How to Write and Self-Publish a Cookbook
So you’ve decided that you want to write a cookbook and self-publish your work. Great! But-you’re not too sure how to get started. You want to know “how to write a cookbook.” One of the biggest mistakes new or first-time cookbook writers make is thinking that they just have get on with the recipes and writing, and everything will work itself out in the end. The truth is that initial planning and marketing of your cookbook deserves a lot more attention than it gets.
Starting to write a cookbook is no different from starting to write any book. That means the best way to start your cookbook project is by asking one simple question: Why? That’s right…why? Consider this—if you were submitting your manuscript for publication through a traditional publisher; you’d be required to submit a detailed proposal.
One of the important components of the proposal includes explanations about why your book should be published and, why anyone would want to read it. This can seem harsh to a newbie, but it’s important to know. When you submit a proposal, you’re actually asking for a chance to “sell” your book idea to the publisher. What they really want to know is if you can tell them why they should bother to read your proposal and your manuscript. So—you have to be really clear on why that is, or you’ll get nowhere fast.
But maybe you’re wondering how this applies to self-publishing. You need to know the “why” for yourself. So you can be sure of your project’s worth from start to finish. If you don’t know why you’re doing it from the beginning, you may wake up one morning wondering why the heck you’re putting yourself through writing a cookbook to begin with. That could cause you to give up when the going gets tough. Further, if you don’t know why you’re writing your cookbook you probably won’t be able to identify your “target market.” And that spells disaster for any cookbook project.
If you want to self-publish a cookbook and you want it to be successful, you owe it to yourself to go through the exercise of writing a book proposal. By doing so, you’ll learn everything you need to know about your cookbook. The book proposal becomes the written business plan for your cookbook. When completed, the book proposal will serve as a compass to guide you through the entire process. You’ll know where you’re going with your cookbook and, you’ll know how to get there. You’ll know everything you need to know about your customer and, you’ll know what you have to do to market your cookbook.
When you become clear on the WHY, you’ll be empowered. This will support the strong inner belief you’ll need to carry you through the duration of your writing project. You’ll also be able to speak about your cookbook confidently and intelligently when you begin marketing. And whether you’re doing that online or face-to-face, communicating effectively will come in very handy. So gather your recipes, do your research, write your stories, and type to your heart’s content, just know why you’re doing it!
Category: Writing & Publishing
