What’s Happening in Food Writing? 28 Can’t Miss LInks

Who has time to keep up with what’s happening in food writing? There’s so much: the Bon Appetit scandal, the Los Angeles Times scandal, plus trends and essays related to all kinds of topics, including justice issues and food history.

Well, I do. It’s my job, as the author of Will Write for Food and this blog. And now you can see what all the excitement is about on social media, because you don’t have to search. I’ve collected recent best links on what’s happening in food writing, all in one place. I threw in a few helpful links as well about career and social media. We all need those!

These links come from my bi-monthly newsletter  aimed at food writers and bloggers, which you can subscribe to for free. You’ll also get a copy of my short e-book, “The 15 Biggest Errors to Avoid When Writing Recipes.”

My newsletter subscribers are a valuable asset. As a result, I give them access to certain events and information first, before I broadcast them on social media. 

And if you’re already a newsletter subscriber, thank you. I bet you haven’t opened all of these. Take a second look. There’s lots her about food media, food history, equity issues, and amping up your skills.

So pull up a chair and read what’s happening in food writing:

1. The Future of Food Media Is in Your Inbox. The rise of indie newsletters as a way for freelancers to circumvent traditional media and create an income.
2. A spate of new food memoirs promised something different. But the lack of diversity is the same old story. Publishing gatekeepers have prioritized memoirs by white women. 
3. Bon Appétit editor Alex Delany has apologized following his coworkers’ departure from the publication’s YouTube channel. Here’s how allegations of a ‘toxic’ work culture left the magazine in chaos. If you’re not up on what’s happened, here’s a round-up article with the world’s longest title.
4. The 9 Best YouTube Keyword Tools in 2020. Get your tech hat on to understand the right keywords for YouTube.
5. Why I No Longer Support Bob’s Red Mill. YouTube videos, Part I and Part II, about a Black food blogger’s experience of trying to work with the company. (Thanks to Calysta Watson for notifying me.)
6. Jump Right In: A New Tool for Historical Research Using Cookbooks. Rachel Laudan looks at the history of The Sifter, a new editable food history database.
7. Building Thought Leadership with Content. I know, this isn’t the usual link. But here’s a report that will tell you if your own marketing works. Guess what’s working best? Video. Guess which media comes in last? Spoiler alert: podcasts.
8. Australian food writers call for greater diversity of voices in wake of New York Times durian debacle. Just shameful, to describe Asian fruits this way.
9. Substack Podcast #021: Cookbooks with Paula Forbes. If you want to write a cookbook, you need to listen to this podcast. Or read the transcript.
10. How Food Media Created Monsters in the Kitchen. The rise of the toxic celebrity chef is the fault of journalists, says this author.
11. The Color of My Skin Is Sometimes Confused With the Scope of My Talent. When writers of color are asked to write about the food of their heritage.
12. There’s No I in Jam: Sqirl Wrestles With the Sticky Question of Who Really Owns a Recipe. Whether staff should get credit.
13. How to Sell Books in 2020: Put Them Near the Toilet Paper. (NY Times possible paywall). Book sales jumped this spring at big box stores.
14. Food Photography Didn’t Start on Instagram—Here’s Its 170-Year History. A review of Feast for the Eyes, about the history of photographing food.
15. New e-book series features recipes from Mexican Cookbook Collection. Historical digital mini-cookbooks made by librarians.
16. Butt Types. An animated look through fonts, expressed as buttocks. Thanks to Carolyn Phillips.
17. LA Times Food Editor Peter Meehan Resigns After Sexual Harassment Accusations. He made $300k at this job. That blows my mind.
18. Osayi Endolyn’s sample resignation letter for top people in publishing.. She’s helping them step down.
19. The Racist History of Tipping. The moral: We need to get rid of the subminimum wage. Even minimum wage is too low.
20. How Book Publishers Decided To Move Publication Dates During The COVID-19 Pandemic. “The trick was to release them early enough to avoid the wash of election coverage, while not crowding our fall season with too many simultaneous publications.”
21. Wiki training workshop – Roberta Wedge. This was one of my favorite talks at the Oxford Symposium last year, about how to contribute to Wikipedia.
22. Derbyshire blind chef pens cookbook for the visually-impaired. A great way to support blind people who love to cook.
23. Sold: A Black Texan Trailblazer’s ‘Treasure Chest’ of Recipes. Her recipe boxes are sought after.
24. When It Comes to a Recipe, What’s in a Name? What do we lose when calling paratha “flaky bread?”
25. The 10 Best Cookbooks of 2020…So Far. Food52 weighs in.
26. Epicurious and Well-Equipped Pitching Guidelines. Want to write for Epicurious? Here’s an updated guide.
27. A New Food Magazine ‘to Celebrate, Highlight & See Black Women. The first food magazine solely focused on and created by Black women.
28. When Did Recipe Writing Get So…Whitewashed? Priya Krishna and Yewande Komolafe discuss.

I hope this list is worth your time, and I appreciate your investment. Sign up for my free newsletter, and get these in your inbox twice a month. Thank you!