food writing

Beautiful Cookbooks with Stories and Personality Sell Best, Says Editor

September 15, 2015 by diannejacob 29 Comments

Ten Speed editorial director Julie Bennett says readers want to learn more about the personality of cookbook authors through their lives, world, culture and food.

I’ve been bugging Julie Bennett, vice president and editorial director at Ten Speed Press, for an interview, ever since we met at a conference a year ago.

It’s because Ten Speed publishes so many terrific cookbooks. As the director of the editorial department, Julie manages nine editors who will put out approximately 70 books this year. She has worked at Ten Speed since 1999.

Julie edited New York Times best selling cookbooks Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson and My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz, and A New Napa Cuisine by Christopher Kostow (IACP Cookbook of the Year), just to name a few.

We talked about cookbook publishing trends, whether all cookbooks need color photos, and what she looks for:

Q. What are the latest trends in cookbook publishing?

A. Today cookbooks have more of a personal narrative element. The trend of blogger-to-book ties into it, and there are cookbook writers who have a lot to say.

There are so many recipes online, but books present readers with [Read more…] about Beautiful Cookbooks with Stories and Personality Sell Best, Says Editor

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?

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

A New, Updated Edition of Will Write for Food

June 16, 2015 by diannejacob

At last! I started working on this edition last year and I couldn’t tell you about it until now. The third edition of Will Write for Food, completely updated and with a new chapter on making money, goes on sale July 14, 2015.

Much has changed since my second edition came out in 2010, most notably the rise of food blogging as a career. The biggest star is Ree Drummond, who got a cooking show on the Food Network, and sold almost as many books as Ina Garten in 2014.

(Ree wrote about my book: “I wish I’d read Dianne’s book before I started a tiny little food blog on a whim years ago. For current and aspiring food writers, it’s positively dripping with helpful advice and information!”)

Since my last edition, many food bloggers have made the top ten cookbook lists in sales, and more than a hundred U.S. food bloggers have book deals. A few food writers make a six-figure income from their businesses, and I describe how in this new edition.

While most food writers write as a hobby, a growing number would like to make an income and even a career from it. The new chapter in Will Write for Food addresses myriad ways to make money, including

Work that comes from a blog
How to negotiate pay
How to work with brands
How to create a media kit and rate sheet
Branding yourself and your blog
How some food writers earn a six-figure income (hint: online businesses).

I’ve also updated every chapter with new information and new voices, whether they’re covering cookbook writing, getting published, blogging, or making money. For the first time, I’ve invited a few respected authors and bloggers to contribute their stories of success. Some wrote insider how-to pieces on such subjects as negotiating pay and how to work with companies.

So long, Will Write for Food, second edition, 2010.

And don’t you love my new cover? It’s fun to look at how the covers of my prior books have evolved.

The first edition from 2005. I do feel kind of sentimental about it.

If you bought a previous edition, thank you. This new edition will refresh your skills and knowledge, and inspire you to up your game. My goal is to empower and inspire you.

If you are a new reader, welcome. You’ll find a smorgasbord of info about writing a blog, upping your social media and photography skills, writing a cookbook, or getting published in print or online. Get your markers and underliners ready!

Finally, take a look at this sneak peek introduction for Will Write for Food, prepared for you by my publisher. And please pre-order Will Write for Food at your favorite independent bookstore, or on Amazon or another online retailer.

Submit Your Writing Now to Lucky Peach

May 26, 2015 by diannejacob 22 Comments

Looking for a paid outlet for your food writing?

Recently Lucky Peach launched a new website featuring “daily essays, recipes, restaurant recommendations, comics, and other miscellany,” says editor Chris Ying.

That means they need lots of content, which is the best news ever for freelance food writers. Here are some guidelines for submission:

1. Write for a monthly theme, tied to the [Read more…] about Submit Your Writing Now to Lucky Peach

Woo Hoo! I’m Teaching in Dubai

May 12, 2015 by diannejacob 24 Comments

The recently-opened Dubai International Writers’ Center, which hosts talks, coaching and workshops.

I’m thrilled to return to Dubai, that hot, impossibly complicated and dizzying place of high rises, including the world’s tallest building. It was more than 100 degrees on my first trip in September 2013, and it will be about 100 degrees later this month. Sense a pattern? I’m packing light.

Last time I was a guest instructor for Bethany Kehdy, who runs [Read more…] about Woo Hoo! I’m Teaching in Dubai