Photo by RODNAE Productions
Many have attempted to create their name in the cookbook industry, but few have fared well. While each cookbook author has techniques for creating flavor and piquing people’s interest, there is a universal guideline people can follow to make their timeless family cookbook.
Cookbooks are a staple material in most household kitchens. They’re incredibly marketable because not only do they promise the opportunity for people to learn and taste new dishes. They’re also a perfect material to bring family members closer together.
Especially now, with the ever-growing prevalent threat of the pandemic and the rising cases of yet another outbreak, it’s high time that people look for new hobbies to pass the time. As these epidemics continue to be silent threats looming over people’s minds, it’s no wonder more people are growing fond of cooking in the comfort and safety of their homes.
In doing so, not only are they ensuring the safety of their families, but they also have full volition about what and how they’ll be cooking.
With this, many writers who also cook are making a living out of publishing their personally curated dishes. Likewise, people are steadily consuming these, thus significantly increasing their sales, almost doubling the numbers as years pass by. Even though online cookbooks are a thing, nothing beats the personal experience of having to flip through a physical book.
Due to its surging popularity, many have attempted and are still trying to publish a cookbook successfully. But half of this number would have failed at this endeavor. Not because there’s a specific qualification for cookbook writers, but perhaps because they aren’t well-versed in cooking as they’d like to think they are.
From someone who dreams of being a top chef to a simple homebody with a passion for coming up with experimental dishes, anybody can create a cookbook with the right resources. They may curate their favorite dessert recipes or a timeless family cookbook like author Eleanor Gaccetta did.
While she isn’t a professional cook, she has published a great cookbook covering an extensive list of recipes for food from different generations. Gaccetta’s books and journey show that if she can do it, there’s no stopping anyone from making their cookbook.
This is what’s excellent about cookbooks. It has unlimited potential and a non-restricting nature. There are boundless dishes anyone can do by mixing numerous ingredients available. And anybody with a flare for cooking and experimenting can create one.
As with every book to exist, cookbooks start with a great idea. What do authors want to achieve through their books? Do they want their book to primarily focus on a single ingredient and the dishes people can make with it? Or perhaps they want to focus on a specific region and cuisines?
For instance, in Eleanor Gaccetta’s book, she focused on compiling different popular recipes throughout six generations. However, she didn’t only focus on writing recipes. She also incorporated heartwarming stories she has associated with the dishes. This made her cookbook, not just a material to feed her readers’ stomachs but also their hearts.
Cookbook writers can also experiment with how they present their recipes to catch readers’ attention and interest better. Cookbooks don’t have to tackle just food alone. They can also be connected to other things that make cooking and eating perhaps more enjoyable and satisfying.
Aside from the ideas, authors must also set a budget for their books. This doesn’t mean the publication costs. Instead, they need to consider their readers’ budgets while curating and crafting their recipes.
An author might have the most luxurious and delicious array of recipes. But they’re a compilation of dishes that not everyone or not even the general public can afford to make. This doesn’t only cater less audience, thus possibly accumulating fewer sales. This also limits the authors’ impact on households, which is precisely the opposite of what cookbook authors want to achieve.
Once the technical, pre-writing process is done, it’s time to hit the busy track and compile recipes—banking on the concept that one has already decided. In collecting, authors have the liberty to create, rework existing recipes, or experiment with new ingredients and spices.
This process is undeniably the most exciting yet the most critical for authors.
They can have fun experimenting with various dishes. But at the same time, they must ensure that what they’re doing is within their target audience’s tastes and preferences and that the recipes are written clearly and can be followed quickly.
On top of having the perfect collection of recipes, it’s equally crucial that cookbooks have the ideal and appropriate photos. Authors shouldn’t only focus on ensuring they have the best recipes to share. They must also hire professional photographers to capture mouth-watering images of the food they’ve created.
Clear instructions alone won’t do the trick in selling cookbooks. As naturally visual learners, people can be enticed primarily by images. Hence, cookbook authors must consider having the best quality and composed food photos.
The Happy Hammock 