Community Resources

May 21, 2025

This is an ongoing list of resources that members of this group personally recommend.

If you have a resource you would like to share with the group, please send me a direct message and I’ll add it to this page.

If you have a resource request, please leave a comment on this post.

People

Artwork and Design: (Recommendation from Rebecca Blackwell.) Sarah Pilley is an artist and designer who has worked with me on many projects, including the design of my first cookbook, the logo for this Substack, and artwork for several of my newsletters - Here’s a recent post for which she did several sketches and water color paintings.

Back Up Your Substack: (Recommendation from Lori Olson White) A fantastic post about how to back up your Substack content: How I Back Up My Substack
Reader friendly navigation: (Recommendation from Rebecca Blackwell) This is a great example of a pinned post that helps readers navigate to different parts of a Substack: Here’s What’s New and Where To Find It

Smithsonian Open Access: (Recommendation from Mira Dessy) This is an incredible resource where you can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images, all for free!

Substack how-to: (Recommendation from Rebecca Blackwell) I just recently purchased this book on kindle and am finding it extremely useful. Lots of good ideas in here: How To Build a World Class Substack
Business Financial Management: (Recommendation from Rebecca Blackwell) I signed up for this program earlier this year (2025) and have gotten so much out of it. I had been outsourcing all of my bookkeeping and accounting, but am now doing it myself and feel much more in control of the money side of my business. Small Business Money School
The art and the business of food writing: Dianne Jacob is our guest for the October mastermind meeting, but her Substack is a wealth of information about food writing and publishing: Dianne Jacob’s Newsletter. Dianne’s book, Will Write for Food, is also one of the best resources out there for food writers.
Cookbook publishing: Sally Ekus is a senior literary agent specializing in cookbooks. Sally writes the Not So Secret Agent newsletter which is a treasure trove of insider information about the publishing world and what it takes to get a book published.
Write up! (Recommendation from Rebecca Blackwell, who is a current member of the Write Up community) This is a fantastic place for writers on the traditional publishing path to find resources and community. There are live classes and workshops, a growing resource library, peer chats, and discounts on 1:1 coaching. Join for free.

How to Write a Book Proposal: The Dream to Deal: Book Proposal Intensive starts January 28! I took this workshop this summer and it was incredible. If you’re interested in hearing more about my experience, feel free to reach out. There is a Free info session on January 20th for anyone who’s curious about whether the Dream to Deal workshop is right for them.
The Spring 2026 Food Writers Retreat! This is your chance to spend a few days with other food writers in a gorgeous home in Pennsylvania! The retreat includes Room accommodation, Meals, Beverages (including alcohol), Activities, Speakers, Insurance & Airport Shuttle. Here’s where to find out more: Spring 2026 Food Writers Retreat