22/07/2026
Help?! My upcoming "Rick Steves Italy for Food Lovers" book needs a tasty cover photo.
We’re updating and upgrading our delicious "Rick Steves Italy for Food Lovers" book (out next February in hardcover), and I thought it would be fun to include my happy Facebook band of Rick Steves travelers in our search for the most appetizing cover imaginable. If you’re a photographer and would like to help out (and make a little money), please share your photo in the comments!
Here’s what we’re looking for: The photo must be vertical orientation (cover is 7” wide by 9” tall) and high resolution with no use of AI, visible logos or branding, recognizable interiors, or faces. It must be an original photo taken in Italy submitted by the photographer. We’re looking for mouth-watering food reflecting the delights of Italian cuisine (a little more upscale than pizza or spaghetti) in a setting that is wide enough to give an enticing sense of Italian place.
Submissions must be posted by end of Thursday, July 16 to be considered. This is an open call for photo submission, and my publisher will be in touch if we’re interested in licensing your photo for the cover. Thanks and buon appetito!
*Update 7/17/26:
Dear travelers,
I asked for your help to find the best photo for the cover of our upcoming coffee table edition of our popular “Italy for Food Lovers” book. And an amazing 464 of you have posted and shared so many delicious photos of edible Italy. I’ve been hungrily reviewing your submissions — from the mountain cheese in the Dolomites to a mouthwatering cannolo in Sicily, you covered all the tasty treats. Reliving favorite meals with the help of your photos, it was fun to think that we had so many similar memories, and I kept remembering why one of my favorite Italian words is “indimenticabile” (unforgettable).
I just met with my publisher, and while we enjoyed the rich abundance of great food, none provided both the tasty topic and the sense of place we needed. So, we’ll be going with what they already had queued up. (We’ll be sure you see it when the book is released in Feb, 2027.) Thanks again, and tasty travels wherever your dreams are taking you.
