Mochi ice cream at San Francisco’s Fancy Food Show, a good place for food trends.
Sometimes there’s so much change it can be hard to find the relevant bits of information that concern you as a food writer. That’s where I come in! I sift through tons of sites, posts and articles so you don’t have to.
Here are nine trends that food writers should keep an eye on:
1. Food bloggers continue to gain credibility as cookbook authors. Harvard Common Press says bloggers now constitute the majority of its new authors. Publishers are looking for bloggers with a unique voice that connects to lots of readers through social media.
2. Big cookbooks are back! I’m not sure how practical they are in the kitchen, or whether the advance justifies the work, but some of them are enormous, with over 1000 recipes.
3. Speaking of cookbooks, editors are still looking for what will replace cupcakes as the “it” sweet that drives book sales. Maybe you know?
4. Most people now access blogs and websites from a mobile device, so if yours is not optimized for them, they might click away.
5. While social media platforms keep shifting in growth, Pinterest remains the biggest source of traffic for food bloggers. Instagram is taking off, however, so I just joined.
6. New research shows that Americans are eating alone more often, and we are eating more small meals or snacks. Eventually this will affect how we write recipes and cookbooks.
7. Kale is finally on the way out, but brussels sprouts are rising. (To hedge your bets, try a hybridized version of both. Trader Joe’s already sells them.)
8. Food bloggers who want to advance their careers are joining private groups on social media, where they trade information about working with companies, getting a cookbook deal, and increasing blog readership.
9. Restaurant reviews, more and more, are left primarily to amateurs at sites like Yelp, and professional critics at print publications. What happened to the middle?
What have I left out? Do you know of other trends we should discuss?
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A version of this post first appeared in my December quarterly newsletter, a free list of useful links about food writing and writing in general. To get your free newsletter (only 4 times per year!) sign up here.
I followed you on Instagram but I suggest you put up a headshot 🙂
Thank you. I haven’t figured out how to put up a headshot, but I will get there.
Welcome to Instagram, Dianne! This is a fun list.
PS. I was served those Kalettes when I was in London last December. Delicious! I’m going to try to grow them this year.
Good list – I’d add something about photos as well. The quality of ‘amateur’ photography keeps getting better and better, and our expectations of illustration and photos keep rising. Related to Instagram popularity…
Yes I like this point, Ken. The standard keeps rising and we have to keep up. Thanks.
Great shot of mochi ice cream. I ate it in Honolulu for the first time last month and it’s addictive if you like chewy. It’s basically a thin layer of mochi (sweet rice flour) enveloping a nugget of ice cream. The mochi layer is usually a different flavor than the ice cream. Quite charming and delightful.
Aren’t they delightful? This vendor was unusual because there were so many varieties. Sorry to bring up Trader Joe’s again, but you can buy mochi ice cream there. Green tea is the standard.
Great post, as always! I’m curious, what are the groups that food bloggers join? Do you mean groups like Cookbook Friends?
That is a good question, Elizabeth. I have tried to infiltrate these groups when I hear about them but have not been successful! (Maybe it’s because I use the word “infiltrate.”) Cookbook Friends is an example, but I believe these blogger groups are smaller, started by a group of friends and then they let others join.
Thanks for this, Diane. I agree with Ken’s comment. Consumers demand (make that DEMAND) lots of photos, and have no empathy for the cost to the author or the publisher. These photos are extremely expensive if the author has to hire the photographer, food stylist and assistant, and prop stylist and assistant, rent a studio, buy the groceries, and rent the props. Some excellent food writers (such as Heidi Swanson, David Leibovitz, and Deb Perelman) also do their own photos, which helps keep costs down and helps establish their brand. There is definitely a trend for food writers increasing their photography and videography talents. This isn’t a few trend, but it is increasing.
Yes, those are all very high-end authors who have a lot of power (BTW, David does not do his own photos for his book, but insists on a professional). I have worked with bloggers who get book deals where they are to provide their own photos. It is difficult to be a good enough photographer and convince them you can do it, and difficult to get paid properly for the work this entails.
Definitely we have to learn more about photography and videography. In the visual world of the Internet, it’s becoming less optional. Thanks Rick.
I have written two posts on this subject- the good trends and predictions and what I woulod prefer to see the back of.
