Eat Blog Talk

In episode 596, Megan Ellam teaches us how to write and market cookbooks to earn a significant portion of our income from self-publishing.

Megan Ellam is an Australian-based author, photographer, and recipe developer, best known for Mad Creations and 365 Keto Club. Since 2017, Megan has shared her low-carb recipes and weight loss journey, leading to the self-publication of over 10 keto cookbooks and more than 60 eBooks, including two World Gourmand Cookbook Award winners! A passionate foodie, Megan runs Mad Creations alongside her partner in love and life, Dave Hunter.

In this episode, you’ll learn more about how to add extra value to your cookbook or ebook, pricing books correctly and successful marketing ideas to sell more books fast.

Key points discussed:

- Niche down and create a clear theme and vision for your book: Determine the topic, focus and feel of your book to ensure a cohesive final product.

- Develop an index of recipe ideas before writing: Plan out the content of your book to make the writing process more efficient.

- Assemble a team of diverse recipe testers: Include both skilled and novice cooks to get well-rounded feedback on your recipes.

- Offer unique, original recipes that stand out: Develop creative, eye-catching dishes that your audience can't find elsewhere.

- Add extra value through cook's notes, variations, and additional content: Enhance your books by providing helpful information beyond just the recipes.

- Leverage your existing blog content by refreshing and repurposing it: Reshoot and repackage your popular recipes to create new book offerings.

- Price your books and ebooks higher to reflect their value: Don't underestimate the time and effort you've invested; charge accordingly.

- Utilize various marketing channels, including social media and email: Promote your books through a diverse range of platforms to reach your audience.

- Consider collaborations and partnerships to expand your reach: Explore opportunities to work with brands or other creators to cross-promote your books.

Connect with Megan Ellam

Website | Instagram

In this episode, we're going to talk about how to deal with negative emotions towards platforms like Google and social media networks.

Have you ever had a negative experience with an online platform? For us bloggers, it can be Google or any of the social media networks. It’s often a feeling of not being rewarded for our hard work on the platforms. I’ve said in the past things like: “I hate Facebook.” Because I genuinely felt like Facebook had something against me as if it were human. Following along with the idea that these platforms are like humans, how can we repair our relationships with them? Here are 5 steps I take to turn feelings of lack and hatred into appreciation and abundance.

Action Plan:

1 - Identify which relationship needs mending: Choose one platform that is causing you the most frustration.

2 - Make a list of how the platform has wronged you: Write out all the ways you feel the platform has let you down.

3 - Make a list of what you are grateful for regarding the platform: Reflect on the positive aspects and benefits the platform has provided.

4 - Give the relationship some love: Educate yourself on the platform, learn more about its features, and consistently pay attention to it.

5 - Lather, rinse, repeat: Go through these steps repeatedly until you feel the relationship is being repaired. Keep your gratitude list visible as a reminder.

Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover.

Website | Instagram

Resources

Food Blog Writing at Maes Media (Chelsea Plummer)

Promote your food blogging services

Megan’s recommended books and resources

In episode 594, Megan chats to James Wythe about why he decided to shift his focus from content creation for social media to creating content for his blog, despite having a social following of over 1 million.

After a sudden illness caused James to be housebound for 4 years, he taught himself to cook with a chair in the kitchen. James started his blog to share his journey of recovery and recipes in 2016. Since then James has built a social following of over 1M and published a cookbook. The blog currently has 300,000 monthly page views which James 5x in the last year.

You’ll love Episode 569: Turning to Instagram Because of the Helpful Content Update – How To Grow Your Instagram Account To Add More Revenue Streams with Mika Kinney and Sarah Bond (For a contrasting point of view!)

In this episode, you’ll learn more about social media burnout, finding your passion for content creation, how to step back from social media, especially if you have a large following, while considering the future of your career and longevity of your content.

Key points discussed:

- Stepping back from social media can help overcome burnout: You may realize that you are feeling burned out from the pressure and comparison of social media, so focusing more on your blog could be beneficial.

- Owning your content is important: Owning your content on your website is important to consider, rather than relying solely on social media platforms that can restrict or remove access.

- Balancing social media and blog content is challenging: You may find it difficult to create separate content for your website and social media that appeals to different audiences consistently.

- Large social media followings don't guarantee success: Even with a large following, the social media landscape is becoming increasingly saturated and competitive for brand collaborations.

- Republishing and updating old content can significantly boost traffic: Going back and improving your existing blog content can lead to a significant increase in traffic.

- Creating a depth of content is key for long-term growth: Focus on creating more new content and update older posts to build a stronger foundation for your blog.

- Passion and enjoyment should drive content creation: You may realize that you still love creating content and helping others, but not the pressure of social media.

- Cycles and trends in the industry require adaptability: The industry may shift back towards longer-form content, away from the current saturation of short-form video recipes, so you need to be prepared to adapt.

Connect with James Wythe

Website | Instagram

In episode 593, Kimberlee Ho teaches us 3 easy ways to grow our blog part-time while working full-time, including, how to be selective with our focus and time.

