How to
Give Your Cookbook Originality
Is
your cookbook concept original?
If you answered yes, make sure you can articulate what
makes it original. Write down the answer to prove you can explain it.
This little trick can reveal when there are holes in your concept
with regards to its originality. At first glance it may appear
quite original to you, but when you slow down your brain and try to
explain it in writing, you may find it's perhaps not as original as
you initially thought, and you'll need to consider what you need to
do about that.
If you answered no, is there a sound reason why it will sell anyway?
Write down the answer to that question, for the same reason explained above.
After you've gone through this process, if you discover that your
cookbook idea doesn't have any element of originality to offer, and
therefore isn't so sound after all, don't be discouraged or
disheartened. This is actually a good thing.
It's good because you came to that realization now, before you put a
lot of work into it, and before it was published. You still have the
opportunity to go back to the drawing board, tweak the idea, and turn
it into a winner - a cookbook that really will have appeal and be saleable.
Incidentally, in going through this process, you are also answering
the questions that need to be addressed to write a compelling book
proposal for a publisher, or to get the interest of a literary agent
if you opt to go either or those two routes (or both) when it comes
to publishing the book.
Completely
original ideas are pretty hard to come by when it comes to cookbooks
these days. So even if you think the idea is original, be prepared
for the fact that it's probably not. Some version of the idea has
probably been done before, even though you may not have heard of it.
But that doesn't mean you can't still run with it. You just have to
put an original spin on it. Give your cookbook concept a unique angle
or slant that makes it genuinely your own.
If you can site statistics or trends that justify your concept and
support the need for your cookbook, be sure to do so. This type of
information helps makes a strong case in your own mind for your book,
which keeps you focused and motivated along the way as you write your
cookbook. But more than that, it will also be valuable info to
include in your book description and promotional material later when
it comes to selling the book to consumers, book clubs, catalogs, and
distributors, or when it comes to creating a 'buzz' for your book.
And it will be valuable to include in a proposal to a publisher if
you choose to go that route, or in a pitch letter to an agent if you
feel you want to be represented by one.
While going through this brainstorming process, and later while
writing the book, keep your mind attuned to any opportunities for
your cookbook that could come from the corporate market. For
instance, could your book be offered as a bonus gift with a
compatible product? Could it be sold as part of a package with other
products? Does it fit well with a particular company's concept? Could
it be used to help promote a company's products? What company's or
businesses have customers who would benefit from the book? By tying
your concept to the corporate market, you've given it that unique
spin that will differentiate it from other books with a similar
concept. You've set yours apart. You've established a reason that
people will buy your book even if a book (or books) with a similar
theme has already been done. As an added bonus, you've opened up a
great marketing channel and customer base for your book in the process!
Of course, don't use a company's name in your book until you have
struck a deal with them. If one company isn't interested you can move
on to another. But by thinking this way now, it helps you steer the
direction of your book and perhaps refine its concept, all the while
positioning it towards the highest probability for success.
Back to
Guide to Writing a Cookbook
Download the
entire CookBookSecrets.com
book in ebook format instantly, right now.
Don't miss out
on these insider's secrets of the cookbook writing industry!
Home
| Contact Us |
Privacy Policy
| Terms
of Purchase | Resellers
| Help
© 2010
WriteCookBook.com. All Rights Reserved.
Cookbook Secrets™ |
