Your words here moved me deeply. I, too, am trying to "make it" as a (food) writer, I only started a year ago but am already completely burnt out and discouraged by the content creation/social media churn of it all. It feels like "The Algorithm" is a malevolent god whose altar we are forced to worship at in order to have any chance of being successful. I resent it already, which worries me. I want nothing more than to observe, write, create, and share - as you do, too, it seems. When you wrote "The idea of being able to read a full page of text without constantly being interrupted by ads is a dream come true" I 100% agree with you. I only consume content on Substack these days for that exact reason - I'm simply exhausted by all the ads elsewhere. Nothing feels genuine anymore. Yet, one of my greatest fears lately is that Substack will eventually sell out to ads, and to be honest, I wouldn't blame any writer on here for taking the ad money. Honestly, I can't say I wouldn't take the money either, because I'd do literally anything to be able to quit my (non-writing related) 9-5. To be able to have the privilege of being a full-time creative would be just that, a huge privilege that I would be so grateful for. I don't have kids yet, but my husband and I are trying, and I often lie awake at night wondering how I'll ever do it all. I can barely do it "all" now, without kids. When you compared running a Substack to having your own small media company, something just clicked for me. That is such a good comparison. I will try to give myself more compassion when I don't find time to write or publish as much as I'd like. You're a wonderful writer and I look forward to being a new subscriber! Thanks for writing this!
First of all, thank you so much for your kind words, Paige. The fact that my story and writing resonated with you means so incredibly much. The churn is beyond exhausting. I have to constantly remind myself of the real reason I am doing this work, it is definitely not for the algorithm!
I feel the exact same of wanting to desperately get out of my 9-5 job. I am so frustrated by the thought of putting in at least 40 hours of work into a job I don't especially want just to afford housing/benefits etc. Those 40 hours of my 9 to 5 could be going to writing/research/creating. Full-time writers can dedicate more of their time to their craft. This brings up feelings and thoughts of constantly being behind and feeling like I am not doing enough. I am much better now at stopping those thoughts as soon as they pop into my head but it takes a lot of emotional energy to remind myself that I am doing enough or the best I can given my current circumstances.
We are definitely running a business as single individuals which is a huge ask. Once you start adding other identities to this already complex situation such as parenthood or being a caretaker for our elderly parents we have less and less time to allocate to writing, creating, managing, and sharing our writing. There are of course women who have been able to have children and be writers/business owners but generally at least in academia women often don't have children.
Thank you so much for reading and subscribing! So glad you found my newsletter.
I resonated with this so much. It's easy to compare yourself to other food writers and wonder how can they possibly create this much content. I sometimes forget they have a team of people to help them. Meeting the demands of algorithm changes, baking, taking photos, etc. takes a lot of time. On the days that I need to run errands or go to appointments I feel unproductive. What you said about people curating unrealistic "day in a life" videos is so spot on. This is the perfect reminder to be kinder to ourselves. I'm so glad you were inspired to write this!
Thank you so much! I was so nervous to share what I have been dealing with. It seems that many of us are in the same state of existence.
The thoughts of unproductively are often coming from feelings of shame or guilt. Sadly a strategy that doesn't result in anything but emotional pain. I find myself constantly feeling like I am not doing enough be it writing, readying, researching, photographing, posting, pitching, editing, creating, the list is truly endless. I am trying to practice self-compassion and remind myself pretty often that I am enough. Social media has a way of triggering these thoughts and feelings for many of us since it shows us an alternative reality that many of us are striving to achieve.
Being a successful writer alone is extremely difficult, being a successful self published, managed, edited illustrated content creator even more so; not everyone who tries is going to be making a living doing it. Similar to being a working musician. . I grew up and graduated from college completely without computers. This internet age of content/digital creation is relatively still in it's infancy. How long has Substack even been around? Try to put that in perspective. I know a number of people who write for a living. One has published a fairly well known novel and now has the luxury of a publisher, and very comfortable income, but still has the pressure but personal drive to continue writing. I highly admire your ambition and work ethic but don't quite understand though why you run yourself ragged and have the entire weight of supporting your family? Is there no back up or secondary income from your "partner"?
