Has anyone not heard of David Lebovitz? He’s a super successful American food writer blogger living in Paris. He’s also a gorgeous photographer, author of five cookbooks and one memoir, and author and co-author of two apps.

I first met him on email in 2005, when he endorsed my book, Will Write for Food. Recently we spoke about his success and philosophy on food blogging, writing cookbooks, social media, and how he finds the time to get it all done:

Q. Why do so many people adore your blog? What is it about you and your subject matter?

A. It’s a combination of things. Part of it is I started a long time ago so I’ve had a long time to practice, to learn about blogging and build a site. Part of it is I live in Paris and that interests people. Plus I worked as a professional chef, which is part of the mix. People say they feel my blog is very personal; they know the person behind it.

My blog is largely about cultural differences because I’m a foreigner living abroad, and the longer you live somewhere, the more it gives you more credibility. And perhaps people can relate to being an “outsider.” Years ago I was more of a critic of certain aspects of French culture, but now I’m more of an observer and I try to be more neutral. The longer you live somewhere, the more you understand how people are and I’ve become more integrated, too, and understand the culture better.

Q. How has your blog changed since you started your website in 1999? What kinds of posts do you no longer do?

A. Now I microblog on Twitter (105,000+ followers) and Facebook (26,000+ followers). I used to do link round-ups on my blog, but now I’ll put links and short things on Twitter, and pictures on Flickr or Instagram.

Q. How do you decide what to put on Facebook and what to put on Twitter?

A. Facebook is more about linking. Twitter is more about thoughts. When I’m out and about I can easily tweet a social observation or a photo of a bakery. I find that when people link to too many things their Twitter stream becomes less interesting because it’s no longer about them.

Q. How many times should a blogger refer to his or her most recent post on social media?

A. Once. You’re allowed to do it twice, but only if you sincerely believe people missed it and it’s a truly exceptional, amazing post that will revolutionize the world of food blogging.

Q. What was the turning point for your blog, when you knew it was successful?

A. The day I actually ran my fingers through Michael Ruhlman’s hair.

Q. Right, I was there! It was at the Food Blogger Camp in Mexico.

A. Yes, it was. Actually, I don’t look at statistics very often. It’s kind of a waste of time. When I was selling my current book, I saw that they were looking to base the advance somewhat on my online readership so I did check then. In general, book sales have been healthy because of my site. That’s what every author wants.

Chocolate Mint Brownies (Photo by David Lebovitz)

Q. Are your posts getting longer and longer?

A. My goal is to write a post that someone can read in 3 minutes or less. Even if it seems long, there are a lot of photos that people can scroll through. But I aim to write something readable in a relatively short amount of time.

Q. What’s the most important change you’ve made on your blog in the last year?

A. Moving to WordPress and switching servers. WordPress is so much easier to use, compared to Movable Type — which is for developers, because you have to know code. I had a wonderful web guy who was a Movable Type expert and then he stopped working with clients and I couldn’t find anyone who did Movable Type work, which led me to change.

Q. Which is your first love: writing books, blogging, photography, or social media?

A. I actually like blogging. It’s more fun than writing books because I can write something and post it the same day. I like the immediate feedback. And I can go back and edit things.

Cognac press trip (Photo by David Lebovitz)

Writing a book is interesting, though, because the process is longer and I learn a lot when I’m developing recipes. It’s difficult in a small apartment to deal with the recipe paperwork and the notes, though. And, of course, all the leftovers!

Q. Do you have one post that you think is amazing?

A. My posts on food blogging, food photography, and Paris information get lots of feedback.

Q. On your post about food blogging, you suggest bloggers “find your niche.” Some people worry that they will get bored with their niche. How do they avoid that? Can you chance a blog into something else?

A. You have to start a blog about what interests you. Now I’m branching out doing more savory recipes, because there are only so many desserts. I don’t make chocolate tarts every day.

People should blog about what their life is about. You can start or stop a blog, but I never get bored with my blog so it’s not been an issue.

Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream (Photo by David Lebovitz)

Q. I was at a conference recently where someone told me that recipes are meant to be shared, so what’s wrong with sharing them on a blog?

A. Music and movies are meant to be shared, too. But you can’t copy and redistribute them. If you have nothing to add to the recipe, you should just link to it. That’s sharing. Otherwise you should adapt it and write it as you made it.

Q. My sense is that you are interested in technology and often one of the first to jump on new media. Is that essential to be a food blogger or social media maven?

