If you’re a writer who cooks or a cook who writes, chances are good that you’ve thought about writing a cookbook. Me too. So, even though I’m not a trained chef, I am going to write and publish a cookbook … hopefully, a best-selling cookbook.
Isn’t that a lofty goal you ask? You bet it is. Will I make mistakes? Probably. Does that scare me? A little. Hopefully, with my inventive and playful DIY attitude, I won’t fall flat on my face.
Stick with me and you’ll learn how I research cooking trends and discover a profitable cookbook theme. How I research the competition and develop a unique selling position.
How will I come up with and test 100+ original, tasteful, tried-and-true, recipes? I’m not sure … yet.
Follow along as I find and work with editors, proofreaders, graphic designers, photographers and food stylists. Watch me file copyrights, trademarks and obtain ISBN numbers. Look over my shoulder as I negotiate with printers and select cover stock, binding and fine-tune the layout of my cookbook.
Finally, find out about distribution, publicity, marketing and anything else that I’m currently unaware of.
I think it’ll be fun. Don’t you?
Bill
[tags]cookbook, write a cookbook[/tags]
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Bill
I see that you’ve recently started following me. Your timing is priceless, since I’ve recently been given the task of writing a cookbook for the Charcot Marie Tooth Association. It will be used as one of our fund raising vehicles for 2009. Like yourself, I’ve never written a cookbook before, but our approach is centered around group/celebrity participation and not focused on my own cooking/baking experiences. It will not be a commercial product per se (Using a Printer as opposed to a Publisher) but we will have an ISBN just the same. Great to run into someone else who is a novice in the “cookbook” arena. Best of luck, and drop me a line sometime if you care to compare notes, etc.
Sincerely,
Mark P Boxshus
New England Support Group Leader
Charcot Marie Tooth Association
@Mark,
Thanks for the comment! I’ve never heard about Charcot Marie Tooth Syndrome until I saw ads on TV by Penn State University Football Head Coach Joe Paterno - maybe he’d contribute to your celebrity cookbook some how? - Anyway, keep up the good work.
If there’s anything I can do to help you, just drop me an email.
Bill