It seems to me, anecdotally, a lot of successful food bloggers2writers content creators have a supportive spouse that gives them that freedom at least initially.
I really wish you success though and admit my guilt of currently still a free loader, so perhaps I'll change my ways now.
Let me just say that life is super complicated right now...I think a lot of it has to do with my upbringing as the oldest daughter of an immigrant household. I am trying to set some new boundaries with my family so that the weight, you mentioned, is distributed more evenly.
I do appreciate your support and engagement, Thomas! I hope you stick around, read, and cook some of the recipes.
Gotcha, I can imagine. I know you are Ukrananian, and , not sure how you feel about Russianism right now but I've been over there a few times (Far East and Kamchatka) and really enjoyed the people and culture. Your recipes are inspiring and bring fond memories to me. I hope and pray things in your life and homeland get so much better!
This article is very informative and moving on many levels. Any vocation that is loved or even work that is necessary is an ocean of mental, emotional and spiritual labor. One will put their entire being into it as you demonstrate that you do. You also acknowledge years of experience and THOSE SPECIAL PEOPLE that stand with you in your endeavor. Together and with your supporters you will create a MISSION statement. You will honor your trade and community (Ukraine) with you gift! Persevere, you will one day, look back and say..."How did I, (we) ever do it!!!!" That is the icing on the cake. Carry on......lead, teach and create.....
Ooof. Yep. This all resonates with me tremendously. I spend my other career working with small business owners, and I'm always reminded that it can take years and years and years for a "business" to get off the ground. I remember meeting an aspiring restaurant owner who just had a glimmer of an idea. Fast-forward ten years, and he finally opened the doors to his restaurant. I consider myself to still be in the start-up phase, and who knows how long that will last. I try my best not to rely on one platform or one strategy, because who knows what food media will look like in five years. Best of luck, and keep up the great work.
I know exactly what you mean. I'm not a food writer, but man this "platform" thing was so depressing when I was trying to sell my book. I'm lucky that in the end, after a long slog, my publisher took a chance on me. But along the way, I heard so many times that "you need a big platform to sell books". This is ridiculous and I feel that this completely absolves the publishing industry from doing their job. They should be promoting the authors and raising their platforms. I also fear where this will lead us - if we have this entry barrier for books, what will the quality of what we read be like in a while?
Hi Sascha! Thank you for reading and engaging with the post. I think about this a lot. I am so happy to hear that you found a publisher who invested in you and your work. I think the current model is incredibly unsustainable. There will also be even less socioeconomic diversity in who gets published. I am not saying that every author is independently wealth but many are and will continue to be. Especially in the cookbook writing space where your advance doesn't include an actual salary. It is only meant to cover the cost of making the book. I know cookbook authors set aside 15% of the advance for "paying themselves for the work" but most have to continue working their other jobs. Being a paid nonfiction writer (food writer) is incredibly rare. I honestly can't think of any examples where a cookbook author lives off of their cookbook writing alone.
After reading your post I recognized a couple of things you are experiencing in your life that I have experienced in my own life. Those things include stress, anxiety and burnout. These things are all rampant in our world today. Life is a marathon and not a sprint. We have to pace ourselves to make it to the end. I can relate to those things and share with you how I dealt with them physically, mentally and spiritually.
Physically I decided to take better care of my body. I did things like eating a reasonable diet, exercising and getting adequate sleep and rest. I saw great improvement in myself after doing these things in just a few days!
Mentally I went to see my physician and my pastor to talk to them about what I was experiencing. Just talking to them was a tremendous help. My pastor earlier in his life had suffered the same things I was suffering and was totally in tune with what I was going through. He provided great comfort to me through what he had suffered and reassured me I was not alone in the situation. After some testing my physician found that I had some chemicals in my brain that were out of balance. He started me on a mild anti anxiety medication that also helped me get back to my normal self.
