You Can Write a Cookbook [Paperback]

J. Kevin Wolfe (Author)

Book Description

Series: You Can Write | Publication Date: March 2000

Whether readers want to create a family cookbook or the next culinary bestseller, this guide to writing, marketing and publishing cookbooks is their recipe for success.

Product Details

• Paperback: 122 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898799236
• ISBN-13: 978-0898799231
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #867,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, informative guide to cookbook writing, July 27, 2001

By 

Kate McMurry "Young Adult Author" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: You Can Write a Cookbook (Paperback)

J. Kevin "Doc" Wolfe is the author of three cookbooks, host of a radio food show, and a lecturer and consultant on cooking.

Mr. Wolfe firmly believes that cookbook writing should be first-rate. It is a given, he says, that you must provide your audience with excellent recipes. But beyond that, what really makes a cookbook special is when you as author put "something of yourself in your recipes."

He has certainly followed his own advice in creating this how-to on cookbook writing. A breezy, personal tone spices up his writing, making this guide as entertaining as it is informative.

The following topics are covered thoroughly in You Can Write a Cookbook: the purpose of a cookbook, types of cookbooks, the ingredients of a good cookbook, how to write a recipe, finding a theme for your cookbook, organizing the recipes in your cookbook, creating an appealing layout for your cookbook, selling your book to a publisher, going the self-publishing route, and promoting your book. There is an excellent index and multiple appendices, including: recommended books, promotion, media etiquette, media connections, and a glossary of publishing terms.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever thought of writing a cookbook for any reason, whether as a fundraiser for your local church or civic group or with the hope of becoming the next Julia Child. Cooking hobbyists like myself, who gleefully putter about devising their own recipes, will find this book very useful, too. After reading Mr. Wolfe's advice, I have gotten a lot better about recording the exact measurements of the various ingredients of my grand experiments--a big help when you are trying to figure out what worked and what didn't in a new recipe. In addition, I believe this book will intrigue people who, though having no desire to write cookbook themselves, get a lot of pleasure out of reading and using them. They may be very interested to hear the many careful steps involved in the creation of their favorite cookbooks.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Steps to a Successful Cook, June 11, 2000

By 

Edward Sedelmeier - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Can Write a Cookbook (Paperback)

Write a bestseller! Mr. Wolfe is an author of four cookbooks, this includes at least one bestseller. Follow his lead. Write your own cookbook to preserve your favorite recipes, raise money for your club, or to make your own bestselling cookbook. Step-by-step instructions guide you through every step, from selecting what kind of cookbook to make, designing the cover, what illusrations to use, assembling the recipes, to the distribution and promotion. And much more.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Help!, May 3, 2002

By 

Anne B. Jones (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: You Can Write a Cookbook (Paperback)

What a great help this is! You Can Write A Cookbook is a resource for writers that can be utilized by many organizations. So often women's clubs and charities publish cookbooks with little to attract buyers. Using the suggestions in Wolfe's book can mean a real "Book" rather than just a collection of recipes. It offers the opportunity to present an appealing offering, likely to be in demand.