Food Writing, Pitching tips, Funny Videos
Food Writing, Pitching tips, Funny Videos
It's only July and I'm planning trips and editorials for 2025. Lots of good stuff to think over and laugh about in this issue..
Catching up on highlights from June, this video I took of my husband doing yoga with flamingoes at The Rosewood Baha-Mar has gone viral, with half a million views on Instagram in just a few days. I was also doing yoga right next to him, but the male flamingo named Lyndon (aka no. 2) decided to correct my husband’s postures and give him a big feathery hug! Who knew these birds took yoga so seriously?
The next time you have to make a case for a plus one travel companion on a press trip, please share this video and remind your client why it is necessary to have someone with you to capture those rare moments!
Takeaways from PRSA Greenville
I had the pleasure of speaking on Food Writing and Pitching along with accomplished writers, Su-Jit Lin and Stephanie Burnette. It turned out to be a passionate discussion with a packed audience. There were lots of great questions and follow ups after the session.
In case you missed it, here are some key takeaways:
A culinary story can be dissected many different ways. There are restaurant reviews, food trends, historic angles, deep dives, recipes, human interest stories, and where to eat/ drink round ups. You may have several writers experience the same place and come up with very different stories. Make sure to research your writers and get to know their interests before reaching out.
Group press trips are great for discovery, not for coverage. If you want a unique story with an authentic voice, consider hosting media on individual trips. “Let the freelance writers GO on tailor-made press trips and they will do their best to place the stories. Do not ask for guaranteed coverage!” said Jeremy Barr, digital editorial director at Fodor’s.
If you are pitching a story (food or travel) to a publication or editor directly, include the name of the writer you recommend you would like to work with to bring this story to life. Perhaps it’s someone who recently visited the destination or already works with the publication? Someone’s who’s voice you love and trust. It makes it so easy for the editors and the freelancers to move forward faster with the publishing cycle.
Halfway Recap
Can you believe we are already halfway through this year? And my editors are already planning their 2025 calendars? What this means is I need lots of good pitches, story angles and press trip invites from you within the next couple of weeks, keeping 2025 in mind.
But first, a little recap of my first half of 2024…
Published 50 stories in Travel+Leisure, Fodor’s, AAA, HuffPost, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Atlanta Magazine, Georgia Trend Magazine, Khabar Magazine, Discover Chamblee, Explore Gwinnett, and Savor Georgia.
Plus 3 articles on my blog Go Eat Give
25% of my work was for print publications. I did 3 cover stories.
Just turned in the longest piece I have ever worked on - it will be the feature story for Explore Georgia, the state’s official 2025 visitors guide.
I took 12 trips and have 12 more to go for the remaining of the year. I went to the Maldives, Fiji, Oaxaca, Bahamas, Grenada, on a Sixthman cruise, and domestic - Minnesota, New York, Kentucky, South Carolina and 2 towns within Georgia.
Spoke at Travel Media Summit IMM, PRSA Tourism Conference, and International Women’s Day, among others.
Come See Me in Las Vegas
I will be speaking at IMEX America on October 8 and 9, 2024. Please reach out if you would like to grab coffee, wine or have a one-on-one meeting with me.
If you would like me to dive deeper into Better Organizing Press Trips and talk about my personal experiences at your event, book me for a speaking engagement! Contact sucheta@goeatgive.com
Recently Published
This Gorgeous Region in Greece is where the Greeks go on vacation for Travel+Leisure
Fiji - Panoramic Getaway with a Masala Twist for Khabar Magazine (PRINT Cover Story)
Review of Mango Indian Grill for Khabar Magazine (PRINT)
Hawkers Asian Street Food for Georgia Trend Magazine (PRINT)
5 Ways to prevent Jet Lag for AAA The Extra Mile
Alpharetta’s Fermented Wine Boutique for Georgia Trend Magazine
Taste of the scenic route for Georgia Trend Magazine (PRINT)
Best International shopping for Explore Gwinnett (PRINT)
Most diverse tours for Explore Gwinnett (PRINT)
Atlanta’s 57 Best Bars for Atlanta Magazine (PRINT)
Have You Watched My TED Talks?
