Hot Food Trends 2013

The 2013 Winter Fancy Foods show in San Francisco has announced that one of the
"6 Hottest Trends" in food for this year is "Heritage Foods". (Check out all the trends here at USA Today's website.)

If you have a regional cookbook or have published a cookbook highlighting regional foods, you should be aware of this trend for sales and marketing purposes.

If you are developing a cookbook at the moment you might want to include some recipes that take advantage of the trend.

What ideas does this trend generate for you to include in a book you are writing or use to promote your current cookbook?

What Makes Your Cookbook Unique?

Recently, I was involved in a conversation with an individual who had published a cookbook, but her sales were stalled. When I asked a simple question about the uniqueness of her book it was evident she didn't have a ready answer. What is amazing is that it was as plain to her as to me. She quickly agreed that she should spend a bit of time analyzing her title and developing a "pitch" enabling her to verbalize what made her book unique and special.

If asked, "what is unique about the book or books you are marketing?", what would your answer be? If you don't have what is often referred to as an "elevator" pitch (one that can be given in 30 seconds), you should.

By the same token, if you are considering developing a cookbook or in the middle of publishing one, what features make your book special? If you can't think of any you need to re-think the project or go in another direction. Remember that in today's technology-driven world recipes are "a dime a dozen" on the Internet. You need a "hook" for your cookbook and a total package that is worth the investment the consumer is making.

Also, keep in mind that cookbooks continue to be one of the top gift items in the entire book world, so take advantage of creating a package that is appropriate to be given as a nice gift.

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?

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.

The Future of Regional Cookbooks Part 4.

Free content--WOW! This is one of the biggest hurdles for a regional cookbook to overcome. The good news is that with the proper planning in place a new title can be successful in spite of this obstacle .
Let me explain.

Many years ago popular regional cookbooks were simply a collection of regional recipes. As time went on the demand for more than just recipes in cookbooks grew. Photographs, historical information about the recipe, cooking tips and shortcuts all became popular and necessary for success. Today a successful regional cookbook must be well themed, have GREAT and unique recipes as well as beautiful photographs or illustrations.

There is no way to turn the clock back on the availability of free content. Today's cookbook author has to develop content that readers will be willing to pay for in either a print edition or electronic edition. The collection of content must be put together in a package that is entertaining and fun as well as one that works. Junior Leagues were really brilliant by insisting that their recipes be triple tested. They developed a reputation for offering community cookbooks that worked. This feature is even more important today.

If you are developing a new cookbook, do some research. Is your idea unique? What makes it so? If it isn't what can you do to adjust? Who is your target audience and how will you get to them? Planning and great execution is the key. Cookbooks are still one of the most popular gift ideas around. Gift giving isn't going away anytime soon, so you have an opportunity to sell thousands of copies of your cookbook if you will simply take a little time to develop a unique cookbook that works.

The Future of Regional Cookbooks - Part 3

Electronic publishing is here to stay!  With the advent of the tablet technology and the inexpensive cost of an electronic reader the move away from paperless is inevitable. Today, the most popular titles being published in electronic format are trade novels. I believe this genre will remain the undisputed number one for the foreseeable future. In addition, it makes sense to speculate that educational publishing will be the next big category moving to electronic formatting.

But what about cookbooks?  The trend for the present seems to be that a publisher should offer books in both formats. While some people enjoy the ability to pull a recipe from a book up on their electronic reader, at the store the huge demand for e-cookbooks hasn't hit. However, as today's youth ages and becomes the consumer for e-cookbooks, I believe the demand for e-cookbooks will increase significantly. Having spoken to many individuals since the advent of electronic readers I have heard countless times that today's consumers prefer a printed cookbook.

One big factor is cost. In shopping for electronic cookbooks consumers want more than just the recipes--they want enhanced content in the form of cooking videos which are expensive to develop. In addition to being costly on the front end most feel they shouldn't have to pay as much in retail for an electronic book and therefore profits are slimmer. The business model for electronic cookbooks being highly profitable is not quite there yet.

So, should you convert your existing book over to electronic, or if publishing a new title offer it in e-format? Absolutely. I say this because the cost is insignificant and making it available in whatever format the consumer is considering just makes sense. There will probably come a day when the only printed copies of cookbooks are print on demand; however, we aren't there yet.

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".

How Good is Your Content?

Are you considering developing a regional or specialty cookbook? Let me encourage you to invest some time in planning your content. There was a time in the not-so-distant past when an organization could reach out to its members and collect popular recipes of the day, rate and test the recipes and then use the ones selected for the book. Times have changed.

A successful regional cookbook today must carry a strong theme and this is where a bit of creativity comes in.  One of our most popular books over the last three years carries a fondue theme. Other popular themes I have noticed are seasonal, event driven, single food category, quick and easy, unique number (usually 4-5) number of ingredients, city or community driven. I'm certain that with a brainstorming session many of you can come up with even more creative or unique themes.

