Freelancing

On Writing an Award-Winning Essay

October 4, 2016 by diannejacob 29 Comments

Can you tell that I still love mangoes, the subject of my essay? My local supermarket stocks succulent Atulfos, similar to the ones my dad adored. (Photo by Owen Rubin.)

You might think that writers who win awards have natural talent and dash off their stories in an afternoon. That’s the stereotype. Yes, a story I wrote called The Meaning of Mangoes won two national awards! But I didn’t dash it off, and it took me forever.

Here’s the path of my mango essay and what I learned:

Sixteen years ago, I wrote a piece about my parents and mangoes. A start-up website published it. It happened because I sat next to a woman during an International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) conference, and told her a few stories. The next day she [Read more…] about On Writing an Award-Winning Essay

Allrecipes Magazine Wants to Hear from Bloggers

August 9, 2016 by diannejacob 6 Comments

Senior Editor Nichole Aksamit says she’s always looking for new writers, especially those with “social coattails.”

Magazines need reliable writers and new blood. Nichole Aksamit, Senior Editor of three-year old Allrecipes magazine, says she’s always on the prowl for new talent.

“Consider your interests, skills and forthcoming projects,” explains Nichole. “We want down-to-earth stories with a focus on [Read more…] about Allrecipes Magazine Wants to Hear from Bloggers

Fine Cooking Wants Pitches from Food Bloggers

May 31, 2016 by diannejacob 29 Comments

Fine Cooking magazine Editor Jennifer Armentrout.

A national food magazine editor said something I never thought I would hear.

Jennifer Armentrout, editor of Fine Cooking since 2011, told me, “I would love to get more pitches from food bloggers. I actually would welcome them.” She was smiling.

For years, the big food magazines have not taken food bloggers seriously (except for the Bon Appetit column by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette). Now that some food bloggers have [Read more…] about Fine Cooking Wants Pitches from Food Bloggers

8 Best Tips on Writing and Pitching a Listicle

February 23, 2016 by diannejacob 10 Comments

A guest post by Sara Bir

Last year, I assigned, edited, and posted 230 listicles for my former job as food editor for the pop culture website Paste Magazine.

A listsicle, if you’re wondering, comprises a short list of 100-200 words that tells a larger story. You’ve read many of them online because they’re fast reads and often, you can’t help yourself.

I once resented listsicles for their seemingly dashed-off nature. I thought they were just articles with numbers in them. But I had to make peace with [Read more…] about 8 Best Tips on Writing and Pitching a Listicle

For a Cookbook Review, is Testing Recipes Essential?

January 12, 2016 by diannejacob 52 Comments

I had my 15 minutes of fame in December, when The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune and NPR included the cookbook I co-wrote with chef Craig Priebe, The United States of Pizza, in their 2015 holiday round-ups of best books or cookbooks of the year.

It was a giddy time because, as you know, a cookbook review in The New York Times is the Holy Grail. Emails flew as my agent and publisher discussed [Read more…] about For a Cookbook Review, is Testing Recipes Essential?

Submit Your Writing Now to Lucky Peach

May 26, 2015 by diannejacob 22 Comments

Looking for a paid outlet for your food writing?

Recently Lucky Peach launched a new website featuring “daily essays, recipes, restaurant recommendations, comics, and other miscellany,” says editor Chris Ying.

That means they need lots of content, which is the best news ever for freelance food writers. Here are some guidelines for submission:

1. Write for a monthly theme, tied to the [Read more…] about Submit Your Writing Now to Lucky Peach