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20 Dining, Cooking and Food Magazines to Pitch

by | Mar 1, 2021

When you savor a meal, are you dreaming of the words you’d use to describe it? Do you salivate at the thought of writing about food for a living? If so, why not try your hand at writing for food magazines?

Below is a list of publications that accept all sorts of stories about food, ranging from recipes, to pieces examining the sustainability of certain practices, to articles exploring the junction of food and travel. We tell you a bit about the media outlet, as well as how you might try to reach an editor there.

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Food publications and cooking magazines to pitch

While we focus here on cooking magazines and food magazines, here’s a tip: don’t limit yourself strictly to publications that only cover food.

Many other publications, ranging from travel to regional magazines, include a food or dining section, so keep an open mind when trying to place stories about the culinary world.

If you’re keen to explore food writing jobs, try pitching editors at these publications.

1. Bon Appetit

Bon Appetit is a well-known fine food magazine, and they also publish regularly online. While they rely on in-house writers for recipes and cooking tips and don’t feature traditional restaurant reviews, they’re open to conversational, funny and passionate freelance pitches for reported features, trend stories, personal essays and opinion pieces.

To pitch BonAppetit.com, send a summary paragraph, proposed headline and clips to [email protected]. We recommend paying close attention to the pitching guide Bon Appetit provides online. Rates start at $250 for Restaurant Diaries, Highly Recommend and other short-form stories that range 300 to 500 words. 

2. Catalyst

Salt Lake City, Utah-based Catalyst Magazine focuses on a wide variety of lifestyle topics, including organic food, gardening/food security and more. 

Send your query, along with a resume and clips, to Greta deJong. And be warned: if your article is accepted, you’ll be expected to write it on spec. It could still be worthwhile, though! You can find the full submission guidelines online.

3. TASTE

An online magazine with today’s home cook in mind, TASTE seeks a wide variety of freelance material including original recipes with a clear point of view as well as reported stories, home-cooking advice and more.

Send your email with the text of the pitch pasted in the body — no attachments! — to Anna Hezel and Matt Rodbard. Find all the pitching details in their pitching guide.

4. Disney Food Blog

If the only thing you love more than food is all things Disney, this blog might be the perfect place for you to show off your skills. Focused primarily on the dining and drinking options around Orlando’s Walt Disney World, Disney Food Blog (DFB) welcomes original articles and photos covering the constantly-changing world of Disney cuisine.

And while it doesn’t appear to be a paid opportunity, the editors will allow you to thread one link into your byline.

For more details, check out the blog’s guest post guidelines.

5. Eating Well

“Ingredients for The Good Life” is the motto of this national food magazine dedicated to healthy eating. Articles focus on cooking, nutrition science, culture, food origins and traditions, and even social issues related to food networks.

This market pays up to $1 per word, and starting with the short, front-of-the-book sections is the best way to break in. Read more in the magazine’s writers’ guidelines.

6. Edible Communities

The Edible franchise features food-related publications in towns and regions all over the country and beyond, from Edible Brooklyn to Edible Northeast Florida to Edible Vancouver. Each publication has different submission requirements and pay rates, so be sure to click on the individual publication you’re interested in for more details.

For example, Edible Seattle relies on freelance writers and encourages pitches for a number of its magazine sections, from long-form features, to recipes, to chef profiles. Pay typically ranges from 20 to 30 cents per word.

7. Epicure & Culture

“Food, Wine & Culture for the Ethical Traveler” is the tagline for this online publication. Recent food articles include Exploring The Culture of Parsi Cafes In Mumbai, India and  Eating Vegan in Austin, Texas. The submission page notes contributors receive a link to their website, social media promotion, and the possibility of cross-promotion via other networks. Payment information isn’t published, however, so be sure to coordinate with the editor directly.

8. Eater

A national magazine that focuses on reporting on and critically examining all things food and drink, Eater actively seeks pitches from external contributors and pays a competitive rate. (Who Pays Writers reports an average of about 37 cents per word, with some writers having seen rates of up to 67 cents.)

Be sure to read the lengthy submission guidelines in full before you query the magazine, and be doubly sure you’re not pitching something the magazine’s not looking for… especially since they specifically spell it out. 

