How to Write and Publish a Cookbook
Writing a cookbook is actually an extension of happy experiences in the kitchen. People who like cooking, baking, coming up with new ideas for recipes and meals, and eating their creations already have a head start at putting together a cookbook. In some ways, writing a cookbook is kind of like hosting your own TV cooking show, clearly explaining what you are doing step-by-step, as if the readers were standing right next to you as you create each culinary treat. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Unify your cookbook by choosing a theme. Without a theme or specific topic, your cookbook will really just be a collection of recipes rather than a cookbook with a central idea, which is something publishers will be looking for. For example, you might want to write a book consisting of only Italian (or other ethnic) recipes, a pastry cookbook, a seafood cookbook or a party appetizer cookbook. Even if you want to include a smorgasbord of recipes you will still need a unifying theme, such as "Recipes Mothers Fed Their Families in the 50s" or "How to Cook Fabulously on a Budget."
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Immerse yourself in cookbook reading and "window shopping." Check out cookbooks from the library and also spend time at the bookstore. You'll be looking at how the books are organized, their layouts and formats and, particularly, cookbooks on the shelves that are similar to yours in theme or topic. You will need to be able to clearly explain to potential publishers why your book stands out from any others based on a similar idea. As you do your research, make a list of publishers to approach.
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The name of your book must clearly reflect the contents of your cookbook. Write chapter and/or section titles. Imagine a potential buyer looking through your book and taking a look at the table of contents. The chapter or selection titles should both sound interesting and also make clear what is included in each chapter.
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Try out each recipe that you plan to include in your cookbook. Write out the recipes and directions as you cook. Be exact with the ingredient amounts, and write the direction in a clear and objective manner; for example, you would want to say "Beat with an electric mixer on high for two minutes, rather than "Beat until the ingredients are blended." Engage relatives, friends and neighbors to read and try out your recipes and to give you comments and feedback on both the directions and the end result.
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Proofread the entire book, looking for typos and checking for clarity. Check your work against a guideline, such as The Cooking Up Fun site from Cornell University's Division of Nutritional Sciences, which provides specific information on how to list ingredients and how to write preparation tasks. For example, the guidelines inform the cookbook writer to "list ingredients in order of quantity, if they are added at the same time."
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Consolidate your list of potential publishers for cookbooks. Start with the names of the publishers of cookbooks you own or that you have checked out from the library or looked through at bookstores. Accessing sites such as Publishing Central or Writer's Market will give you more information about publishers and what they are looking for. Read the submission guidelines for each publisher carefully. You will want to know what can be submitted (the whole book or several chapters), whether or not they want an introduction and whether they accept online electronic submissions or prefer hard copies. Notice, too, the time lines they set for reporting the status of your submission; some publishers have a backlog of thousands of manuscripts to wade through.
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Consider self-publishing. Hundreds of small publishing companies both around the country and online offer services to those who would like to publish cookbooks on their own. In most cases, the writer pays an up-front fee for someone to edit the book, design a cover and generally prepare the book for publishing. The writer decides on the number of books that he wants printed. In most cases, self-publishers do little to help promote or publicize these books.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask yourself what you like about your favorite cookbook as a starting place.
Avoid publishers who charge reading fees for new manuscripts.
