Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir, and More (Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Blogs,)

384 Pages·2010·1.68 MB·English

by  Dianne Jacob

Table of Contents

Praise
Title Page
Dedication
Foreword
Introduction

Chapter 1 - What, Exactly, is Food Writing?
Good Writing Is the Essence
What All Food Writing Has in Common
Writing about the Senses
Getting Passion Across
The Role of Voice
Writing Exercises

Chapter 2 - Characteristics of a Food Writer
Writing Exercises

Chapter 3 - Getting Started
What Types of Jobs Can a Food Writer Have?
What You Need to Break In
How to Get an Education
Writing Exercises

Chapter 4 - Get Published with a Food Blog
Why Blog?
Choosing a Software Service
Come Up with a Title
Create an About Page or Section
What to Write About
How to Make People Care
How Personal Should You Be?
Develop Your Voice
Writing Your Post
A Word About Recipes
Write Book Reviews
Good Photos are a Must
Accepting and Reviewing Products
How to Get Noticed
Increase Your Views
Can You Make Any Money at This Thing?
Going from Blog to Book
Keep Posting
Writing Exercises

Chapter 5 - Becoming a Successful Freelance Writer
How to Come Up with Story Ideas
What Kind of Story Should You Write?
How to Target and Position Your Story
Finding the Right Markets
Write Your Query Letter
Get a Response
What About Pay?
Write Your Story
Edit Your Own Work
Working with Your Editor
As a Freelancer, What Can You Write Off Your Taxes?
Three Ways to Make Decent Money
Writing Exercises

Chapter 6 - Secrets of Restaurant Reviewing
How Is It Done?
What if You’re Writing a Blog or Have Your Own Site?
Restaurant Checklist
The Goal of a Review
Writing a Good Review
What About Negative Reviews?
What Makes a Great Reviewer?
How Do You Find That Great Undiscovered Restaurant?
What About Educating the Palate?
What if You Haven’t Worked in a Restaurant or Been to Culinary School?
Must Reviewers be Anonymous to be Effective?
What About Top Ten Stories and the Like? Are They Reviews?
How Can You Get Started?
What About Money?
Writing Exercises

Chapter 7 - The Cookbook You’ve Always Wanted to Write
What’s a Good Cookbook Idea?
What Kind of Cookbook?
How Artwork Fits into Your Idea
Writing Exercises

Chapter 8 - The Art of Recipe Writing
Developing a Recipe
Philosophy of Recipe Writing for a Cookbook
Recipe Titles
The Headnote or Introduction
Attribution and Copyright
Ingredients List
Method or Directions
Sidebars or Notes
Testing, the Final Frontier
Writing Exercises

Chapter 9 - Memoir and Nonfiction Food Writing
Food-based Memoir
Food History
Cultural Anthropology and Philosophy
Reference
Guidebooks, Both Local and Abroad
Biographies
Food and Health
Kitchen Science
Adventures, Journalism, and Essays
Writing Exercises
Chapter 10 - Writing About Food in Fiction
Culinary Crime Capers
Main Characters in the Food Business
What About Recipes?
Food in Classic Literature
Children’s Books
Writing Exercises

Chapter 11 - How to Get Your Book Published
The Landscape
Writing the Book Proposal
Do You Need an Agent?
Finding and Getting an Agent
What If You Still Don’t Want or Need an Agent?
Reasons for Rejection
The Contract
The Publishing Experience
You Could Also Self-Publish
Reasons to Hesitate
In the End

Acknowledgements
Appendix
Bibliography
Selected Web Sites
Index
Copyright Page
Praise for WILL Write FOR Food
“Will Write for Food is a concise, illustrative and eminently useful guide to the
nuts and bolts of professional food writing. Dianne Jacob gets right to the heart of
what it takes not just to write—but to write well—about food. And she’s managed
to wrangle a remarkable group of veterans to share their experiences and
examples.”
—Anthony Bourdain, author of the New York Times bestseller Kitchen Confidential

“Considering today’s food-writing labyrinth, Will Write for Food leads writers to
success, step by step. It’s a must on my can’t-do-without bookshelf and a resource
I always recommend to food writers.”
—Antonia Allegra, Director of the Symposium for Professional Food Writers at The Greenbrier, and
Food Writing Coach

“Dianne has saved me so much trouble about what to tell would-be food writers
who might someday have my job: Buy Dianne’s book!”
—Nancy Leson, Seattle Times food and restaurant writer

“Required reading for everyone interested in learning how to translate their passion
for food into words. Dianne Jacob offers up a smorgasbord of practical advice for
anyone who has ever aspired to write about food, and she shows how to make
writing a tasty and lucrative pastime.”
—Darra Goldstein, Editor-in-Chief, Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture

“You’ll find everything you need to know about becoming a food writer in this
indispensable information-packed book. And if you’re already a food writer, this
book will help you become a better one. Dianne Jacob takes you by the hand
through every step of the process from hatching an idea to getting published.
Useful writing exercises concluding each chapter help sharpen your skills. Dozens
of quotes from successful food writers tell how they got started and what their
working lives are really like. If food writing is your passion, then grab a copy of
Will Write for Food and get busy!”
—Greg Patent, author of Baking in America

“Will Write for Food is a great gift, not just for those who are new to food writing,
but for those already ensconced in the business. Dianne’s clarity, kind suggestions,
and nudges and admonitions to work well are truly inspiring.”
—Deborah Madison, author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

“Dianne Jacob has done a masterful job in this book of amassing everything a
fledgling food writer needs to know. Whether one yearns to review restaurants for
a local newspaper or turn a passion for food into magazine articles, or even a
cookbook, Will Write for Food offers invaluable practical advice along every step
of the way.”
—Fran Gage, author of Bread and Chocolate

“This book does a great job of covering the nuts and bolts of food writing, for sure,
but Jacob delivers much more than the usual advice: She shoots straight about the
realities of the business, provides loads of insider insights and practical exercises,
and radiates enough genuine enthusiasm to get both beginning writers and
seasoned pros up and at ’em.”
—Martha Holmberg, former publisher, Fine Cooking magazine

“Dianne Jacob has presented budding food writers with a clear blueprint on how to
get started in the business.”
—Michael Bauer, Executive Food and Wine Editor, San Francisco Chronicle

“My only complaint about Will Write for Food—and it’s a big one—is that it
wasn’t around when I started my career. If you’re serious about becoming a food
writer, save yourself years of banging your head against the wall in frustration and
run to the checkout with this book now.”
—David Leite, food writer, and publisher and editor of Leite’s Culinaria

“In Will Write for Food, Dianne Jacob combines all the right ingredients for a
delectable read.”
—Joanne Fluke, author of the Hannah Swensen Mysteries series