Great Article—Printed or Electronic?

There are a variety of opinions in the media regarding the demise of the printed cookbook, especially community cookbooks. However, I have discovered an equal number of opinions that express the opposite view — e-books will not replace printed cookbooks.

This article came across my desk today from a Canadian media source and I found it very concise and interesting. Let me know what you think.

One more thing, Merry Christmas!

A Perfect Example of Community

Communities come in all shapes and sizes. There are local geographic communities, athletic communities, arts communities and the list goes on and on. In other words, when we talk about a "community" cookbook it could refer to a locale or to a group of followers devoted to a particular subject.

In the case of new cookbook, That Sounds Good, A Cookbook Celebrating 30 Years of WWOZ, it is the latter. This spectacular cookbook (which is available for purchase later this month) was put together by Friends of WWOZ, a community radio station in New Orleans dedicated to preserving and showcasing the music of Louisiana. This book is a perfect example of telling a story through the subject of food. It is loaded with recipes from local musicians, writers, and industry talent. The photographs take the reader through a 30-year time period that saw great changes in the music and art, as well as radio itself.

If you like good Louisiana cuisine and enjoy jazz music along with great "behind the music" stories, check out That Sounds Good - you'll be glad you did.

Great Gift Ideas ... Give American!

If you are marketing a "community" cookbook I believe you will love this idea as much as I did. It doesn't need a lot of commentary since your cookbook can, and should be, promoted to embrace this concept. Even if some of the manufacturing of your book was completed in China as a cost factor, your book was developed in the US and the money raised goes to support either a local US business or the community itself. After the turmoil of a contested election, I think this is a great way for folks to start acting like Americans instead of like enemies.

(Please note, I am not sure of the origin of this piece. It is not my original idea, nor was it the idea of small business owner, client and friend Chef Tim Creehan, who shared it with me.)

Christmas 2012 -- Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the Benjamin’s on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running

How about reaching out to the media and the local vendors carrying your title to promote this concept? Let's collectively see what the results are. My bet is folks will step up and embrace the concept.

Part 3. A Guest Opinion

The term "community" cookbook can be interpreted in a variety of ways. I asked one of our team members, Alison Nash, to tell me about her favorite community cookbook and what she liked about it. Alison is quite a "foodie" herself so I was not surprised at her choice.

Here's what she had to say:

"I admit I was first attracted to Salt to Honey for one main reason: the cover photography practically made me salivate. I’m a huge honey fan, and I figured any book that had it dripping all over the cover and in the title had to be a good one.

I am certainly not disappointed. I have tried quite a few recipes already, and I’ve been very pleased with them all. I love that they call for a lot of fresh ingredients and that everything isn’t poured out of a can. At the same time, none of the recipes are so complex that you wouldn’t want to try them.

he cookbook also does a great job of highlighting local specialties, such as Miller’s Honey, Beehive Cheese, and Morgan Valley Lamb, but doesn’t call for ingredients so specific to the area that I’m unable to make them here in Tennessee. Restaurant recipes often come across as much too difficult to attempt, but the restaurant recipes here make me want to invite some friends over and entertain! In Salt to Honey, mentions of specific brands and restaurants are often accompanied by interesting and informative non-recipe text about the local companies, restaurants, and traditions familiar to Salt Lake City that makes you want to visit the area, or at the very least read more about it.

The Junior League has done a fantastic job combining more traditional recipes (think Parker House Rolls, Chicken Potpie, and Peanut Butter Pie) with more trendy recipes that are sure to become new favorites and never go out of style—recipes like Curry Chicken Salad (a must try!), Tapenade Lamb Kabobs, and Apple Fontina Bites. And, as promised on the cover, there are plenty of recipes that utilize honey: flavored honey butters, Honey Walnut Chicken, and Honey Pecan Tart, just to name a few.

Salt to Honey has definitely earned a permanent spot in my kitchen, and I look forward to cooking from it for years to come."

So far we have discussed one "hot off the press" title, one 50-year-old title and one relatively new title. Each has centered around a different community and were produced for different reasons. I plan on featuring one or two other examples in the next few weeks but would like to know your thoughts.

