This is so interesting, Rachel! I loved reading more about your process. Out of the three facets of your job (blogging, writing cookbooks, and freelancing/ghost writing), is there one that you like to do the most?
Thanks for inspiring a revisit of the topic last month!
Hmmm, that is a really difficult one to answer! I think it really depends. I love blogging so much, I'd have to as I've been at it 13 1/2 years, but as I've mentioned before the blogging space is such a different place to when I started, when it was more like Substack. I don't massively enjoy the food photography aspect and the need to write for search engines these days is annoying, but I can't imagine not blogging; it has structured my life for so long and putting recipes and reviews out there on the site is just as addictive as it was on day one.
As for cookbooks, writing books is also addictive. Ask any author. I've also not made any secret of the fact writing my first one was not the best experience in the world so I have very mixed feelings about it, but I adored my second. I'm one of those people who needs a big project to get her teeth into alongside the rest of my work, and I think writing One Pan Pescatarian and the whole process behind it was my favourite career experience to date that I've enjoyed the most. But, as I said to my literary agent over lunch yesterday, I'd be heartbroken if I thought I'd *never* write another cookbook again, but right now I have no plans for one. What gets me excited is the novel I'm working on, and if that does not get any interest, the other ideas for books I've started outlining. So I'm not sure it is fair to say the cookbook writing is my favourite, when other writing is wining out on my love and attention right now!
As for freelancing and ghost writing, it depends on the day. As I mentioned, I don't enjoy the photography so I love here that my recipes are taken away to be made beautiful, but it does have the downsides; in case you had not noticed (!) I'm a writer at heart so there is something a little less satisfying about sending a recipe out into the world without the story that goes with it. Also, I often don't get to choose what I cook, and being made to cook something you don't even like over and over is never fun, even if I'm being paid for the privilege!
Yes! I loved this peak under the hood! I’ve always wondered how recipe writers come up with new ideas. I love food, but would be at a total loss if I had to invent a recipe! I too am a fan of jotting down ideas as they come so I can reference them later when I’ve run out of inspiration.
Also--I would be super curious to hear more about the ghost writing process in a future post 👀
What questions do you have? Honestly it is pretty much the same as freelance recipe development except I'm writing the recipe lists, directions etc. in their style. For example I have one person who uses pre-crushed garlic instead of cloves (which is how I now know 1 large garlic cloves yields 1 tsp of crushed garlic) and to know they always reach for olive rather than canola oil etc. That just involves A LOT of reading their previous recipes!
Ahh, makes sense that you would have to know what ingredients they reach for! I suppose I’ve always wondered how ghost writers achieve the correct voice and make the narratives sound like they’re actually coming from the author. Though perhaps that is less of an issue in a cookbook since the narratives before the recipe tend to be short...I would think it could be really difficult in, say, a memoir!
It is *much* easier for recipe writing! I used to have to write articles, public letters and social media posts in the voice of the politicians I worked for and iI really struggled at times - sometimes it was okay when you got into the groove and their style was not too far away from how I write, but sometimes I found it a real challenge!
I liked every week
This is so interesting, Rachel! I loved reading more about your process. Out of the three facets of your job (blogging, writing cookbooks, and freelancing/ghost writing), is there one that you like to do the most?
Thanks for inspiring a revisit of the topic last month!
Hmmm, that is a really difficult one to answer! I think it really depends. I love blogging so much, I'd have to as I've been at it 13 1/2 years, but as I've mentioned before the blogging space is such a different place to when I started, when it was more like Substack. I don't massively enjoy the food photography aspect and the need to write for search engines these days is annoying, but I can't imagine not blogging; it has structured my life for so long and putting recipes and reviews out there on the site is just as addictive as it was on day one.
As for cookbooks, writing books is also addictive. Ask any author. I've also not made any secret of the fact writing my first one was not the best experience in the world so I have very mixed feelings about it, but I adored my second. I'm one of those people who needs a big project to get her teeth into alongside the rest of my work, and I think writing One Pan Pescatarian and the whole process behind it was my favourite career experience to date that I've enjoyed the most. But, as I said to my literary agent over lunch yesterday, I'd be heartbroken if I thought I'd *never* write another cookbook again, but right now I have no plans for one. What gets me excited is the novel I'm working on, and if that does not get any interest, the other ideas for books I've started outlining. So I'm not sure it is fair to say the cookbook writing is my favourite, when other writing is wining out on my love and attention right now!
As for freelancing and ghost writing, it depends on the day. As I mentioned, I don't enjoy the photography so I love here that my recipes are taken away to be made beautiful, but it does have the downsides; in case you had not noticed (!) I'm a writer at heart so there is something a little less satisfying about sending a recipe out into the world without the story that goes with it. Also, I often don't get to choose what I cook, and being made to cook something you don't even like over and over is never fun, even if I'm being paid for the privilege!
This is fascinating, Rachel! Thank you for sharing all of this. :)
I'm glad you enjoyed it Jolene!
Yes! I loved this peak under the hood! I’ve always wondered how recipe writers come up with new ideas. I love food, but would be at a total loss if I had to invent a recipe! I too am a fan of jotting down ideas as they come so I can reference them later when I’ve run out of inspiration.
Also--I would be super curious to hear more about the ghost writing process in a future post 👀
What questions do you have? Honestly it is pretty much the same as freelance recipe development except I'm writing the recipe lists, directions etc. in their style. For example I have one person who uses pre-crushed garlic instead of cloves (which is how I now know 1 large garlic cloves yields 1 tsp of crushed garlic) and to know they always reach for olive rather than canola oil etc. That just involves A LOT of reading their previous recipes!
Ahh, makes sense that you would have to know what ingredients they reach for! I suppose I’ve always wondered how ghost writers achieve the correct voice and make the narratives sound like they’re actually coming from the author. Though perhaps that is less of an issue in a cookbook since the narratives before the recipe tend to be short...I would think it could be really difficult in, say, a memoir!
It is *much* easier for recipe writing! I used to have to write articles, public letters and social media posts in the voice of the politicians I worked for and iI really struggled at times - sometimes it was okay when you got into the groove and their style was not too far away from how I write, but sometimes I found it a real challenge!