Thank you for your interest in writing for Edible Santa Barbara. We are a quarterly magazine celebrating the abundance of local food and beverages throughout Santa Barbara County. Edible Santa Barbara has a loyal following of readers who are interested in: eating delicious locally grown seasonal food; getting to know the people who grow, produce, cook and sell those foods; and learning more about what’s available in our region in terms of great dining, day trips, food events and festivals, great books to read and products to try.
We are locally owned and operated and also a member of Edible Communities, a growing, award-winning, nationwide network of community-based food publications whose mission is to transform the way communities shop for, cook, eat and think about the food that is grown and produced in their area.
Mission Statement
At Edible Santa Barbara, we believe that knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing. By producing a high-quality, aesthetically pleasing and editorially knowledgeable magazine, we will inspire readers to support our local food system and celebrate growers, producers, food artisans, chefs and other food professionals throughout Santa Barbara County.
Editorial Focus
The magazine covers the local food movement and the abundance of seasonal, local food and beverages in Santa Barbara County. The magazine’s editorial content appeals to a wide demographic of people who eat and are interested in food, as well as a core constituency that is passionate about the local food movement.
Our stories are for readers who are interested in eating delicious, locally grown, seasonal food and getting to know the people who grow, produce, cook and sell those foods. Readers trust us to tell the stories behind local foods and business without being influenced by whether someone advertises or not. Our editorial content draws from various categories and includes both departmental columns and feature articles.
Department Stories
Department stories and columns range from 600 to 1,000 words. Our department topics could include: an exploration of a specific local ingredient, an inside look at a professional chef, an exploration of the art and science of a locally produced beverage, suggestions for culinary day trips and food-focused adventures throughout our region, an historic look at a Santa Barbara County food tradition, profiles of the region’s food-based community organizations.
Feature Stories
These range from 900 to 2,000 words. Topics could include an in-depth exploration of a food-related experience, a profile of a farm, restaurant or other food-related industry. Examples of past feature story subjects include: baking bread with wild yeast, appreciating our local honeybees, profiles of the unsung heroes of the wine harvest, how a local fisherman is making sea salt. If a writer’s query outlines a story about a food or beverage produced in Santa Barbara County, there’s a good chance that we will be interested in learning more about it.
Submitting a Query
We rely on freelance writers for the majority of our stories and departments. Writers generally generate their own topics or, in some cases, the editor can make assignments based on writers’ interests and knowledge. The primary qualification for contributors is an ability to write in a lively, elegant, informative, accurate and interesting manner. We are looking for tightly written articles with an original voice that will engage and inform our readers.
If you have a story idea you think would work well for Edible Santa Barbara, submit a query outlining the subject matter and focus of the article and its approximate length, citing whom you wish to interview, possibly including a sample introductory paragraph or two and listing any relevant experience you have with the subject matter. You may also suggest photo ideas or a photographer. We are often selecting articles several months to a year ahead of publication, so let us know if there is a specific seasonal focus to your piece. It is better not to send us a full article on spec. If you have not written for us before, please attach a sample or links to your writing.
We prefer queries by email. Our staff is small, so it may take up to a month to get a response. If, after a couple of weeks, you don’t hear from us, we welcome a friendly follow-up email. Please email us your query with the subject line “query.”
Submission Guidelines
Submit all articles in Microsoft Word with a minimum of formatting and with only one space following a period. Please remove all hyperlinks to websites. Include a by-line with your name, a bio of 30-40 words and your contact information, as well as the contact information of any people that we may need to get in touch with to arrange a photo shoot.
Our Contributor Agreement is for First North American Serial Rights (FNASR) for the submitted Work, as well as the subsequent non-exclusive right to reproduce the work on our website. Compensation ranges from $50– $200, depending on length and scope.
We also publish some online-only articles on our website. Although, these are not compensated, this can be a way for beginning writers to gain experience or for us to share topics that don’t fit within the publishing calendar with our readers.
Submitting your article is only the first step in the process. Please remain available to participate in the editorial process. It may be necessary for us to edit your piece for length and clarity. We also fact check and copy edit all articles and test recipes. Your patience, flexibility and follow-through are greatly appreciated.