The things that helped me most were the spiritual things I recognized would benefit and help me holistically. I leaned heavily on God through prayer, mediating on verses from the Bible and spending time with Him to listen to what He had to say to me through these verses. I'll share 4 sets of verses with you that helped me.
Psalm 46:10 "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." I saw this as God saying that I needed to stop for a bit what I was doing and be still which allowed me to re evaluate everything I was doing. I changed my priorities in my life putting God first, my family and friends second and everything else including my work and passions further down the line. If I am constantly overwhelmed by things in my life then I'm not in a good place for myself or certainly no help to anyone else! Don't be afraid to cut out some of the extras in your life that are injuring you! I cut some things out of my life and schedule that I thought were important, but in reality they were causing me extra stress and problems. Please be still and stop striving!
Hebrews 13:5-6 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, " I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," so that we can confidently say, " The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid . What will man do to me?" I realized that money is not the cure for everything and I needed to be content with what I had. God has given us the promise that He will never leave us or forsake us and be there to help us no matter what! Is there anyone else in our lives that could promise that to us and keep it?
Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to him from far away, saying, "I love you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." The God of all creation loves us with an everlasting love. I am continually blown away with the knowledge that God loves me even though I am minuscule in the vast scheme of His creation. He loves you the same way!!
Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,and He will make your paths straight. This is another tremendous promise to us from God. I trusted God completely and leaned on His understanding to get myself in a much better place. My life is so much better now!!! I no longer am driving the bus. I let God drive it and I ride in the back. I encourage you to do the same! Do you know Him?
I have great compassion for you and only want the best for you. I am praying for you that God will do a great work in your life and allow you to be in a place where you can thrive for many years to come. Blessings on you and may God overwhelm you with His great love, peace and comfort!
"My idea of a fulfilling life is to do research, write, and share." You're doing it! Keep going! I know this business can be so maddening, especially with the extra emphasis on social media. When I heard Dr. Jessica B. Harris speak last year, she reminded everyone she wrote her books (and articles, etc.) all while having a day job as a professor. It was a weirdly comforting reminder. Sometimes, that's just the way.
But sometimes, if you keep going and keep focusing on the work, you can find a way to turn your passion into your full-time living. I'm cheering for you!
Thank you, Kristin! I am on another planet today. I wanted to give Everything Cookbooks a shout-out since the four of you and all the amazing guests have taught me so much about this world and how to navigate it. Focusing on the work is my mantra this year with a big dose of self-compassion. I am definitely struggling with burnout but trying to at least be more mindful of it this year.
This is a remarkably candid and insightful piece and I really appreciate you sharing it with us! The vision you described (being able to do fulfilling work and write and research in a serious but accessible way) is something I’m trying to do as well. I really admire people like you and Alicia Kennedy who are making it happen in food writing—and sharing the labor involved.
Behind any piece of good “content” (a recipe, essay, video, &c) from someone I admire is sooooooo much invisible work to make it, share it, manage the financials behind the scenes to sustain more creating, trying to not get demoralized, trying to figure out the “hidden curriculum” of writing and publishing…it’s really healthy imo when we’re all aware of this and understand how much has to happen to entertain, inform, and move us as readers.
Thank you so much, Celine. Your kind and supportive words mean so much.
So well said! It's healthy to be aware of issues instead of pretending like everything is perfect that way we can change the systems we are all participating in for the better. When people decide to pretend like everything is ok that drives me mad.
Also, keep at it! I am trying to do a lot more writing this year, we can keep each other accountable.
Thank you for this Olga. The invisible labour expected of food writers is not well understood. The more clarity and honesty there is around this topic, the better!
