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 and 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.
Cooking publications and food 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, 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, email [email protected] with “PITCH: [your idea here]” as the subject line. We recommend paying close attention to the pitching guide Bon Appetit provides. Last we checked, 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, [email protected]. 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 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.
Last we checked, 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. They’ve removed their writers’ guidelines but you can find an editor to pitch on this page.
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 writer’s guidelines notes contributors receive a link to their website, social media promotion, and $10 payment upon publication.
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 Kashrus 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
Kitchn, a 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. Food52
With 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.
12. 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, follow the pitch guidelines and email the relevant editors 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.
“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 pitch guidelines for full details.
14. 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 $125 for a 800 to 1,000-word feature, with shorter departments paying less.
Check out the writers guidelines for more information.
15. YAM Magazine
Greater Victoria, Canada, is the focus of the lifestyle YAM 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 relevant.
Full submission guidelines, including the most up-to-date point of contact, are available via PDF.
16. 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 $250 (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.
17. 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.
18. The Spruce Eats
The Spruce Eats has a “mission to turn curiosity into confidence.” The magazine evolved from a 25-year archive of recipes, which are constantly updated and tested.
It has been reported that freelancers can sell pieces for as much as $225 to this publication, but for current rates it’s best to check with the editorial team. You can find the masthead for who to pitch here.
19. Whetstone Magazine
If you write about global food culture and origins, then make sure to check out Whetstone Magazine. In 2020, the publication’s founder said they pay $300 per piece.
To pitch, send your ideas that take an anthropological approach to what’s eaten where and why to [email protected].
20. TheFoodellers
This food travel website is “always on the lookout for articles on inspirational travel, photo stories, tips, top XX’s, your experiences traveling the world, your recipes, and your food travel experiences in the world.“
The writing guidelines don’t mention pay, but other reports say it runs between $20 and $50 per article so it’s a good idea to check when submitting your ideas.
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.
