13 replies to this topic

[Justin Pinkney]

Do people own/have any good recommendations for cookbooks which have been self-published (or at least from small independent publishers)? Not that I think that there is anything inherently better about indie/self-publishing, but knowing people who have self-published (but not cookbooks) I know the problems of promotion and getting your work out there. So I though having such a wide ranging and knowledgeable community as eGullet (sycophantic I know!) collect and recommend some independent cookbooks would be useful for everyone!

[Hassouni]

I've mentioned it a few times, but Nawal Nasrallah's Delights From the Garden of Eden is a lengthy and exhaustive masterwork on Iraqi cuisine. You'd be surprised, our food is quite varied and kicks ass

http://www.iraqicookbook.com/contents/intro/main.html

Edited by Hassouni, 13 June 2012 - 01:38 PM.

[teonzo]

I've talked about "Perfection in Imperfection" by Janice Wong in the past:
http://forums.egulle...__+janice +wong

Various high end restaurants self published their books. The firsts that come to mind are Alinea and Le Calandre:
http://www.alinea-restaurant.com/
http://www.calandre.com/



Teo

[wayne cohen]

<sub>" Cooking on the Line" excerpt from the eGullet Staff .... http://t.co/iUROIhvU

This book presents a cooks-eye view of working in fine dining restaurants including Graham Elliots' and Piccolo Sogno. The book also has recipes.
Enjoy!</sub>

Edited by wayne cohen, 15 June 2012 - 12:55 PM.

[KennethT]

I'd say that probably the most well known self-published cookbook (especially on eGullet) is Modernist Cuisine, and coming soon, the Modernist Cuisine at Home.

[SylviaLovegren]

I've mentioned it a few times, but Nawal Nasrallah's Delights From the Garden of Eden is a lengthy and exhaustive masterwork on Iraqi cuisine. You'd be surprised, our food is quite varied and kicks ass

http://www.iraqicook...intro/main.html

I'll second that. A wonderful book. I heard her speak about it in New York -- sadly, right after the invasion by the US -- and she seemed like a lovely person. Definitely a book worth tracking down.

[bethesdabakers]

I’m sure there is nothing “inherently better about indie/self-publishing” apart from an artisan satisfaction of having produced it yourself. Success is covering your cost; major success is being able to afford a reprint.

If your subject is bread and (in the UK) your name is not Dan Lepard, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall or work from the School of Artisan Food you are not likely to find a publisher.

If your subject is naturally leavened bread, no matter how good it is – forget it. Even with a “celeb” name no publisher is interested.

Although there hasn’t been much response to Justin’s original post, there are likely to be any number of excellent self-published books out there especially on “minority” interests in food preparation. The problem for the author is bringing them to the world’s attention.

So, as well as self-publishing, I would like to self-recommend “Bethesdabasics – Sourdough Made Simple” because I honestly think it’s the best basic book available on the subject - http://thepartisanbaker.com/shop/ - plenty of customer response on the blog.

It won’t make me rich if you buy it. But think, £600 would let me print my next book on how to set up and run a microbakery. That means more bakers in the world baking good bread one of whom might set up in your neighbourhood …

Mick

[Smithy]

I've mentioned it a few times, but Nawal Nasrallah's Delights From the Garden of Eden is a lengthy and exhaustive masterwork on Iraqi cuisine. You'd be surprised, our food is quite varied and kicks ass

http://www.iraqicook...intro/main.html

I'll second that. A wonderful book. I heard her speak about it in New York -- sadly, right after the invasion by the US -- and she seemed like a lovely person. Definitely a book worth tracking down.

ObMeToo: I third the recommendation. A friend gave me a copy after hearing Ms. Nasralllah speak, and we both love the book.

[SylviaLovegren]

I’m sure there is nothing “inherently better about indie/self-publishing” apart from an artisan satisfaction of having produced it yourself. Success is covering your cost; major success is being able to afford a reprint.

If your subject is bread and (in the UK) your name is not Dan Lepard, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall or work from the School of Artisan Food you are not likely to find a publisher.

If your subject is naturally leavened bread, no matter how good it is – forget it. Even with a “celeb” name no publisher is interested.

