The Differences Between Cookbooks and Culinary Blogs

In the digital age, many have clamored that the online blog is going to overtake the cookbook when it comes to finding recipes. Indeed, there is no shortage of online cooking blogs out there, and a few of them even manage to convert into cookbooks. The trend of bloggers getting book deals should reassure you that the cookbook is not dead, if it were, why would these bloggers be so eager to see their work in print? However, there is a change in the tide and would-be cookbook authors need to respond by emphasizing what cookbooks can do better than blogs.

A matter of time
When it comes to time, blogs have the advantage, assuming you are wanting to go fast. A blog post can go up in a matter of minutes, whereas a book takes months to get published. In addition, the amount of time home cooks interact with each medium is similarly divided. Given the power of Internet search engines, blogs are ideal for individuals looking for a specific recipe at a moment’s notice. Cookbooks, however, require more time. Their readers enjoy perusing the pages and taking in the stories and pictures that accompany each recipe. Print media is more and more being used for inspiration and less for research.

All about the story
While the most successful cooking blogs have a unique angle or point of view on their cooking, they aren’t quite able to capture the same story time quality of cookbooks. Perhaps it has something to do with the physical difference between a computer and a book, after all a book is much easier to curl up with in front of the fire than a laptop. Cookbook authors need to embrace this storytelling dimension. Use your cookbook to create a world through food rather than a repository for your favorite dishes. This way the recipes will be more like invitations into the world you have created for readers to recreate at home.

Embrace the visual
Both cookbooks and blogs rely on professional level food photography. However, each medium has their own limitations when it comes to images. On blogs, the pictures are part of your marketing strategy, as every like and share is an endorsement with outreach potential. In a book, however, the pictures are personal, physical and instructional.

In thinking about the best way to share your culinary expertise with the world, consider carefully the differences between these two popular mediums.