ONE-NIGHT VIRTUAL CLASS
How to Write a Killer Cookbook Proposal with Dianne Jacob
Tuesday, November 10th from 8:45 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. EST
Fee: $85.00

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

You get compliments on your cooking, and people always ask when you’re going to write a cookbook. Perhaps it’s time to document your best recipes and techniques for a larger audience. Maybe you’ve already started putting a book together, deciding on chapters and recipes. But now you’re wondering: What’s the next right next step for me?

If you’d like to be traditionally published, you need to write a cookbook proposal. Essentially a business plan for your cookbook, the proposal tells agents and writers about the book, why it needs to be published, why you are the best one to write it, and who is waiting for it and why. It includes a table of contents for the book and sample recipes. The best part is that writing the proposal helps you refine your cookbook idea, differentiate it from the competition, and flesh out the structure and content.

What this class will do for you In this interactive evening, you’ll learn what’s involved in writing a winning proposal. Topics covered include:

• Why you can’t just write a cookbook and submit it
• The secret to making your proposal irresistible
• The 10 best ideas for a cookbook
• How to focus, organize and structure your idea
• What a platform is and whether yours is sufficient
• Why to promote your book before it’s published
• Choosing the right recipes for your book
• How to approach photography and illustrations.

The class comprises a lecture, including insider insights Dianne has gained from working with agents, cookbook editors and established cookbook authors; and an extensive Q&A. Handouts include a Dianne’s guideline to cookbook proposals, and a resource guide for additional information.

Why this class is right for you If you’re curious about writing and publishing a cookbook, here’s your chance to move forward. Learn what’s involved in creating the kind of proposal that shows off your cookbook idea in the best light, while crystalizing your idea.

How this class works You don’t even have to leave home. On Tuesday, November 10th at 8:45 p.m. EST/5:45 p.m. PST, we’ll convene by telephone for a 2 1/2 hour conference call comprising both lecture and discussion. A private podcast of this class, available only to participants, will be posted online for one month at no additional cost.

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.

Dianne was a top editor and writer of a book publishing company, international magazines, and newspapers for decades before starting her own business as a food writing coach, author, editor, and teacher. She coaches writers across the US, Canada, and Europe on how to become published authors, and she regularly receives referrals from literary agents and editors whose clients’ proposals and manuscripts need sharpening. Clarkson Potter; Penguin Putnam; St. Martin’s Press; Stewart, Tabori & Chang; Ten Speed Press; Wiley & Sons; and William Morrow are some of the companies who have published books by authors who worked with Dianne. She has also worked as a freelance book editor for Weldon Owen and Andrews & McMeel. 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, visit her Web site and blog. Read this interview with Dianne on Seattle Tall Poppy.

What students are saying about Dianne’s class and her coaching
“Dianne sharpened my focus and strengthened my cookbook proposal. Working with her has made a huge difference to me.”

“Dianne’s expert advice regarding my cookbook 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 cookbook 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 cookbook 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.”

If you have any questions, please contact us at enroll@leitesculinaria.com.

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