Clink! Celebrate with me, foodie friends!
Here's the deal. I've been angling for food or cooking column at one of the papers I write for, and the last definitive answer was something about "if we ever have a chunk of space to fill..." which is much like "when pigs fly" but a lot nicer.
Well, we had a chunk of space that needed words and deadline was well past done. So I wrote the first article for the column.
This is still not a done deal. Bad things can happen to good words anywhere on the way to being printed, but this is as close as it has come.
Now, please understand that this is a monthly newspaper in a very small town. The money for this isn't impressive, nor is the prestige.
The truth is that it's quite likely that in the future, this column will be competing for space against one of the other columns that I write (did I mention that it's a small paper with a tiny staff and it's not a big deal?)
However, I'm still pretty happy. Eggnog for everyone!
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33 Comments:
As one of the legions of unemployed, I know how awesome it would be to find something you're good at and they even pay you! I'm really, really happy for you and hope this is just the beginning of an avalanche of great things coming your way, and realizing your dreams, above and beyond what even you could imagine. Slainte'! **CLINK**
PerkyMac at 1:14AM on 12/15/08
Happy holidays to everyone ...Clink!!
pjracz10 at 1:14AM on 12/15/08
Congratulations! Clink-clink!
brooke29 at 1:20AM on 12/15/08
That is so awesome. It's something you know how to do, that's your job. And now, something you asked for, that you want. YEA YOU!!!
It's hard to find a job.
It's harder to find a job you like.
YOU found a job that care about, that you're really good at and it can make you happy!
WOO HOO! CLINK CLINK
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 1:28AM on 12/15/08
Congratulations hon! That's fantastic! Sooner or later we'll see you writing for all the biggest cooking magazines and featured on FN!
nightowl at 1:30AM on 12/15/08
And we can say we we knew you when!
I do hope you'll mention each of us by name in a column. *happy, hopeful face*
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 1:34AM on 12/15/08
Thanks, all (you people stay up late!)
@Perky, I hope you find the job of your dreams this year.
So, let's keep this column, hush-hush, now. DH doesn't even know. I'm not gonna say anything until ink actually hits paper.
*another round for all my friends!* Whhooooo hooooo.....
Seriously, though, I've been writing for a loooooong time, and some of it is fun and some of it is...(yawn) and the fun stuff never pays as much as the other. This is fun, I'm happy, and it's not nearly enough to support my cookbook habit. But it will help.
dbcurrie at 1:54AM on 12/15/08
Mums the word. Wait. Are you up?
The fun stuff never pays as much. IT'S the payoff.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 2:18AM on 12/15/08
@carol, the problem with getting paid for doing the fun stuff is that it stops being fun. Which is why I don't think I'd ever want to cook for a living. But this is just once a month, so it's not a nose-to-the grindstone kind of thing.
And no, I'm not really up. Eggnog is starting to do its job.
dbcurrie at 2:28AM on 12/15/08
Congrats!
I worked for no pay for 6 months before getting paid for writing, and there's nothing more satisfying than getting that brief moment when you're doing what you love...and uh, they want to pay you. And every column in every newspaper had to start somewhere.
And the fun stuff can indeed pay enough...but the tradeoff is - as dbcurrie stated - you have to work really hard at it. it gets disheartening when you produce thousands of words in a month only to realize you're making like $8 an hour.
Doing what you love is also addictive. I've now launched my own thing and while i have the guidance of people who've become a success at it, I find myself overwhelmed on nearly a daily basis. And yet I just cant stop myself.
The wine and beer is gone, but I'll raise my smoothie to toast to your good fortune now and ever increasing in the future.
phenosteve at 3:15AM on 12/15/08
Congratulations! This IS a big deal. I've been trying to write just ONE article for my crappy hometown newspaper for like, three years now. This is a weekly newspaper that lets high school kids write really bad editorials and they won't let me cover a city council meeting! Celebrate, it's something to be proud of!
PumpkinBear at 3:52AM on 12/15/08
Obviously, writing and drinking go together ... ;-) Congrats db! And what kind of rum's in the eggnog??
LunaPierCook at 5:47AM on 12/15/08
Congrats! I hope you find lots of inspiration here for your future columns!
Just keep the eggnog away from me, and I'll wish you the best :)
HeartofGlass at 6:52AM on 12/15/08
I'll take my eggnog in a champagne flute (don't forget the scrape of nutmeg) and say a hearty salut to your accomplishment. When I lived in SW CO, our town had one of those little 10-page jobs. I wrote a letter to the editor - and he wound up printing it as an article with a by line!
I don't write for a living but get really jazzed when I see a recipe or tip in print.
Is there a link you can post if/when the article gets printed??
therealchiffonade at 7:50AM on 12/15/08
DB dont you dare keep saying its no big deal! It's wonderful! I am so happy for you, if doesnt matter what it pays or how big the circulation is sweetie, the fact is that one column a month will snowball, we may be able to say we knew her when. We are all so happy for you! Goodness I'm excited lol HIP HIP HURRAY! thats as far as I go, though when they bump your column up to weekly at the nyt I'll get out my miniskirt and pom poms ;-)
huneybumper at 7:53AM on 12/15/08
Congratulations! I really hope it goes to print for you and you get lots of positive feedback from your community. :-)
I write recipes for my local newspaper- I write the recipe, make it up, style it, and the editor takes the photos and does the write up. There is no pay, but there is such a huge satisfaction in seeing the recipe in print. Even better, is when I'm somewhere in my teeny-tiny town and someone comments on how wonderful one of my recipes is. That's fantastic- because my whole goal is to show my community that food is much more than cardboard pizza and hamburger helper.