A. If you mean apps, my publisher provided my first app. For the Paris Pastry app, I wanted to do a pastry guidebook back in 1993 when I first moved to Paris. (It’s amusing because I still have those notes!) So when a friend who is a publisher approached me, we did it together. But in terms of being a techie, I can’t read CSS, I have no idea what it is, and I have no idea how to switch servers.

Q. Do you hire technical people?

A. Yes. They oversee my site, dealing with any technical stuff like WordPress upgrades, changing a font, cleaning up pages, or having something redesigned to be cleaner to read. I’ve hired web developers since 1999 and I think they’re a worthwhile investment.

In 2000, just after I started out, someone else who was starting out said they wanted to do it all themselves. I said, “Do it yourself and you take that time away from your baking and writing.”

Q. Let’s talk about product placement. How do you decide which trip to take or which product to feature, such as cognac or a ride on the Queen Mary? Are you bombarded with offers?

A. I only do things that I would really want do on my own, or that give me an opportunity to learn.  For example, I didn’t know much about cognac. It’s part of life in France and visiting the region makes me learn and understand more about not just the item, but the culture and terroir surrounding it. I’ve been on a few press trips, which are important in France, because it’s very hard to get access to places unless you’ve had a formal introduction. It’s much, much easier to go see a place, and meet the people, if all the arrangements have been made in advance.

As for products, if someone wants to send me a spatula to try out, I would take it if I were actually interested in it. (Especially because it’s often extremely complicated to get something delivered here.) I was interested in green non-stick pans, and the Actify fryer so I gave them a try, and put my impressions on my blog.

Most important is that there’s nothing worse than losing the trust of your readers. It’s not worth a spatula, a piece of kitchen equipment, or a bag of nuts if readers get the impression you are just trying to get freebies.

Q. How do you feel about sponsored posts?

A. I’d feel funny about having a company pay me to write something on my site. If I wanted to make a lot of money or have a lot of visitors I would do three chocolate desserts a week instead.

Q. Of all your ads, which is the best moneymaker?

A. BlogHer ads. Like the line at Costco, it’s important to stick with something for a while and not jump around to what looks to be better elsewhere. I don’t judge it from month to month. The thing I like about them is that they’re bloggers. All my interactions with them have been extremely professional.

Lime Meringue Tart (Photo by David Lebovitz.)

Q. You have other ads and affiliate programs too.

A. I have a BlogHer ad between posts, plus Amazon, Google Adsense, and Platefull in the sidebars. The ads are geotagged and only show in the US so I can’t see a lot of them. A lot of my readers are outside the US and I don’t make money from those that appear outside the US, but I love working with BlogHer.

Q. How do you carve out time to start a new project?

A. It’s very challenging. I’m starting to write a book now, and the blog takes up a lot of time, and I live in a country where there’s a heavy amount of administrative tasks. Life is a little more difficult here day to day. Things take longer. For example, if you need an orange or a sack of sugar for a recipe and it’s 9 p.m., there’s not necessarily somewhere nearby to get it. You need to wait until the next day, or when your market is open.

It’s hard to find the time, and it’s something I struggle with. For my last two books, I’ve gone out to the country for a couple of weeks where there’s no Internet access just to finish things without distractions.

I don’t have a schedule for writing. Today I started at 5:30 a.m. and I tested a recipe this morning. It took 1.5 hours to prepare and cleanup took 1 hour. It’s been in the refrigerator for 8 hours, and now it’s probably ready to taste. It’s the fourth time I’ve made it. Doing the math, you can see how long it takes to get work done!

Since I work a lot with the US, people there are waking up at 5 p.m. my time and they expect me to respond to e-mail. I have dinner at 8:30 p.m. and then I don’t want to go back to the computer, so I have to log off. Otherwise I make myself crazy.

Q. Do you think people really know you as a result of reading your blog? Or have you invented a character?

A. It’s really me. I’m writing about my life. I’m probably more open about certain things than other people are, like flushing meringue down the toilet. I’m often presenting a realist view of the city I live in. I feel like I’m pretty open and honest about everything on my site.

Q. Any final messages?

A. Food bloggers should think of themselves as part of a community. Don’t swipe material from other blogs. It’s not “passing along information.” Create your own content for your readers, and link to other people. That’s what the world wide web is all about.

You might also like:

• David’s post on Writing Your Own Cookbook
• David’s posts on Food Blog Alliance

Are you a funny food writer? Let’s see your stuff.

