Monday, November 14, 2005

Yes, I Know I Have Homework and a Cookbook Author Sighting

Okay, I have an assignment from my food writing class. I have to write a query email to an editor based on a story idea. I have two ideas (well maybe two zillion but I am trying to focus here) but I can't decide which to do, so teacher's pet that I am, I will do both.

The first is about energy conservation cooking. I don't know why it took so long for this idea to pop in my head, since I was queen (well, high spokespriestess, anyway) of energy conservation in the 80s. I figure on targeting a local newspaper on this one.

The other popped in my head while I was eating my way through the Berkeley farmer's market the other day after class. How about an article with recipes and profiles of some of the prepared food offered at local area farmers' markets? Haven't decide how to refine it or where to send it yet.

Let's see what happens next! I'll do the assignment. After I get the feedback will I actually email the queries?

In other news, I met and was able to have a nice conversation with cookbook author Joan Nathan yesterday at a local bookshop. Watch here and Blog Appetit for more info.

2 comments:

Rachael Narins said...

OK, more silly questions...what is a query letter?

FJKramer said...

A query letter, sometimes known as a pitch, is what you would send to an editor trying to "sell" him or her on what you'd like to write about for his or her publication.