• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar

Dianne Jacob, Will Write For Food

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

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Bio
    • Freelance Writing
    • Media Mentions
    • Teaching and Speaking
    • Contact Me
  • Services
    • Coaching and Editing
    • Clients
    • FAQ
    • Testimonials
  • Books
    • Will Write For Food
    • The United States of Pizza
    • Grilled Pizzas & Piadinas
    • The Good Pantry
  • Events
  • Categories
    • Awards
    • Cookbooks
    • Career
    • Contests
    • Ethics
    • Food Blogging
    • Freelancing
    • Literary Agents
    • My workshops and conferences
    • Personal Stuff
    • Photography
    • Promotion
    • Proposals
    • Radio interviews and writing
    • Recipe Writing
    • Restaurant Reviewing
    • Self Publishing
    • Social Media
    • Travel Writing
    • Uncategorized
    • Useful Links
    • Writing
    • Memoir
    • Writing Apps
  • Resources
  • My Free Newsletter
  • Blog

Ethics

The Whole Enchilada on Blog Revenue

August 2, 2010 by diannejacob

Back in April I put my first ad on the site. It’s over on the right, a network of revolving ads from BlogHer. Now that I’ve brought it up, you’re wondering whether I’ve made any money, and whether it was worth it.

To the first question, yes, a check finally arrived recently. But it was only enough to cover a Mexican dinner for two. I was disappointed, but I don’t hold it against BlogHer. The model for online advertising stinks compared to print.

Let me explain. In the past I was the executive editor of an international magazine. I felt proud when I realized recently that its annual readership was once the same as the number of annual unique page views on my site. To buy an ad in the magazine cost hundreds to thousands of dollars for just one issue, however. Here on my website, it costs pennies to reach the same number of eyeballs.

At the magazine, the money from advertising supported a staff of around 20 people. Here, I can get a few enchiladas.

Still, it’s been a good experiment, despite ads for Coffeemate and Crystal Light (not classified as junk food, which I banned.) My relationship with BlogHer has grown. I got paid to syndicate a post on recipe writing on the BlogHer website. Last week BlogHer’s syndication deal with [Read more…] about The Whole Enchilada on Blog Revenue

Filed Under: Ethics, Food Blogging Tagged With: blog revenue, BlogHer, food writing

Food Writer Busted on Free Wedding Meal

July 1, 2010 by diannejacob

Befriending chefs and purveyors when you’re a food writer can be perilous. Worse yet, the practice can come back to bite you in the butt.

And that’s exactly what happened to Josh Ozersky, a food writer who got married recently in New York and showed poor judgement when planning for his wedding.

The trouble started when he accepted food from his buddies in the business as  presents: free bread, dips, seafood, lasagna, strip loins, and a free place to hold the event.

Then he devoted his column on Time magazine’s website to promoting the food and purveyors, never mentioning that his buddies supplied the goods for free, and saying most caterers “aren’t really good cooks” anyway.

Another food writer, Robert Sietsema of the Village Voice, busted him in an open letter, suggesting the food and venue could have cost $24,000 and asking whether he paid. And then the New York Times did a fascinating story about not only Ozersky but the whole issue of restaurants getting an increasing number of requests for free meals.

Time got so many comments on Ozersky’s column that they [Read more…] about Food Writer Busted on Free Wedding Meal

Filed Under: Ethics, Food Blogging, Restaurant Reviewing Tagged With: food writing

Food Blogger Conference Offers Killer Goody Bag

May 19, 2010 by diannejacob

Should you go to the International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle August 27-29? James Osland, editor of Saveur, will give the keynote; Victoria Von Beul, executive editor of Bon Appetit magazine will lead a pitch session; memoirist Kathleen Flinn will teach a “Writing With the Senses” class; and I’ll be speaking on a panel about recipes, moderated by Amy Sherman.

These are not good enough reasons!  On a food blogger listserv, the buzz was all about what might be in the goody bags based on what recipients scored last year. Here’s what they said:

    “I figure between the goody bag we’ll be receiving (last year’s was insane) and the food we’ll be served, the $350 is actually pretty worth it.”
    “I know – I was drooling over that knife people got. I’m not sure if I can
    really rely on the goody bag though for ROI 🙂 who knows what they are
    putting in there.”
    “The goodie bag alone was at least $350 last year..”

When I mentioned these comments to IFBC  founder Sheri Wetherell, she [Read more…] about Food Blogger Conference Offers Killer Goody Bag

Filed Under: Ethics, Food Blogging Tagged With: Food blogging, food writing, freebies, International Food Blogger Conference

Exclusive Offer! Only 1000 Food Bloggers Qualify

April 27, 2010 by diannejacob 89 Comments

Cooking for a dinner partyWhen three big food bloggers  forwarded an email invitation to me within minutes of each other, I had to take a look. All three were insulted by this offer but knew that other food bloggers would take the companies up on it.