Although there hasn’t been much response to Justin’s original post, there are likely to be any number of excellent self-published books out there especially on “minority” interests in food preparation. The problem for the author is bringing them to the world’s attention.

So, as well as self-publishing, I would like to self-recommend “Bethesdabasics – Sourdough Made Simple” because I honestly think it’s the best basic book available on the subject - http://thepartisanbaker.com/shop/ - plenty of customer response on the blog.

It won’t make me rich if you buy it. But think, £600 would let me print my next book on how to set up and run a microbakery. That means more bakers in the world baking good bread one of whom might set up in your neighbourhood …

Mick

Wish I weren't doing the stupid low-carb thing (and that my husband weren't WILDLY enthusiastic about it). I miss baking bread and your book sounds wonderful. Just love your TBOB slogan!

Edited by SylviaLovegren, 04 July 2012 - 06:13 AM.

[bethesdabakers]

Wish I weren't doing the stupid low-carb thing (and that my husband weren't WILDLY enthusiastic about it). I miss baking bread and your book sounds wonderful. Just love your TBOB slogan!

TBOB (Taking the Bollocks Out of Baking) is much needed. It wasn’t me who called your low-carb diet stupid. I would sue the estate of Robert Atkins for obstructing trade (or whatever the correct term is) but I don’t sell enough books to be able to afford to sue because everyone is on a low-carb diet. (I see he once thought of becoming a comedian.)

Also, I won’t take part in the dumbing down race (Sourdough Made Simple in Only 3.5 Minutes a Day?) I see we now have a Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Does that mean the bread in the first book was unhealthy? Another reason my book is self-published and approaching 250 sales while these books have bona fide publishers and sell by the thousand.

Revolutionary thought but every consider coming off the low-carb diet, buying the book and baking the bread? Your husband doesn’t have to eat it.

Best wishes

Mick

[SylviaLovegren]

Wish I weren't doing the stupid low-carb thing (and that my husband weren't WILDLY enthusiastic about it). I miss baking bread and your book sounds wonderful. Just love your TBOB slogan!

TBOB (Taking the Bollocks Out of Baking) is much needed. It wasn’t me who called your low-carb diet stupid. I would sue the estate of Robert Atkins for obstructing trade (or whatever the correct term is) but I don’t sell enough books to be able to afford to sue because everyone is on a low-carb diet. (I see he once thought of becoming a comedian.)

Also, I won’t take part in the dumbing down race (Sourdough Made Simple in Only 3.5 Minutes a Day?) I see we now have a Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Does that mean the bread in the first book was unhealthy? Another reason my book is self-published and approaching 250 sales while these books have bona fide publishers and sell by the thousand.

Revolutionary thought but every consider coming off the low-carb diet, buying the book and baking the bread? Your husband doesn’t have to eat it.

Best wishes

Mick

I'm thinking about it! He lost 25 pounds on the diet, I lost bupkis (and still trying to find it!). Sylvia

[bethesdabakers]

Thanks Sylvia. Having googled it I can now add bupkis to my vocabulary.

Mick

[Justin Pinkney]

One that's cropped up on my twitter feed and looks interesting is Modernist Vegetarian by Eddie Shepherd, kind of cashing in on the current 'Modernist' craze but looks interesting, and if it was available on anything other than itunes then I would get a copy.

[TheCulinaryLibrary]

I was just writing about this in Cookbook owners dilema post. I have just published Vol.1 in a 20 book series on cooking techniques/tools/food etc.
Here is an extract from the above post.
........don't worry about food/cookbook authors because when you have a passion you just can't help yourself and speaking from experience (of both the old and new systems) the publishing process and author royalties just keep get better and better thanks solely to the big online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc. and certainly not to traditional publishers/editors who are also packing their bags for shopping mall heaven or going to work for Amazon, same thing really. Melbourne Artshub, an online Mag, which reaches 30-40,000 readers weekly just published an article I wrote ( see it at theculinarylibrary.com) , about my experience of being an author in both systems. I know people are thinking about and interested in this issue because so far its been the most red article of 2012.
'Alchemy of the Mortar & Pestle', Vol 1. of The CulinaryLibrary is available throught Amazon.com and selected retail stores in America.