Write For The Dish!

Are you in the middle of an organizing drive? Want everyone to know about a group doing great work helping service industry people? Are you upset at local politicians or a new law? Do you have a unique personal experience or want to contribute to our monthly columns? Reach out! Please do not feel limited by what’s going on in your workplace; lots of us are unemployed, and there are many stories to tell.

What to submit

There are a few types of articles we are looking for: one-on-one interviews, personal stories, media reviews, listicles , editorials and more traditional magazine-style articles

Additionally, each article generally balances calls to action and personal experiences. As a publication by and for restaurant workers with a socialist slant, we operate more as a trade publication than as a news source. That being said, all quotes, statistics, etc need to be accurate!

Specifically, we like articles that focus on actionable items. Obviously, we know your boss sucks, that’s why we’re here! But, what can we do about it? Who is already doing something about it? What’s been done in the past? Identifying and describing problems in the industry is, of course, important, but the main idea of your article should be to help us all take action. 

We also want to hear about your experience. Did a law change recently that made your life easier (or harder)? What was it like to work your first shift fully vaccinated? Did you read an awesome book about something restaurant-worker related? Chances are you have a very specific topic to talk about, so stay focused, relatable and engaging. 

If your article involves doing research, our upcoming resources page will have some helpful links, and our editors may be able to give you some tips. 

When you sit down to start writing, ask yourself: What is the issue? Why is this relevant? How can readers help? How will this help readers? Each article will probably also include who is involved and where this issue is focused. Make sure to include any deadlines, particularly if this is a call to action, or when an event occurred if you’re writing a follow-up. If you can answer all of these questions in the first paragraph, congratulations, you are an amazing writer and we are jealous of your immense talent! 

If you haven’t written for a newsletter like this before, don’t worry! Our editors can give you some guidance. Even if you have a topic but don’t think you can write about it, we may be able to find an interested writer. 

There are two ways to reach out to us: either with a finished piece (no more than 1500 words) or with a pitch/proposal. 

Pitches

You don’t have to have a full article figured out and ready to go, you can pitch us an idea first! 

  • Submit pitches to .
  • Write “PITCH” and a short three- to five-word description in the email’s subject line
  • In the body of the email give us a brief outline (100-150 words) of your idea! 
  • Wait for our editors to respond: we’ll either accept the pitch, suggest modifications, or let you know it’s not a good fit at the moment. We’re volunteers so please be patient 🙂

Articles

If you are confident you have a finished piece of writing that’s right for The Dish, send it in!

  • Send your article (strict 1500 word maximum) in the body of an email to .
  • Include your name, phone number, and social media handles in the email, so we can call you to discuss the piece if needed (it’s usually easier in a phone call than over email).
  • Really, stick to the word count! In Google Docs you can check it under the ‘Tools’ tab.
  • Include any photos or images (that you have permission to use!). Higher resolution is better. 
  • It would be helpful to include some headline ideas, but keep in mind we might need to adjust them for space. 
  • Let us know if you’d like your social media handles linked to the published piece. 

Your article will be shared amongst the editorial team, and we will need to edit for clarity, length and accuracy. We want to make sure our WordPress extensions can translate your words as accurately as possible, so we need to make sure spelling and grammar are correct. We want to maintain your voice and style as much as possible, and will do our best to communicate during the editing process. 

Timeline

We accept submissions any time. If your topic is time-sensitive, get in touch with us as soon as you can! After we receive your article, we will try to get it edited and published within a week. We try to make the editing process as collaborative as possible using Google Docs (if you’ve never used it before, we can walk you through the basics); we also generally like doing a quick phone chat to discuss edits and changes. 

Additional Ways to Get Involved

We always need graphics, photographs and other images! If you’re artistically or technologically inclined, email us at and let us know how you’d like to contribute.