Cookbook writers on eGullet

[Chris Amirault]

Test cooks and test readers of completed chapters are needed.

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Sign me up.

[Busboy]

There is also Suvir Suran.

As for myself I am an aspiring one. The first one that I'm working on is on Algerian cookery with alot of historical information and personal narrative in it. The one I have on the back burner is about the Burgundy and the Rhone specifically Lyon and the Beaujolais.

It is alot of work. I couldn't do it alone while working full time. I'm fortunate enough to have a married a woman who has a deep interest in food, research and writing.

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I volunteer to be one of your test cooks. I write, too, if Touaregsand gets bored.

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I don't get bored. But I find that I'm putting too many of my own projects on the backburner, what I really want to do is direct.

The biggest challenge in ghostwriting is translating Farid's Franglish and writing the way he sees and speaks about the world. My own voice is more like Faulknerian drunken rants, interspersed with adaptations of Dylan Thomas poems with a touch of Borges and the attitude of Jeanne Moreau in a Black and White film smoking cigarettes while staring out the window saying, "we are all out of wine. life is sooo difficult."

After "The Beautiful Algeria" project is complete we'll begin working on the Lyon/Beaujolais book. We want to include other writers in this one and have been keeping an eye out on egullet. PM either one of us if interested. We have a lot of other projects that are being sketched out.

Test cooks and test readers of completed chapters are needed.

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Just PM me and I'm happy to help. I've been wanting to learn a lot more about about North African cooking for a while, and would enjoy playing lab rat for you.

[andiesenji]

Translating any language is an extremely complex undertaking, and when one deals with regional variations of spelling it has to be even more difficult and it is amazing to me that some people can do it with flair and make the subject interesting.

[SKinCA]

There is also Suvir Suran.

As for myself I am an aspiring one. The first one that I'm working on is on Algerian cookery with alot of historical information and personal narrative in it. The one I have on the back burner is about the Burgundy and the Rhone specifically Lyon and the Beaujolais.

It is alot of work. I couldn't do it alone while working full time. I'm fortunate enough to have a married a woman who has a deep interest in food, research and writing.

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I volunteer to be one of your test cooks. I write, too, if Touaregsand gets bored.

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I don't get bored. But I find that I'm putting too many of my own projects on the backburner, what I really want to do is direct.

The biggest challenge in ghostwriting is translating Farid's Franglish and writing the way he sees and speaks about the world. My own voice is more like Faulknerian drunken rants, interspersed with adaptations of Dylan Thomas poems with a touch of Borges and the attitude of Jeanne Moreau in a Black and White film smoking cigarettes while staring out the window saying, "we are all out of wine. life is sooo difficult."

After "The Beautiful Algeria" project is complete we'll begin working on the Lyon/Beaujolais book. We want to include other writers in this one and have been keeping an eye out on egullet. PM either one of us if interested. We have a lot of other projects that are being sketched out.

Test cooks and test readers of completed chapters are needed.

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I'd love to recipe test! I tested for Linda Carucci (Secrets From a Caterers Kitchen) and am currently testing with Marlene Koch (Fabulous Food with Splenda). And before people start jeering -don't knock the Splenda - it presents some tricky baking problems particularly and I'm learning quite a bit!

[Pam R]

I'd love to recipe test! I tested for Linda Carucci (Secrets From a Caterers Kitchen) and am currently testing with Marlene Koch (Fabulous Food with Splenda). And before people start jeering -don't knock the Splenda - it presents some tricky baking problems particularly and I'm learning quite a bit!

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I think we have the same publisher....

Anyhow, I've only skimmed through most of the entries as it's been a busy week - but one thing that's true is that if you're not somewhat famous, it's hard to get good tv. It can also be hard to get a publisher. When I first started working on my book, I had no idea what I was doing (which is still true now that it's done). A publisher I emailed about publishing the book emailed back and said something like "if you're not thin, gorgeous and famous, you're not going to get a book deal". He later offered to publish my book.

With my Canadian publisher, though I'm unknown outside of Winnipeg, I was able to do some TV and radio in Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver - though I didn't get onto Vicki because I had no previous TV. Throughout Canada I've received a lot of great print. In the US, I got no TV - and the print is just trickling in. Maybe an agent would have helped more with this, maybe it's not unusual - I don't know. I'm trying to be pro-active - as much as I can - and getting my recipes into as many papers as I can.

