Busy Cooking Writing Submission Guidelines

Updated 06/14/03

See other section guidelines and general BPO guidelines [HERE]. Please visit the main BPO site and individual sections to get a feel for our needs. [HERE]

Cooking & Cooking With Kids

Mission
At BusyCooking our focus is to provide comprehensive information and assistance, enabling families to get the most out of mealtime. We offer tips, recipes, resources and much more, to help equip the busy domestic chef with the tools necessary to satisfy the people in his or her life. By encouraging kitchen-centered quality-time, Busy Parents Online Magazine presents family members with additional opportunities to come together and share a common human denominator -- food!

Submission Guidelines
BusyCooking is interested in intelligent food writing; however, we appreciate a lighthearted tone as well as a meat and potatoes piece. We are looking for informative articles, creative essays, personal experiences, book and product reviews, as well as interesting recipes for every dish imaginable.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Cooking time-savers
Kitchen organization
Family mealtime
Cooking safety
Eating on the run
Holiday meals
Seasonal cooking
Cultural meals
Simple Dishes
Single ingredient focus
Family recipes
Travel eating
Comfort food
Entertaining
Single course focus
Beverages
Grocery shopping

Cooking with Kids topics could include:
Child involvement
School lunches
Healthy snacking
Fun food
Safety Tips

This is not an exhaustive list, and any topic idea related to cooking, dining, or food and family is welcome for consideration.

Features Articles: 500-1000 words (including recipes). Please query first for articles. No payment at this time; byline, bio and URL given.

Cooking with Kids: 500 words or less. Please query first. No payment at this time; byline, bio and URL given.

Essays: 500 words or less. Please submit entire manuscript. No payment at this time; byline, bio and URL given.

Book and/or Product Reviews: 150-250 words. No payment at this time; byline given.

Website Reviews: 100-word summary of recommended cooking web sites. No payment at this time; byline given.

Please submit all queries and submissions in the body of an email .

Reprints are considered; please include publishing history with your submission. BPO has first electronic rights and archival rights for one year. BPO reserves the right to reject any query or submission without explanation. BPO reserves the right to re-title, modify, edit, abridge, and fact-check any material it accepts for publication. Guidelines are subject to change.

Content Outline:
-- Cooking Class: basics of cooking are covered for the novice. An "Ask BusyChef" link will prompt viewers to ask questions that can be covered on a weekly basis in the section.
-- Family Time: articles, essays, and recipes with a focus on family quality time, traditions - old & new, cultural cooking, and mealtime rituals.
-- Cooking with Kids: articles, essays, and recipes revolving around kids and the kitchen. Teaching your children to cook, table manners, fun recipes kids can make, fun recipes kids can eat, safety issues, and nutrition for kids.
-- Fast Food: articles, essays, and recipes for fixing meals on the fly. Techniques, recommendations, variations and versions of traditional recipes, meal preparation at 30 minutes and under, and surviving an 'eat-and-run' schedule.
-- Smart Food: nutrition, healthy shopping, diet myths, special-needs cooking (diabetic meals, heart-smart cuisine, allergies, etc.)
-- Safety Tips: everything from food handling to utensil storage.
-- Recipes: broken down into courses first (Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Main Dishes... etc.), then individual recipes (Empanitas, Artichoke Bisque, Chicken Sesame Salad, Barbeque Beef Brisket, etc.)
-- Reviews: books with a food focus, products centered around cooking and/or dining, and cooking/dining websites.
-- Top 5: weekly viewer polls on everything from restaurants to food group mottos ("beef, it's what's for dinner")
-- Tidbits: monthly calendar of holidays, food days, and annual community food events from everywhere in the country.
-- Resources: links and buttons for the many online resources available.

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