And if you’re not, maybe these funny writing samples below will inspire you. Here are several that have tickled me lately:

1. David Lebovitz has been been honing his offbeat, irreverent humor for years on his blog and in books. A sample from The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious — And Perplexing — City shows his puzzlement of Parisian hot chocolate:

“Many visitors get a lost, misty-eyed look when describing the ultrathick, steamy chocolate chaud that glops and blurts as it’s poured into dainty white cups…

Me? I can barely swallow the sludge.

You need to clam my mouth closed and massage my neck to get that hyperthick stuff down the hatch– like forcing a dog to swallow a pill. That throat-clogging liquid hits my tummy with a thud and refuses to budge for the rest of the day. I just don’t get its appeal.”

I’d call this example curmudgeonly, in an adorable way. I love the image of someone massaging his neck, and I recognize that “thud” in the belly.

2. Comedian George Carlin, always a crack-up, wrote these gems about restaurant food and waffle irons in Brain Droppings:

“There are certain clues that tell you how much a restaurant will cost. If the word cuisine appears in the advertising, it will be expensive. If they use the word food, it will be moderately priced. However, if the sign says eats, even though you’ll save some money on food, your medical bills may be quite high.”

“I don’t like trendy food. When I hear, ‘sauteed boneless panda groin,’ I know I’m in the wrong place. There’s such a thing as pretentious food. Puree of woodchuck, marinated bat nipples, weasel chops, porcupine cacciatore. Or fried eagle. A guy said to me recently, ‘C’mon, we’ll go to Baxter’s, they have really great fried eagle.’ I’m thinkin’ to myself, “Do I really want to know this guy?”

On waffle irons:

“Why on earth would you want to iron a waffle? Wouldn’t that just flatten out all the little squares? No, I believe waffles should be dry cleaned. Pancakes, of course, should always be ironed.”

I find this stuff laugh-out-loud hilarious, especially the menu names. I crack up every time I read them. I’d be the perfect audience member if Carlin was still around to perform.

3. Consider the Onion, a parody news source with news features such as Doritos Celebrates 1 Millionth Ingredient. In a story about the burgeoning locavore movement, the punsters list suggestions on how to eat locally, such as:

• “Lucky Northfield, IL residents are in for a treat: They live practically next door to Kraft Foods headquarters, which means they can have all the Stove Top stuffing they want with no guilt.”
• “Tie one end of a 100-mile rope to your house and the other end to your waist to ensure that you only eat within that radius.”

I love the silly, giddiness of this writing, while it deftly skewers politically-correct thinking.

4. Sometimes a book that looks serious can give you a good belly laugh. That happened to me while reading Becky Selengut’s Good Fish: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the Pacific Coast. Here’s a headnote for a recipe for Mussels with Bacon and Israeli Couscous:

“Dear Grandma: I know when you see the ingredients in this dish, it might give you pause, as you raised me to be a good Jew, but I want to remind you that, above all else, you taught me to see the humor in life. Isn’t it funny how I combined bacon and Israeli couscous with shellfish? Love, Becky. P.S. I had originally called this recipe ‘Bad Jew Stew’ but my editor thought that wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had, so it could’ve been worse.”

She has more like this. Selengut’s goofy, happy headnotes make a serious book on sustainable seafood fun.

And finally, don’t forget last week’s post about the James Beard Foundation’s new humor award. It has generated tons of media attention due to the nomination of Ruth Bourdain’s tweets. The post includes links to the two other humor essays in the competition.

So, after reviewing these examples, do you have something funny to say about food? Give me a maximum of 250 words of original writing. Paste in something funny from a prior piece of writing or try something new, as an exercise.

If none of these examples have tickled your writing funny bone, give me a few lines of your favorite humorous food writing, and we’ll all have a good laugh, at the very least. Make sure to name the author. If none of the original entries make me laugh, maybe I’ll choose your post as the best overall entry.

Deadline is Sunday, April 17. The winner gets a copy of Lebovitz’s new paperback.

Update: Sharon Grave’s winning post, profiled here.

I’m new to this giveaway thing. I think it’s going well, but my style of announcing giveaways has been all over the place.

With my first two giveaways, I reviewed the books. Then I ran into a snag. I knew the author of the third book, so I just interviewed Deborah Madison instead of reviewing her cookbook, because I knew I couldn’t be objective about a friend I met more than 10 years ago.

Now we come to David Lebovitz, another friend I adore, and I have a fourth way to handle this giveaway. I’m going to talk about his video, and a little about the book, and a little about David, one of the nicest, most talented, smartest, funniest and most generous food writers I’ve ever met. (See, I told you I couldn’t be objective.)

