Whatever stage you're at in writing - or wanting to write - a cookbook, do reach out if I can be of any help in navigating the publishing waters. I know they can, at times, seem mystifying
Every cookbook and every writer is different so what you might need - and how I might be able to help - will differ. But some of the mentoring I have done so far includes:
workshopping / working through your book ideas to distil down the idea;
finding / honing / staying true to your voice
how to write a good cookbook proposal;
how the commissioning process works;
support through the writing process - whether that is about the technicalities, loss of confidence, how to shape the idea from proposal to actual book, how to keep on keeping on;
understanding how the different elements of the publishing picture work: what does an editor do and what kind of relationship can you expect or hope to have / the team behind the imagery and how that all fits together / in house PR and marketing;
after the manuscript has been submitted - from edits to final sign-off;
the build up to publication - what to expect and how to maximise results.
If you are working on a cookbook idea, proposal or manuscript then I am here for you. I have worked with first-time writers, established writers, ghost writers, chefs and restaurants.
I hope so! I think so. I have had three cookbooks published (so far…) and will be completely honest with you that getting my first book deal was very very hard. As perhaps it should be. Then writing it was hard. I felt rather thrown into the process without much help in knowing what was expected of me at different stages. So many writers have told me they have felt the same and I would just really like to make sure that cookbook authors feel more supported at every stage.
So, I am getting out there the benefit of my experience from doing a debut book that won a happy clutch of awards; then writing a brand collaboration cookbook, and then my latest book which feels like the most creatively complete of them all (again so far…)
Also - and this is no small factor - I love cookbooks and writers. I spent over 7 years running the Borough Market Cookbook Club which necessarily meant innumerable hours spent pouring over cookbooks, seeing how they work and then seeing how cookbook lovers and readers respond to them. I am doing the same now with The Kitchen Bookshelf cookbook club.
I have been mentoring ad hoc for a couple of years now (including twice for the Guild of Food Writers - and both my mentees secured their first book deals while I was working with them and went on to publish beautiful books).
My approach to this work is to be supportive, empathetic, clear and honest. I won’t waste my time or yours. I want every cookbook and every writer to be the best they can be (whatever ‘best’ means)..
I will adapt my fees according to the scale of the support required and, frankly, the client.
Plus: in each calendar year I will be offering up to two free complete cookbook mentorships.
The way to work out if / how I can help you and your cookbook is to email me and we can go from there: angelaclutton@yahoo.co.uk