[Carolyn Tillie]

The biggest challenge in ghostwriting is translating Farid's Franglish and writing the way he sees and speaks about the world. My own voice is more like Faulknerian drunken rants, interspersed with adaptations of Dylan Thomas poems with a touch of Borges and the attitude of Jeanne Moreau in a Black and White film smoking cigarettes while staring out the window saying, "we are all out of wine. life is sooo difficult."

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eGullet needs to start a "Best of" quotes thread. I would like to nominate this as the first in a series of simply utterly brilliant statements.

Bravo!

[docbrite]

I've not written a cookbook, but I am the author of three food-related novels -- The Value of X, Liquor, and Prime -- and am at work on a fourth. These tell the story of two young New Orleans chefs who open a restaurant where the menu is entirely based on liquor, a concept I think would be perfect for a N.O. restaurant. Some readers have expressed interest in a cookbook. There are a few problems: (1) people outside the business tend not to understand that the publisher of your novels won't automatically want to publish a cookbook based on them; (2) much of the food in the novels is inspired by other chefs' food I've eaten, so I don't really think of it as "mine"; (3) I have no idea how to write or test any but the simplest recipes, and my husband is a chef and thus at work all the time, so there's no help from that quarter.

As far as the importance of an agent, I've made my living as a freelance writer for fifteen years and I know a good agent can help you as much as a bad one can hurt you. I don't know if there are any Stephen King fans here, but whatever you may think of his fiction (I like it), he knows the writing business as well as anyone and the second half of his memoir/guide On Writing contains some of the best advice I've ever read on how to obtain literary representation.

I'm a new subscriber to eGullet and it's exciting to see so many writers here whose work I have enjoyed. (Michael Ruhlman's The Making of a Chef has been an invaluable research tool, ultimately inspiring me to visit the CIA a couple of years ago, and I've recently been comparing some of Clifford Wright's recipes with traditional foods that appear on the St. Joseph altars held every March 19 by New Orleanians of Sicilian ancestry). I introduced myself briefly over on the Louisiana board, but would like to do so again here. I look forward to discussing and obsessing over food with all of you.

Poppy Z. Brite

[pam claughton]

I've not written a cookbook, but I am the author of three food-related novels -- The Value of X, Liquor, and Prime -- and am at work on a fourth. These tell the story of two young New Orleans chefs who open a restaurant where the menu is entirely based on liquor, a concept I think would be perfect for a N.O. restaurant. Some readers have expressed interest in a cookbook. There are a few problems: (1) people outside the business tend not to understand that the publisher of your novels won't automatically want to publish a cookbook based on them; (2) much of the food in the novels is inspired by other chefs' food I've eaten, so I don't really think of it as "mine"; (3) I have no idea how to write or test any but the simplest recipes, and my husband is a chef and thus at work all the time, so there's no help from that quarter.

As far as the importance of an agent, I've made my living as a freelance writer for fifteen years and I know a good agent can help you as much as a bad one can hurt you. I don't know if there are any Stephen King fans here, but whatever you may think of his fiction (I like it), he knows the writing business as well as anyone and the second half of his memoir/guide On Writing contains some of the best advice I've ever read on how to obtain literary representation.

I'm a new subscriber to eGullet and it's exciting to see so many writers here whose work I have enjoyed. (Michael Ruhlman's The Making of a Chef has been an invaluable research tool, ultimately inspiring me to visit the CIA a couple of years ago, and I've recently been comparing some of Clifford Wright's recipes with traditional foods that appear on the St. Joseph altars held every March 19 by New Orleanians of Sicilian ancestry). I introduced myself briefly over on the Louisiana board, but would like to do so again here. I look forward to discussing and obsessing over food with all of you.

Poppy Z. Brite

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Poppy,

I remember reading about your book Liquor, and thinking I should check it out. Are all 3 books connected? Which one would you suggest reading first? I love books set in the food world, there aren't enough of them.

:) Pam

[bourdain]

Hey, Poppy!

And greetings from Hong Kong. Long way from the Circle Bar..

Good to see you here.

Tony

[johnnyd]

I picked up Stephen Kings "On Writing" and I split my sides laughing. Growing up in the King household is not for the thin-skinned. Just getting into the second half and boy, have I gotta tighten things up if I'm going to finish the maritime non-fiction story I've been working on for seven years...