When it comes to selecting the recipes I think we can all agree that including recipes that are not in every other cookbook known to man is the right way to go. You will probably never find recipes that are not available elsewhere, however, you can come up with unique twists to the "tried and true". Another element that I personally recommend is to include a story about each recipe. Where did it come from? How has it been altered? What do guests say about it? Is there one ingredient that gives it a special oomph? Does it go with a particular dish? Do you have plating advice? and so on.

If you are going to develop a new cookbook and ask folks to pay for it or companies to sponsor it, you want to give them a great value. The way you accomplish this is to sell a lot of them (for the sponsors' benefit) and develop a book that is as fun and interesting to read as it is to cook from.

The Christmas Season

I know that there are many people who feel that it is politically incorrect to wish folks a Merry Christmas. Well, I am not one of those people. I am totally aware that the commercialism of Christmas often dominates the landscape.

However, at SW Publishing Group we are reminded time and time again that the message of hope and salvation which Christmas brings is alive every day of the year. We are fortunate to supply publishing and book distribution services to organizations with a purpose of helping others. The money raised from our non-profit clients over the 30 years of our business has made lives in communities all around the country a little bit better. At the same time the great people who develop these regional favorites with their blood, sweat and tears receive the gift of joy at helping someone less fortunate.

Please continue to support these endeavors. Whether you purchase a regional cookbook in a bookstore, gift store or online, remember that the profits go to worthy causes--MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Take Advantage of the Holidays

We all understand that the Holiday shopping season is the make or break window for United States retailers. No doubt it is important for anyone selling and marketing a consumer driven product like a regional book. It just makes sense since most of us scratch our heads regarding what to buy for certain individuals.

With that in mind, what extra initiatives have you put in place for your book this Holiday Season? If you've missed it this year, how about making a note in your diary for next July to begin planning for the 2012 Holiday Season?

E-Book Format Now Available

Southwestern Publishing Group and its imprints are happy to announce that we are now offering both print and e-book formats for our customers. Ebooks sales have soared and the book industry reports that e-books now outsell printed books in some categories. For the cooking category, e-books are just now making their entry and we have seen a very limited number of regional cookbooks available in this format so far.


Moving forward we see this as a growing segment of the publishing industry and therefore are making it available as a publishing strategy for our clients. For existing books that were originally produced using digital files rather than film the conversion cost and set up is inexpensive and fairly simple. We will convert the digital files to the various formats necessary for the different e-reader devices. The books will then be promoted on Apple, Amazon (Kindle) and B&N (Nook) as well as other major sellers of e-books.
For older titles that were developed and printed using film rather than digital files there is another step necessary that makes the conversion a bit more expensive. A solid marketing plan should be developed to justify the expense and create sales. This could include repackaging the book to include updated material, additional recipes and any other ideas that might bring additional value to an older book.

In terms of marketing it will be imperative that all steps in a promotional plan include the e-format availability. Neither time nor technological advances stand still. Even though today approximately 94% of consumers say they prefer a printed cookbook we can predict that the percentages will change as time moves on.

What are your thoughts on cookbooks in an e-format?

The Value of Early and Ongoing Marketing

These are interesting times in the publishing industry. There is a perception from some people that book publishing is dead. Nothing could be further from the truth. It isn't that consumers aren't buying books but rather how they are buying that has changed. Consumers are still buying books but they aren't walking into bookstores to make their purchases, they are turning to the Internet (e-readers, blogs, other forms of social media) to make their purchases.

To adjust to this shift, today's publishing strategy should include a number of activities even before a book is released. Once an "author" (this could include one individual or a group) has decided to publish a book they should start to develop a "community" of individuals who would be interested in knowing about the book, the purpose of the book, the target audience, etc. Facebook and Twitter are necessary tools to utilize and launch for an effort like this.

It is also important to keep this community engaged along the way with updates, photos, requests for recipes (if it is a cookbook) or short stories that might be included and are applicable.  Details such as the format, retail price, release date and how to order should be sprinkled in along the way.  In addition, you should be working to "grow" the community.  One tool to assist you would be to create a blog and ask your followers to spread the word as well as interact via comments. 

All of these strategies should continue through the life of the book because the marketing function never ceases. It is imperative for future sales that the life of the book be extended by aggressive and regular marketing efforts. I have witnessed more failed books due to a lack of marketing than due to bad content.

In my next post I'll discuss blending e-books into the mix. If you were thinking about publishing a book who is your audience and how could you reach them?

Regional Fare on Vacation--Conclusion

One of the great things about vacation is trying local or regional recipes.  If you've read my previous posts you are aware that my wife and I love the Florida Gulf Panhandle. We vacation in the San Destin area each October for several days and thoroughly love it. Between the beach, the tennis, the gorgeous weather and the food it is idyllic.

