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Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer is a trade publication aimed at retailers (including supermarkets, mass merchants, club stores, and dollar stores) that sell frozen and refrigerated foods. Its readers are people who make decisions about which products their stores will offer, how they should be merchandised and how they should be promoted. The magazine is published 11 times a year and goes out to approximately 10,000 people.
Editor Denise Leathers is looking to recruit several freelancers who are familiar with the retail food business and can contribute regularly—no pitching required.
What types of articles are you looking for?
We’re looking for freelancers to write stories on key categories in the frozen and refrigerated space—frozen pizza, veggies, desserts, etc. Articles usually include the most current sales figures (we use IRI data), new products, category trends and advice for retailers. Articles are heavy on new products and category trends as well as advice for retailers on how to sell more frozen and refrigerated foods more profitably.
What is the typical length for articles?
The average article is 1,200 words and includes three to five photos of new products (supplied by interviewees) plus a sales chart. Most articles include information from four to seven different sources. The majority of manufacturers respond to questions in writing via e-mail, but a few prefer telephone interviews.
What is your typical rate? Do you provide a kill fee?
We typically start at $600 per article whether we run it or not.
Do you work with freelance designers, artists, multimedia storytellers, or other professionals besides writers? How do you work with them?
We occasionally work with freelance photographers, but for the most part, our only freelancers are writers.
What level of expertise in your field do contributors need to have?
We’d love to find some contributors who are good writers AND have some knowledge about the retail food business (the terminology, the trends, what’s actually newsworthy). Too much of what we get from contributors currently just skims the surface and doesn’t really dive deep enough into the categories and provide news our retailer readers can actually use. We also need writers who can find their own sources when the list of contacts we provide runs dry.
How can writers craft a pitch that will really impress you?
We’re not so much about the pitch as the experience. To be considered as a freelance writer, please send clips of relevant work to Denise@frbuyer.com.