Please share back with us what happens! Clinking a mimosa for you!
ErikaWaz at 7:56AM on 12/15/08
that's great! congrats!
french tart at 8:12AM on 12/15/08
Wow! Congrats Chef currie!! That is incredible and I am so very happy for you! *Clink* *Clink* It truly is the little thinks that make a big difference. Getting "published". Dang currie! I am really proud of you.
I am sorry I went to sleep last night! I missed all the revelry. I don't like egg nog, so can I please just have some bubbly? *holds flute out* ;-)
izatryt at 8:30AM on 12/15/08
Congrats! :o)
juliebugsmama at 8:59AM on 12/15/08
Congrats!!! Is it online anywhere, so we can all read it, then write to the editor en masse and implore them to keep running it?
CookiePie at 9:57AM on 12/15/08
Hooray! Congrats! Do let us know where we can read it!
hungryinhouston at 12:44PM on 12/15/08
Ah, that's whay I come here! You guys are soooo fun. If one of the columns goes online, I'll let you know, but we don't post the whole paper.
Funny thing is that when someone suggests an article, usually I'm the one who makes the call (did I mention small newspaper, tiny staff) but for columns, one or more of the owners have to give the official "okie-dokie."
Hmmm...actually though, if you want some recipes and want to see part of the paper, I compiled a bunch of staff recipes for the November and December issues, and those are online. My recipe contribution is in November. The website is www.lhvc.com.
Oh, and did I say small town? Really small town? As in, they don't have a police department, but they do have an office for the county sheriff across from "the" gas station. The town is soooo small that the only portion of it that has its own ZIP code is the post office boxes inside the post office.
I'm not saying any of this is bad. It amuses the heck out of me. It's a cute town. I don't live there, but since I work for the paper, I tend to spend a bit of time there.
dbcurrie at 12:55PM on 12/15/08
dbcurrie: clink and congrats! It's very satisfying to write (and, yes, sell) for publication. Even on small payments in small markets, copies of bylines help further your writing future.
I heard a rule of thumb about writing long ago: when, for two years, you equal your "day-job" salary through writing, quit your day job and write full-time.
Not to take away from your success, but here's a small story: One time, in college, I wrote a satirical piece about Christmas and a chain restaurant and sent it to a free weekly-type paper. Truth be told, I wrote it while I was supposed to be working at my college work-study job. From writing and editing it, to shoving it in an envelope and dropping it a post office box: 55 minutes. I got 75 bucks! Sometimes a writer just can't tell how something will be received, like my throw-away article. The important thing, I think, is to be interested in writing something no matter what the market looks like. You never know what your writing path will bring!
TikiPundit at 7:53PM on 12/15/08
Congratulations and "Cheers" to you from Canada! This is an early gift for you - enjoy! Merry Christmas SE people, and all good blessings and health in the coming year.
bareneed at 8:01PM on 12/15/08
It's just great news...Congratulations to you and bigger and better things to come!
bessfour at 8:04PM on 12/15/08
Oh wow, congratulations! *clink* I'd love to write about food once I graduate. Hearing that people are still able to do and somehow survive gives this jaded college student some hope, haha. Again, congratulations!
kfarrel3 at 8:08PM on 12/15/08
@tiki, I've been getting paid for writing for a long time, so that's not the kick. The kick is that I've finally wriggled my way into a food column which should be a little more fun than most of what I write.
dbcurrie at 11:00PM on 12/15/08
Congratulations!!! Don't belittle your achievement. It was a personal goal and you made it! Just in time for New Years! I wrote textbooks and catalogs for a living (dulllllzzzzz), but I sent a letter to the food dept. of our local paper and they printed it practically verbatim. I even got $50. Best day of my writing career. Congrats again! *clink*
Josdean at 11:04PM on 12/15/08
@currie~ I once went to see a comedian who was talking about Rhode Island. It's SO small it was recently re-carpeted.
You mean like that?
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 12:16AM on 12/16/08
@carol, it's much like that. It's a tiny little town. "Downtown" is two blocks long. There is one gas station and no McDonalds or BK or Wendy's. No police or fire department -- they rely on the county for those services.
And we, at the newspaper, cover local news which has included things like a tree being cut down, a flowerpot that was stolen from in front of a business, and the meetings at the Grange hall.
@josdean, I know what you mean about catalogs. I spent a large chunk of time writing catalog copy about threaded fasteners, saw blades, and valves.
Anyhoo, thanks for all the good cheer.The paper went to layout yesterday, so we'll see if the column makes it through the next steps.
dbcurrie at 1:16AM on 12/16/08
Congrats! Here's to more fun to be had!
jenilowrance at 2:45AM on 12/16/08
That is very cool! Congratulations on the column!
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 2:33PM on 12/16/08
When all the big city papers go under, as they are doing rapidly, I forsee that we will go back to the small town format where the local paper actually talks about the local town doings. My Mother's family owned the paper in a small town in east Texas for many years. It was the heart of the community and the writers were celebrities! The internet and the cable channels take care of the hard "news" these days, but recipes, and gossip about who attended the ribbon cutting at the new dog shelter are certainly what a newspaper is good at. Congratulations for being on the cutting edge! I always enjoy your posts because you are a very warm, compassionate, non-judgmental person who happens to love food.
ocarol at 3:55PM on 12/16/08