One of the dilemmas facing someone with a blog as huge as David’s is that  it’s a challenge for his publisher to reach as many potential buyers for Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes. After all, his blog has more annual readers than at least two of the top national food magazines. So Ten Speed Press agreed to do a video with a James Beard award-winning documentary filmmaker David had met earlier in France.

“I wanted to do something snappy that wasn’t just me talking to the camera, or cooking,” explained David. “I wanted to show Paris, too, since that’s part of my life and my story. Mark from Flow Films shot the whole thing in HD on his Canon DSLR and we kind of went and just did it. I put a notice on Twitter that anyone who wanted to come taste cookies should show up!  Then we also went into some shops, like the chocolate shop of Jacques Genin and a motorcycle shop to get the opinions.”

Author David Lebovitz

Apparently publishers are doing more of these promo videos. Says Aaron Wehner, publisher of Ten Speed Press, “We are doing videos for most of our lead cooking titles in Fall. The cost can range from $1,000 to $5,000  for something professionally done, depending on length, number of locations etc.  We’ve been doing book trailers for a few years (see Alinea and Peter Reinhardt, among others) but David’s came off particularly well.” I agree. Like David, the video is warm, fun, and funny.

Now, on to the book itself. It’s a big, hardcover, classy looking cookbook, full of dramatic photography and doable recipes. I made the huge Apple-Pear Crisp with Grappa-Soaked Raisins and Polenta Topping. It served 6 at dinner easily and made spectacular leftovers, even when cold. I also made Cranzacs, David’s riff on Anzac cookies, a chewy, coconutty oatmeal cookie that my husband assured me will be gone before I get back from IACP’s annual conference this coming Saturday night. I’m hoping to make more recipes before I have to give this book away, including his famous Fresh Ginger Cake.

And speaking of giveaways, if you’d like this book, please write a comment below on your favorite dessert. I’ll chose a winner by midnight April 26. Contest rules: You must live in the US (Sorry, fellow Canadians). One entry per person. If the winner does not respond within a week, I will choose someone else.

Update: Winner is Elizabeth Greene. Congratulations!

I’m  adjusting to this new format of food writing and blogging conference, where hanging out is a big part of the day. Today I’ve walked along the beach in the surf, done yogalates with David Lebovitz and Matt Amendariz, gave Nancy Hachiso a quick Twitter lesson, had lunch with Michael and Donna Ruhlman, and now I’m sitting in the bar, waiting for the presentation at 3 p.m.,when Jaden Hair and David Lebovitz discuss book proposals, with a handout from me.

You’ll just have to join us next year. Really. You can relax and network simultaneously. And the presentations have been excellent. See this post from Diane Cu of White on Rice for a report on food writing, food styling and photography.

In Michael Ruhlman’s  talk abut the writing process, Stephanie Stiavetti asked about burnout. Michael said to just turn off the social media and do the work (Wait! Not yet!).

“Be ruthless. Make 2-3 hours of dedicated, focused writing time with no one intruding,” he advised.”Turn off email and Facebook. Don’t you dare click that get mail button.” That got laughs of self-recognition from the crowd, many of whom are Twittering (see #fbcamp).

It made even more sense when he asked if you would you invite a crowd into your office when you had work to do. No. Now, back to your writing, which I hope was already in progress. Thanks for dropping in.

See further posts here:

Food Blogger Camp, Part 1 (David Lebovitz)

Food Blogger Camp, Part 2 (David Lebovitz)

All I Got From Food Blogger Camp… (Steamy Kitchen)

Food Blogger Camp: Food Writing, Photography & Styling Tips (White on Rice Couple)

Food Photography, Getting a Cookbook Deal & Zihua Market (White on Rice Couple)

Food Blogger Camp at Club Med Ixtapa (Dianasaur Dishes)

Clicking the Mental Refresh Button in Ixtapa (Foodspiration)

Food Blogger Camp Part Uno (A Beach Home Companion)

Food Blogger Camp Part Dos (A Beach Home Companion)

Food Blogger Camp Part Tres (A Beach Home Companion)

Food Blogger Camp Tips & Insights (Dianne Jacob)

Sensuous Writing with Corn Pops (Dianne Jacob)

Eating in Paradise (Frantastic Food)

Sunset (Frantastic Food)

A Day at the Beach (Frantastic Food)

And He Said, “Let there be light” (Frantastic Food)

Constants (and Tequila) (Vanilla Garlic)

Zihuatanejo Market: A Short Tour (Vanilla Garlic)

Food Blog Camp Flickr Pool (Photos)

Food Blogger Camp: Ixtapa, Mexico 2010 (RecipeGirl)

Ixtapa Food Blogger Camp Recap (Wasabimon)

Food Blogger Camp Top 10 (Matt Bites)

Let’s hit the beach, bask in the sun and get to know each other. I’m delighted to announce the first annual Food Blogger Camp at Club Med Ixtapa Pacific in Ixtapa, Mexico, January 9-16, 2010.

