Writer’s Guidelines

Epicure & Culture is always looking for contributions from freelance food, culture and travel writers. Before pitching, please read over our past articles to make sure your idea is in line with our demographics. Also, please pitch a clear idea stating exactly what you want to write about it, the point you want to make or message you want to convey and how you plan to do it. Additionally, include links to published work and your blog/website if you have one, and state if you have access to high-resolution photos.

*Note: We do not accept pitches from companies and PR representatives. If you are a company or PR rep, please visit our Advertising page.

Paid Contributions

Contributors whose pieces are accepted under this category will receive a link back to their website, social media promotion of their piece and $10 payment upon publication.

There is a minimum of 1000 words required, and all pieces should be in-depth and encompassing.

For this reason, detailed pitches are best to avoid confusion later on. Access to high-resolution photos is a plus. Potential paid article topics include but are not limited to the following.

Articles Revolving Around Travel-Relevant Holidays

Please refer to this calendar to see holidays we’re accepting pitches on.

Note: It’s best to pitch your piece at least five weeks before the holiday to ensure it gets written, edited and published in a timely fashion.

In-Depth Look At A Specific Tradition

These pieces can take on a few different formats. What’s important is that they look at the history of a tradition, its cultural importance, any issues about it being lost, and information on how it’s being preserved. If you’ve experienced the tradition yourself feel free to take on a narrative tone. Examples:

Tracing The Dish

These pieces take an in-depth look at an important cultural dish. They should look at the origins/history of the dish, how it’s changed over time, its cultural significance and how it’s made. For the conclusion, please note a few great places to get the dish — and why they’re great — in the destination. Examples:

Best Blog Roundups

These are roundups of 10 highlighting great blogs about a certain topic. Examples:

Questioning Ethics Of Tourism Activities

We’re always looking for articles that question the ethics of a particular tourism activity, such as elephant trekking or visiting tiger temples. Articles should have supporting articles/sources within to backup claims, and should also give readers responsible alternatives to these activities. Examples:

Ethical Projects & Companies

These posts highlight ethical companies and projects and how they’re changing the world / helping communities for the better. Each should end with a “Get Involved” section that highlights how readers can get involved with the highlighted cause. Examples:

Changemaker Q&A Or Profile

An introduction talking about an issue followed by an interview / profile with a local changemaker. These can also be interviews / profiles on interesting locals doing something positive in their community, even on a smaller scale.

Local Culinary Guides

Guides focused on a particular culinary trend or cuisine in a destination. Vegetarian guides do well as do guides on ethnic enclaves within a destination, such as Middle Eastern Cuisine along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. For the latter please discuss the history of the enclave, how it’s changed over time and note some must-try places. Examples:

Recipe Stories

For this section detailed recipes and photographs of the dish are required. There also must be a story to go along with the dish, whether it be a personal narrative of living with a family in Italy and helping your house mother cook it or how the recipe has been handed down for generations since your family came from Germany. If you don’t have a narrative to go along with the recipe and photo, you may also explain in detail the significance of the dish and its ingredients to the culture of origin and occasions it is prepared on. Examples:

Roundups

Think “Top 10 XYZ,” with popular topics being yoga, beer, wine, chocolate, restaurants, vegetarian, responsible tourism and wellness retreats. Focused travel guides with a “go local” mindset done in a top 10 format are also acceptable. Examples:

Short Vignettes

These stories should be ~500-700 words, focusing on a single moment, scene or encounter that made a big impact on you or taught you a lesson. It can be as simple as recounting a conversation or noticing something over your morning breakfast. These stories should be insightful in some way.

Syndicated Works

We’re happy to syndicate already published pieces that are in-line with magazine; however, please note these submissions are unpaid. You will receive a headshot, bio with links to your sites/social channels, and a link back to the original article.

First Rights

Writers will be paid upon publication via PayPal. Once published, Epicure & Culture acquires first rights to the story. The Author represents and warrants that he/she is the sole author of the contribution, that the contribution is original, and, to the best of his/her knowledge, the contribution does not contain any libelous material.

Contact

If you would like to pitch an idea to the editor, please use the contact form below and put “submissions” in the subject line. Please include links to published work and your blog if you have one.

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