Your words here moved me deeply. I, too, am trying to "make it" as a (food) writer, I only started a year ago but am already completely burnt out and discouraged by the content creation/social media churn of it all. It feels like "The Algorithm" is a malevolent god whose altar we are forced to worship at in order to have any chance of being successful. I resent it already, which worries me. I want nothing more than to observe, write, create, and share - as you do, too, it seems. When you wrote "The idea of being able to read a full page of text without constantly being interrupted by ads is a dream come true" I 100% agree with you. I only consume content on Substack these days for that exact reason - I'm simply exhausted by all the ads elsewhere. Nothing feels genuine anymore. Yet, one of my greatest fears lately is that Substack will eventually sell out to ads, and to be honest, I wouldn't blame any writer on here for taking the ad money. Honestly, I can't say I wouldn't take the money either, because I'd do literally anything to be able to quit my (non-writing related) 9-5. To be able to have the privilege of being a full-time creative would be just that, a huge privilege that I would be so grateful for. I don't have kids yet, but my husband and I are trying, and I often lie awake at night wondering how I'll ever do it all. I can barely do it "all" now, without kids. When you compared running a Substack to having your own small media company, something just clicked for me. That is such a good comparison. I will try to give myself more compassion when I don't find time to write or publish as much as I'd like. You're a wonderful writer and I look forward to being a new subscriber! Thanks for writing this!
First of all, thank you so much for your kind words, Paige. The fact that my story and writing resonated with you means so incredibly much. The churn is beyond exhausting. I have to constantly remind myself of the real reason I am doing this work, it is definitely not for the algorithm!
I feel the exact same of wanting to desperately get out of my 9-5 job. I am so frustrated by the thought of putting in at least 40 hours of work into a job I don't especially want just to afford housing/benefits etc. Those 40 hours of my 9 to 5 could be going to writing/research/creating. Full-time writers can dedicate more of their time to their craft. This brings up feelings and thoughts of constantly being behind and feeling like I am not doing enough. I am much better now at stopping those thoughts as soon as they pop into my head but it takes a lot of emotional energy to remind myself that I am doing enough or the best I can given my current circumstances.
We are definitely running a business as single individuals which is a huge ask. Once you start adding other identities to this already complex situation such as parenthood or being a caretaker for our elderly parents we have less and less time to allocate to writing, creating, managing, and sharing our writing. There are of course women who have been able to have children and be writers/business owners but generally at least in academia women often don't have children.
Thank you so much for reading and subscribing! So glad you found my newsletter.
I resonated with this so much. It's easy to compare yourself to other food writers and wonder how can they possibly create this much content. I sometimes forget they have a team of people to help them. Meeting the demands of algorithm changes, baking, taking photos, etc. takes a lot of time. On the days that I need to run errands or go to appointments I feel unproductive. What you said about people curating unrealistic "day in a life" videos is so spot on. This is the perfect reminder to be kinder to ourselves. I'm so glad you were inspired to write this!
Thank you so much! I was so nervous to share what I have been dealing with. It seems that many of us are in the same state of existence.
The thoughts of unproductively are often coming from feelings of shame or guilt. Sadly a strategy that doesn't result in anything but emotional pain. I find myself constantly feeling like I am not doing enough be it writing, readying, researching, photographing, posting, pitching, editing, creating, the list is truly endless. I am trying to practice self-compassion and remind myself pretty often that I am enough. Social media has a way of triggering these thoughts and feelings for many of us since it shows us an alternative reality that many of us are striving to achieve.
Being a successful writer alone is extremely difficult, being a successful self published, managed, edited illustrated content creator even more so; not everyone who tries is going to be making a living doing it. Similar to being a working musician. . I grew up and graduated from college completely without computers. This internet age of content/digital creation is relatively still in it's infancy. How long has Substack even been around? Try to put that in perspective. I know a number of people who write for a living. One has published a fairly well known novel and now has the luxury of a publisher, and very comfortable income, but still has the pressure but personal drive to continue writing. I highly admire your ambition and work ethic but don't quite understand though why you run yourself ragged and have the entire weight of supporting your family? Is there no back up or secondary income from your "partner"?
It seems to me, anecdotally, a lot of successful food bloggers2writers content creators have a supportive spouse that gives them that freedom at least initially.