Club Med is giving away accommodations for seven nights, coach airfare, and a scholarship for one sweepstakes winner. You’ll get to meet and hang out with me, plus some of the most talented food bloggers, authors, and food photographers in the business.

At the Boot Camp, we’ll have workshops on how to improve blogging, photography and multimedia skills. I’ll lead a workshop on writing with the senses, and I know I’ll chime in when Jaden Hair and David Lebovitz share their stories on getting published, including drafting a proposal and working with or without an agent. We’ll also take a walking tour of the Zijuatanejo market, taste tacos and tequilas, visit a fisherman’s market and talk with local farmers about sustainable agriculture.

This event is open to all food bloggers. Please read the contest rules before entering. To enter, just leave a comment below, with a link to your blog in the URL. To increase your chances, add a comment on the participating blog sites of these instructors:

• David Lebovitz
• Diane Cu and Todd Porter, White on Rice Couple
• Jaden Hair, Steamy Kitchen
• Matt Armendariz of Matt Bites
• Michael Ruhlman.

You can also have an extra entry here at Club Med during the contest run dates.

The contest begins now and ends on Sunday September 13, 2009 at 11:59 p.m EST (US). Club Med will draw a winner at random from comments on participating websites and Twitter followers on or around September 15, 2009. The winner may bring a guest for the discounted price of a double occupancy room. Guest airfare is not included. If you have already paid and win the sweepstakes, Club Med will refund your payment.

To book the trip:

1. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “CLICK HERE TO BOOK.”

2. Use Login: blogger, Password: 160606 to get the Food Blog Camp discount price of $599 to $999 (US) based on double-occupancy and length of stay.

3. On the drop-down menu, choose “Ixtapa.” Type in the dates January 9-16, and 7 days. The booking page will open showing the discounted price just underneath the regular price. (It should say “Best Available Offer: Food Blogger Camp.”)

For questions, call 1-888-WebClub. See you there!

9/15/09: Congratulations to sweepstakes winner Casey Barber of Good. Food. Stories.

]]> http://diannej.com/blog/2009/09/food-blogger-camp-and-free-trip-giveaway/feed/ 387 http://diannej.com/blog/2009/07/heres-what-i-ate-today-does-anyone-care/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://diannej.com/blog/2009/07/heres-what-i-ate-today-does-anyone-care/#comments Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:14:39 +0000 diannejacob http://diannej.com/blog/?p=109

Like you, I’m obsessed with food. My favorite kind of day is when I  meet a friend over a meal, we talk about food,  visit a cool food market or street, I cook something that tastes great, and maybe later, I read about food. But most of the time, my days are not that exciting. Does a normal day around food, in and of itself, constitute a good blog?

Usually, no. The topic is too broad. It’s based on chronology, as in “here’s what I did with food today.” It does not qualify as a theme or a focus. And that is why so many food blogs fail. I just don’t care enough about where you went for lunch, or what you made for dinner.

I’ve been thinking about what makes me want to read a food blog. The first blogger I read with any regularity was Grist’s Tom Philpott, because  I enjoy and appreciate his well-researched take on food politics. (In this link he skewered the notion that eating farm-raised salmon in a chain restaurant is defensible just because it tastes good.)  He rarely writes about himself or his life, and I always learn something. He’s more like a traditional newspaper columnist, and maybe that’s why I started with him. I felt comfortable.

Now, to contradict myself, I love checking in with David Lebovitz, who writes about his day. Yes, in the hands of a skilled writer and photographer, the most ordinary events can become worthwhile. First, there’s the anticipation of a gorgeous photo. Today’s post about sardine pate leads with, instead of an obvious photo of pate on a slice of baguette,  a more mysterious snap of a flipper sticking out of a stainless steel bowl in hues of cobalt. Next, he writes as though he’s my best friend: intimate, funny, charming and sweet. He covers food in Paris, a focus that’s more exotic than daily life in the US.  Lastly, I always learn something about cooking or baking techniques. So even though it’s a guilty pleasure, I get lots out of his posts.

Tell me if I’m off base here. Maybe you’re a food blogger who thinks it’s perfectly fine to have “food” as the focus of your blog. Or  if you  read general food blogs, which are the most worthwhile and why?