[Hannah Selinger, practical matters]: The reality of making a living as a freelance writer + shifting from articles to books + the death of a tortoise Ep 1167

This week my guest is Hannah Selinger, a James Beard Award-nominated lifestyle journalist who is also a Certified Sommelier.

Hannah's work has appeared in a long list of prestigious places, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Wine Enthusiast, Al Jazeera, and more. Her book Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly, will be released in 2025 (and it’s available for pre-order now).

Fun fact: Hannah has traveled to 25 countries and currently lives in Boxford, Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, two dogs, and one Russian tortoise.

We covered:

The sad tale of woe that happened when one of Hannah’s family tortoises got sick and died

How taking a gap year after graduating from college led Hannah to work in restaurants for a decade

Why she decided to become a certified sommelier

Creating imaginary restaurants to put on her resume in order to land a job at a Bobby Flay restaurant

What it felt like to have a piece published in the NY Times Modern Love column

How getting that prestigious clip did NOT magically result in her getting an agent

How the task of making a living as a writer is so very different from the artful, leisurely writing romanticized in graduate school

How many of her dreams that seemed completely delusional ended up coming true–10 years later.

How she partners with PR agencies to generate story ideas

Her personal essay about being an American Jew who is against the war in Gaza that’s coming out on EatingWell.com in a few weeks

Starting the morning with a pitch

Connect with Hannah at https://www.hannahselinger.net/ or on Instagram @druishamericanprincess.

For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.

Thank you for listening!

And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).

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