Successful Freelancer Spotlight: Monica Bhide

Good Monday morning readers!

Today I’m shining the spotlight on food writer and author Monica Bhide.

Monica has written food, travel, and lifestyle features for The New York Times, American Baby, Parenting, Food & Wine magazine, SELF, Health, Prevention, AARP—The Magazine, The Washington Post, Cooking Light, Washingtonian, The Chicago Tribune, Salon.com, and National Geographic Traveler. She has written about a broad range of subjects—from spices to culinary travels abroad.

Monica also just contributed to a new book by National Geographic called Sacred Places of a Lifetime. And her third book, Modern Spice—Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen, will be released in April 2009 (Simon & Schuster). The book is full of recipes and food essays, with a foreword by New York Times columnist, Mark Bittman. Monica also has written two other cookbooks, The Spice is Right (2001), and The Everything Indian Cookbook (2004).

In addition to writing, Monica teaches a food writing course available through The Renegade Writer, and private cooking classes.

How long have you been freelancing full time, and how did you get your start? What did you do prior to freelancing?

I have been writing full time for five years now. Prior to that, I was working in corporate America. I am very geeky, you see. I have an engineering degree and came to the States, from India, to get my master’s degree. After that I worked for Ernst & Young and Hewitt Associates for several years. The jobs were awesome in that I got to meet wonderful people, I traveled a lot and was paid very well but I always felt that something was missing. I felt that I hadn’t done anything that would leave a legacy for my kids. I felt I had done nothing to be proud of, nothing I could call my own.

Then a close friend passed away and it really pushed me to make a decision about my life—living and doing what I wanted on my own terms or just going with the flow of a good, stable paycheck. It was a no-brainer. I quit, and here I am five years later with zero regrets and no doubt that I made the right decision.

Which came first—your love for writing or your love for cooking?

Truly, I don’t know. It is like the chicken-and-egg question. I cannot recall a moment in my life when I did not want to write. And yet, I cannot recall a day that I did not want to be in my kitchen with my spices. I love both equally. I love to write about food and the effect it has on our lives—how my father taught me about faith through food, or how broken teacups remind me of the love of my life.

How did you become a food writer?

While I was still with Ernst & Young, my sister encouraged me to put my recipes together and send them to a publisher. I did and forgot all about it. I think it was a few years later, I got a call from that publisher and they published my first book! I continued to work in corporate America and then—and I will sound like a cliché here but here goes—I started posting on a food board, egullet.org. Other people—like Paula Wolfert and Mark Bittman—began to notice my writing. Two of my online articles won me a scholarship at the International Symposium for Food Writers as the most promising new writer of the year. The rest, as they say, is history. I quit and began to write full time.

How do you come up with your recipe ideas? Do you come up with the recipes first and then pitch editors or vice versa?

A bit of both, really. I am always experimenting in my kitchen with new and different flavors. I also spend a lot of time researching ingredients, visiting local and ethnic grocers, and reading to learn about ingredients. But honestly, it all comes from being totally obsessed with food! I grew up in a family that I could honestly say had food as their passion and it rubbed off on me.

What are your top three pieces of advice for freelancers who are interested in breaking into food writing?

1. Be on top of your game—know what is going on in the food world. If you are interested in restaurants, learn about the chefs, what it takes to cook/run/operate a restaurant. If you are interested in recipe development, learn to cook—you have to get your hands into the food to be able to truly write well about it. If you are interested in nutrition, learn by taking a class, working with nutritionists, staying on top of latest medical information. There is no substitute for sound knowledge.

2. Learn about ingredients—whether you write about restaurants or your dream is to develop recipes for Fine Cooking, you have to learn about what things taste like, what ingredients can do. This knowledge will help you make your prose richer and more enticing to readers.

3. Don’t just focus on food magazines—there are plenty of magazines that write about food, not just food magazines. Parenting magazines, women’s magazines and even some shelter magazines have food sections. Broaden your horizons.

What are the top three pieces of advice that you would offer to other freelance writers regardless of their speciality?

1. Don’t be afraid to take a calculated risk. Magazines and newspapers want good content from a reliable writer. If you have a good story, say for The New York Times, don’t hesitate to pitch it. Reach for the big goals. If you set your goals low, you may meet them but where is the success in that? Reach high. Even if you accomplish half of what you set out to do, it is so much better than focusing on low-hanging fruit.

2. Never listen to anyone who says you cannot succeed in this market/in this industry/in writing for your dream magazine. Look, people say they have found God, if they have tried hard enough! Seriously though, I came out of nowhere to be a writer and I know that if I can do it, you can. The key is to stay focused and have faith in your work. Stay away from people who say you cannot do it—whatever your “it” maybe. If you believe that you can succeed, you will.

3. If you are going to whine, whine—but if you want to be a writer, write. Sorry to be so harsh but the world is full of people who would write if they had the time/had the money/had an incentive/had the chance/had some luck/knew what would be a best seller/had the next best idea/add any other excuse here. There are no two ways about it—if you want to be a writer, you have to sit yourself down in the chair and write. Period. No worrying about whether people will like your work, whether it will sell, what it will bring you. Writing is a love affair between a writer and his words. If the affair is true and passionate, it will sell. If the writer is more worried about other things, it won’t work. Now please know that I am well aware of economics and making money and all that. But I am talking here about the pure art of writing. If you want success, you have to write. Spend ten minutes in the day whining about the bad economy, the sky falling, the terrible coffee, and then sit down and write. Focus on your words and your talent, and they will reward you well.

This is a tough economy for many freelancers. What has your experience been in recent months? Are you noticing a slowdown as well?

I have to say the last quarter was the slowest that I have seen, but this month has picked up amazingly well. There is no question there is a slowdown over all. Magazines are shutting down, newspapers have shrinking budgets. It is not an easy time.

Based on your years of experience, do you have any advice for other freelancers on how to survive this market? What strategies are you using?

There is work out there, you just have to know how to get it. Look around—we are inundated with more written material than ever before . . .  someone is writing it!! Jokes aside, there are many ways to survive this market, and this means being innovative with your work. My cooking school is sold out for January and February. People are returning to cook at home. This trend translates into pitching more articles on home cooking, or pitching pieces like a king on the budget of a pauper. You get the idea.

Another tool is Twitter—I have used it to get word out about my writing classes and cooking classes. Facebook has also been an awesome tool for me. I have had people learn more about me from my Facebook page and then offer me work. The key is getting out there and letting people know who you are and what you do and what you offer—distinguish yourself from the crowd. Stand up and make noise, show them that they need your wise words and wisdom! Sitting alone in an office and not doing anything will not get you work—trust me. I have been there and know that feeling well. You have to get out there and network—and by that I mean network online, network in person, talk to everyone. Story ideas and opportunities are everywhere. You just have to look.

Were you freelancing during the last recession? If so, how is this downturn different than the last one? What lessons are there for freelancers during this downturn?

Since this is my first downturn, I am still learning.

Almost everyone has a funny recipe flop story. What’s yours?

There are so many! The thing that I do most that I have to STOP doing is checking Facebook, watching my kids, listening to CNN, and trying to cook at the same time—I have oversalted, overspiced, overheated, undercooked, overcooked, many many things!

What’s your favorite recipe?

Right now it is freezing here in Virginia so I am making one of my all time favorite recipes—lamb stew with butternut squash and coconut milk. It is a soothing and hearty stew that provides comfort and warmth!