First Write the Blog, then Write the Cookbook

December 13, 2011

People who want to write a cookbook contact me all the time. Often these potential authors have no background in writing, cooking, teaching, or any other credential that would make them appealing to a publisher. But they’re passionate about cooking. Don’t write a book first, I suggest. Start with a blog. But but but, they [...]

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5 Writing Books for Holiday Marking and Underlining

December 5, 2011

You’ll probably get on a plane soon, off to see grandma, friends or kids. Why not spend your plane time reading a how-to book? No, not the ones about making money or dieting! I mean books about writing and publishing. Put your tray table down and furiously underline, fold pages over, add sticky notes, and [...]

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Tons of Conferences and Workshops Coming Up

November 29, 2011

Why go to a conference or workshop? I can think of a million reasons. It’s fun. It’s a great way to hear speakers you admire, or people you only know online. You’ll be energized, you could make contacts leading to more writing assignments, and you’ll definitely get out of your usual routine. In the sessions, [...]

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Comparing

November 22, 2011

You have a friend with more followers than you on Twitter. Another blogger gets more comments than you on her blog. Your friend who wrote a cookbook got nominated for an award. You read the bios of food bloggers and food writers online, and feel envy about how much media attention they get, or whom [...]

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Q&A with Veteran Cookbook Collaborator Mary Goodbody

November 15, 2011

After Mary Goodbody left Cook’s Magazine (now Cook’s Illustrated) in the 1980s, she got her first opportunity to co-write a cake decorating book for a packager. She took the job and never looked back. Since becoming self-employed in 1984, the food writer and editor has collaborated on close to 50 cookbooks. She lives in Connecticut, inherited [...]

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Who Gets Paid to Write Recipes?

November 8, 2011

In preparation for a recent recipe writing panel for the International Food Blogger Conference, I decided I wanted to know more about career recipe developers and how they work. So I spoke and emailed with professional recipe developers who work for retail food manufacturers, growers, commodity boards, and commissions such as the California Walnut Commission. My goal [...]

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