As in most years we hit a local family oriented restaurant Bayou Bill's. We started going to Bayou Bill's when our daughters were still in school and we had to fight the spring break crowds. In October, the place is busy but it is fairly easy to get seated quickly. Bayou Bill's burned down several years ago but they rebuilt and the restaurant is very nice and spacious. 

We like this restaurant because there are several meals we can split and still have plenty of food.  We usually get a Grouper meal to split but this year we went twice so we split one meal and had separate entrees the other.  As is the case with all of our favorites in the Panhandle the seafood is FRESH and purchased from local fishermen.  Patrick Matthews and his family do a great job at Bayou Bill's providing quality food which is consistently good.

We also found one new restaurant on this trip which we enjoyed in Baytowne Wharf called Acme Oyster House.  This restaurant is actually part of a small chain (about 5 locations) out of New Orleans. The original was started on Royal Street in the French Quarter in 1910.  We have tried several places in Baytowne Wharf but this was the best yet. It is a bit unusual for a chain to be this good but we will be going back annually because the food was great, the service excellent and the atmosphere fun. In fact, during my next trip to New Orleans I will visit the original store since I enjoyed the FL location so much.

Wherever you travel, try the local fare and also don't forget to seek out the local regional cookbooks which stocked full of regional recipes, and, more often than not, are better than trade cookbooks and raise funds for a local non-profit.

Vacation Dining

While the emphasis for this blog is regional cookbooks I want to change direction today and mention a few great meals my wife and I enjoyed on vacation recently. When our daughters got out of high school, we changed our routine of vacationing during spring break to vacationing in October. For the last eight or nine years we have gone to the panhandle of Florida near Destin, FL each fall for a week or sometimes more.

Over that time we have identified several restaurants that we always return to. In addition, we try a couple of new ones each year hoping they will make our list of "must go to".  In the next several blog posts I want to talk about several of our favorites and a few we hope to add.

Number one on our list is always wherever Chef Tim Creehan is currently located.  Tim has successfully moved around through the years and his most recent restaurant is Cuvee Bistro. Tim and his partners Tim and Pam Wellborn took over Cuvee Beach a few years ago and they really have it going on there. Tim has made major renovations to the facility while upgrading the food and menu.

I was treated this year to my favorite fish, trigger fish. If you don't already know, trigger fish is not plentiful so it is seldom on a menu. However, Tim prides himself on buying the best local seafood, as well as vegetables. I lucked out on this particular night as trigger fish was a menu "special". Trigger fish is a mild, white fish and very firm in texture. He sauteed the fish with a light lemon (I declined the curry powder) and it was superb.  It was served with amazingly delicious cheese grits.

My daughter was with us and she tried the tuna steak, rare (her plate was completely clean when finished so I can only deduce it was great) with vegetables. My wife, Robin, ordered salmon with vegetables and salad.

I also ordered a beautiful veggie pizza as a appetizer. The pizza was crisp and warm and the perfect size to get the juices flowing. We topped the meal off with a dessert sampler--key lime pie, banana cream pie, tiramisu, chocolate cake and a few others that escape me right now--WOW!

In addition to the great food, the decor of Cuvee Bistro is stunning and the service is top notch. Most of Tim's staff has been with him for extended periods of time and each time I have visited they have made us feel right at home.

I should also mention that dinner guests can also purchase Tim's fabulous cookbook, The Simple Cuisine of Chef Tim Creehan right off of his menu. Tim knows a little bit about marketing and branding as evidenced by his investment in developing and selling his own cookbook. If you are ever in the Destin area be sure to mark Cuvee Bistro down as a "culinary must experience".

SPECIAL EVENTS--GREAT EXAMPLE

I was in Tampa last week and attended a special event hosted by the Junior League of Tampa at a local eatery and gourmet food store called Datz. It was an experience that captured my imagination and is a testimonial to the power of a special event centered around a regional cookbook.

The League is heavily promoting the 50th Anniversary of Gasparilla---one of the oldest continually published League cookbooks in the US. The special anniversary edition contains a special "anniversary" cover as well as original end sheet design and a unique "history" section in the back of the book with archived materials from the books creation.

One of the League promotions was a cooking demonstration and lunch conducted at Datz by one of their chefs.  The event is one week long and consists of a seating each day and each evening for up to 12 people with the recipes for the menu coming from Gasparilla. For the luncheon I attended, and  for each seating, a League member hosts as "Guest Chef", assisting the Datz chef.  During the week there is also a larger event for all League members and the public centered around the food with plenty of opportunities to purchase copies of the book.

The luncheon I attended was casual, allowed time for questions to the chef and was chock full of chef's tips for each recipe.  We had a a menu composed of:

• Herb Dip (page 12) and chips
• Louis Pappas Greek Salad (page 46)
• Ann Lauries Potato Salad for Greek Salad (page 47)
• Cuban Sandwich (page 305)

This event was a ton of fun, showcased the cookbook, promoted Datz and its support of the League. All of the proceeds go to the League and its a win/win for all.

I would love to know of a special event you have been involved in with your cookbook?