Dianne Jacob, Will Write For Food

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

Food Blogging

Does Truth Matter When Writers Constantly Promote?

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While at a doctor’s office last week, I read  an editor’s letter in Conde Nast Traveler, about the importance of telling readers the truth. I tore it out (sorry) and brought it to my desk to ponder.

I started out thinking her credo was noble, but then lost out to cynicism.

Editor Klara Glowczewska invoked the words of the founder in her editorial: “We are wholly independent. We pay our way. We have no hidden obligations. We have no higher obligation than the one to you: to provide truth in travel.”

This philosophy, she wrote, is even more relevant now, “with the proliferation on the Web and in other digital formats of travel advice from thousands of unexamined sources, a tide of unfiltered bits of data masquerading as reliable guidance and clamoring for our attention.” Translation: she doesn’t respect web writers.

She’s tough on freelancers. They can’t even fly at a “discounted rate.” “If we discover that a reporter has accepted favors while on assignment,” she writes, “…that person can no longer work for this magazine.” Traveler correspondents must always be anonymous, too. “If we were to accept favors, our views and recommendations would lack authority — and we pride ourselves on [Read more…] about Does Truth Matter When Writers Constantly Promote?

Beard’s Prestigious Awards Go Platform Free

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Last week the James Beard Foundation announced a change in its journalism awards: Anyone who writes a story in print or on the web will now be eligible for its journalism awards.

Before, most of it was restricted to print. Now, whether you blog, publish features on your own website, or write for a group website, you’re eligible. Even the award for the “Best Food Section of a General Interest Publication” includes the web.

Since the announcement, I’ve been mulling over the ramifications of this decision and arguing with myself:

The blogger and online writer in me thinks it’s great. Beard has entered the 21st Century and leveled the playing field. No longer do writers have to get published in a newspaper or magazine to be eligible. A quality story is a quality story, regardless of [Read more…] about Beard’s Prestigious Awards Go Platform Free

Should Freelancers Not Mention Their Blogs?

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That’s me, barely visible on the left, talking in the demonstration kitchen of Kendall College in Chicago. My book, Will Write for Food, came out in July and I’m still in promotion mode.

At a recent talk at a culinary school in Chicago, I told the audience of food writers about an outrageous request a company made of a food blogger, showing that food bloggers aren’t taken seriously when it comes to pay. A woman raised her hand and asked whether to omit that she is a food blogger when pitching a publication for a story.

“That depends,” I responded. “Are you already established in print?”

She said she was. And then I thought: This woman in the audience is brilliant. Because she will be taken more seriously and offered more money than if she says she is a blogger.

Signing books after the talk. That’s Scott Warner on my right, program chair of the Culinary Historians of Chicago, host of my talk.

How do I know this? Print publications sometimes ask bloggers to work for free. And while many print food writers have started food blogs to stay current, saying so might [Read more…] about Should Freelancers Not Mention Their Blogs?

BlogHer Food, the Love Fest

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Shauna James Ahern of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, Michael Ruhlman of Ruhlman.com and Molly Wizenberg of Orangette at the closing BlogHer Food keynote, talking about why they love to write and what it means to them. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Yu of Use Real Butter.

BlogHer Food ’10 this past weekend in San Francisco built on its second year as a love fest where 250 attendees (mostly food blogging women and gay men) thrill to be in each other’s presence. If you weren’t into hugging and making this noise called “Squeee!” you didn’t belong.

Southern California threesome: Carrie Vitt of Deliciously Organic, Brooke Burton of Food Woolf, and Gaby Dalkin of What's Gaby Cooking.

The two-day conference was less about the sessions and more about seeing friends, making new friends, partying, and swag. Attendees met heroes they had previously seen only on the page, and discovered [Read more…] about BlogHer Food, the Love Fest

Outrageous Blogger Request, and the Outcome

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Food blogger Amy Sherman of Cooking With Amy

First I just Tweeted about this offer because it was so outrageous. Then I decided no, it’s worth sharing with you.

Amy Sherman of Cooking with Amy sent me an unsolicited email she received from a company that wants her to feature its product on her blog. That’s not unusual, right? But read on, and you’ll find some crazy requests. Here’s how the email begins:

“The event is at a culinary trade show in Italy. You would be picked up at the airport  for the event, lasting two days. We would put you up in a hotel and cover all meal expenses for the 2 days of the show. “

Sounds reasonable so far.

The Request

But now it gets suspicious [Read more…] about Outrageous Blogger Request, and the Outcome

A Food Bloggers Union?

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I got an email a few days ago from the daughter of a famous cookbook author, who feels sympathy for how little food bloggers make and wants to do something about it. Here’s what she wrote:

“My mom and I have been traveling for her book tour. My mom is Pam Anderson, she is a food writer and cookbook author and has a new book out called Perfect One-Dish Dinners. I do most of her publicity and travel with her and in each city we’ve been meeting up with our blogging friends along the way.

“You might not be surprised to know that a lot of what we talked about was how bloggers aren’t getting paid anything near what they should be (if at all). The ladies were really fed up and frustrated. We all want to make a career out of this, but the money just isn’t there. We’re tired of e-mails asking for us to promote products for free or create content and photos for a measly $50.

Bloggers don’t know what to charge

“Part of the problem is that many people don’t know what they should be asking for. I think people don’t ask because they aren’t informed and there is no standard. We thought, what if we set up [Read more…] about A Food Bloggers Union?

Action Verbs and Similes Make Food Writing Sing

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Pete Wells, dining editor of the New York Times

Sometimes I read a piece of food writing that sings with energy and imagination. Such was the case in  a recent piece by Pete Wells in the New York Times Sunday magazine.

Titled “A Young Boy Fishes for Dinner,” it makes use of a dizzying number of action verbs to propel the story forward ( in bold face below), and similes  that made me smile ( in italics) with their inventiveness.

Similes compare two unlike things, often using “like” or “as.”  A while ago I held a contest on writing them. Below, notice how Wells dispensed with either “like” or “as” in the first simile.

I won’t paste the whole story in here, but I sure loved [Read more…] about Action Verbs and Similes Make Food Writing Sing