You and Joy were not exactly “no names” but you had built a platform and I know how hard you worked when that book came out. I particularly liked the how fellow bloggers all tried a recipe on the same day and linked to each other when the book came out. I’m so pleased for you that the book has done well. You’ve certainly capitalized on a trend.

I find it worth mentioning to commenters who might feel frustrated and discouraged about being a “no name” that my co-author and I managed to convince Ten Speed Press to take a chance on the two of us for our book Almost Meatless which was released in April 2009. It has done very well. Joy was a Philadelphia food writer and restaurant critic, and I was a food writer, recipe developer and regular freelancer for the Food Network (but no on screen personality!) when we proposed our book. I couldn’t have predicted that I would be an author. It was, indeed, a crapshoot! Even now as a published author, I work every day at building a platform. For many (not all) celebrity cookbook authors or writers, platforms spring up like modular homes! For the rest of us, it’s hard work, brick by brick. There are only two choices: quit or keep at it.

I like David’s philosophy of believing in what we do and moving forward.

Here’s to steady growth in 2010.

Your path does not seem typical nor representative of Dianne’s post-and great for you. I commend you for all you have accomplished, read your blog when you do write it, and enjoyed hearing you read in person.
I also don’t think it’s a bad thing to have friends who know friends-it helps a lot in this business. Sorry to have offended you.

I’ve never been interested in playing the game. I just wrote what I wanted to write, and that’s what I continue – and will continue – to do.

And yet some of us are just driven to tell stories — hideous odds be damned!