So You Want To Write A Cookbook?

Institute of Culinary Education|

 

By Chef Instructor Jenny McCoy, School of Pastry & Baking Arts

 

Most aspiring authors have no clue of just how much time and effort goes into writing a cookbook. By the time an author has completed her manuscript, she is often wondering why in the world she signed up to write one in the first place. Rizzoli published my first cookbook, Desserts for Every Season, in September of 2013, to critical acclaim. However, it was only with the help of an incredible agent, editor, photographer, and cookbook design team that I was actually able to get the thing written.

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So as I finalize the contract details for my next cookbook(!), I thought this would be the perfect time to write about my efforts in securing a book deal, as well as the the process I like to use to write the books themselves. In a kind of mini-series of  posts for the ICE Blog, I am going to break down the process for you in four stages:

  1. Writing a Proposal
  2. Selling a Proposal
  3. Project Planning and Management
  4. Writing and Shooting Photos for a Cookbook
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