Author Dianne Jacob on the fate of food writing

CONSUMED with Jaime Lewis

Becoming a food writer tends to be a try-and-see-what-sticks process. Last time I checked, you can’t major in food writing in college, so most folks who want to pursue that line of work need to either make it up as they go along or attach themselves to a knowledgeable mentor. For my part, I’ve done both, and the latter I’ve done with Dianne Jacob, an award-winning food writer, cookbook author, and writing teacher based in the Bay Area. I’ve hired Dianne to help with magazine pitches and book proposals, but I’ve also benefited greatly from her book “Will Write For Food,” a guide to the food writing industry that’s now in its fourth printing. Ask any food writer, and they’ll tell you this is the gold standard for food writing, so I was delighted when Dianne agreed to come on the podcast. You’ll love her expertise, stories, and advice in this interview that I recorded in her home in San Leandro. I encourage you to sign up for her newsletter on Substack by the way, if you love good food writing and want to find more of it. You can also see the recipes that Chat GPT made for her, and the results of her following them.

Website: diannej.com

Substack: diannejacob.substack.com

Instagram: @diannemjacob