a business, Rick. Most writers are not businesspeople and they have a more romantic view of writing. And often, they are not the sole means of support. Happy 20th anniversary to Joy of Baking! You two made it work.
Curtis’ piece is utterly New York–centric, with a nod to LA and written for a website that mostly caters to a male audience, so that’s who he is writing for. What he seems to have no interest in or knowledge of from what I read is the layers and layers of food writers like Rick and Jamie and Amy and all of us (you, too, Dianne) who cobble together a living writing, cooking, editing, teaching, ghosting, what have you. We can discuss the crappy rates forever, but this is endemic across the board in publishing: rates and salaries haven’t budged in 30 years, except at a few (and mostly NY–based) publications and sites and only at the top of the masthead. Writing has never been an easy way to make a living no matter what you write about, even if you are employed full-time by a major metropolitan paper. How to change it? Don’t write for free, try to set a base price you won’t go below, and diversify. Thanks as always, Dianne, for keeping the conversation going.
Well said, Tori. Yes, the people he quoted have been at the top for many years (Jonathan Gold, Alan Richman, etc.). And the rest of us are still trying to figure it out. I like your advice — very practical. Although I must say that diversifying can be as limiting financially as writing, depending on what you pick.
This is a great conversation, so thanks to all who are participating. I write for an edible mag, and make the same thing for every article, more if I do photos, and especially the coveted cover, which I have now done twice in ten issues. It is certainly NOT much in the way of income. I look at what some bloggers are making and it blows my mind. Yes, they are running a huge business, but, still…wow. Good for them. As I feel I now have a body of work and a reputation, I wonder about the next level and moving up, but, it does not look like people with way more experience and work are making any more than I am! I have considered blogging but there are so many already and breaking through to earning seems daunting. I see a path but am not sure where to put my feet – the next step is not clear and those of you ahead of me are not making enough money to shine a very bright light! In a culture where food is now a celebrity, why is the pay for writers stuck back in 1996? I am quite discouraged by, but grateful for, all of your truths about this situation.
Thanks for chiming in, Krystn. Typically once you have a body of work you can look at moving up to publications that pay more, but the question is – how much more? Have you thought about trade magazines? Amelia makes a lot of sense in this guest post she wrote for me:
http://diannej.com/2017/why-write-for-trade-food-magazines/.
I am a struggling writer. I started my food blog 16 months ago, eventually leading to my current niche of “cooking for two.” However, I have been writing, part-time, for over 6 years. Although I love food and gardening and have cold pitched various topics within this genre, I have only been PAID for articles which had absolutely nothing to do with food. So frustrating. Now writing full-time, I will continue to pitch my favorite niche and will continue my blog, but getting paid in this genre seems impossible.
It is not impossible, JoAnn, but I do understand your frustration. It is a matter of applying your same skills that got you published in other fields to food writing. “Cooking for Two” may actually work for some publications and websites — the challenge is figuring out which ones.