Don't miss this important step in your cookbook development!

On several occasions I have alluded to or discussed how important great content is in a successful cookbook. One aspect of the content is the quality of the edited recipes. We must remember that while many “naturally-gifted” cooks don’t have to follow a recipe to the letter, there is a higher number who do. Therefore the recipes must be written so that anyone will feel confident in following the instructions.

I asked one of our copy editors at Favorite Recipes Press to develop a short bullet list of tasks we perform for our clients to ensure their recipes are written consistently and clearly. Here is what Alison had to say:

“While there are certainly many smaller tasks that go into each of these items, here are the major things FRP editors and the proofer will do for each cookbook."

1. Verify all the ingredients are listed in the order used in the method.

2. Edit and proof the recipes to ensure consistency in wording and style throughout the book.

3. We achieve this by using the same “voice,” which makes the recipes cohesive without being redundant.

4. Make certain the recipes make sense, allowing all levels of home cooks the ability to produce a fabulous dish. You’d be surprised how many submitted pie recipes don’t have a crust listed, or how many chicken dishes don’t list chicken as an ingredient. Because we all enjoy cooking, we are often able to ascertain whether ingredient amounts seem “off,” and we’ll verify with you if it’s correct.

5. Check all grammar and spelling in all recipe and non-recipe text.

It is certainly helpful if the people submitting the recipes have worked to get them in the best shape possible; however, this is a tall task if the recipes have come in from multiple contributors or sources. Even professional chefs are notoriously bad at writing clear and consistent recipe instructions.

If you asked 10 people to give you a recipe, how many different variables in the writing styles would you get back? My guess is 10. Some would list ingredients in order and others would not. Some would abbreviate others not. Some would call it "ketchup" and others would call it "catsup". You get the point. If you're getting ready to develop a community cookbook, do yourself a favor and make sure that you don’t cut corners. Hire a professional food editor or get this as a service from the publishing company.