Food blogging

Do You Know Your Career Path as a Writer? I Didn’t

October 20, 2015 by diannejacob 10 Comments

Here’s a nice looking path. Are you on it?

My current career path took off with a phone call.

It was 2004, after I taught a food writing workshop at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA. A student called to say she met my workshop supervisor at a party and had a conversation that went like this:

“I really enjoyed Dianne’s class on food writing,”she told my supervisor.

“Dianne does a great job,” answered the supervisor. “I wish she had a book, though, to improve her credibility.”

I can’t remember the name of this student, but I thank her often. That phone call changed [Read more…] about Do You Know Your Career Path as a Writer? I Didn’t

What’s Your Biggest Question About Finding Your Voice?

September 8, 2015 by diannejacob

When you write, is your voice identifiable? Do your readers recognize it is you?

I can’t tell you how many times food bloggers and interviewers ask me “What can I do to make my blog stand out?”

My answer is always the same. The best food bloggers have a strong voice. But what, exactly, does that mean?

You might wonder, for example:

How can I write about typical dishes and foods in a way that’s new?
How can I distinguish myself from other food bloggers who write about my subject (such as paleo, gluten-free or baking)?
How much personal information should I include in a post?
What is the right amount of personal narrative before readers get to a recipe?
Why should anyone care about my life?
How do I get humor across?

“Blogger Blackmail” Surfaces as a Trend

August 25, 2015 by diannejacob 91 Comments

What is “blogger blackmail?” One blogger demanded about $150 worth of macarons, marshmallows, and other goodies in exchange for a blog post.

How ironic. Last week I wrote a post defending hobby bloggers. This week the subject is “blogger blackmail!”

By now you may have heard about the Twitter thread called #bloggerblackmail. It chronicles, among other things, when food bloggers demand payment in kind for blog posts, including free meals at nice restaurants.

One story that came to a head began when a hobby blogger who writes London restaurant write-ups emailed a bakery and suggested she be “invited to review” their products in exchange for a blog post.

Here’s how things went downhill for the food blogger:

When she got to the bakery, workers offered her tea and [Read more…] about “Blogger Blackmail” Surfaces as a Trend

Of Dresses and Events Coming Up

July 21, 2015 by diannejacob 14 Comments

The 2010 signing of Will Write for Food, 2nd edition, at Omnivore Books in San Francisco. I still have that dress! Now I have to remember not to wear it. (Photo by Heather Luhan)

The third edition of Will Write for Food came out last week, and I’ve been busy with promotion. I love in-person events best because I get to see people in real life versus virtual, and wear dresses. Sometimes friends show up for support, which makes these events even more fun, kind of like parties.

So far my summer book promotion — that all-important six-week window — is going [Read more…] about Of Dresses and Events Coming Up

How a Weekly Get-Together Grew Into a Powerful Support Group

July 14, 2015 by diannejacob 21 Comments

The Kitchn’s Emma Christensen finds it worthwhile to get out of her house for this group. (Photo by Danielle Tsi)

A guest post by Emma Christensen

I love working from home. My own schedule. My own space. Peace. Quiet. No one randomly stopping by my cubicle and interrupting my flow.

But even for a consummate introvert, the work-from-home gig can get lonely. This is why, shortly after moving to Northern California in 2011 and taking the plunge into full-time food writing, I found a few like-minded work-from-homers and forced myself to leave the house once a week.

How It Happened

It was like this: I met Cheryl Sternman Rule of 5 Second Rule in 2011, who introduced me to another South Bay resident, Danielle Tsi of Beyond The Plate. Then I met Sheri Codiana of Pork Cracklings at a press event and it turned out she lived a few blocks away. This felt like a [Read more…] about How a Weekly Get-Together Grew Into a Powerful Support Group

Blogger Finds Famous Cookbook Recipe Doesn’t Work, but He’s Happy

July 7, 2015 by diannejacob 37 Comments

When a high-end cookbook recipe doesn’t work, how can this story have a happy ending? Somehow, it does.

First, a little backstory. Remember when Julie Powell started her career-changing food blog, The Julie/Julia Project, in 2002? It was about a government drone who makes every recipe from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking over a one-year period. Her blog led to the first blog-to-book deal and a subsequent movie.

After that, a whole bunch of people started blogs about [Read more…] about Blogger Finds Famous Cookbook Recipe Doesn’t Work, but He’s Happy

Food blogging

My answer is always the same. The best food bloggers have a strong voice. But what, exactly, does that mean?

I’m giving away a free copy of Eating Rome, Minchilli’s mouthwatering exploration of this ancient city. To enter this book giveaway, leave a comment below.

Here’s how things went downhill for the food blogger: