We Don't Like to Talk about Money
Can we get better at it, to benefit others in our field, and ourselves?
Recently, Christina Chaey of Gentle Foods mentioned my viral newsletter interview with Caroline Chambers in her newsletter. When I thanked Christina for linking to Caroline Chambers Makes $15k+ Per Recipe, she wrote, “We need more people who are willing to be that transparent about money - it's a benefit to us all!”
Indeed. But who are those people? Could they be us? How do we talk about it? Here’s how I do it:
I’ve written about advances, income and salaries in my blog and in my book, Will Write for Food.
I wrote Money in Food Writing? Still No. in 2017, which elicited this response: Damn Right: I Do Make a Living Writing About Food.
I also wrote 3 Reasons Food Writing Doesn’t Pay that year.
And I talk about money in my classes and in private coaching.
Most food writers, just like other types of writers, don’t make a decent income. It’s because most of us are not skilled business people or entrepreneurs — we are food lovers. Many of us don’t want to be business people or entrepreneurs either. Many don’t try to do the job full-time.
There is a way to make good money. All you have to do is:
Start a food blog or recipe website
Build a huge readership, and
Qualify for advertising on your site.
Sounds easy, right? It’s not. The food bloggers who make a six-figure-plus income from ads excel at business, creating engagement with readers, and understanding tech. They are ambitious workers who network well so they can keep learning and growing. (See Highest paid food bloggers (2025), How Jannese Torres Created a Six Figure Food Blog..., and How I Make Money as a Food Blogger (FIVE FIGURES A MONTH! )
Substack has been profitable for Caroline Chambers. She connects with her readers and has a following of almost a half a million free subscribers! I don’t know the exact number of paid, but it’s enough to make her over $1 million in annual revenue.
If these writers can talk about money and income, we can get better at it too. It requires a shift that can be uncomfortable sometimes. Here are a few articles to ponder:
Freelancers: Here’s how to talk money to clients and prospects. Includes how to negotiate and generate extra income.
We Hate Talking About Money. Good suggestions on how to overcome that feeling.
I’ve interviewed over 100 millionaires—these 4 habits made them highly successful. My favorite quote: “Fear, shame and anger are the three things that keep you from having more.”
Were you taught that it’s impolite to talk about money? Do you talk with others in our field about money? Let’s discuss in the comments.
Next Office Hours for Paid Subscribers
At April’s Office Hours, there were almost 80 texts in the chat. We covered how to test recipes, how much to write in a mini-proposal, and where to freelance recipe-free stories.
Join me Monday, May 5 at 1 p.m. PT/ 4 p.m. ET on Substack. You will get an email notification that the chat has begun. Click the button in the email to join.
Listen to Me Read The Meaning of Mangoes
A professor in Germany asked if I would record myself reading The Meaning of Mangoes, my award-winning essay. He wanted this to share it with his students. Here it is:
What I’m Reading
On the first of every month, I bring you irresistible links like these:
Food writers accuse popular influencer of plagiarizing their recipes. Good for them!
Introducing ‘Food Grammar,’ the Unspoken Rules of Every Cuisine. “…cuisine obeys grammatical rules that vary from country to country, and academics have documented and studied them,” says the author.
Bon App blonde-off. Casual cruelty, snark and some LOLs in this comparison review of two cookbooks.
At 88, a Nutritionist Meets Her Moment. I’m a huge fan of the great Dr. Marion Nestle, and delighted by this profile. (Unlocked New York Times gift article.)
On Italian food and identity. Who gets to tell the story? A thoughtful piece about whose voice counts. It got a remarkable response.
These publications won a National Magazine Award for work published in 2024: Food & Wine, for How a Single Grain Shaped the History of This City — and Holds the Key to Its Future; Hanna Raskin’s The Food Section, for three newsletters: “Decision of a Lifetime,” “Squab Slip Through the Cracks,” and “Intermediary Fajitas.”
The 2010s Video Frenzy that Changed Food Forever. Called “hands and pans videos,” they left an indelible mark that continues today.
Cookbook People Are the Best People (Even Online). A cookbook club builds community on Instagram. Maybe they could pick your book to read?
Are You a Hostile Punctuator??? How symbols have to stand in for tone and facial expression, and how it can go wrong.
How to Start a Podcast of Your Own. Maggie Hoffman, who pens The Dinner Plan on Substack, tells you how she does it.
Culinary Chops: PW Talks with Raquel Pelzel. A short interview with the editor at Little, Brown publishing about what she wants in cookbooks.
Preshift newsletter covers restaurant culture, but this issue includes an interview with Jenn Sit, executive editor at Clarkson Potter, who specializes in cookbooks and food-related nonfiction. See the links to older articles about writing cookbooks and book deals too.
Great videos on Instagram: 1. Oopsie. An unfortunate error spotted in the Every Day with Babs cookbook 2. A hilarious look at how to write a recipe for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 3. A Q&A with restaurant critic Jay Rayner.
Workshops, Consults and Appearances
A few spots left at this Late-Summer Food Writing Workshop in Sicily
September 19-23, 2025
$2990 double occupancy, $3510 single occupancy
We still have a few spots! And there’s still lots of time to book your plane ticket and maybe vacation before or afterwards.
Join a small group of students (currently eight) in Sicily for great food, wine, and food writing. Read more here. We’ll stay at a gorgeous seaside hotel and visit a winery, a farmer’s market, and a farm, and we’ll take a cooking class. Let’s discuss voice, improving the quality of your writing, storytelling and more.
Private Consults Anytime
Through a partner, Delicious Experiences
One-hour consult: $250
Book a Zoom consult for just one hour (or more). If you want to write a cookbook, get published or find better freelance assignments, I can help move you forward.
Coming Up
I’ll be at the Oxford Food Symposium in July. Let me know if you’ll be there too, or come say hi!
What’s Happening on Instagram
This is my most-viewed post since Instagram started sharing numbers. What does that mean? I don’t know! Once you’re on the platform, click on the image to read the caption. Follow me at instagram.com/diannemjacob. Thank you!
News from Clients and Students
Amy Loeffler sold her book about salt to Timer Press. The book will be published in March 2027. (I coached her on her book proposal.)
Lise Ode of MomLovesBaking is planning a Colorado Food Blogger Retreat September 11-14, 2025. I will be a guest speaker.
I like to brag about food writing accomplishments from clients and students. Send me yours at dj@diannej.com.
My Book
Here’s the latest edition of my multiple award-winning book, Will Write for Food: 2021: Pursue Your Passion and Bring Home the Dough Writing Recipes, Cookbooks, Blogs, and More.
I’m also the co-author of:
Disclosures: I am an affiliate of Food Blogger Pro, Amazon and Bookshop.org.
Thanks for Reading
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Dianne Jacob
Editor, Writer and Coach
Email: dj@diannej.com
Website: http://diannej.com
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I've always felt creepy about asking people for money. I've recently been leaning into Arlan Hamilton's YouTube - she went from being homeless to starting an investment fund and has invested in over 100 startups by BIPOC, LGBTQ, and women founders, and has partnered with Mark Cuban. Now she teaches people how to make money. She's so down to earth, it doesn't feel creepy to me anymore. And she starts with baby steps, like here's how to make $1,000 or $5,000.
I completely agree that transparency around money is needed and also one of the only ways to continue to build revenue. I’d also be remiss not to plug how agents and managers and other colleagues that writers have in their corners can really help with long term career growth and success. I never guarantee that I can increase an author’s advance or speaking fee, but I also usually do improve offers over and over again.