The Tinned Fish Files is a place for writing (and other art) about conservas, sardines, and all manner of tinned (or jarred) seafood. Writers and artists with many perspectives from all areas of the world, with many levels of experience, and who have insight into all aspects of the field, from manufacturing to distribution to consumption. The goal here is to be a single location where interested people of all kinds can find a collection of well-composed pieces about all facets of tinned seafood and its enjoyment. We are an honorarium-level paying market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of content are you looking for?
- reviews of products,
- recipes,
- serving suggestions,
- profiles of industry companies and individuals,
- rants, raves,
- poems,
- photo essays,
- historical essays,
- fiction which has tinned seafood as an integral (not incidental) part of the plot,
- artwork of all kinds,
- discussion of conservas culture,
- restaurant reviews from anywhere that serves tinned seafood,
- reminiscences of eating eels in Barcelona,
- book reviews,
- music videos,
- pieces on the technical challenges of the canning process,
- the sustainability of fishing practices,
- …really pretty much anything that has a direct connection to tinned seafood, and is well crafted, is fair game. If you’re interested in the abstract but don’t have any specific ideas in mind, please let me know, I have a folder full of ideas.
We are not interested in pure promotional copy produced at the behest, or for the benefit, of any single business. This is not the place for shills. Can you promote products? Sure, of course, but make it within the context of a larger piece. Can you promote products Rainbow Tomatoes doesn’t sell? Absolutely. We want to actively encourage that.
Who is behind TTFF?
The Tinned Fish Files is edited by me, Dan Waber, and connected to the Rainbow Tomatoes Garden website, but the only limitation on content is that it should appeal to consumers of tinned seafood.
Who owns the content?
Creators retain all rights to the pieces and are welcome to reuse elsewhere. In the event of reuse, we would appreciate, but not require, a linked credit to where it first appeared.
Creators will also be able to republish content they own and link back to where it was originally published (your own substack, for example). No honorarium for republished content.
How much do you pay?
We are an honorarium-level paying market, so $25-$50 depending on what’s involved.
I also have some very nice swag that could be used for prizes or incentives or rewards if anyone had a way to utilize them. I’ve got King Oscar aprons, José Gourmet posters, Güeyu Mar never-folded wrappers, and other similar items.
We will also prepay you in product if you are interested in writing about anything we offer and will link to it when you reference it in your piece. This is purely optional and it is our strong preference that this represent a small percentage of the total number of pieces. We are a part of the community, but we are not the entire ecosystem.
Do contributors need to mention RTG product lines?
Not at all.
The goal here is to raise the water level so that all boats rise, and to provide information that will be considered neutral and free from the sort of bias people might initially presume exists because of where the site is housed.
As editor, I will be exerting only the barest minimum of editorial control. I will proofread everything and point out typos, and I will determine when and in what sequence the pieces are made live.
If you wonder if I will be able to be completely non-partisan with content, I invite you to peruse the Instagram feed for @conservasservingsuggestions which I administer and which sidebars all the Rainbow Tomatoes Garden product pages.
I’m interested, what do I do next?
Please let me know if you are interested in creating for this publication. Upon your expression of interest I send you an overview of the process and path to publication and payment.
I can be reached by message on FB (@rainbowtomatoesgarden), IG (@rainbowtomatoesgarden), or Twitter (@danwaber); by email to rainbowtomatoesgarden@gmail.com; or by phone/text +1-570-762-6140.
Please don’t hesitate to ask questions.
Please share this information with anyone whose work you admire if you think they would be interested.
Regards,
Dan
Rainbow Tomatoes Garden