Here’s a condensed version of the invite, with sponsor names deleted:

“We enjoy your culinary blog, and share your passion for cooking and fine cuisine. To provide a fun way to try new recipes with your friends, we offer you the opportunity to host an Easy & Elegant Dinner Party in your home.

“Here’s how it works.You and 1000 fellow foodies across the country will simultaneously host Easy & Elegant Dinner Parties. If selected as a host, you will receive a generous party pack – including [Read more…] about Exclusive Offer! Only 1000 Food Bloggers Qualify

Filed Under: Ethics, Food Blogging Tagged With: food bloggers, Food blogging, food writing, freebies

I Have an Ad and I'm Okay With That

April 18, 2010 by diannejacob

fractal cauliflowerYou’ll notice something new. It’s an ad, on the right, from BlogHer Publishing Network.

I know. I’ve crossed over to the other side, and I’m thrilled. It’s because I have redefined myself.  I’m no longer just a blogger whose subject is food writing. I’m the publisher of my blog.

Being in charge overall is new for me. When I was a magazine editor, I [Read more…] about I Have an Ad and I'm Okay With That

Filed Under: Ethics, Food Blogging Tagged With: advertising, BlogHer, Food blogging, food writing

Freebie vs. For Review: What's the Difference?

February 16, 2010 by diannejacob

kitchenscaleA blogger thought she got a product for free, then was asked to return it. On a listserv, she wrote:

“A PR person contacted me, representing a large cookware store. ‘If they could do anything for me…let them know.’ I told them I was testing bread cookbooks and could use a scale. If they could work somemagic on that end…great!

“The response I got was a link to their entire kitchen scale inventory and was told [Read more…] about Freebie vs. For Review: What's the Difference?

Filed Under: Ethics, Food Blogging Tagged With: food writing, freebies, writing reviews

Is Lower Pay for Web Writing Defensible?

January 21, 2010 by diannejacob

silhouetteMaybe the magazine editor was just talking off the top of her head, but when I read it, steam came out of my ears.

In a story in the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ newsletter, by Stephanie Stiavetti, the editorial director of a national food magazine spoke of writing opportunities on her magazine’s website:

“There’s a lot of fear and concern…the move to user-generated content will impact those who made their living writing for print, but it has also opened up new opportunities for bloggers.”

Oh yes, we know all about that, how links are the new currency, and dwindling opportunities for freelancers. The article continues:

“How much quality can you expect from an uncompensated writer who may not be willing to put a lot of effort into an unpaid gig? ‘A lot,’ says the editor, who plans to use guest bloggers in the future: ‘We’ll be [Read more…] about Is Lower Pay for Web Writing Defensible?

Filed Under: Ethics, Food Blogging, Freelancing Tagged With: food writing, freelance food writing, freelance writing

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 5
  • Go to page 6
  • Go to page 7
  • Go to page 8
  • Go to page 9
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Get Blog Posts by Email

My Books








Awards and Honors


2020


Best Essay 2016


2016 Grand Prize
MFK Fisher Award


2016


2016


2010


2007


2005

Member

Secondary Sidebar

Get my free bi-monthly newsletter on food writing by signing up here. Once you confirm you’ll get my free e-book on writing recipes.

Food Blogger Pro Ad

Categories

  • Awards (17)
  • Career (72)
  • Contests (23)
  • Cookbooks (112)
  • Ethics (58)
  • Food Blogging (227)
  • Freelancing (53)
  • Literary Agents (12)
  • My workshops and conferences (34)
  • Personal Stuff (19)
  • Photography (6)
  • Promotion (24)
  • Proposals (10)
  • Recipe Writing (67)
  • Restaurant Reviewing (22)
  • Self Publishing (18)
  • Social Media (21)
  • Travel Writing (2)
  • Useful Links (23)
  • Writing (137)
    • Memoir (15)
  • Writing Apps (3)

Archives

Most Popular Posts

  • New FTC Rules on Writing Reviews, Affiliations, and Sponsored Posts 266 comments
  • Adapting a Recipe Doesn’t Make it Yours 263 comments
  • Is Food Blogging Too Much Work? 237 comments
  • Are You Making These 3 Mistakes on Your About Page? 206 comments
  • 5 Notes to Self for Coping with Conference Anxiety 203 comments
  • Food Bloggers Fight Firestorm of Abusive Facebook Pages 200 comments
  • Should Bloggers be Praised for Recipes They Don't Write? 198 comments

Copyright © 2021 · Dianne Jacob      Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Genesis Sample Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in