I really wish you success though and admit my guilt of currently still a free loader, so perhaps I'll change my ways now.
Let me just say that life is super complicated right now...I think a lot of it has to do with my upbringing as the oldest daughter of an immigrant household. I am trying to set some new boundaries with my family so that the weight, you mentioned, is distributed more evenly.
I do appreciate your support and engagement, Thomas! I hope you stick around, read, and cook some of the recipes.
Gotcha, I can imagine. I know you are Ukrananian, and , not sure how you feel about Russianism right now but I've been over there a few times (Far East and Kamchatka) and really enjoyed the people and culture. Your recipes are inspiring and bring fond memories to me. I hope and pray things in your life and homeland get so much better!
This article is very informative and moving on many levels. Any vocation that is loved or even work that is necessary is an ocean of mental, emotional and spiritual labor. One will put their entire being into it as you demonstrate that you do. You also acknowledge years of experience and THOSE SPECIAL PEOPLE that stand with you in your endeavor. Together and with your supporters you will create a MISSION statement. You will honor your trade and community (Ukraine) with you gift! Persevere, you will one day, look back and say..."How did I, (we) ever do it!!!!" That is the icing on the cake. Carry on......lead, teach and create.....
Thank you so much, Vicky! I am so grateful for your support. We all are. Thank you for always saying the kind thing. Love you very much!
I love you all too.. love is the reason we are here. What a beautiful way to express love is with a beautiful dreamy delicious gift of food.
Ooof. Yep. This all resonates with me tremendously. I spend my other career working with small business owners, and I'm always reminded that it can take years and years and years for a "business" to get off the ground. I remember meeting an aspiring restaurant owner who just had a glimmer of an idea. Fast-forward ten years, and he finally opened the doors to his restaurant. I consider myself to still be in the start-up phase, and who knows how long that will last. I try my best not to rely on one platform or one strategy, because who knows what food media will look like in five years. Best of luck, and keep up the great work.
Oh, and this beet salad looks scrumptious.
This is a great reminder: the best things take time. Play the long game at a pace that's manageable!
I know exactly what you mean. I'm not a food writer, but man this "platform" thing was so depressing when I was trying to sell my book. I'm lucky that in the end, after a long slog, my publisher took a chance on me. But along the way, I heard so many times that "you need a big platform to sell books". This is ridiculous and I feel that this completely absolves the publishing industry from doing their job. They should be promoting the authors and raising their platforms. I also fear where this will lead us - if we have this entry barrier for books, what will the quality of what we read be like in a while?
Hi Sascha! Thank you for reading and engaging with the post. I think about this a lot. I am so happy to hear that you found a publisher who invested in you and your work. I think the current model is incredibly unsustainable. There will also be even less socioeconomic diversity in who gets published. I am not saying that every author is independently wealth but many are and will continue to be. Especially in the cookbook writing space where your advance doesn't include an actual salary. It is only meant to cover the cost of making the book. I know cookbook authors set aside 15% of the advance for "paying themselves for the work" but most have to continue working their other jobs. Being a paid nonfiction writer (food writer) is incredibly rare. I honestly can't think of any examples where a cookbook author lives off of their cookbook writing alone.
After reading your post I recognized a couple of things you are experiencing in your life that I have experienced in my own life. Those things include stress, anxiety and burnout. These things are all rampant in our world today. Life is a marathon and not a sprint. We have to pace ourselves to make it to the end. I can relate to those things and share with you how I dealt with them physically, mentally and spiritually.
Physically I decided to take better care of my body. I did things like eating a reasonable diet, exercising and getting adequate sleep and rest. I saw great improvement in myself after doing these things in just a few days!
Mentally I went to see my physician and my pastor to talk to them about what I was experiencing. Just talking to them was a tremendous help. My pastor earlier in his life had suffered the same things I was suffering and was totally in tune with what I was going through. He provided great comfort to me through what he had suffered and reassured me I was not alone in the situation. After some testing my physician found that I had some chemicals in my brain that were out of balance. He started me on a mild anti anxiety medication that also helped me get back to my normal self.
