Dear Writers,

here are twenty one publications that focus on the food and the culinary, whether in terms of cooking, culture, beer, etc.

Note that we’ve found payment rates and contact information for all of these publications, but also keep in mind that rates are not set in stone and may change.

If you want to learn how to approach these publications so that you can get published (and paid) by them, I highly recommend joining Writing Launch and taking their seven day crash course on pitching. That alone will give you a very solid foundation, in terms of getting published. You can get a free month of membership here.

— Jacob Jans

1. CHEESE is a magazine of culture. They explore people, place, and product. Each piece they “commission is to be focused on a specific cheese – you are telling the story of culture through the lens of a cheese.” “Ultimately this is a magazine about people, so even stories about place, need to be about the people and the community.” They’re open to short and long reads (between 750 and 2,000 words). They pay £75 for articles and £50 for photos. If interested, send your pitches to thecheesemag@gmail.com. To learn more, read their pitching guidelines.
2. Life & Thyme is a print magazine and website that specializes in culinary storytelling and food journalism. They welcome contributors from all over the globe. They typically pay $200 to $500 per story. To become a contributor, refer to this page.
3. Whetstone Magazine is a print and digital magazine about global food culture and origins. According to their founder, they pay $300 per piece. Send your pitches to editor@whetstonemagazine.com. To contact them, refer to this page.
4. Tastings is the quarterly electronic member newsletter of Food and Culinary Professionals, a dietetic practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. They are accepting queries for CPEU (continuing professional education units) articles. They pay $500 for an article of 2,000 words. To learn more, visit this page.
5. Eater is a national publication that covers the world of food and drink, with particular emphasis on restaurants. They are looking for reported stories rather than personal narratives. They want “stories where food and restaurants intersect with, illuminate, or are illuminated by other subjects: business, technology, history, science, politics, society, activism, identity, the arts, pop culture, etc.” According to payment reports, they pay an average of $0.31 per word. To learn more, refer to this page.
6. Smart Mouth E-Newsletter is a twice-monthly newsletter that is a companion to the Smart Mouth podcast. They pay $400 for “300 to 500-word posts, either essays or reported, about food/culture/food culture topics.” They pay $200 for “200 word-ish blurbs about a recommended restaurant or dish at a restaurant, with an excellent (excellent!) photo of its food to accompany the post.” For details, visit this page.  Also, read this case study from a writer who was published by them.
7. TheFoodellers is a food travel website. They are always looking 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.” They pay $20 to $50 per article. They also give a link to the writer’s website. To learn more, visit this page.
8. Saveur Magazine is a guide for “passionate cooks, stylish entertainers, and culinary explorers.” They welcome pitches from authors who have amazing stories to tell about food and travel. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.30 per word. To find out more, visit this page.
9. Plate Magazine explores the culinary world to meet the most innovative chefs of the industry and uncover interesting food and drink ideas. Each issue of the magazine focuses on a singular culinary theme. According to payment reports, they pay $1.00 per word. To learn more, visit this page.
10. Modern Farmer “aims to tell compelling stories for an audience of people who care about where their food comes from.” They publish journalism about the “people, policy, plants, animals, and technology of agriculture.” According to our sources, the pay up to $150 per article. To learn more, read their submissions guidelines.
11. Civil Eats is a source for daily news about the American food system. They are seeking pitches about all things food and agriculture, and are especially interested in pitches from writers with experience in “policy, climate, school meals, race, and science.” Reported features start at $500, and shorter interviews, reviews, profiles, and other short pieces start at $400. To learn more, refer to their FAQs for contributors.
12. The Spruce Eats features recipes, cooking videos, actionable tips, and more. They are seeking new contributors in 2021 as they “ramp up content outside of recipes, lists, and how-to guides.” They are looking for pieces on how we eat and cook. They “can be deep dives into a food trend, an opus about an ingredient/dish you’re obsessed with, profiles on cool makers, cookbook authors, etc.” Their rates start at $225. For details, refer to this Twitter post and this pitch form. For more information about them, refer to this page.
13. Beer Kulture is a nonprofit that is “building trust & strengthening communities by using craft beer to foster inclusion, equity & diversity.” They accept pitches for their blog. In their blog, they share the world experience from an unfiltered perspective – raw, uncut, and real. They encourage pitches from “Black, African American, Hispanic, Native North American, and Pacific Islander and other BIOPIC kandidates.” They pay $150 to $200 per post. To learn how to send them a pitch, refer to this page.
14. Craft Beer and Brewing is “a magazine and online community for people who love to drink and make great beer.” They offer news, tips, recipes, reviews, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $0.04 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.
15. Good Beer Hunting produces “strategic beer brands, intellectually honest editorial, beverage industry analysis, and a deep-dive podcast.” Their voice is “human, friendly, and confident.” They pay $700 for features, $325 for mini-features, up to $200 for Sightlines pieces, $100 for blog posts, and $250 for podcasts. To learn more, refer to their style guide.
16. Eaten is a print magazine focused on food history. They publish 3 times a year. The magazine is “filled with a cornucopia of old recipes, enlightening gastronomic essays, and the fascinating and forgotten tales of the people who have grown, cooked, and enjoyed all things edible over the centuries.” According to one payment report, they paid $200 for a reported story of 1,000 words. To receive their calls for pitches, refer to this page.
17. Pipette Magazine is an independent print magazine about natural wine. They publish 3 times a year. They are looking for pitches about natural wine from experienced writers. They pay $200 to $350. For details, refer to their editor and publisher’s Twitter post. To contact them, refer to this page.
18. Wine Enthusiast Magazine features wine ratings, reviews, recipe ideas, pairing information, news, and guides. They welcome proposals from freelance writers about wine, fine food and travel. They also accept story ideas for their website. According to one payment report, they paid $1.00 per word for a 700-word profile or interview. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
19. Bon Appétit is a magazine that features recipes, cooking tips, reviews, and more. They are seeking “mid-to-longform reported articles that reflect the food world right now; profiles of fascinating, awesome people in food; hot takes on minuscule details like folding pizza; and personal essays with a strong angle.” Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.50 per word. To pitch, visit this page.
20. The Dirty Spoon is a radio show and an online journal about the people behind our meals. They seek short essays about consumable culture and interviews with those who make what we consume. Essays and interviews are usually 500 to 1,500 words. According to their editor-at-large, they pay an honorarium of $50. Submit or pitch an idea at thedirtyspoonavl@gmail.com. To learn more, visit this page.
21. Foodbeast covers the latest food and drink news from around the world. According to one payment report, they paid $0.10 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.