What's your story?
We welcome unusual topics and unconventional story approaches. The Cleaver Quarterly was created to showcase work that doesn't quite fit anywhere else (e.g. unashamedly longform, idiosyncratic POVs). We want to give contributors the freedom to play – and to add something quite singular to their portfolio. We also value clean and clear exposition, original research, well-crafted reporting, astute analysis and the ability to make complicated ideas accessible.
Impress us with the uniqueness of your credentials, the originality of your prose or the not-to-be-found-anywhere-elseness of the food you’re describing, and we'll get back to you about rights, rates and the rest of the fine print.
Scope
Our mission is to cover Chinese cuisine in all its diversity. That means anything related to food and beverage within China or Chinese food outside of China. Topics include:
• food trends within China, Taiwan and Hong Kong (historic, current and speculative)
• how Chinese food has evolved overseas to accommodate foreign tastes and non-traditional ingredients
• Chinese food in art and pop culture
• industrial production and packaging of Chinese food (farms, factories, supermarkets)
Column Types
• Reported Article (sources were interviewed, and their quotes integrated into a narrative framework)
• Essay (no sources were interviewed)
• Q&A (an interview; no transition paragraphs)
• Illustrated Feature (graphic elements and text are interdependent)
• Book Review
• Infographic (statistics/data are distilled into vividly simple graphics)
• Photo essay (captions only)
• Challenge (an undertaking that tests one’s palate, skill, creativity, stamina, etc.)
• Translations (in most circumstances, we need the permission of the original author)
• Recipes: We prefer to publish recipes as part of a larger narrative. Please tell us how extensively and under what conditions you’ve tested the recipe. We will have our recipe testers evaluate it for clarity of instruction and ease of preparation.
AVOID: Consumer-oriented restaurant reviews
Length
Because we love longform, we’re very open-minded about the length of stories. Having said that, we also like illustrated features where the images do most of the talking. Through the editing process, we work together to arrive at the right length.
Visuals
Keep the bigger picture in mind when planning your pitch. We love pitches that include suggestions for visual elements (i.e. photos, sidebars, maps, charts, diagrams) to help tell the story.
How to query
• Email us a succinct pitch and outline.
• If you are pitching a Q&A or a reported article that will draw heavily on interviews, make contact with the key players beforehand.
• If the topic has previously been covered in other publications or websites, please explain the fresh perspective or important new information your version will feature.
• Tell us why you’re the person to write it and include a few clips.
Photographers and illustrators
Please send us a link to your portfolio.
Everything else?
If you have specific questions, don't hesitate to get in touch.