This post is an A to Z random thoughts list about writing a cookbook. I wrote it because this week I keep thinking about clients who say, “I don’t know”. What if you did know? What would that look like? So when you don’t know what to write, write an A to Z list around your area of expertise. You might be surprised what comes up.
- Action, not inaction, leads to your book’s completion.
- Build your platform every day.
- Create book content that your audience will enjoy and benefit from. You are the expert.
- Delve deep into a narrow topic to broaden your appeal.
- Effort is not always necessary when you feel good and write what you love.
- Follow your favorite cookbook authors on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Let them inspire you.
- Go for it. Don’t be afraid. Love others and love what you do and from this good-feeling place, you will get good results.
- Host a cookbook recipe tasting/testing party. Gather your friends to test and taste recipes.
- Inspire others with your message and they will follow you.
- Just because you receive a rejection, you don’t have to stop. Yes lives in the land of no. Don’t be afraid of no.
- Keep track of your recipes in writing. Note any changes made to the recipe as you revise and test.
- Lower your expectations. Don’t expect others to do the work for you or for others to be the reason you don’t get started on the book you always dream about.
- Move along. Always keep moving. If you’re not moving you’re probably not growing.
- Never let bad thoughts or feelings drive your results. Your results will be negative. Let good feelings drive results. You’ll get better results.
- Other people have good ideas, but when you’re generating your cookbook concept, don’t take a poll. Just poll yourself and decide what you want to do.
- Pay attention to how you feel during this journey because it is a journey. Even when you finish your book, the journey continues as you market and sell the book.
- Quitting won’t get you closer to your goal. Don’t quit, just keep learning.
- Rest assured that no one can write a book exactly like you because they aren’t you.
- Save yourself the trouble of not asking too many opinions. Your reason to move forward is in you.
- Test all recipes for your cookbook proposal. Test them again so you put your best foot forward.
- Unless you plan to write only one book, don’t feel like you have to cover everything in your first book.
- Vary the ways you feel inspired from travel, to exercise, to a meal at your favorite restaurant.
- When it’s time to submit your cookbook proposal, follow the agent’s or publisher’s submission guidelines.
- Xylophone. This had nothing to do with cookbooks but I can’t think of an X word.
- You are the reason your book idea is different from your competitors. You make it unique.
- Zero in on your audience and how you can help them or what you can offer them from your expertise.
Cookbook author and culinary dietitian Maggie Green coaches aspiring cookbook authors in the process of writing cookbooks, cookbook proposals, and building their author platform. Download her checklist “Am I Ready to Write A Cookbook?”