I did 3 TEDx talks about travel in 2023. Watch them on YouTube.
Why you need to travel in silence
Using travel to develop cultural intelligence
Stop dreaming and start living now
Got Kids Who Love To Read About Travel?
Let’s talk about doing an author reading, book signing or a talk in combination with a media visit.
Call For Pitches + Tips for Pitching
If you subscribe to my Substack, you will be the first one to receive my call for pitches! But first, here are some tips to ensure that your pitches have a higher likelihood to be considered.
Personalize your emails. If I don’t see my name, I will assume you are a bot.
Include a catchy story HEADLINE with your pitch, one that grabs my editor’s attention as well.
I would love to hear about places and story angles that have not yet been written about. If you are pitching a destination, please mention a why now, what’s new, why should we care - hook. Everyone seems to have “plenty of dining options, breweries, places to explore.” Give me specifics, facts, and insider tips no one else knows about. Get me interested and my readers excited to not just know more, but to pack our bags and head there RIGHT NOW.
I don’t ever share hotel package announcements, milestone year celebrations, or property expansions with my readers as stand alone stories. Also, I don’t write based off press releases. If you are sending me these kinds of pitches, that means you did not take the time to research my work and my voice.
If you are pitching a restaurant, bar or dining establishment, please don’t send me a round up, new menu, or a new chef announcement. It is VERY RARE that I would ever write about an eatery without trying the food first, so make sure it is local or available to visit.
If you are pitching me a human interest story, make sure you yourself have researched the subject, spoken to them and vetted out that they have a strong opinion and voice. Do not send me a headline or teaser will a message “I can arrange for an interview.” I will only interview someone once I have secured a story, which means I need all the information you can provide up front.
For product pitches, please know my genre first. I will be interested in most things travel & food related (especially interested in destination themed gear - safari, Arctic, scuba diving, and hiking clothes, shoes, bags, etc.). I am not a big fan of packaged foods but artisanal chocolates, teas, spices and goods with a sustainability or give back story are always fun.
If your email ends with an INVITATION to visit the destination, try the restaurant, or sample a product, I may be more inclined to act on it. And I will likely be able to include more stories of destinations that I have already visited and am familiar with. If you are working with a client who is unlikely to offer individual press visits and asks for guranteed coverage in lieu of earned media coverage, then I would rather not hear about them.
DO NOT include pictures, attachments or large files in your email. My mailbox is limited in size and these emails will not get to me. However, please have a link to media images ready in case I need them.
Please DO NOT FOLLOW UP on pitches unless they have a time sensitive hook or scheduled media trip invite.
I read every EMAIL and if it is of interest, I will either respond back or file them for a later date.
PLEASE DO NOT PITCH THE SAME IDEA TO SEVERAL EDITORS AND WRITERS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Now let’s be specific.
Here is what I am looking for at the moment…
Coolest expeditions and adventures in the world. Think someone who has done everything already - what’s on the next bucket list?
Best new over-the-top all-inclusive hotels and resorts (can be anywhere).
Honeymoon destinations you need to add to your bucket list.
Luxury train journeys (I have never taken one).
Sustainable businesses (hotels, resorts, restaurants, wineries, attractions, tours) with unique angles or people (no greenwashing).
BOPIC owned businesses that are innovative, helping the travel community move forward, giving back to their communities.
Travel stories that have a strong food or wine hook.
Specific destinations I am personally interested in traveling to in 2025 (doesn’t mean you cannot pitch other places)…
Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Dominica, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mozambique, Namibia, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad, Tunisia, Uzbekistan.
US - Hawaii, California, Idaho, Maine, New York, New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon
Chefs, entrepreneurs, culinary products, food or drink trends, quirky festivals and events in the state of Georgia (only).
Restaurants, personalities, cookbooks, products and trends catering to South Asian (Indian) audiences living in the U.S.
Atlanta specific food and drink related trends, human interest stories, unique dishes that diners may have not heard of but must try!
Please read my previous work and make sure the specific publication has not covered this story already.
Read my previous Substacks for lots of great tips including stories I am looking for and a monthly pitch calendar.