More on Successful Community Cookbooks...

In the previous post regarding what makes a successful community cookbook, I talked about pricing the book properly (this is a bit trickier than it seems), differentiating the book from others in the area, and incorporating interesting content for the reader.

With so many high-end trade books on the market coupled with high end magazines (many of which do not have a sustainable business model), there is a tendency by community based groups to feel their books must contain full-color food photography and glitzy production values. The truth of the matter is that many of the best-selling community cookbooks today are simple 1 or 2 color books.

I am certainly not suggesting that beautiful food photography cannot enhance a community cookbook. However this is one area where price gets tricky because great food photography is expensive and requires more front-end work by the designer thus driving up the cost per book. One huge reason I harp on cost is because most community cookbooks are being sold to raise profits for a worthy cause. In order to get the books in the market, discounts are required. It is critical that book costs are lower than the deepest discount sales price. A great community cookbook is about value, rather than glitz.

It is also critical to understand that community cookbooks offer a great fund raising opportunity because the organization’s members must do some of the work that trade houses pay professionals to do. It has been said that a community cookbook has a better chance of success than a typical trade title because the marketing is done by people who CARE! I have a blog post coming out next week discussing the efforts by Trinity Episcopal Church in Wetumpka, AL who made $53,000 and are still raising more money through sales of their cookbook which demonstrates this point very well.

You must also remember that while you aren’t trying to be something you are not, consumers still expect a professional product—in a cookbook this means having a good index, consistently written recipes, copy free of errors combined in a quality manufactured book. I am not too hung up on which binding style to use other than to state it is important to pick a style where the spine can be printed with the book title on it. You should also have an ISBN number and a $ readable bar code on the back cover.

Developing quality content is critical but developing a marketing plan prior to printing is also critical. An organization that simply aims to create a great cookbook could end up with a huge inventory in their garage if they aren’t careful—a better goal is to create a great title and sell through 5 printings. It is critical that the marketing begin before the book is started, rather than after—for example, the marketing team should be involved in big decisions such as the price, front cover, title, theme, and book size. All of these ingredients are relative to the marketing plan.

I would like to close with the invitation to all readers to check out Cookbook University hosted by FRP, Inc. each spring. This two day seminar covers all aspects of self-publishing and is a great value for anyone involved with or considering publishing a cookbook.