Eater Detroit Is Seeking New Contributors #DetroitFood

Here’s how Detroit-based freelance journalists and food writers can pitch to Eater Detroit

Eater Detroit is a local news site based in Detroit reporting on restaurants and bars, dining and dining trends, food pop-ups and food trucks, and the business of restaurants throughout metro Detroit. It is part of the Eater network and under the Vox Media umbrella.

At Eater Detroit, we’re always looking for insightful pitches from freelance writers and journalists on a range of topics related to the industry. We are especially interested in working with those whose voices are often underrepresented in media and those with knowledge of particular food cultures that tend to be overlooked in the metro Detroit media landscape. Eater Detroit accepts pitches on the following:

• Dining maps, guides, and food crawls related to neighborhoods, cities, and cuisines in the metro area
• Reported features on local restaurants, chefs, food trends, etc.
• Photography and illustrated stories featuring local restaurants or dining
• Breaking news not already on Eater Detroit’s radar

Eater Detroit is especially looking for stories that haven’t been told elsewhere with a strong angle.

The site does not accept pitches regarding recipes, food holidays, or grocery products, nor does it conduct restaurant reviews. While Eater Detroit does occasionally accept local restaurant and dining-driven opinion pieces and personal narratives, those pitches must come with a strong writing voice, clear conclusions based in fact or with solid evidence, and/or personal experience.

All pitches should include a subject matter with a clear angle along with how the story will be structured, what the story hopes to conclude, and why the story is relevant to the dining scene in Detroit and to Eater Detroit readers. The site typically follows AP (Associated Press) style guidelines and writers are encouraged to read the Eater ethics statement to identify any potential conflicts of interest.

Send pitches to brenna@eater.com. Please provide a short summary of who you are, your background, and why you are qualified to write the story as well as any previous relevant work via links or an online portfolio. In your pitch, we ask that you clearly explain your angle on the topic, tell us why you’re uniquely positioned to report the story, and include links to prior work. If a particular chef or business has a back story that’s interesting or timely, find that out ahead of time and include it in your pitch. For maps, please include a suggested angle and a few locations that you would include.

News stories

• Sister Pie Presses Pause on Mack Avenue Cafe Expansion
• Founders Employees Gather in Cass Corridor to Meet With Community Amid Lawsuit Controversy
• Eastern Market Restaurant Gather and Its Sister Bar Cøllect Are Changing Hands
• Dark Horse Brewing Company Is Merging With a Royal Oak Beer Maker
• An Eastern Market Shop Serving Plump Pierogi Opens With Carryout This Weekend

Maps/Guides/Food Crawls

• This Stretch of Conant Avenue Is a Bangladeshi Feast
• Where to Drink Hard Seltzer in Detroit Right Now
• In Search of Chicken Shawarma in Dearborn
• 14 Great Spots to Eat and Drink in Petoskey
• Where to Eat in Madison Heights
• One Excellent Day of Eating and Drinking in Corktown
• Where to Sip Chewy, Colorful Bubble Tea in Ann Arbor

Reported features

• How Detroit’s Bangladeshi Community Breaks Fast During Ramadan
• The Birria That Gives Detroit’s Community a Taste of Home
• The Underground Taqueria That Became One of Detroit’s Restaurant Gems
• How Beloved Summer Patio Hangout Motor City Wine Became a Detroit Mainstay
• Three Restaurants Paving the Way to a Tip-Free Future in Michigan
• New Center’s Dining Scene Is About to Have Its Moment

We try to answer all pitches that come in, but if you don’t hear from us in a couple of weeks, feel free to send a follow-up email.

If you don’t fancy yourself a writer but have a lead on a great story, feel free to send tips to brenna@eater.com or detroit@eater.com. And for especially sensitive information, there are several ways to reach out detailed here.

from Eater Detroit - All