Filed under: Cookbook Road to Success | Tags: Author, Book Proposal, Chef, Cookbook, Foodie, Recipes, Writer
I’m not sure there’s anything on the planet more daunting than writing a non-fiction book proposal … in my case, a cookbook proposal. Honestly, it’s harder than writing the recipes, harder than writing fiction and harder than writing an obituary, for goodness sake. Never mind that I’m writing a proposal for a cookbook about the vampires in our lives and how to feed them.
Okay, it’s the first proposal I’ve ever written and I am a little intimidated by it. After all, the practicality of the publishing efforts is the focus of a proposal, not necessarily the creative, knock-their-socks-off-and-show-fang idea I have.
Breaking big projects down into simple chunks always helps me. Vampires may function in the dark but I don’t. I need guidance! Finding the perfect instruction for putting together the perfect book proposal is paramount and I did all my homework, sucked the life blood out of every single resource I could get my hands on then dropped dead still with terror. This was going to be a challenge. Really. How was I going to get this all together? I mean, wasn’t it enough to have a great idea and fantastic recipes? Well, ladies and gents, the main thing I learned is, that exact attitude is the post mortem of all failed book proposals, and I want my vampire cookbook to be a living, vibrant entity.
I organized everything, made charts and graphs calculating darn close to perfect estimates on things like the number of pages, the number of illustrations, what my back material will cover and how I’d begin the book.
Having quickened this dead idea to life (and eased my fears) I then proceeded to the really tough stuff.
- The Proposal Format. Okay, dangerous territory already! No one really tells you this. So, being a business person for years, I decided to simply put it into a proposal format I’d have used for any number of my clients. It looks good. Hopefully my agent will be able to tell me if it needs adjustment before he heads out to shop it.
- Special Features. Well, I didn’t get far before I stumbled over my next challenge. What would be my special features? Did I need any? It’s a cookbook. But hey, I’ve never been one to schuff over a challenge so I did some serious development there. I also discovered that these are the areas where you really can be creative in your proposal.
- I had a great time with … Market Exploration, Subsidiary Rights and Spin Offs before I dropped perilously into a pit of despair, totally drained of creative solutions and facing the dreaded Platform and Promotions elements.
Here’s the sticking point. I am an expert at these two particular subjects. I consult authors all the time. I teach classes on the subjects. But when faced with having to not only implement my platforms and create all new promotions for my own non-fiction, Who Says Vampires Don’t Eat cookbook series …
I froze like a dead body. Funny, isn’t it. The things we use most successfully for others, the processes we know without a doubt to work, all seem remote and impossible when it involves our own work. I’m not afraid to teach a culinary student how to cut a perfect brunoise, or coach an author on how to find deep target markets.
So why am I so terrified of finishing the two most vital elements of my proposal? I’ve already written the sample chapter, tested all the recipes and begun exposing the concept. Why am I afraid to see what’s in the dark and step up to state what I’ve done to practice what I preach?
Maybe because I’m human? Fear of failure? Fear of success? Maybe because the creation of a non-fic book proposal has all the emotional vampiric qualities of a cruel and demanding master?
Or, maybe I just need a good swift kick in the butt.
Anyone want to encourage a scaredy cat? I need confidence and I need it now. This proposal must be done in two short weeks.
Sigh.
Filed under: Cookbook Road to Success | Tags: Author, Chef, Coobook, Foodie, Recipes, Writer
Introducing … Who Says Vampires Don’t Eat? Recipes for the Loving Vampires in Your Life.
What do you do when you know too much? No, I’m not talking about being the absolute expert at everything. Lord knows, most of us (especially me), are far from that. What I’m talking about is when your life skills, experiences and knowledge fill a big bag of eclectic mish mash, the contents of which very seldom, if ever, interconnect. Life’s junk drawer.
I have a professional photographer friend who is also a builder and a fisherman. Another acquaintance is a math teacher, a tile dancer and expert volunteer. I once knew a woman who made clothes by day and stripped by night. Skills. Every single part of these people was an amazing skill and it made them all rather unique as individuals. The magic is in how they mesh all those abilities into one existence. Today I came across a woman who offered several different services within very similar industries; some as a staff executive, others as a free lance expert. She manages to stand on several different levels of a common need. Nothing conflicts but everything works. Genius. Absolute genius.
I try that too. I’m doing my best to combine as many of my acquired skills under one heading … writer. Having written for the advertising, marketing and public relations world for so long, I was always working on some novel or another behind the scenes. Understanding the ins and outs of publicity, I’m doing everything I know to make my work visible. But, there was a challenge missing.
When I became a chef, I thought it was such a drastic ninety degree shift I’d never connect things again. It was fun, it’s was massively creative, competitive and challenging and oh hell yeah, I loved every minute of it. But as this chef grew older, those three gallon stock pots got heavier and heavier. I knew it was time to return to the keyboard.
So, how can I stitch my two loves together? And … how could I do it to create additional excitement for my Cold in California, vampire paranormal romance series?
After a suggestion from a new acquaintance, it hit me like a salami to the head. A cookbook. But not just a cookbook, a Vampire Cookbook.
Now things really have begun to weld together. My learned skills of research and development from the old marketing days stood at attention and things started to pop. Did I want to write a blood cookbook? After all, the only two vampire cookbooks I could find on line were either a joke book or a book using blood as the major ingredient for all recipes. Ew.
See, I really wanted to write a cookbook for people who eat food, not suck blood. It seemed hopeless, but then I recalled some terminology that caught my interest before and now has me jumping for joy. Did you know there are Psychic Vampires? There are Emotional Vampires too. Now add to that the Husband Vampire, the Nosey Neighbor Vampire and the Cranky Sister-in-Law Vampire and now we’re cooking.
The cookbook took on a form and life of its own. The narrative covers how these people, although all loved and cherished, can suck the life right out of us. It follows the same tongue-in-cheek style of writing as Cold in California, and like that paranormal romance series, the cookbooks also will have a series. Kid Vampire cookbooks that will benefit children’s charities; College Student Vampires who need a little guidance in the food choosing, preparation and quality area; Bachelor Vampires who want to impress and get some. Yes, this could be a lot of fun!
Who knows anything about writing a non-fiction proposal? Trust me; it’s a long, laborious, time consuming and utterly satisfying process. It’s like writing a business plan for your new, soon-to-be dynasty business. I’ve got something here, I just know it. Aside from the duo-publicity potential between the Cold in California series and this cookbook series, I’m actually going to have a great cookbook with my own award winning recipes and a lot of playful narrative to soothe the savage writer within. Next: promotional plans, live demonstrations and tastings.
Could life get any better?
Follow me on this wonderful journey. Go on, hit the subscribe button. I promise, it’ll always be tasty!
