Blog Beat: Jen Yates of Cake Wrecks

For our inaugural Blog Beat series — where we profile bloggers around the World Wide Web — we have a blog world guest so phenomenal that I keep having to pinch myself. Her name is Jen Yates and she writes the Cake Wrecks blog, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. A Cake Wreck is any cake that is “unintentionally sad, silly, creepy or inappropriate”. It’s for anyone who’s had a mishap or three in the kitchen and can laugh about it. Jen’s ideas and writing are crisp, snarky and entertaining. Let me tell you, that is a hard feat to consistently maintain as a writer and she makes it seem effortless. (Seriously, click on her blog, read for a bit and then come on back to Fauxology. Go on, scoot — I’ll wait for you here.) (….2 hours later….Ahh, you’re back.? Addictive, right? So, did you see what I mean about her writing, her personality? That, folks, is called a Gift.)

But, not completely impressed yet? Let me give you some numbers. The blog averages 65,000 visitors a day and she is closing in on 620,000 followers on Twitter. The icing on the cake? (HAD to throw that in there.) She has a fantastic book, Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong, that is pre-selling now and coming out this October. For the 2009 Bloggie Awards she scored a hat trick and won Best Food Blog, Best New Blog AND Best Writing of a Weblog. Here are some Cake Wreck pics and then we’ll head into the interview.

The inspiration for the wedding cake (left) and what was delivered (right)…

Following instructions to the “T”…

Q: What are some?misconceptions about Cake Wrecks that you encounter?
A: The main misconception is always the same: that I?m a mean, nasty person and that Cake Wrecks is all about shredding bakers and mocking their hard work. Fortunately, anyone who sticks around long enough to read more than a few posts usually understands that?s not the case. I actually have a huge amount of respect for bakers and freely admit that I?d be churning out the occasional Wreck, too, if I were in their place.

Q: What are some of your favorite websites and blogs?
A: Being online every day, I?m constantly discovering new gems. One of my favorite blogs is SuperPunch, because the writer John does nothing but list fascinating tidbits from all over the web. I?m a geek, too, so I have to check in with Geekologie, Neatorama, and Great White Snark. On my Yahoo reader I?ve also got Woot (love the tees), Doe Deere, It?s Lovely! I?ll Take It!, Boobs, Injuries & Dr. Pepper, a few cake sites and blogs of friends. One perk of running Cake Wrecks is that now, all the time I spend browsing amazing cake galleries online is actually work and not just me goofing off.? I can?t believe that I still enjoy it as much as I do.

Q: Would you rather be on the cover of Time or People magazine?
A: Neither, but only because I?m camera shy. Don?t get me wrong; I love that Cake Wrecks is a success, I love my readers and I?m so grateful for this past year, but I?ve never craved that kind of publicity. I prefer fans not know what I look like unless they meet me in person, so they don?t have any preconceived ideas or judge what I write by how I look. (And before any rumors start, no, I don?t have a third eye or anything.)

I never realized how deeply ingrained the desire for fame was in this country until I started turning down TV and other media appearances, though; pretty much everyone I know thought I?d gone stark raving bonkers. People think it?s either false humility or that there?s something wrong with me for not wanting the limelight. [shrug] That?s ok, though. I?ve never prided myself on being normal!

Q: What advice would you offer our blog readers with regards to creating a successful blog?
A: I?m certainly no expert, since the success of Cake Wrecks was as much of a surprise to me as to anyone, so my advice is pretty simple: Write about what you love, or don?t write at all. Your passion (or lack thereof) is going to show, and if you?re only writing for financial gain you?re going to get discouraged. It takes time to build a readership, so be sure you?re getting at least some enjoyment out of the blog even if no one?s reading it; otherwise you?ll let the numbers dictate when and how often you write, which can be the kiss of death to your incentive and your blog.

Other than that, I?d say that no matter what your blog topic is, try to keep it to-the-point and engaging. Use lots of photos; they?re instantly accessible and interesting. Make your site easy to navigate for first-time visitors, and never ever, dip into the grey areas ethically by ?borrowing? content without credit or tricking your readers into clicking on ads. It doesn?t pay and it?ll come back to bite you eventually.

You know how some groceries sell half cakes?? Someone has something against clowns…

In the “No, thank you, I shan’t be partaking of the cake” category. (As luscious as a beating red heart and flies on meat may be.)

And ensuring that Jen will always have a fresh blog…

Jen and I met through her husband, John — a very successful local artisan and owner of Artistic License.? I hope you’ve enjoyed the premiere of the Blog Beat series!? We won’t necessarily be strictly sticking to the design/faux/decorative painting genre but we will be sticking to great bloggers talking about their blogs and offering a bit of guidance.? Hope you’ve enjoyed Cake Wrecks! You can find Jen on Twitter via @cakewrecks and on the Cake Wrecks Facebook page. Have a wonderful weekend!