The following piece originally ran as part of Matt’s “Blowing Up” column in TNT:
Michele Jordan
www.micheleannajordan.com
While many may consider the writer’s life to be a solitary one, it actually is dependent upon and deeply intertwined with many other people. Even for those editorial entrepreneurs who publish on their own, there are many other people in the pipeline in addition to those who (hopefully) purchase and read the books. From editors to agents to booksellers and publicists, there are many people without whom the so-called solitary scribe could not sustain.
In order to make it as writer, it takes a bunch of fresh ideas and the drive to plant and prune them even before others think they are ripe. Michele Anna Jordan has been writing about California’s famed Sonoma County before it was known as “Wine Country” and has remained a publishing pioneer on the CA food and wine scenes.
In addition to a new website (www.micheleannajordan.com), Jordan has recently launched her own newsletter, in which she harvests and pours out her deep-seeded love for her community and the people and flavors that make it so rich and full-bodied.
The author of 24 books, Jordan also contributes multiple columns to The Press Democrat and hosts a radio show tellingly-entitled “Mouthful: Smart Talk About Food, Wine, & Farming,” which is celebrating its 21st year on KRCB-FM. So even if the writer’s life is lonely (which it isn’t), it is certainly not slow!
TNT: How do you define your venture?
MAJ: A comprehensive web site, micheleannajordan.com, that is an aggregate of all my work, writing, broadcasting, cooking, and, to some degree, photography. It is, in part, a voyeuristic look at Sonoma County. It is also a comprehensive cooking site or soon will be, as it is still in its development phase, that teaches anyone anywhere to cook as I do in Sonoma County.
TNT: What gave you the idea?
MAJ: My best friends, James and John, who felt the time was right for someone like me to make a go of such an enterprise. I’m hoping they are right.
TNT: Who is your customer base or demographic?
MAJ: Anyone and everyone who loves Sonoma County, who loves simple contemporary ingredient-based home cooking, who loves a good read, and who has a diverse and somewhat refined aesthetic. You don’t have to be a so-called foodie; in fact, one of my recent articles on the site is “Why I Don’t Call Myself a Foodie.” The site is about 75 to 80 percent food and beverage related. The rest has to do with all the things I love about this glorious place where I live, from radio and music to animals, art, and what stores have the cutest clothes.
TNT: How do you fit into the market?
MAJ: I’m one of a kind! Seriously, I am one of the few writers today who both focuses on the home cook (my recipes are tested in a home kitchen, without a staff of prep chefs) and who also has professional chef credentials. I am also a skilled writer and editor. Everything on the site has been vetted and if it’s there, I am recommending it. I’ve written more than 20 books to date and my recipes work.
TNT: What do you most need to be a success?
MAJ: Of course I need readers, as they are the ones for whom I write. Compare the transaction fees charged by different payment processing companies. Readers also help with funding the site, not directly but by showing sponsors they will reach a lot of eyeballs, which in turn allows me time to create and add content . . .and pay the rent! Also, an assistant would be helpful and I’m hoping to be able to make that happen sometime soon.
