Dianne Jacob, Will Write For Food

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

Personal Stuff

Some News About My Blog

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image for post: some news about my blog.Dear Reader,

First, thank you for being a reader of my twice-monthly blog. I appreciate you being part of my ongoing conversation about food writing and blogging.

For the past few years, I have featured guest bloggers on the blog, rather than my own essays. You heard from dozens of experts on topics ranging from cookbook promotion to keyword writing for blog posts to increasing your productivity as a writer.

Over on Substack, I write a free monthly newsletter. I originally launched in 2005 as a way to keep in touch with students and clients. It’s grown quite a bit since then, and writing it has been fun and rewarding. I want to dedicate myself to it now, to create the best possible content. As a result, I’ve decided to pause the blog to focus on the newsletter.

But I want to keep up the conversation with you! If you are not already a subscriber of the newsletter, soon you will receive it. I figure that, since you originally signed up for this blog to hear from me, you will enjoy hearing from me again.

If you already receive my newsletter, thank you. In that case there will be two fewer emails from me in your inbox.

I also have a paid version of the newsletter that comes out midway through the month, with different additional content. So far I’ve included interviews with the superstars in our industry about how to write for them or what they’ve learned as high achievers. I have plans for  content that will be useful to you as a food writer. Please consider signining up. It’s only $2.50 per month, about the cost of a cup of coffee. 

Again, thank you for being a blog reader. Maybe there are a few of you from 2009, when I started my blog. (Now I’m feeling nostalgic!) I hope you enjoy my newsletter and I look forward to hearing from you. Substack!

— Dianne

The Pleasures of 2021

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Today is the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. From now on it’s all uphill, with more light each day. (Photo courtesy of  Simon Berger at Unsplash.)

It’s been a  momentous year, in spite of Covid. What I learned is that life goes on despite the obstacles. And that a benefit of growing older is finding that life is good, full of gifts and opportunities. So yes, there were many pleasures of 2021.

I hope that you too have blossomed during this time. We writers do need our time alone for writing, processing and planning. A pandemic can help get work done, right?  

Here are the biggest joys of the year for me:

1. The fourth edition of Will Write for Food debuted.

image for food writing What a thrill to have a new edition, updated with what’s most important to food writers and bloggers now. I wrote a new chapter on voice and how to strengthen it. There was lots more to say about publishing, especially self-publishing and how it has changed. I had to discuss social media too, which is a challenge for many of us.

There was more to say about recipe development and testing and my pet peeves (don’t get me started on “salt to taste.”) And more people than ever want to make a good income as a food blogger, influencer or [Read more…] about The Pleasures of 2021

No More Cooking for Now

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Photo by husband Owen Rubin, whose main job now is to wait on me.

Hello Dear Blog Readers,

Thanks for sticking with me through some challenging times. I missed getting a blog post out recently due to moving to a new house for the first time in 26 years. We had two weeks. And then I broke my ankle by slipping on some gravel. Last week, during surgery, the doctor inserted a plate and six screws. Next week she takes the sutures out.

Now I have been immobile for weeks and will be this way for almost two months longer. That’s what I want to write to you about today: my inability to cook.

I figure that you, like me, love to get in the kitchen. How odd then, to not do so because it’s too hard logistically. I can hop in with my walker, but then it’s difficult to pick up things because [Read more…] about No More Cooking for Now

On Sale Now: My New Newsletter

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Dear Blog Reader,

I’ve been meaning to tell you the news: I have two new newsletters about food writing. One is paid. I want to tell you about both while the paid one is on sale.

Here’s why I moved to newsletters: I have so much to tell you about what’s going on in our industry, best practices, links to excellent articles I’ve read, and tips on how to up your game. Substack is a new medium that makes it easy to do so.

It’s easy to get my free monthly newsletter on Substack.com. Just sign up here: 


What’s in it? The free newsletter features my list of industry links. It’s the most popular item. I round up fascinating stories and posts about our industry: trends, techniques, best practices, and news. I start with a short essay. Then comes my upcoming events, and news from former clients and students.

There’s insider info too. The most read link in my last newsletter, for example, was this one: How much money Instagram influencers make. With a click bait title like that, you’re going to want to know the answer.

My second newsletter, coming later this month, contains bonus content only available to paid subscribers. My focus will be on:

  • Interviews with hard-to-reach people in our industry who are at the top of their game
  • Interactive posts, where you can chime in within a prestigious reader community
  • Some reported and opinion posts
  • And maybe a few personal essays.

As you know, I’ve been in the publishing industry for decades and I have so much to share with you. So if you want to receive both editions of my newsletter — and I hope you do — please sign up for a paid subscription. It’s a way to support my writing, which up until now has been free. All subscribers will always get the free newsletter.

And right now, for a limited time, there’s a 20% discount for subscribers who sign up before November 10. That’s Tuesday! The price is $24 per year if you sign up now. After the 10th, the price goes back to the regular subscription price of $30.

So won’t you join me over on Substack.com? No need to unsubscribe from the blog! I’ll still have two posts per month about subjects relevant to food writers and bloggers. Now I have even more to share with you in my newsletters. I’m guessing that you would actually like to hear from me, since you subscribe to my blog. Which is great, because I’d love to connect with you more on my newsletters. 

Hope to see you over on Substack.

Thanks for your support,
Dianne

Win a New Edition of Will Write for Food!

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cover of Will Write for FoodI’m excited to announce that the fourth edition of Will Write for Food: Pursue Your Passion and Bring Home the Dough Writing Recipes, Cookbooks, Blogs, and More is available for pre-order. It will publish on May 25, 2021.

And you should definitely win a copy from me. Just leave a comment below.

Can you believe that I’ve written four editions of this book? Sometimes I want to pinch myself. Especially since they have [Read more…] about Win a New Edition of Will Write for Food!

My 10 Best Blog Posts of the Decade

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image for post on best blog postsThis year I celebrated ten years of blogging, and I wrote about what has changed. Now that it’s the end of the decade, you might also like to read my best blog posts of the last 10 years. 

For me, what defines “best” is all about the engagement. I like posts that [Read more…] about My 10 Best Blog Posts of the Decade

My Blog About Food Writing Turns 10 (and How Blogging has Changed)

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image for post about blog turning 10At the first-ever BlogHer conference in 2009, I announced that I had just started my blog about food writing. At the time I was on a panel, sandwiched between Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman; and Susan Russo of Food Blogga.

You might know what happened to these two since then: Drummond went on to the Food Network and became an [Read more…] about My Blog About Food Writing Turns 10 (and How Blogging has Changed)

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