What We Want
Ravenous loves nuanced, compassionate, and curious writing about food and restaurants. We want original stories that dig deeper into things people already think they know, and stories that say something new. We also want stories that appeal to a national audience, or local stories told with a national perspective. We are interested in reported articles, investigations, personal essays, opinion pieces, and blogs. Before pitching, read the site to get a sense of our voice, and what coverage areas we may be missing. Ravenous is looking for pitches from both established writers and those starting their journeys.
What We Don’t Want
We are generally not looking for restaurant reviews, lists, guides, recipes or “best of” posts. We don't want stories that just tell us that something is happening, or parachute journalism (which is different from being able to report on communities other than your own). And the bar is much higher if you’re pitching us about a celebrity chef. We also, in general, are not looking for super timely stories — unfortunately we likely won't have the bandwidth to edit them.
We do not accept full drafts of pitches or work on spec — we will not read them. We're looking for original work that hasn't been previously published (though if you're looking to place a book excerpt, please email info@weareravenous.com). And do not even think of coming to us with any part of your pitch or article being “written” with generative AI.
What We Pay
Ravenous pays the same flat rate to every contributor according to the kind of work they create for us. Here’s how it works:
- $250 for a single illustrated lede image or photo collage
- $300 for a photography assignment with a minimum of 10 final images
- $250 for written work under 500 words
- $500 for written work over 500 words
We arrived at these numbers after consulting with the Freelance Solidarity Project within the National Writers Union on our contract and standards of fair pay. We pay flat rates to ensure there is no accidental disparity across what freelancers earn from us. And the numbers are calculated based on what the worker-owners pay ourselves, so our freelancers’ earnings are directly proportional to ours.
What Our Standards Are
All our freelancers retain the copyright to their work, and retain the right to publish their work 90 days after it is published on Ravenous. Ravenous also pays our freelancers on a graduated schedule: 25% upon delivery of a publishable Work, and 75% within 30 days of publication and final invoicing. We are committed to promoting diversity and equity among freelancers.
Freelancers agree that they will not use generative AI in any part of the creation, assembly, revision, or any other contribution to or in their work unless they have requested advance permission in writing from Ravenous, and Ravenous has expressly granted such permission in writing. Ravenous is committed to publishing the work of writers, photographers, illustrators, and other workers without the use and influence of generative AI.
How to Pitch
Please fill out this form with your pitch and all other required information. Keep your pitch brief but write the fuck out of it, so we see your skills in action. We want to see details, a specific angle, and proof that you’re the person who should be telling this story and not anyone else. If this is a reported piece, include a source list. Send us a good headline and if you have any ideas for complementary art. And while you’re at it, tell us who you are, with any links to relevant clips.
If you’re new in your career or someone we’ve never worked with before, we may ask you to chat with us via video or phone so that we can verify you’re an actual human being. Those are just the times we're in. Upon submission of your story, you may be asked to produce reporting notes, audio transcripts of phone calls with sources, or other materials necessary for fact-checking and editing.
In an ideal world we’d be able to commission every pitch that excites us, but time and money limit us. We will do our best to respond to all pitches within ten business days. If you send us annoying emails or ignore our guidelines, we will not respond to you. Happy pitching!