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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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The Hidden Life of Grace Young

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Everyone knows Grace Young is a Chinese food writer. She’s won national awards for each of her three Chinese cookboooks. But as with most successful people, there’s much more to her than that.

Recently she took a subversive turn, mixing traditional and Western dishes to cook in a wok. In this video, newly nominated for a Jame Beard award, she uses a wok to make French fries, steak, and even popcorn.

Is this mixing of cultures a new thing for Grace Young? For us, yes. For her, no. Does she feel [Read more…] about The Hidden Life of Grace Young

Who Can Enter a Food Writing Contest?

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Recently I wrote about a misstep when the head of an organization won the organization’s own food writing contest. If you haven’t read it, see  IACP Strips Winner of Cookbook of the Year Award After Outcry. 

Since then, Adam Salamone, chair of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP),  said IACP had no policy that excludes staff or board members from submitting to awards. He also said the board will create a new policy about ineligibility of staff and board.

The new winners of the IACP Cookbook of the Year and the new General category winner are announced here.

That event made me wonder how [Read more…] about Who Can Enter a Food Writing Contest?

IACP Strips Winner of Cookbook of the Year Award After Outcry

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IACP decided not to award this book Cookbook of the Year because its co-author is the head of IACP.

On Sunday night, at the IACP cookbook awards in New York, Martha Holmberg, Chief Executive Officer of IACP, won the association’s highest honor, for Cookbook of the Year. She co-wrote Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables with chef Joshua McFadden.

She wrote the book on the side, as a [Read more…] about IACP Strips Winner of Cookbook of the Year Award After Outcry

New FTC Rules For Endorsing Products Online

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You know the rules, right? If you live in the US and you are endorsing products online, you must disclose that you received payment or payment in kind.

This rule applies to using social media too. So if you want to write sponsored posts — where you promote a product or service — or get paid to promote products on social media, there are new rules. Let’s go through them.
Updated FTC Rules on Endorsing Products Online

According to the FTC in its most recent update on endorsing products online:

1. Do you have to disclose? Yes. These rules come from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US, which protects consumers and promotes competition.

If you don’t live in the US, these rules do not apply. But they are a best practice. Please consider adopting them anyway.

2. What does it mean to endorse? Let’s say you show a photo of a product, or discuss a product or service in a positive way. Those things are [Read more…] about New FTC Rules For Endorsing Products Online

8 Answers to Copyright Questions About Recipes and Books

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copyright-lawyer-lesley-ellen-harris

Copyright attorney Lesley Ellen Harris.

When Copyright Educator and Author Lesley Ellen Harris asked if I had any copyright questions for a blog post, I put the word out on social media. Food writers asked several questions. Lesley has generously answered them — in plain English.

Here are 8 answers to copyright questions about recipes and books:

1. When someone re-publishes my recipes word for word (headnote, instructions, variations, etc.)  without attribution, I usually write to them and try to work it out. But if that goes nowhere, is there a legal avenue?

Copyright law doesn’t protect the list of ingredients in a recipe. However, the language used to describe the recipe’s instructions and the headnote are protected by copyright. Attribution may be a [Read more…] about 8 Answers to Copyright Questions About Recipes and Books

How Old Are You in Internet Years?

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DianneJacob.photoSean-Neild

My most recent shot from 2014. I put it on my Facebook page. (Photo by Sean Neild)

I had a big birthday recently, and was rather shocked to see the photos. I had aged, and I didn’t like it.

It’s because I’m accustomed to seeing a younger me online. In Internet years I am up to 10 years younger.

The thing is, I like those old shots quite a bit. But this year, I forced myself to post a more current mug shot (right), which I still [Read more…] about How Old Are You in Internet Years?

Are You Making These 2 Mistakes When Writing Sponsored Posts?

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Sponsored-posts

Are you working for brands for peanuts? Those are $1 bills, yet many food bloggers take them.

I meet lots of food bloggers at conferences who are writing sponsored posts. Here are two stories of their first experiences that didn’t turn out well:

1. Prioritizing the brand over readers.

In the Q&A after my talk, a food blogger wanted to know why readers suddenly unsubscribed from her blog after she wrote sponsored posts.

She said she usually buys a years’ supply at a time from a particular nut company. Eventually she [Read more…] about Are You Making These 2 Mistakes When Writing Sponsored Posts?