Howdy cookbook fans!

And welcome to…well this isn’t really an “issue” per se, more of a status update. Three years into running this newsletter and I am still fine tuning! I have some exciting changes in store for you, and I hope you enjoy them. I will explain in more detail below, but first let’s see exactly what I’m talking about. From now on:

Everyone gets these on Tuesdays:

• 2 news digests per month.

• 1 essay, either by me or a contributor, per month.

• 1 issue highlighting the new releases coming out next month.

Share Stained Page News

Paid subscribers get all that, plus:

• Friday issues, which will be a sort of informal book club: updates from me, what I’m cooking, what I’m reading, discussion threads, and the occasional recipe.

• Ability to comment on all posts.

• 1 personalized cookbook recommendation via email per year. This can be for you or for a gift for someone. It will be very similar to the reader request columns I have done in the past, but in your inbox once a year. Details below.

Introducing the SPN Bookshelf Club!

• The Bookshelf Club is a top tier subscription for readers who really want to show their support for Stained Page News. They will get everything paid subscribers get, plus…

• …3 total personalized cookbook recommendations per year. Two will be via email. One will be very special…

• One annotated cookbook per year! I will buy a copy, write a note in the front about why I picked it to you, and lightly annotate it (circle recipes I think sound fun, star good tips in the margins, that kind of thing). In other words, I AM GOING TO STAIN A (some) PAGE(s) FOR YOU. Details below.

Join the SPN Bookshelf Club for the introductory price of $150 per year.

(As of March 17, this will go up to $200/year.)

Okay let’s talk about why. Believe it or not, SPN is my side gig. I have a real job: co-authoring cookbooks, recipe development, freelance writing and editing. My goal for this newsletter has always been for it to pay for its time in my schedule and, three years in, it’s still not doing that. And I’m majorly burnt out because of it.

But this newsletter has an audience that is too large to ignore. And on top of that, it’s really fun for me to write! So the answer is not to shelve the project—which was, unfortunately, on the table—but rather to make it work for me and, I hope, for you. This new structure solves a lot of headaches for me, and I think will be more fun and enjoyable for all.

Okay let’s get into some specifics.

Cookbook Recommendations and Annotated Books

Paid subscribers get 1 recommendation per year; Bookshelf Club members get 3. I consider the “year” to begin when your subscription begins/renews. (I will be confirming subscription status for each request.) You can request your recommendation for yourself or as a gift. Fill out the request form here:

Request a cookbook recommendation!

Annotated Book Details: I will need a mailing address for you, which you can add to the form above. I am not going to put a price limit on this but know that I am not out here to send people $150 first editions, or whatever.

January and February New Release Authors

Unfortunately, this schedule change means I am starting the year with March new releases. If you are a subscriber who is the author (not the publicist) of a January or February release, respond to this email and I will have a special shouts section for you in the March preview.

Potential Advertisers

Hi there! One of the reasons I have made some of these changes is because I had more requests for ads than I had slots! If you are interested in advertising in a newsletter with skyhigh open rates, enthusiastic engagement, and a growing niche audience, please get in touch!

Book Publicists

Hello! So, this change means that instead of doing 3 seasonal book previews per year, I’ll be doing them monthly. Apart from the March preview, they will run the last Tuesday of each month. That means I don’t need to be on your long lead list (emailing me about books 9 months out will just disappear in my inbox). I would LOVE to see review copies (email me for a mailing address), and I am also in the market for recipes from new releases to run in the Friday paid subscriber issues. What I am saying is, email me.

IMPORTANT: I do not write about books with diet, wellness, or health claims. I will write about vegan and vegetarian cookbooks so long as there is not a weight-loss focus, and I will write about books that cater to folks with food allergies (IE egg-free baking or whatever). This is a career-long policy of mine, please keep them out of my inbox.

Freelancers with Pitches You’ve Written Off for Dead

I owe you an email, I am so sorry.

Okay. That was a lot that was not about cookbooks, thank you for getting this far. I hope this is a positive change for all! Please don’t hesitate to email me or pop into the comments with any questions. Paid subscribers and bookshelf members, I will see you a week from today. And then it’s off to the races! (Please don’t all of you request your recs at once lol.) Have a great week.