Kim is a home baker from NJ, who loves to share approachable baking recipes and tips with busy families like her own on her blog, kickassbaker.com. Kim works full-time during the day and bakes, recipe tests, and photographs at night and on the weekends in between acting as an Uber driver for her two teenage daughters. Her goal is to inspire home bakers to kick ass in the kitchen!

In this episode, you’ll learn more about identifying growth drivers for your blog, the importance of adapting to changing industry trends as well as intentional time management and the support of a community in achieving blogging goals.

Key points discussed:

- Focus on 1-2 key growth drivers: For example, you can focus on growing page views and sessions to attract and retain readers, rather than getting distracted by new platforms.

- Test different work methods: Experiment with your work schedule and batching tasks to find the most efficient approach for you.

- Use to-do lists: Keep multiple to-do lists to stay organized and reduce anxiety about forgetting important tasks.

- Embrace flexibility: Maintain a flexible mindset, adapting your methods as your needs and circumstances change over time.

- Leverage trusted networks: Ask for feedback and support from the blogging community to avoid shiny object syndrome.

- Break down goals into steps: Break down larger goals into manageable, actionable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

- Advantages of working full-time: By having full-time job Kim can enjoy growing her blog without the pressure of relying on it as her sole income.

Connect with Kimberlee Ho

Website | Instagram

In this episode, we’re going to talk about why we feel envious of other bloggers in our space and how to turn envy into celebration and collaboration.

Food blogging is competitive. There are thousands and thousands of food blogs online. For a long time I approached food blogging as a competitive career. I felt like I had to do better than everyone else, a feeling which led me to isolate myself. This held me back big time! And it’s only when I started changing my approach to seek out and collaborate with other food bloggers, that my business really started taking off. So here are 5 ways in which you can do the same.

Action Plan:

1 - Change your mindset from competition to collaboration: See other food bloggers as teammates, not competitors.

2 - Celebrate and support others with a generous spirit: Outwardly and inwardly express happiness for their successes.

3 - Celebrate your own accomplishments: Take time to write down your wins, no matter how small, to boost your confidence.

4 - Own your unique story and journey: Embrace the lessons and challenges that have shaped your business.

5 - Immerse yourself in the food blogging community: Reach out to those who inspire you and build relationships.

Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topics you'd like her to cover.

Website | Instagram

Resources

Coaching and Mentorship for Food Bloggers by Brittany Roche

Promote your food blogging services

Megan’s recommended books and resources

In episode 591, Megan chats to Alexandra Shytsman about how to avoid 7 common food photography mistakes beginners make, including lighting, angle and styling mistakes.

Alexandra Shytsman is a recipe developer, food photographer, and creator of The New Baguette, a plant-based recipe site. Her mission is to inspire people to cook healthier plant-centered meals at home. She is the author of Friendsgiving, co-author of The Complete Vegan Cookbook, and contributes to sites like Simply Recipes and EatingWell. She has also been teaching in-person food photography classes (in groups and one-on-one) since 2018. Originally from Ukraine, Alex moved to New York City at a young age and has lived there ever since.

In this episode, you’ll learn more about using natural light versus artificial light, the correct angle for shooting food, which garnishes to use and which ones to avoid and how to make boring food stand out.

Key points discussed:

- Lighting is crucial: Use natural light or photography-specific equipment, rather than overhead kitchen lights, to achieve flattering and accurate food photography.

- Avoid tilted angles: Keep the camera horizon straight to create a more natural and comfortable viewing experience for the audience.

- Provide context: Zooming out to show the entire plate or scene, rather than just a close-up, helps provide context and balance to the image.

- Choose props carefully: Neutral-colored, non-distracting props are recommended to avoid drawing attention away from the food.

- Are your photos in focus? Learning to use the camera in manual mode and checking focus before finalizing the shot can help ensure crisp, in-focus images.

- Garnishes can transform boring photos: Adding thoughtful garnishes, such as herbs, spices, or seeds, can enhance the visual appeal of the food.

- Plan before you shoot: Creating a mood board and shot list beforehand can help streamline the photography process and ensure all necessary shots are captured.

- Embrace negative space: Allowing for some empty space around the food can create a more balanced and visually appealing composition.

Connect with Alexandra Shytsman

Website | Instagram

Are you tired of feeling stuck or overwhelmed in your blogging journey? In this episode, I’m sharing some exciting news about the 2025 Eat Blog Talk Mastermind, including the new tiered packages designed for bloggers at every stage. I’ll walk you through the program’s logistics and highlight how the mastermind can fast-track your blog’s growth, no matter your budget or experience level.

But that’s not all—stay tuned for powerful transformation stories from current mastermind members! You’ll hear how they’ve overcome common blogging pain points, from stagnant traffic to unclear goals, and turned their blogs into thriving businesses with more traffic, revenue, and confidence.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

- New mastermind tiers for 2025 that cater to different budgets and experience levels.

