New! Business Strategy Meeting
A once a month mastermind meeting for paid members who are focused on building a sustainable business as a food writer
Last week I had a conversation with Betty Williams during which I made a seemingly innocuous statement: “Most people with a substantial number of paid subscribers are solving a very specific problem. That’s not what my newsletter does, so it makes sense for me to focus on growing my free subscribers and then monetizing with paid sponsorships and things of that nature.”
Betty responded with a simple idea that changed my mind on the spot AND has completely reshaped my strategy. Betty’s idea was simple and embarrassingly obvious. And that’s the problem, isn’t it? We often can’t see the solutions that are right in front of us until someone else points them out.
That is the most powerful part of this community: Consistent opportunities to give and receive the kind of feedback, solutions, and ideas that actually move our businesses forward in real and tangible ways.
That conversation made me realize something else: One of the greatest advantages of belonging to a community like this isn’t access to information. We all have access to information. It’s access to a room full of experienced food writers who are willing to think through your business with you.
I want to create more opportunities for those conversations to happen. And, that’s what this new Business Strategy Meeting is about.
Once a month, paid members will have the opportunity to gather to tackle real business and marketing challenges together. We’ll share ideas, troubleshoot roadblocks, test strategies, and help each other make better decisions about where to invest our time and energy.
So far, a small group of you have become paid members and are helping support The Food Writers Business Lab. Thank you! If you’re one of them, you will have already received an email about the date and time that works best for you.
If you’re serious about creating a serious business as a food writer, we’d love to have you. Paid subscriptions directly fund new classes, instructors, and resources for the entire community. Here’s where to find out more about how The Food Writers Business Lab works.
Class Calendar
DIY Cookbook Proposals
Instructor: Kelsey Erin Shipman
When: Friday, August 7, 1:00pm-2:30pm EDT
Writing a cookbook proposal is different from writing a cookbook. It requires a different set of skills. But, they’re skills anyone can learn. Whether you’re a chef, recipe developer, food writer, content creator, or culinary professional, you can write a compelling cookbook proposal yourself. You just need to know what agents and editors are looking for and have a roadmap for getting there.
How To Build A Platform That Will Sell Your Book
Instructor: Stephanie Moon
When: Thursday, September 17, 1:00pm-2:30pm EDT
In this class, Stephanie Moon will show you how readers move from discovering your work to trusting you to buying your book. You’ll learn the three essential stages of author platform growth: visibility, nurture, and conversion. You’ll learn why social media alone isn’t a full audience-building strategy, what it really takes to create lasting reader relationships, and how to spot the stage that’s missing in your own platform.
SEO for Food Writers
Instructor: Rebecca Blackwell
When: October 15, 12pm-1:30pm CST
In this hands-on workshop, food writers will learn to think about SEO not as a technical burden, but as a way of building bridges from their work to their readers. Because that’s exactly what good SEO is: paths that meet readers where they are and lead them back to you.
Coming soon!
Income generated through paid subscriptions directly supports the instructors who teach the classes. So, the number of classes we can offer depends on the number of paid subscriptions. New classes are added as our paid membership grows.
Here are the classes that are ready and waiting in the wings!
Organizational Strategies for Food Writers. Mira Dessy, the organizational queen herself, will share the tools and strategies she uses to find order in creative chaos and build systems that increase productivity while giving you more time and mental space for creative work.
Food Photography. Jessie-Sierra; The Last Bite, Shelly Waldman and I are teaching this class right now and I CAN’T WAIT to teach it again. We have eight students in this round and we are having the best time. Check out Mira Dessy’s recent post about her experience in the class so far!
How To Create A New Revenue Stream Through Cooking Classes. Is there anyone who knows this subject better than Kate McDermott? I don’t think so, which is why I was absolutely thrilled when she agreed to teach it. If you’re looking for a new way to share your expertise, deepen your connection with your audience, and grow your business, teaching cooking classes can be both creatively and financially rewarding.