One thing I advise aspiring cookbook authors is NOT to give all of their content away for free on their blog. Yes, a blog is a place to share information, but their cookbook needs to contain new information and recipes that aren’t previously published on their blog. I mean, after all, who wants to buy a $30.00 cookbook when they know that all of the recipes, stories, and teaching material can be found for free on the author’s website or blog.
Today I break my own rules. Over the past two years I’ve built a cookbook coaching business as an extension of my cookbook writing and editing work. On a hot day in the summer of 2011 I realized that I loved the written word around food and cooking just as much, if not more, than cooking itself. I also realized that many aspiring cookbook authors who aren’t on the top of a huge food-writing or food-blogging platform often feel alone and in need of answers and help in the pre-publication phase of writing their cookbook.
As a result, I started my coaching business, and have since worked with several motivated aspiring cookbook authors. In our twice-a-month coaching sessions we achieve results defining their audience, writing their cookbook proposal, and giving permission to move forward with their project.
My work as a cookbook coach has been inspiring, but it’s mostly been hidden – on the phone, with my clients, away from the public eye as I help transform ideas and passions into a cookbook concept.
Recently I realized I have much more I can share here on this blog than I currently share. I have a lot of valuable content I can give away for free such as tips on recipe writing and copyright, suggestions for working with editors, tips on writing a cookbook proposal, and my favorite writing tools, productivity apps, writing websites, as well as print books and other resources.
Stay tuned and join me as I challenge myself to give more valuable content – valuable content that will move you one step closer to writing the cookbook you’ve always dreamed of – for free!