Get 25% off with My Annual January Doldrums Sale
Plus the usual list of irresistible links in today's newsletter below.
It’s a discount that lasts as long as you are a paid subscriber. And an extra reason to become one: saving money! Through January 10, support my work with an annual subscription for $30, down from the regular price of $40.
That comes to $2.50 per month, about the price of a cup of coffee.
As a paid subscriber, here’s what you’ll get:
A second monthly newsletter, featuring interviews with book and magazine editors and the superstars of food writing, plus essays or rants from me
Access to previously published content, which includes:
An interview with a literary agent, with an email for pitches
An interview with a prestigious cookbook editor, with an email for pitches
Interviews with top national magazine editors, including their emails for pitches, and
Access to researched articles: Part I: A Big List of Cookbook Publishers and Part II: Submit Your Book Idea to a Publisher.
An opportunity to win cookbooks and how-to books.
The 25% off sale also applies to the founder’s rate of $75, reduced to $50, until January 10.
This subscription discount is a thank you for sticking with me, but also a way to entice you to see what you’re missing each month.
And to tell you how much I need your support! Of my more than 9,000 subscribers, only a small percentage are paid. I’m a one-woman band here, aided by my husband (tech support and proofreader) and a friend (copy editor). I research the net to find tons of helpful links below. I nail down the heavy hitters for interviews, gather the source materials and images for each issue, format them, and do my own promotion and marketing. It’s fun, but I’d love to be paid to deliver this newsletter to you.
If you miss the January 10 deadline for this sale, there might not be another one until next January. If you want in, just click on the button below. Or gift a subscription to someone who asks you for advice about food writing.
If you’ve read this far, thank you for being here. Whether paid or free, you’re the reason I do this work.
— Dianne
Books I’m Discussing
I’ve been writing mini reviews of cookbooks and food memoirs on Instagram. Why not follow along? And if your book comes out soon, send me an email.
Classes Coming Up
Jumpstart Your Cookbook Proposal
Three Sundays on Zoom: February, 11, 18 and 25, 10:00 a.m. - 1 p.m. PST/ 1 - 4 p.m. EST
Three-hour classes weekly through Civic Kitchen
12 students maximum
$425
Want to write a cookbook or food memoir? To get it traditionally published, you’ll need a stellar cookbook proposal. Cookbook proposals are long, sometimes 50 pages. They are a cross between a business plan, a sales pitch and an explanation of your book.
Perhaps you’re not sure what to write, or you would like accountability and support. Either way, this is the class for you. And I’ve kept the class small to leave lots of time to discuss whatever comes up for you.
You’ll get lots of strategic insider advice gained from my decades of teaching, writing and coaching about cookbooks; judging them for national awards; and co-writing two with a chef. I will lay out how the publishing industry works and what editors and agents look for in a professional proposal.
You’ll learn what’s included in each section of successful proposal. During class, you will write first drafts of several proposal sections and get valuable feedback. At the end of three weeks, you'll have a solid start, and new ideas of how to make your proposal irresistible to an agent or editor.
You don’t have to have your idea sorted out, but it helps. And if you miss a class, there’s a tape to watch afterwards.
Bonus: It's unusual to see someone’s successful proposal. I'll share one of mine, which led to a beautiful cookbook by Rizzoli.
Here’s what one student had to say:
“Dianne teaches an incredibly practical, thoughtful, and interactive course. You will leave the class with a big head start on your proposal, plus the framework to get it done. During the course, you'll connect with your classmates, who provide thoughtful feedback and encouragement on your cookbook-writing journey. I highly recommend this course for anyone who's ever thought about writing a cookbook. You won't regret it." - Martin Sorge, @martinsorge on Instagram, winner of The Great American Baking Show
Private Consults
Through a partner, Delicious Experiences
One-hour consult: $250
For years, I had a five-hour minimum for consulting. Now you can book a Zoom consult for just one hour or more. If you want to write a cookbook, get published, or get better freelance assignments, let’s move you forward.
What I'm Reading
Cookbook roundups:
—The Best Cookbooks of 2023 (Unlocked from The New York Times)
— The Best Cookbooks of 2023 (Los Angeles Times, unlocked)
— The 26 Best Cookbooks of 2023 (Food Network)
— Taste Atlas Awards 23/24 Most Legendary Cookbooks. New and old.
— The Best Cookbooks to Buy Now. (Harper’s Bazaar).
Print is back. Saveur drops a print magazine in March, the first new issue under new indie management. I preordered my copy here.
Jacques Pepin says following a recipe can lead to disaster. Well okay, but not following one can lead to the same result!
What Deb Perelman is into. Caroline Chambers talks with food blogger Deb in a podcast, including how Smitten Kitchen’s content has evolved since 2008.
True Confessions of a Cookbook Junkie. If you write cookbooks, she’s your dream customer.
Ina Garten on success, home cooking, and internet fame. Her office and work kitchen are separate from her nearby house. (YouTube).
A first-time author lost a book deal after she was accused of trying to sabotage reviews of other authors. It could happen in our field.
Interesting to see Kenji Lopez-Alt talk about how recipe testing worked at Cook’s Illustrated.
Scary Things for Writers to Do to Challenge Themselves. Set yourself a goal to do one of these in 2024.
"How To Succeed on Substack." Summer Brennan examines this objective for writers.
What’s Ahead in 2024? The Cookie Cutters Tell All. How cookie cutters are made and what trends they acknowledge. (The New York Times unlocked article.)
Thanks for Reading
Like this newsletter? Please forward it to a few people or share it on social media. It really helps me reach more people. New subscribers can sign up here. Thank you.
If you enjoyed this post, please click on the little ❤️ below ⬇️.
Dianne Jacob
Editor, Writer and Coach
Email: dj@diannej.com
Website: http://diannej.com
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/diannej
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foodwriting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannemjacob/
My Books
Disclosures: I am an affiliate of Food Blogger Pro, Amazon and Bookshop.org.
Hi Dianne, I’m not sure if I’m doing this correctly or if anyone else is experiencing this issue. Every time I click the link for the 25% off, it loops back to the front of your newsletter. If I try to upgrade without the link, it’s full price.
I see you and all the work you put in here and into our community, and it's a joy to pay you for that work year after year.