Food Writing Course: Write a Killer Cookbook Proposal with Dianne Jacob

EIGHT-WEEK ONLINE COURSE
Write a Killer Cookbook Proposal with Dianne Jacob
Wednesday 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EDT from July 8th to August 26th
plus weekly online discourse
Fee: $425.00

This class is closed. It will be offered again in winter 2010.

If you get compliments on your cooking and people always want you to write a cookbook, perhaps it’s time to document your best recipes and techniques for a larger audience. But what does it take to write a cookbook, and is it the right next step for you? Find out when you write a cookbook proposal, the document writers create for agents and editors. The proposal, essentially a business plan for your book, comes before the cookbook. It includes a table of contents for the book and sample recipes. It also helps you refine your cookbook idea and flesh out the structure and content.

Here’s the challenge, however: agents and editors reject 97 percent of these proposals. Dianne Jacob, writing coach and author of Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir, Fiction, and More, can increase your odds of getting into that elusive 3 percent. An editor with 30 years of experience who works with authors and agents, she can dramatically shortcut your chances of being left in the slush pile—what editors call that looming stack of proposals on their desks. She’ll give you honest feedback about your work, show you how to write a killer proposal, and share her own experiences as the author of two books.

What this workshop will do for you In this intensive, collegial workshop on writing an irresistible cookbook proposal, you’ll learn:

• The 10 best ideas for a cookbook
• How to organize and structure your idea for commercial appeal
• What a platform is and whether yours is sufficient
• Why and how to promote your book before it’s published
• How to write an introduction that keeps editors interested
• Which recipes to include and why
• What to say about photography and illustrations
• How to research the competition like a pro
• and much more

How the class works Each Wednesday at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT, the class meets for a one-and-a-half hour free conference call (long distance rates apply) with Dianne, in which she’ll discuss the previous lesson and present the next one. You’ll get a chance to ask questions and get answers, and benefit from what other students have to say. Unlike other courses conducted entirely online, the conference calls allow for more information to be exchanged and more work to be accomplished. Plus they’re recorded, so even if you can’t make a class, you’ll never miss it.

Then during the week, you will join Dianne and the other students in a private online writing group. This is the place to post follow-up questions, upload work to be critiqued the following week, post critiques of your fellow students’ work, share some laughs, and build relationships that can last throughout your career. In addition, you will receive one “lifeline” each week, which lets you either call or write Dianne for help with a specific question or area of concern.

Who should take this class If you have thought through an idea for a cookbook and can describe it in a paragraph, you’re eligible for this class. Writing experience is helpful but not required. You’ll do best if you have an open mind, a willingness to share, and an ability to laugh at yourself. And because the class is online, anyone anywhere in the world who is available for the one-hour chat is welcome. We’ve had students from India, London, France, and Canada.

Authors who have worked with Dianne have been published by Clarkson Potter; Penguin Putnam; St. Martin’s Press; Stewart, Tabori & Chang; Ten Speed Press; Wiley & Sons; and William Morrow.

What students are saying about Dianne and her classes “I cannot speak more highly of Dianne’s class. I found her teaching style informative and engaging. The format of her classes was perfect, and I learned more than I could imagine from the other students. Dianne had a profound impact on my writing and an appreciation of the skill set needed to succeed in this specialized arena. She is an outstanding teacher. I recommend her class to all.”

“I found Dianne to be an inspiring and down-to-earth teacher. Her class on writing a book proposal was especially enlightening. Despite having worked in journalism and public relations, I would not have known how to “get it right.” I know from after class discussions with other participants that it was especially helpful to them as well. Her class was a life-defining experience. I plan on taking future classes from her and would not hesitate to recommend others to do the same.”

“Dianne sharpened my focus and strengthened my proposal. Working with her has made a huge difference to me.”

“Dianne’s expert advice regarding my book proposal helped enormously in landing a contract with a major New York publisher. And even though I’m an experienced food writer, I’ve found helpful tips throughout Will Write For Food. She’s an invaluable resource!”

“I sent her my proposal and chapter and she gave me really useful, supportive feedback. Just what I needed.”

“Dianne turned me from a wanna-be author to a paid published author. I always felt I had a great idea for a book, but knew nothing of how to take that idea and turn it into a book people would actually pay to read. Every time I cash my royalty check, I thank Dianne.”

“I had bought books and attended seminars on how to write a winning book proposal, but it was a different when I finally sat down to actually do it. The greatest benefit I gained from Dianne was her ability to help me put together a compelling, insightful, and concise proposal I now believe an agent would read. I encourage anyone who has ever thought about writing a book proposal to consider Dianne. Working with her was truly the best investment I have made toward my writing career.”

Who the instructor is Dianne Jacob is the author of Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir, Fiction, and More (Da Capo Press, 2005). Now in its fourth printing, the book won the 2005 Cordon D’Or International award for Best Literary Food Reference Book. Her most recent book is Grilled Pizzas & Piadinas (Dorling-Kindersley, 2008), a cookbook

she co-authored with Chicago chef Craig Priebe. In 2007 she was a finalist for the Berte Green Award for Food Journalism.

After graduating from journalism school, Dianne was a top editor for a city restaurant magazine, a city magazine, and two international magazines. She was also a newspaper editor and reporter, and the editor-in-chief of a publisher specializing in 3D books such as 3D Kitchen. In 1996 she used her 20 years of experience as an editor, writer and reporter become a freelance writing coach, author, and freelance editor. She coaches writers across the US, Canada and Europe on how to become published cookbook authors, and receives referrals from literary agents whose clients’ proposals need sharpening. Dianne has also worked as a freelance book editor for Weldon Owen and Andrews-McMeel, and has freelanced for international magazines and newspapers.

For several years, Dianne has judged cookbooks for the James Beard Foundation and for the International Association of Culinary Professionals annual cookbook awards. For more about Dianne, see her Web site. If you have any questions, please contact us at enroll@leitesculinaria.com.