9. Kashrus Magazine

Kosher eating is the focus of this magazine covering everything from preparing for Jewish holidays to new Kosher products and even Kosher marijuana.

You can reach out to an editor at [email protected].

10. Kitchn

This daily web magazine sees an audience of more than 17 million people, so it’s an understatement to say it would be pretty cool to be featured amongst its colorful, clever posts. And while the bulk of the writing is done by a small, steady team of freelancers, they do accept kitchen projects and recipe links from food bloggers — and also hire freelancers from time to time, so keep an eye on their job listings.

11. Menuism

A blog that’s all about dining education for foodies, Menuism is looking for guest posts from food bloggers who can whip up strong, original, engaging content about food, cocktails and wine.

To pitch, send a short paragraph and suggested headline to [email protected], and be sure to paste them into the body of the email rather than adding attachments. For all the details, check out the writer’s guidelines.

12. Food52

With recent articles running the gamut from pillowy-soft cinnamon rolls to one-skillet chicken with brothy beans, Food52 makes food approachable, fun and fascinating — and if you have an idea for a story that might fit its mission, you can contact the editors at [email protected].

Click here for full submission guidelines.

13. Saveur

Saveur covers the junction of food and travel, featuring everything from recipes and cooking tips to features on specific ingredients and cookbooks.

To submit ideas, email the editors at [email protected] with a summary of the article you’d like to write along with some information about how you’d like to put the article together, such as who you’d like to interview and what angle you’d take.

14. Extra Crispy

“Why does anybody in the world ever eat anything but breakfast food?”

If you were nodding in agreement with Ron Swanson during that particular episode of Parks & Rec, Extra Crispy might be the perfect spot for your food writing. This breakfast-focused blog publishes opinion pieces, serious reported stories, works of humor and more, and is actively open to pitches from outside contributors.

Check out the submission guidelines for full details.

15. Whole Life Times

This bimonthly magazine depends on freelancers to fill its pages and focuses on holistic and integrative health stories, organic food, sustainability and other topics related to a healthy and progressive lifestyle. Rates vary and can go up to $150 for a 800-1,000-word feature, with shorter departments paying less.

Check out the writers guidelines for more information.

16. YAM Magazine

Greater Victoria, Canada, is the focus of this lifestyle magazine covering food and wine, health and fitness, culture, and other topics. 

It’s worth noting the publication’s lead time is three to four months, so you’ll watch to pitch topics that will be timely and revelant.

Full submission guidelines, including the most up-to-date point of contact, are available via PDF.

17. Healthyish

Healthyish, a Bon Appetit brand, is a site all about delicious healthy foods. It publishes recipes and its typical quarterly editorial packages as well as “conversational, passionate articles that cover the many intersections of food, wellness and culture today.”

Pay starts at $300 (though shorter columns are $100) and increases based on your experience and also the depth of the piece. If you’re interested in pitching, be sure to read the guidelines first.

18. Well + Good

The mission behind this publication is simple: “Decoding and demystifying what it means to live a well life inside and out.” Recent food and nutrition stories cover a variety of topics, from a high-protein baked oats recipe to a cheap iced coffee maker recommendation to paleo breakfast ideas.

If you’re interested in contributing, check out the pitching guidelines, where you’ll find more information on the types of food stories they’re looking for as well as where to email your pitch.

19. Paleo Magazine

Paleo Magazine covers all things about “modern day primal living.” In addition to original recipe contributions, it’s also open to content contributors who love “the Paleo lifestyle and can provide a fresh new spin and provide actionable information to our readers.”

You can send samples of your work to [email protected], and find additional details online.

20. Radish Magazine

Radish Magazine is a monthly magazine published by The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus, which serves western Illinois and eastern Iowa. Although most of the magazine’s content is produced by its staff, it is interested in stories about healthy opportunities in the region.

Pay runs from $50 to $150. For items submitted for the Rooting Around department, pay is $25.

To submit a query, email a one-page proposal along with some clips of previously published work. You can find all the details in the contributor guidelines.

Writers, what are your favorite food publications to work with? Tell us in the comments below.

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

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