This is the bad that I’d like gone, gone, gone- http://nicmillerstales.com/2014/12/31/grievances-of-a-year-in-food/
and my predictions can be read via the link here- http://nicmillerstales.com/2014/12/16/the-best-thing-i-ate-2014/
My predictions for the cake to replace cupcake is the humble Madeleine with accompanied dipping and soaking sauces.
Thanks for these links to food trends, Nicole. I like your idea of the madeleine, but I’m afraid that half the appeal of a cupcake is the icing!
Great post as usual Dianne!
I am also keen on learning more about those social media groups. My food blogging is still in its infancy but hoping to get focused on growing my blog this year.
Amongst it all, trying to find my voice and what is authentic to me. I must admit that the photography is one part of the food blogging thing I love. And I’m a total Instagram addict too. @straightforward_nutrition
It’s my strongest social media by far and drives a healthy 5% of the traffic to my site. If anyone has some good resources on how to really utilize Pintrest, I would love to know. I can see the value of it but still haven’t got to grips with how to best use it.
Thanks again for your wonderful insights and posts 🙂
Love from Ireland,
Thanks Linn. I don’t know how Instagram drives people to your blog but I suppose I will learn. Meanwhile, to drive people to your blog from Pinterest, read this:
http://diannej.com/2012/drive-food-blog-traffic-with-pinterest/
One caution about groups is they tend to have a group think. With so many blogs out there you really need to stand out somehow and if you do what everyone else is doing you won’t. We attribute a big part of our success to the fact we haven’t joined groups. That way we had to think out of the box to be successful. It also forces you to think about your audience and what they want rather than what the group/industry wants or says you should do. But if the objective of your blog is simply a to have a hobby and/or a social life, by all means, it is a great way to connect.
I would add one more trend to your list. Video. Not everyone can do it but these days it’s hot. So if you can do it you should. Just look at the top selling cookbooks, most of the authors also do video.
Yes to video! I’ve just started doing them and am loving it. But as with all things – writing, photography, design, content – you have to make your own things different in some way, to stand out.
That’s awesome Elizabeth. In my view if you can do video you will place yourself well above the noise level of the rest of the blogosphere. I agree with you. Do what you feel is best for you. For example when we started doing video we were told by the so called experts that videos could not be more than 4 minutes. We ignored them and did 15 minute videos. Well that worked out great for us and even YouTube is now ranking videos by minutes watched not views so longer videos (as long as people watch most of it) rank better than shorter ones. Best of luck to you! Video should be the number one of the top 10 trends in my view!! 🙂
Ain’t it the truth, Elizabeth. You must have your own take on things, so I hope you’re going for it.
Another good list, Dianne. Welcome to Instagram. It is by far my favorite form of social media and I’m on it much more than I am FB or Twitter, and certainly Pinterest, which I just can’t get into, even if it drives more traffic to my website. There’s a freshness and an immediacy about IG that I like (less so than a few years ago but it’s still there). So I for one am glad to hear that it is on the rise. On veg trends, in addition to brussels sprouts, I think celery is also having a moment (good celery that hasn’t had its leaves lopped off).
Well that is two food items I was getting tired of hearing about anyway… Kale and cupcskes. Although I’m not too keen on the brussel sprout replacement. Wonder what will eventually replace those cupcakes. The personal mini size bundt cakes are cool. 🙂
Instagram. That means I’m going to have to finally give in and buy a smartphone. Ugh. Thanks for the great research, as always, Dianne. 🙂 -er
Thanks Eric. I have a lot of fun taking photos with my smartphone. And with Instagram you can fiddle with them to make them look better, which is fun.
As always Dianne, I love your articles. Personally, the quality I see by your average posters look as good as if not better than some food photographers. I have a group on Facebook and the pictures that are submit for the most part are print worthy. Personally, I hate photos that are done by a food stylist, as I think it does a great disservice to the home cook who tries to emulate that and never can. In a new cook, that can be devastating. I see that a lot on the bread blogs, the loaf is not perfect, but when they taste it, ahhh the bliss. When it comes to food, I may be in the minority but I’d rather have it taste good than look great 🙂 That’s just me…
Somewhere between looking styled and bad photography there is a photo that appeals to me, Elise. As a cookbook writer, I have had issues with stylists as well, particularly when they alter the recipe to make the photo look better!
Was surprised to read that Pinterest is the biggest source of traffic – I’m not on it! Thanks for the tip.
Sure. Don’t forget Instagram. It’s got huge growth spurts.
Thanks for the link!