On Blogging and Food Blogging

Blood Orange Granita

If you're only interested in having a blog to record what you cook and eat, and maybe sharing it with a few people, then this post is not intended for you. Keep your blog private or password protected and turn off comments.

However, if you plan to make your blog public and/or to participate in the blogging community in any way, this post might be useful. If you plan to write about recipes you make, recipes you discovered from other blogs, restaurants you've dined at, restaurants you've discovered from other blogs, or anything else you want to post. Or if you plan to comment on blogs or want people to comment on your blog. Basically, if your blog is online and public, read this.



In "Murky Boundaries," in the American Journalism Review June/July 2008, Kevin Rector said, "According to a survey published by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in July 2006, some 12 million American adults have blogs. Of those surveyed, 44 percent said they have been published elsewhere and 34 percent considered their blog a form of journalism. But at the same time, 55 percent said they blog using a pseudonym..."

In a BusinessWeek April 25, 2007 article by Heather Green titled, "With 15.5 Million Active Blogs, New Technorati Data Shows that Blogging Growth Seems to Be Peaking," showed a growth of 3.5 million.

In some cases and for some people, blogs have replaced many traditional forms of journalism. Specifically in the case of food blogging, no longer are people getting recipes or restaurant reviews solely from newspapers or magazines. Recipe compilation and restaurant review sites abound on the internet. What distinguishes food blogs apart from these websites is the personality of the blogger and the level of interaction you have with them.

While I couldn't find exact figures for how many blogs are food blogs, I'll go with more than 2,000 as worthy of inclusion as decided by Food Blog Search.
Food Blog Search is maintained by food bloggers Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes, Kalyn Denny of Kalyn's Kitchen, and Alanna Kellogg of Kitchen Parade.
The "Food Blog Search: About" page summarizes why food blogs have become so popular.

"Food blogs are a wonderful source of recipes, stories, and opinions about food. These blogs are the labors of love of countless people from around the world who are so passionate about what they cook and eat they spend hours photographing and writing about it. Food bloggers usually give much more information and personal touches to what they write about than commercial cooking or recipe sites."

So how do you go about jumping into the fray?

1. How to Start a Food Blog
2. On Blogging and Food Blogging
3. Choosing a Blog Host
4. Picking a Name: Be Clever, Original, and Memorable
5. Posting: Frequency, Topics, and Accuracy
6. Giving Credit: The Right Way to Link, Copyright, and "By," "Inspired," and "Adapted"
7. Your Online Identity: Blogging Interactions and Comment Policies
8. Photos: Photography Tips, Storage, and Watermarking
9. Design: Layout, Navigation, and "Above the Fold"
10. Blogrolling: Will You Be My Friend?
11. Building Traffic: Participate in the Community and Respond to Your Stats
12. Measuring Success: Cheerleader or Nerd?
13. Public Relations: Handling the Freebies and the People
14. Monetizing Your Hobby: To Ad or Not to Ad
15. Bottomline: Have Fun, but Protect Your Work
    

Did you find this series useful? I'd appreciate credit if you use any of the information. Thanks!

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1 year ago today, Che Bap (Vietnamese Corn Pudding with Tapioca Pearls and Coconut Milk).