Writer’s Guidelines

Everybody eats. At Culinate, we invite people to reconsider the table: not just what goes on it, but what goes on around it. Food, after all, is the stuff of life.

Where does what we eat take us? What does it mean to us? How can we go about feeding ourselves in better, more sustainable ways? Culinate’s goal is to nourish the mind and spirit as well as the body.

We’re looking for articles that delineate the intersection of real food with real life. Profiles, trends, essays, investigative reports, and seasonal cookery are all welcome. Culinate articles emphasize vibrant stories, memorable characters, and voices that are grounded, authoritative, and fun. Send us writing that satisfies, like good food itself.

If your proposal contains a recipe or two, excellent. We’re building a library of recipes our readers can share, and we’d love to add yours.

Unfortunately, we can’t accept unsolicited poetry, fiction, artwork, or restaurant reviews.

Please send article queries to editorial@culinate.com, and include samples of your writing.

We accept queries and submissions for the following sections:

Features. Whether recipe-driven or news-oriented, features are central to Culinate. Sample topics include seed biodiversity, potluck cooking, and the olive-oil industry. Recipe-focused stories should include two or three recipes. Word count varies from 700 to 2,000 words.

First Person. Personal essays should demonstrate the various roles food plays in our lives. Examples include living with diabetes, sharing a name with a famous chef, and discovering how a breadbowl broke up a marriage. 800 to 1,200 words.

The Culinate Interview. An interview with a noted food expert, author, or personality. 800 to 1,000 words.

Reviews. Critical assessments of food-related books, including cookbooks. 600 to 800 words.

Sift. Brief critical compendiums of food news, blog-style, including Web links to relevant online articles. 200 to 500 words.

Opinion. A classic op-ed discussing a current food issue.

The Culinate 8. A themed list of eight quick ideas for better shopping, cooking, or eating.

The Produce Diaries. A brief look at a seasonal foodstuff, with tips on buying, prepping, and cooking.