- How the mastermind can help you accelerate growth and avoid common blogging mistakes.

- Real-life transformations from current members—how they grew their traffic, increased revenue, and found clarity in their blogging strategies.

- Why community, expert guidance, and accountability are the key ingredients to lasting success.

- How the program can help you gain confidence, clarity, and focus to tackle your biggest blogging challenges.

Ready to take your blog to new heights in 2025? Tune in now to hear how you can be part of this life-changing experience or visit eatblogtalk.com/mastermind to apply.

In this episode, we're going to talk about 5 ways to be proactive, focus on progress and invite more good things into your business.

We all want good things to flow into our business. Sometimes, it feels like we’re making no progress or regressing. I’ve been there, multiple times. Even this year. For bloggers, this might mean losing followers, getting less pages views, trying to get into an ad network… the list goes on and on. By this same token, if you embrace a proactive, positive approach to your blog and focus on what’s going well, you will most likely invite more good things into your business. Here are some practical ways to do this.

Action Plan:

1 - Extend the invitation: Invite good things, opportunities, money, and positive energy into your business on a daily basis.

2 - Practice daily gratitude: Write down 5-10 things that are going well in your business each day and express gratitude for the progress (however small) you’ve made.

3 - Do daily decluttering: What tasks are cluttering your mind and business? Make a list and systematically work through and complete them.

4 - Engage in daily learning: Spend at least 15 minutes each day learning through podcasts, books, or discussions to stay eager and ready for good things.

5 - Invest in your business: Consider making strategic investments in coaching, masterminds, conferences, or courses to open the floodgates for positive growth.

Get in touch with Megan if there is a specific mindset and self-care topic you'd like her to cover.

Website | Instagram

Resources

Madison Wetherill's Web Design Services

Promote your food blogging services

Megan’s recommended books and resources

In episode 588, Megan chats to Laura Arnold about why an SEO content calendar is important for diversifying your brand and how to set it up to improve your rank on Google.

Laura Arnold is a New York City-based Emmy-Nominated Culinary Television Producer, Cookbook Consultant, and award-winning Content Creator with over a decade of experience. She currently is the Supervising Culinary Producer for Food Network’s The Kitchen, and has worked previously at ABC’s The Chew, DotDash Meredith, Good Housekeeping, Food52, kitchn.com, and with many more brands.

In this episode, you’ll learn more about how to balance new posts with content updates, which keywords to choose, the significance of storytelling and expert phrasing and whether social media is important or not.

Key points discussed:

- Consistency is key: Maintain consistent SEO efforts and content creation for long-term growth and success.

- Manageable workloads: Create a content calendar that fits within your capabilities and resources for sustainable success.

- Competitor analysis: Research and understand the top-performing content in a given niche to help you develop effective SEO strategies.

- Keyword research and targeting: Identifying high-volume, low-competition keywords is a key step in creating content that resonates with the target audience.

- Interlinking and content pillars: Strategically linking related content within posts and building out content pillars can improve site navigation and user experience.

- Storytelling and expert phrasing: Balance personal narratives with authoritative language to help engage readers and establish the blogger as an expert in their field.

- Performance tracking: Regularly monitoring and analyzing SEO metrics, such as impressions and keyword rankings, can inform content optimization and strategy adjustments.

- Social media integration: Leveraging social media platforms to share and promote content can help diversify a brand's digital presence and reach a wider audience.

Connect with Laura Arnold

Website | Instagram

In episode 587, Brenda Cadman teaches us how to organize our uploads and templates in Canva to create designs quickly and without fuss.

Brenda Cadman is a Canva Verified Expert from Prince Edward Island, Canada. After spending more than two decades supporting businesses with their website development needs, she now focuses on teaching small business owners how to use Canva more effectively and efficiently. Brenda has taught thousands of business owners through her courses, and in particular, she loves to help business owners tame their hot mess Canva accounts by creating an organizational system that ensures they can spend less time in Canva, and more time doing what they love.

In this episode, you’ll learn about creating custom folders for better categorization, template and time management and thereby streamlining the design process.

Key points discussed:

- Organize Canva uploads: Create custom folders to categorize and easily find your uploaded images, videos, and other media.

- Leverage the brand kit: Use Canva's brand kit feature to store your logo, color palette, fonts, and other brand assets for consistent branding.

- Streamline element organization: Use the "Add to Folder" option to create custom folders for frequently used icons, illustrations, and other design elements.

- Manage templates effectively: Separate future-use templates from customized brand templates to maintain organization and efficiency.

- Prioritize Canva organization: Dedicate time to organize your Canva account - this will help improve productivity and save time in the long run.

- Use brand templates to speed up workflow: Creating and saving brand templates can ensure consistency and reduce errors when customizing frequently used designs.

- Avoid wasting time in Canva: If you prioritize Canva organization, you will save time spent on the platform designing and looking for assets.

Connect with Brenda Cadman

Website | Instagram