The things that helped me most were the spiritual things I recognized would benefit and help me holistically. I leaned heavily on God through prayer, mediating on verses from the Bible and spending time with Him to listen to what He had to say to me through these verses. I'll share 4 sets of verses with you that helped me.
Psalm 46:10 "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." I saw this as God saying that I needed to stop for a bit what I was doing and be still which allowed me to re evaluate everything I was doing. I changed my priorities in my life putting God first, my family and friends second and everything else including my work and passions further down the line. If I am constantly overwhelmed by things in my life then I'm not in a good place for myself or certainly no help to anyone else! Don't be afraid to cut out some of the extras in your life that are injuring you! I cut some things out of my life and schedule that I thought were important, but in reality they were causing me extra stress and problems. Please be still and stop striving!
Hebrews 13:5-6 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, " I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," so that we can confidently say, " The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid . What will man do to me?" I realized that money is not the cure for everything and I needed to be content with what I had. God has given us the promise that He will never leave us or forsake us and be there to help us no matter what! Is there anyone else in our lives that could promise that to us and keep it?
Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to him from far away, saying, "I love you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." The God of all creation loves us with an everlasting love. I am continually blown away with the knowledge that God loves me even though I am minuscule in the vast scheme of His creation. He loves you the same way!!
Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,and He will make your paths straight. This is another tremendous promise to us from God. I trusted God completely and leaned on His understanding to get myself in a much better place. My life is so much better now!!! I no longer am driving the bus. I let God drive it and I ride in the back. I encourage you to do the same! Do you know Him?
I have great compassion for you and only want the best for you. I am praying for you that God will do a great work in your life and allow you to be in a place where you can thrive for many years to come. Blessings on you and may God overwhelm you with His great love, peace and comfort!
Thank you so much for your kind words!
You are welcome! I will continue to pray for you for wisdom and to find the right path going forward. Blessings to you!
"My idea of a fulfilling life is to do research, write, and share." You're doing it! Keep going! I know this business can be so maddening, especially with the extra emphasis on social media. When I heard Dr. Jessica B. Harris speak last year, she reminded everyone she wrote her books (and articles, etc.) all while having a day job as a professor. It was a weirdly comforting reminder. Sometimes, that's just the way.
But sometimes, if you keep going and keep focusing on the work, you can find a way to turn your passion into your full-time living. I'm cheering for you!
Thank you, Kristin! I am on another planet today. I wanted to give Everything Cookbooks a shout-out since the four of you and all the amazing guests have taught me so much about this world and how to navigate it. Focusing on the work is my mantra this year with a big dose of self-compassion. I am definitely struggling with burnout but trying to at least be more mindful of it this year.
This is a remarkably candid and insightful piece and I really appreciate you sharing it with us! The vision you described (being able to do fulfilling work and write and research in a serious but accessible way) is something I’m trying to do as well. I really admire people like you and Alicia Kennedy who are making it happen in food writing—and sharing the labor involved.
Behind any piece of good “content” (a recipe, essay, video, &c) from someone I admire is sooooooo much invisible work to make it, share it, manage the financials behind the scenes to sustain more creating, trying to not get demoralized, trying to figure out the “hidden curriculum” of writing and publishing…it’s really healthy imo when we’re all aware of this and understand how much has to happen to entertain, inform, and move us as readers.
Thank you so much, Celine. Your kind and supportive words mean so much.
So well said! It's healthy to be aware of issues instead of pretending like everything is perfect that way we can change the systems we are all participating in for the better. When people decide to pretend like everything is ok that drives me mad.
Also, keep at it! I am trying to do a lot more writing this year, we can keep each other accountable.
❤️
Thank you, Sarah!
Thank you for this Olga. The invisible labour expected of food writers is not well understood. The more clarity and honesty there is around this topic, the better!