If you picked out your favorite in this genre what would it be and why?

Another Expert Says Amen!

On 7/17/12, I posted the last in a five-part series regarding Community Cookbook trends.  Earlier this week I read an article from a blogger I follow on Twitter which goes into great detail regarding the offers for publishers that are misleading. As general FYI, I am including the link to this post.

I must say that I was delighted to have my research confirmed by a third party with whom I have no connection except as a Twitter follower. Of course, my point remains that these companies are simply technology companies rather than publishing companies and that they deliver exactly what they promise. In the end that means the client pays a lot for very little.

Feel free to call or write with any feedback.

A BIT OF HISTORY AND NOSTALGIA

Through the years I have heard and read several stories or accounts on the history of community cookbooks. There can be no doubt that community cookbooks have played an integral part in the fabric and history of the US. They have affected social issues, raised awareness for a variety of causes, raised needed funds for those same causes and generally contributed positively to many aspects of Americana.

As a "salute" to the history of community cookbooks I invite view this article that appeared recently on NPR's food blog, The Salt. I found it informative and fun to read. Making it even more enjoyable was reading the breadth of the comments that appear after the post. I hope you enjoy this trip through the past as much as I did.

What is the Future of Regional Cookboks Part 2.

In my last post I outlined the three major challenges going on in the world of publishing. Today let's take the first issue, consolidation of the brick and mortar bookstores--only one national chain, and discuss it.

Yes it is true that there is only one national brick and mortar outlet for books. Despite this fact the only limitation to your opportunities for sales outlets is between your ears. One of the great features of publishing a "community" cookbook is involving partners within the community in a variety of ways.

Many organizations have had great success in soliciting non-bookstore businesses to stock and sell their books. From Wright's Gourmet House in Tampa to Get a Grip Tennis in Pensacola there are a ton of retail businesses willing to support your worthy cause or book if approached properly. We all know that "placement" is one of the 4 P's of a successful marketing effort so put the proper amount of time and effort into identifying these key retailers that can partner with you and make it easy for your customers to buy your book.

In addition to local retailers it is also imperative today to have your book available online. Do you have a dedicated web site for your book? Can your customer's order the book from your site or at least be directed to Amazon.com or CookbookMarketplace.com? Is there an e-pub version available through Amazon, B & ;N, Kobo or Apple?

Each opportunity for maximum placement must be worked and kept up with from an initial sales call to regular customer service. How much attention have you given to the subject of placement for your book?

What is the Future of Regional Cookbooks? Part 1.

Everyone in the book publishing world is trying to understand where the market is going. Never in my thirty-two years of experience have I seen things so muddled. Of course, selfishly I am focusing on the publishing of regional cookbooks but all genres seem to be dealing with the same issues.

What are the issues? In my world the 3 major issues are:

• Consolidation of the brick and mortar bookstores--only one national chain
• The advent of electronic publishing and e-readers
• Free content

The first is problematic because in times past an author or organization had many "community" outlet options for distributing a cookbook. In addition, the chain stores were at least pretending to be "community-friendly" by stocking and promoting regional titles. With only one national chain store in business there isn't much competition. It has become "do it our way or you are left out in the cold".

The electronic issue is a challenge because no one has a clue how the purchase of electronic versions of a title will affect the inventory needs for printed books. Of course, the number of printed copies affects the cost per book as the more books printed the cheaper the price per book.

The free content is especially daunting if one falls into the trap of believing that consumers only buy your book for the recipes. It is absolutely true that you can log onto a bevy of websites and find multiple versions of any particular recipe that you want.

Do the challenges stated above signal an end to the "regional cookbook" genre? I do not think so and many experts agree with me.

These challenges simply mean that an author or organization must be better organized, plan their content more carefully and implement a marketing effort before the books even hit the stores. In the next several posts I'll discuss these issues one at a time plus discuss the fallacy that is being sold as "Print on Demand".

Testimony to Community Cookbooks

Two wonderful media articles were recently shared with me regarding the ongoing popularity of community cookbooks.

