Writing a cookbook demands a lot of time and energy. You work hard, you write your manuscript, and then after months of editing, design, and production your book lands in your hand. There’s not much else like it in the world, with the exception of delivering a baby. Some people even refer to writing a book as a gestation time and then say they’ve given “birth” to a book.

So what do I wish someone had told me before I wrote my cookbook:

  1. There will be mistakes in the cookbook. Somewhere, somehow there will be an error. You’ll find a recipe where you called for 1 tablespoons instead of 1 tablespoon. Careful editing and even hiring a competent editor will help reduce the number of errors, but just know there will be some errors. Don’t worry though – most publishers let you submit corrections before the next printing.
  2. Not everyone will like your cookbook. Please, don’t let this stop you in your tracks or worry you. It’s just the reality of writing a book and putting your work out there. Your book was written with a specific audience in mind and that means that the people outside of your audience might not like or buy your cookbook. Don’t focus on them. Focus instead on who loves your cookbook. They are the only group worth worrying about. Please them and reach out to them.
  3. Marketing and promoting your cookbook is like another job. Writing the manuscript was the first job. Selling the book and working hard to promote it is another. I know that I have worked as hard and as long to promote my cookbook as I did to write it. Connecting with customers is fun and I’ve traveled while doing so, but the work of promotion is just as time-consuming as the work of writing.

Listen to Episode 55 below:

Things We Mention In This Episode:

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