Have you ever wanted to create and design your own cookbook? You’re not alone! While cookbooks comprise less than three percent of the book publishing completed each year, they account for nearly 25 percent of the total book sales. To create the perfect selling cookbook, there are general guidelines you can follow that will ease you right into success in the publishing world.
While there are many cookbooks on the market, those that sell well are written with not only with recipes but also information of use to the reader. Statistically, since most cookbooks are read as if they are a bedtime novel, it is important to create your cookbook as a piece of work that is engaging to the reader.
The overwhelming concept among the most successful cookbooks is this notion of a common theme. For some cookbook publishers, the successful cookbooks may be themed around a particular food, say, chocolate. For others, the successful theme may lie in the region of the country or world on which the recipes are built, i.e. Cape Code, Texas barbeques or even Miami cuisine. So, the key to your successful cookbook presentation lies, first, in determining what type of theme you would like to present to the reader.
Once your theme is outlined, begin gathering recipes, tidbits of information, helpful hints and even historical pieces of data or personal stories. All of these items will create the content for your cookbook. Also, be prepared to begin snapping high quality, digital photographs of not only your food presentation but also photographs that illustrate your theme.
Upon gathering your recipes, it is important to test them, re-test them, and test them again. To do this, enlist the help of your friends and family; be certain to use only those individuals who will provide honest feedback. Type your recipe in a creative format, as you would want it to appear in the cookbook, gather the ingredients and then present the recipe to a random sample of two to three individuals who must follow the instructions and create your culinary masterpiece. As for their feedback in terms of how well the recipe is written, i.e. is it easy to follow? Also ask for feedback in terms of taste and visual appeal of the dish. Once these evaluation forms are returned, begin tweaking your recipe to make it unique and your own. Be careful! Copyright of recipes is taken very seriously! Be sure the recipes you place in your cookbook are your own, or your own twist on classic recipes, and always give credit where credit is due.
And finally, create a title for your cookbook. When you glance at the most successful cookbooks on the market, most contain two or three word titles. Develop a title that is catchy and encompasses the feel of your cookbook content.
Following these simple pieces of advice, anyone who has an interest in the culinary arts can develop their own cookbook, leading to many years of profits in this highly active published piece of work.
