Tag: publishing a book

How to publish a cookbook

I thought we would take the opportunity to share with you Heather Samsa’s advice on how to publish a cookbook.  While her experience is based on a cookbook, anything is possible! This is also inspirational – an idea that came about following the Victorian bushfires in 2009 and how it turned into a little success story, raising thousands of dollars for those affected by the bushfires. Heather was quick to point out to me that she was a bookkeeper, not a writer.  But I think she does a brilliant job. Read, learn and enjoy… Thanks, Naomi :-)     I published a book by accident.  Well… publishing a book all came about by accident, pure and simple.  Following the devastating bushfires in Victoria in February 2009 I wanted to give something back to the people of Marysville, the township that was my childhood home and where my parents still live.  I started out creating this book on a single print run for Marysville townsfolk and suddenly people wanted to buy it.  I had to complete a second print run and now I’m just about to undertake a third.   To be honest, creating this cookbook was neither a business nor a passion (although I do love doing it, it gives me a sense of accomplishment).  It was more something that had to be done for the sanity of many people, including myself, something made just for those that had lost everything or someone and a thank you to emergency services.   To be even more honest, I don’t really know the first thing about what people want to read about on blogs, but Paul and Naomi were keen for me to share my tips on publishing a book.  You never know, it may renew one of your passions and inspire you to publish your own book and maybe even make a business out of it (you never know what is possible!).   Here is my advice on how to publish a cookbook (or whatever book you’d like!)… 1. Collect the family favourite recipes, the ones you, mum and nanna have horded away somewhere in a little book. 2. Correlate them into some sort of order. 3. Hit the computer and start typing. 4. Now, with your extensive knowledge of word processing and computer programs, start inserting behind the text, the references and indexes required for the recipe index. 5. Pay special attention to the text used, because some text will automatically generate tags, others do not. If you let 2 pages go through with the automatically generated text, it can be fun figuring it out. 6. Proof read, proof read, proof read and proof read again, now read backwards and you might be somewhere near 90% correct. 7. Check the index references again and make sure no duplications, great fun – keep smiling. 8. Find a printer, someone who will not rip you off, someone who will talk to you, even if you want small runs, you are not a millionaire – even if some printers think you are. 9. Proof-read again and read aloud and drive everyone nuts, now read backwards again, just for the thrill. 10. The printer has asked for the document to be submitted in PDF form, this could be interesting, PDF programs cost a mint and your first born. 11. Do a Google search and find www.dopdf.com it does convert, but sometimes moves things around, quick proof again, making sure that red marker is very handy. 12. Sit down again, correct the PDF corrections and convert again – only 200 movements of text this time. 13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 as many times as necessary – remembering that the deadline is in 24 hours time. 14. It has to be right – you are sleep deprived, if the bloody thing isn’t right –you’ll throw it out the window. 15. Send the CD to the printers, sleep, get up – check the final draft and realize there is a page number error. 16. Call the printers, look like a fool, tell them you will send new copy priority post. 17. 3 weeks later – the proof arrives, you check it page by page (it’s unbound). 18. You approve it – by signing and sending with payment of your second born and the monetary requirements. 19. The books turn up and hold your head and wonder what the hell have you done. The end – repeat the process if you think you could do with the grey hairs and stress!   Have you ever published your own book? If so, what was your experience like?  Is it part of your business?   Heather Samsa, marysvillecookbook.com