21 Comments
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Carla Contreras's avatar

Thank you for gathering all this info Rebecca, hope you enjoyed your time with your daughters 🙏🏼 I am excited for next month's meeting with Dianne. It's dinner time here for my kids but I will be listening in ❤️

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Thank you Carla! The time with our daughters was short but sweet. ❤️ Thank you for sharing so much valuable information!

Carla Contreras's avatar

Amazing! Always happy to share 🙏🏼

Lori Olson White's avatar

Thanks so much for this recap- I always look forward to these lovely empowering events and hate when I miss them. See you all October 15!

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

I always love having you! See you in October!

Giovanna Solimando's avatar

Hi All,

I just listened to the meeting and have a couple of thoughts.

In terms of the location element Jamie brought up. I wonder if we could put together a map, and maybe Lynn could help, since her Foodstak gathers a lot of food publications. I created a “sourdough bakery finder” many years ago, with Zeemaps, but I just checked and after 100 views you have to pay to keep the map open. I believe one of the genealogy groups on Substack has a map for their contributors, but I can’t find it right now — Lori might be able to help.

As for the community and mental health focus for October that Victoria brought up.. when I lived in England I was involved in community baking projects, and I offered classes + applying mindfulness to baking et cetera.. anyway.. I don’t know if this organization is still active, but there are some interesting “community baking” ideas on their website https://www.bakerswithoutborders.net/

Also, take a look here.. their founding members focus on “therapeutic baking / cooking” https://www.instagram.com/therapeutickitchencollective?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Again, it might give us some ideas for October.

I’d be happy to share a “basic” bread recipe, and everybody could make a loaf and share something about it .. smells, feelings, or any memory that might have arised while baking. We could all write a post about that same recipe / bake. Or everybody could cook the same thing, with their own recipe.. not sure what’s something that everyone would be able and happy to make: a plate of pasta? And again we all share our thoughts and feelings. Just an idea.

PS I’m going to create two separate threads about this in the chat, so we can talk about it more.

jess's avatar

I like these ideas very much.

Betty Williams's avatar

I don’t have to get up at 6am for this? Yay!!! 😂 And Rebecca, Dianne is also why I started a Substack newsletter! I heard that same podcast with David Lebovitz!!! 🎉

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Haha! Of course we have that in common!

jess's avatar

thank you for sharing these awesome notes!!

Linda Naylor's avatar

I wonder if Dianne could speak to the major distinguishing factors between submitting to a publisher, and the process of self-publishing or printing on demand?

I recognize a platform is a major qualifier for a book deal. Perhaps a few guideposts to help a food writer determine the best fit, and names of respected self-publishing or on-demand companies who work with food writers.

My interest is in self-publishing. I have read Dianne's book.

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Love it. Perfect!

Christine, My Tuscany Roots's avatar

Hi everyone! I signed up to join the live and I’ll be in Italy! To leave a question for the guest, can I do it here or is there another way?

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Yes! Absolutely! Leave the question here or send it to me directly - whichever you prefer.

Christine, My Tuscany Roots's avatar

Thank you so much Rebecca! I hope you are well!

Christine, My Tuscany Roots's avatar

My question for Dianne is: after a career built on great successes and a strong commitment to creating something unique with your own perspective in the world of food writing, what is your advice in today’s world—where we have such a vast choice of bloggers, books, and so much more about food—on how someone can stand out and bring forward their own point of view and story on the international stage?

Lisa McLean's avatar

Hi Rebecca, I just wanted to ask if you have discussed with the group the potential shift in meeting time. As I mentioned in my earlier message, if the meeting started at 5am instead of 6am, (I think it was in Seattle) that would pull the Australian time to 12 MN instead of 1 am.

Have you discussed this with the group as you said you would, I can’t see reference to this in the notes of the meeting.

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Hi there! Yes, we did discuss it! It's referenced in the beginning of the notes and you'll hear the discussion in the first part of the recording. I think what we're going to try, starting in November, is to run two meetings. One meeting will be at the current time and the other will be at a time that's much easier for people on the other side of the world. There were two people who volunteered to host the second meeting. I'll be talking to them and working with them on how to organize that, but look for that second meeting time in November!

Lisa McLean's avatar

Excellent, thanks Rebecca, I’ll look for the details.

jess's avatar

staying tuned, myself : )

Kalee Tilli's avatar

We will be in Costa Rica for Fall Break and our son's 18th birthday, but I'm going to see what I can do to attend this!