The opening sentence of the first article, from Madison, WI, captures the essence of the article and subject itself - "If there’s a better way to remember vacations spent in faraway places than returning home with a cookbook featuring regional recipes, it is well beyond my imagination."

The article goes on to describe the writer's experience in discovering the three League community cookbooks from Panama City, FL, and her journey to a bookstore which markets them.

The second article is from Austin, Texas and is headlined by "Community cookbooks as historical relics: Detailing the past, present and where our community is headed".

We all understand that the world is changing and admit that how consumers purchase their books has changed drastically over the last two years; however, that does not mean that the genre has changed or is going away. In today's world the opportunities are still there, but we need to uncover how to take advantage of them.

A Salad Had Me Sold on the Book

Occasionally a single recipe can motivate me to purchase a cookbook. In the case of Capture the Coast, Volume 4 in the Culinary Collection by the Junior League of Tampa, it was the combination of a lunch coupled with a discussion about the anniversary promotion of the League's older title, The Gasparilla Cookbook, that had me sold.

After we completed our meeting regarding ideas for the 50th anniversary edition of The Gasparilla Cookbook, which was released in October of 2011, a small group of Junior League of Tampa members invited me to the Columbia Restaurant for lunch. I had always wanted to try the  Columbia Restaurant because of its reputation but just never had the opportunity. The restaurant is a testament to why you should always go "where the locals eat". The  Columbia Restaurant features a dish entitled the "1905 Salad". When the ladies mentioned that this salad was featured in Capture The Coast, I decided to try it.

We now prepare and eat this salad 3-4 times a month at home. It is truly a special signature dish and yet readily available in this classic community cookbook. One of the reasons that community cookbooks have been so successful through the years is that they truly involve the entire community including local chefs and restaurants.

If you want to give yourself a treat try the "1905 Salad" (recipe can be found here on the Junior League of Tampa's blog) and then buy a copy of Capture the Coast to find out what other great surprises are included--you won't be disappointed.

BIG CHANGE--NEW NAME--SAME GREAT SERVICE

FRP originated out of an imprint launched in 1962 known as Favorite Recipes Press. The business model for our publishing services has grown and expanded steadily throughout the almost 50 years of business. The same is true of our client base. Because of our expansion into non-cookbook related publishing efforts we are changing our name. Favorite Recipes Press will remain a key imprint under our new Publishing umbrella but that imprint is only a part of the story.

We are now Southwestern Publishing Group, Inc. A bit of logic to this change is in the fact that one of our primary duties is to develop the content for The Southwestern Company's educational reference works. In addition to this work, our Beckon Book imprint has developed a great array of clients in the corporate history arena, as well as the cultural attraction industry. Recently, we purchased the Historic Hospitality product line from Providence House Publishers and have plans to expand rapidly.

Of course, Favorite Recipes Press also continues to serve the clients interested in developing community and branded cookbooks as well as distribute them into the trade. Our work with QVC in the cookbook arena has been successful and we expect to continue that relationship.
You will notice the title change in my blog header that reflects our new structure and I will endeavor to create posts that speak to other areas of custom publishing other than just cookbooks.

Our goal is to continue offering first class publishing and distribution services to a broad segment of the US in various specialty fields. In addition, to printed books we will soon be offering e-reader formats as a segment of each client's publishing strategy.

We hope that you will think of Southwestern Publishing Group, Inc. if you or someone you know is researching the idea of a specialty book publication. Please be on the lookout for other announcements as we make the move to expand the many specialty offerings of Southwestern Publishing Group, Inc.

GREAT EXAMPLE

The following newspaper article is a tremendous example of what self-publishing is all about. This organization (Krewe des Ambassadeurs-Minden) had a vision and a work ethic which is allowing them to earn a significant profit to support the organization.

Click here to read all about the new Krewe des Ambassadeurs-Minden cookbook project.

A few things that jump out at me are how excited and proud they are of the project, but even more importantly is the fact that they are rallying the community around it with their marketing efforts. Too many organizations today want someone else to do the hard work and, in reality, that approach doesn't cut it. If you want to be successful at a publishing project, be prepared to put in the effort and you will reap the benefits.

