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Dianne Jacob, Will Write For Food

Useful Tips, Interviews, and Stories to Inspire Food Writers and Bloggers

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If You Want to Write a Biography About a Famous Person or Two…

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image for story on writing a biographyAt a conference I attended recently, a panel focused on two kinds of projects: writing a memoir and writing a biography. Moderated by Cara De Silva, the panelists were memoirists Elissa Altman, Mark Russ Federman, Madhur Jaffrey; and biographers Laura Shapiro and Anne Mendelson.

I zeroed in on Anne, author of Stand By the Stove: The Story of the Women Who Gave America the Joy of Cooking. I had met her decades ago at a Symposium for Professional Food Writers at the Greenbrier. She clutched her typewritten address and read it to the crowd. It was an insightful and wry essay about her experience. She was the biographer of the [Read more…] about If You Want to Write a Biography About a Famous Person or Two…

4 Events Coming Up in the US and Beyond

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Learning al fresco in the garden of our villa in the Valpolicella wine region. (Photo by Owen Rubin.)

Part of being a good writer is getting out from behind your computer to attend a conference, workshop or other events coming up. These are places to network and learn, of course. 

But more imporantly, getting away can help you move forward with renewed enthusiasm and energy. When you get out of your rut, your mind makes [Read more…] about 4 Events Coming Up in the US and Beyond

Join Us at Our July Food and Wine Writing Workshop in Italy!

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food and wine writing workshop 2019Food writing comes alive at our third annual Food and Wine Writing Workshop in Verona, Italy this summer.

My co-host and I hold this event at one of the most beautiful private villas in Italy. Our location is in the countryside outside Verona, a 15-minute drive from town.

Expect a full week of writing, feedback, and instruction. But that’s not all. You can learn and write while [Read more…] about Join Us at Our July Food and Wine Writing Workshop in Italy!

Giveaway: Jeff Herman’s Guide to Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents

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image of Guide to Book Publishers

If you wonder how to find an agent for your next book, you might want this book! It provides up-to-date information about 125 powerful agents, including those who represent cookbooks, memoir, how-to, and travel books.

Now in its 28th edition, Herman’s Guide to Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents includes insider details about agents and editors too, explaining how they work and differentiating between the Big 5 publishers and independent publishers.

Jeff Herman’s literary agency has ushered nearly 1000 books into print. Jeff graciously agreed to an interview to answer some common questions I get from potential authors. If you’d like to win a copy of his book, leave a comment below.

Update: I chose a winner using Random.org. Thanks to everyone who entered. 

Here’s Herman on the agenting business, how publishing works, and how writers can keep motivated despite the challenges:

Q. What is the number one thing writers don’t understand about agents?

A. I find a lack of knowledge about the crucial role agents play. Traditional publishers don’t have time or energy to screen unsolicited submissions, which are non-flatteringly referred to as “slush.” This is understandable. An editor might have to crunch [Read more…] about Giveaway: Jeff Herman’s Guide to Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents

Update: Yes, You Can Still Write Off Business Meals

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image of business meal.In a 2018 blog post, I interviewed Steve Hoffman, a tax preparer and food writer, about tax issues, freelancing, and how the new tax law might affect people in our industry. Of most concern was whether we food writers could still write off business meals.

First there was bad news, but now there’s good news.  Steve said he didn’t think the IRS would let us write off business meals anymore. But later in the year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) clarified the new law, to our advantage.

Here’s how Steve puts it: “The new tax law eliminated any deductions for entertainment, which most tax preparers originally interpreted to mean both meals and entertainment. Under the prior law, sole proprietors and small businesses could [Read more…] about Update: Yes, You Can Still Write Off Business Meals