[chefzadi]

There's been some talk here of number of books sold. And it's true some of the better books weren't the blockbuster sellers.

But there is longevity and legacy to consider. For me Clifford Wright's books will be in school libraries and on the shelves of serious food writers/researchers for a long, long, long time. The Mediterranean Feast in particular is a phenomally important work of scholarship. Paula Wolfert's books are like Cultural Anthropology to me. Both will be important to students long after the 'stars' of TV have faded. I really want to say of permanent significance.

How many writers accomplish this? They have both written books that are of interest to the homecook, students and professionals.

[VeryApe77]

I've not written a cookbook, but I am the author of three food-related novels -- The Value of X, Liquor, and Prime -- and am at work on a fourth. These tell the story of two young New Orleans chefs who open a restaurant where the menu is entirely based on liquor, a concept I think would be perfect for a N.O. restaurant. Some readers have expressed interest in a cookbook...I introduced myself briefly over on the Louisiana board, but would like to do so again here. I look forward to discussing and obsessing over food with all of you.

Poppy Z. Brite

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Hey Poppy,

Nice to see you here. I just finished Prime and I really, really enjoyed it. I read Liquor last year during my first trip to N.O which was really interesting. I was by myself, so I'd find myself reading the book in many of the restuarants mentioned in the book, so my memories of the book and my memories of the trip are pretty much intertwined.

Anyway, can't wait for the next one. I'd highly recommend these books to anyone interested.

Edited April 24, 2005 by VeryApe77 (log)

[chefzadi]

I do have a question about photographs for print. Are high quality digital photos okay?

[jhlurie]

I do have a question about photographs for print. Are high quality digital photos okay?

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I know they are for newspaper work (RAW format, no compression), but I'd be a bit more skeptical about cookbooks.

[docbrite]

Poppy,

I remember reading about your book Liquor, and thinking I should check it out. Are all 3 books connected? Which one would you suggest reading first? I love books set in the food world, there aren't enough of them.

:) Pam

Pam, I've tried hard to make each book stand alone, but yes, they're about the same characters and are connected. I'd suggest reading Liquor, which tells the story of how they open the restaurant, and then Prime, which picks up after the place has been open a couple of years. If you like those, then you can read The Value of X -- it tells the backstory of how the boys grew up in New Orleans and learned to cook. By the time you finish all that, the next book, Soul Kitchen, may be out!

VeryApe, thanks for your kind words -- so glad you enjoyed the book.

Edited April 24, 2005 by docbrite (log)

[docbrite]

Hey, Poppy!

And greetings from Hong Kong. Long way from the Circle Bar..

Good to see you here.

Tony

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Hey, man! Good to see you too. Hong Kong -- I'm jealous. Have you tried the stinky bean curd? I attempted to fix some the other night and not only couldn't eat it; I had to leave the house for awhile. And I'm a fan of Epoisses, Limburger, and durian.

Come back to New Orleans and drink Wild Turkey with me.

[joiei]

edited, in wrong place, duh. homer moment.

Edited April 24, 2005 by joiei (log)

[duckduck]

I'm aspiring. I have a pastry book I've been working on for way to long but I have a publisher that has shown interest. Maybe that will push me past my procrastination. I'm the queen of procratination.

[Wolfert]

Chef zadi:

You might consider using your digital photos to help 'sell' your book to a publisher.

Once you have sold your book, the art department at the publishing house will want to hire a professional to do the photos for the book.

This is just one more reason you want to have a smart agent: the photographer should be paid by the publisher.

[chefzadi]

Thank you for the advice.

I'll describe how I'm building my platform. It might be of use to other aspiring food writers.

1. First teaching. I teach at Le Cordon Bleu and they also publish cookbooks under their brand name. These books have sold millions and millions of copies. My book won't be under their brand name, but as a chef instructor for them without getting into too many details here they would certainly be proud that I wrote a cookbook. A little stamp on the book from a worldwide recognized name...

Aside from teaching at Le Cordon Bleu...

2. I also teach at Sur La Table and at a few other national retailers. The Moroccan cooking classes I teach sell out with a waitlist. So I know the interest is strong in North African cooking and also the company likes to have writers teach classes with the understanding that books will be sold. Recipe demonstrations are another option.