Media Examples

Over the last few weeks I spent some time discussing Media and passed along some tips from our resident media personality, Sheila Thomas. Included today is a link to her recent QVC appearance which I hope you will enjoy and benefit from.

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.CM_SCID.coll.item.F09021.desc.More-Recipes-Worth-Sharing-Cookbook

What are you doing to get media exposure for your book titles?

Think About Your Purpose

I follow several blogs and scan all new Posts quickly to decide if the content is worth my time. Sometimes it is and sometimes, while it might be great information, it is not relevant to me. I received a post today from Michael Hyatt, former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, that struck me as universally relevant.

The theme of his post was, "What if work wasn't just work? What if work was a vehicle to live and share a bigger purpose?" The reason this spoke to me is that so many of my readers and customers work to develop their community cookbooks in order to raise funds for local and very worthwhile charities. I wonder how successful a project could be if "everyone" involved put their likes and dislikes aside, and performed their assigned task with the giving-attitude that the book was meant for?

Michael cited many examples of people in everyday jobs who have found a way to see their sometimes menial sounding work into how it fits into a bigger picture. Perhaps your organization might benefit from a sharing session on the purpose of your book and the good that comes from each person's efforts as they sell and market it.

Please share your thoughts on how this idea speaks to you.

A Lesson from Meat Loaf

When you read the headline of this post you are probably thinking how could I possibly learn anything from a food dish. But you see, I'm speaking of Meat Loaf, the singer. Please bear with me as there is a relevant point about marketing cookbooks in this blog.

Today most people under the age of 35 never buy a full album. It's not like the old days when we bought vinyl albums or even CDs. No, they go to iTunes and simply download songs. This is sad because some really great songs that don't get air play on the radio are never heard. Even more importantly, they never get written because the songwriters know that they are limited by this buying culture.

Recently I heard one of my favorite songs of all time by Meat Loaf, "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." I didn't have this song on my iPod, so I decided to buy it. Instead of just downloading the song, which would have been easy, I bought "The Very Best of Meat Loaf" album. Now what is the lesson in this story?

Buying the complete album gave me the song I wanted, but also many other great songs that I hadn't even remembered—"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," "A Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste," "Bat Out of Hell," and others.

The same thing is true of recipes. We can find any recipe we want on the internet, and they are usually free. However, when you buy a cookbook, even if it's just for one great recipe, you will likely find a dozen or more equally as good recipes to enjoy. For my money, the fun of reading the recipes in a cookbook is a value in itself. Do yourself a favor and pick up a cookbook with a tried-and-true favorite recipe in it. Now begin to skim through and see how many other deliciously sounding recipes you come across. Try one this week, and see if you don't keep going back to that book again and again.

Yes, one signature recipe is a bargain, but in my opinion the value is even greater because there are always other gems to be found if you just dig deep enough.

It's True--One Great Recipe is Worth the Price of a Book

What a treat I had last week. I was in Tampa for a meeting with the Junior League of Tampa cookbook committee members and we were working on some promotional ideas for their upcoming 50th Anniversary of Gasparilla. Prior to the trip I suggested that since our meeting was starting at 11:00 a.m. we end with lunch. Lisl Unterholzner, who is my primary contact, suggested several spots we could go for lunch, but when she mentioned the Columbia Restaurant I said, "that's the one". As many times as I have been to Tampa I had never had occasion to visit the original Columbia Restaurant.

Four of us drove over and immediately began discussing the menu and the fact that the Columbia Restaurant had generously contributed several recipes to the League's latest cookbook, Capture the Coast. One of the contributed recipes was the "1905 Salad" which they prepare table side in a wooden bowl. WOW! It was terrific. On my way back to the hotel I decided to try it at home over the weekend.

Robin was making the grocery list on Sunday and we made sure to pick up a few of the ingredients we didn't have. I made the salad using similar techniques as I do with a Caesar--hand crushing the garlic and whisking by hand to emulsify the dressing. It turned out as good or better than the salad I had in Tampa.

As we were cleaning up the kitchen the thought passed through my mind that any price I had paid for Capture the Coast was worth it because this recipe will now be made many times a year and will become a tradition in our home. On top of this, we have now selected several other recipes from this book to try and the value proposition grows as we use this book more and more.

If you have a community cookbook don't underestimate the value of getting someone to try a signature dish that you know they will use over and over, as well as motivate them to try other recipes from your book.

A Fresh Start

The beginning of a New Year usually marks a new beginning for most of us. Resolutions are made that, if kept, will make our lives healthier, happier, wiser, more patient and the list goes on. Here's an idea that can be fun and increase your choice of foods on your everyday menu.

Try one new recipe each week from your community cookbook collection. To keep things fresh, choose a dish each week that you have never tried before and choose a different food category weekly, as well as a different cookbook. If you have fewer than 52 community cookbooks go through the ones you have before starting over OR simply add to your collection each week until you have accumulated the full 52 total books needed.

Just think about this idea - at the end of the year you will have developed seven to eight new food favorites in appetizers, soups, salads, side dishes, entrees, desserts, etc.. In addition, you will have become familiar with a local communities' traditions and food styles.

I will wager that this idea is a lot more fun than keeping some of your other resolutions. Enjoy!

Publicity--Not Just for Launch

Often when a new community cookbook is launched it is accompanied with a great deal of fanfare. This is fabulous. That being said, the fanfare should continue regularly over the life of the cookbook. Publicity opportunities are available everywhere if you have someone on the lookout for them.

In today's world, most community cookbooks are launched in markets that have TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazines, blogs, etc. Where do these people get their local content? Obviously, they use wire services for national stories but local citizens want to be aware of what is going on locally. This is where you can help them.

The link attached is a demo of FRP's own Sheila Thomas promoting More Recipes Worth Sharing on Nashville's Talk of the Town. Sheila has made similar appearances in Memphis and will be invited to attend other local interest media events as she gets the word out about her new book. Talk of the Town has regularly invited middle Tennessee FRP clients on the air because they need good content.

Are you maximizing these opportunities with your book?

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/13676653/recipe-4573-st-louis-gooey-butter-cake-wednesday-december-15-2010

Slate.com Article on Community Cookbooks

I read an interesting article recently on Slate.com regarding community cookbooks.

http://www.slate.com/id/2277327/entry/1001596/

Anyone getting ready to publish should read this article before getting started. One interesting thing that came out of it was a comment I read from a reader who had left behind her thoughts. That comment is below. I have no idea who this person is but she put in clear words what I have heard from individuals for the last 33 years.

"Community cookbooks are a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't think I have ever cooked an actual recipe from them, but they are so much fun to read. Every book seems to have roughly 20 different versions of broccoli casserole (frozen broccoli, Velveeta/Cheese Whiz, etc.) and a variety of desserts made with crumbled cake mix, Cool Whip, and cream cheese. They can be educational as well. I recall reading an old one from the 1950s and asking my mother what oleo and a #2 can were. "

Community Cookbooks as Ice Breakers

Robin and I have some new neighbors across the street and have been getting to know them casually through brief chats when we run into each other outdoors. Yesterday, we had friends from Kentucky coming over as well as our children; however, plans begin to fall apart around 1:30 as the snow began to increase. Our Kentucky friends called and had to cancel and we quickly called our girls to say that if the roads were too bad, don’t try to drive over.

Now the question was, what do we do with the food for 8 people? I suggested to Robin that we invite our neighbor, Susan, who we are good friends with. Robin then said, “Why don’t we see if Jerry and Judy would like to come”? (These are the new neighbors). I saw Jerry out going to his car, so I walked out and told him our situation and asked if they would like to join us. He said they would love to, but were on their way to a church program.

About 30 minutes later, there was a knock at the door; lo and behold, it was our new neighbors asking if they could still join us. They had gotten out of the subdivision only to find the roads too icy to continue and had turned around and come home. The interesting thing about all of this is that as we begin to chat about some of the places they had lived, we began to pull community cookbooks from those cities off of our shelf and talk about the foods and the communities themselves from each different area. Who ever knew that a community cookbook could also serve as a point of conversation?

The evening turned out to be a great success (all of the gluten free recipes were from community cookbooks) and the conversation was moved along through the subject of food and cookbooks.