3. I'm also a chef in the classroom for the LAUSD. As a result I will be on the local NBC news.

4. Lectures or seminars. I've lectured on French ingredients, wines and cheeses. Pam for instance can do something on cooking kosher.

5. Which brings me to niche markets. These can be based on your own ethnic group or some group you are associated with for whatever reason. I entered a Korean cooking contest, which I did not win (it was rigged ). But as a result I was the only contestant featured in two Korean newspapers, Korean tv news and a national Korean-American magazine. This is a potential audience of 200,000-300,000. For about a month after wherever I went in LA with a few Koreans around I was recognized. Would Koreans buy an Algerian or French cookbook? I think so. They get a kick out of the fact that my wife is Korean, I lived and worked in Korea and I can speak some Korean. And in that culture the overall perception is that French chefs are the most upscale and they respect teachers a great deal.

6. T.V. I got a call from a friend that a new talk show was looking for a chef to do a segment. I don't know if it ever aired. It's called The Yesterday Show and it has a 70's theme. I was on with Dick Cavett and Charo teaching the host how to make a frozen dinner. That was the joke, a French chef teaches how to make a frozen dinner. It was a lot of fun and the audience members kept asking me if I was a real chef and if my accent was real.

7. Other niche markets for me include Francophones, Middle Easterners and Africans.

So my very beginner's advice is to build a platform based on your background, areas of expertise and look for niche markets which can actually be huge. There are lots of options besides FTV. But people have to know about you in order to buy your books.

Radio and internet have already been mentioned in another post.

[Pam R]

Thank you for the advice.

I'll describe how I'm building my platform. It might be of use to other aspiring food writers.

[...]

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I think what you're doing is great - it's all about getting your name out there. I did it completely backwards - no agent - got the book published - then started doing food demos, tv, radio and newspaper stuff. I'm now trying to get more recipes in papers outside of my hometown - and it's slowly working.

If you continue doing what you're doing, people will not only be interested in your book, they'll be eagerly awaiting it.

[chefzadi]

Thank you for the advice.

I'll describe how I'm building my platform. It might be of use to other aspiring food writers.

[...]

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I think what you're doing is great - it's all about getting your name out there. I did it completely backwards - no agent - got the book published - then started doing food demos, tv, radio and newspaper stuff. I'm now trying to get more recipes in papers outside of my hometown - and it's slowly working.

If you continue doing what you're doing, people will not only be interested in your book, they'll be eagerly awaiting it.

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I keep thinking that it would be easier to promote something if I actually had something to promote. As is I'm going all on my credentials/experience and personality. Maybe I'm not explaining it well. It's just that when the agent told me get more public appearances I was thinking "with what?" But I did it.

I suppose it does build momentum. I'm hoping that it results in a higher quality book especially in terms of illustrations.

[WHT]

I do have a question about photographs for print. Are high quality digital photos okay?

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If you are using one of the newer 6.5 megapixel or better it should be fine. I have done some limited work in pure digital format for promotional booklets on heavy gloss stock. Though there is something to be said about the detail of 4x6 or 8x10 format transparencies being just slightly better.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

All right. Perhaps my book isn't quite the undertaking that some people here are describing -- I don't think I have the focus for some of what I'm reading about (though I look forward to buying yours when they are published).

My book is "little." I came up with the idea during a CE class at the CIA, way before I was a full-time student; I was just a local cook, writer and teacher, hoping to get better at what I was doing. Quite a few of my classmates were chefs wanting to get books published and TV/demo-skills up to speed.

During one class, our instructor told us how difficult and expensive cookbooks were, and to consider a smaller book or two (she cited Surreal Gourmet often, which I loved). Most of my classmates nixed the idea immediately, saying they didn't do anything "small." But an idea was born in my mind that day and I absolutely love the way it's turning out.

Has anyone had experience with these "little" books?

[chefzadi]

During one class, our instructor told us how difficult and expensive cookbooks were, and to consider a smaller book or two (she cited Surreal Gourmet often, which I loved). Most of my classmates nixed the idea immediately, saying they didn't do anything "small." But an idea was born in my mind that day and I absolutely love the way it's turning out.

They'll learn one of thes days.

There are different modes of publishing and tapping into niche markets. My wife knows more about this then I do. Anyway, I would suggest writing a prospectus. I will send you some links.