September 10, 9 – 11 a.m.
Felicia Suzanne’s Restaurant
80 Monroe Ave.
Memphis, TN (801) 523-0877
While this workshop is an optional offsite event for the Association of Food Journalists annual conference, you do not have to be a member of the AFJ to attend this event. It is open to the public.
Price: $99 for members/$125 for the public
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EARLY BIRD SPECIAL EXTENDED: Save 25%. $75 for members/ $94 for the public |
Book publishers require a book proposal for most non-fiction books, particularly cookbooks. It’s a long document that they use to consider whether to purchase your book. The acceptance rate from agents and editors is about two percent, so it’s more important than ever to write a book proposal that succeeds.
You probably know all this and that’s why you’re procrastinating!
But help is at hand. I have been on the receiving end of reading proposals and pitches from writers for decades, as a newspaper, magazine, and publishing company editor-in-chief, and I know what goes into an irresistible proposal. I became a full-time writing coach and author in 1996. Since then I have coached writers across the US, Canada, Europe and Asia on writing and publishing books. Some of the most prestigious book publishers in the US, including William Morrow; Ten Speed Press; Chronicle Books; Stewart, Tabori & Chang; Clarkson Potter; Little, Brown & Co.; and WW Norton & Co., have published books by my clients. Their advances have ranged as high as $125,000.
As a successful book author, I have published two books: Will Write for Food (Da Capo Press), about how to become a food writer, now in its second edition; and Grilled Pizzas & Piadinas (Dorling-Kindersley), with co-author Craig Priebe. Both books have earned out their advances. Rizzoli will publish our second pizza cookbook, The United States of Pizza, in Fall 2015.
So if you’re a food writer, food blogger, chef, restaurateur, caterer, or enthusiastic home chef, join me for this two-hour interactive workshop. Stop procrastinating and produce a draft you can take home and hone.
Here’s what you can expect:
To begin, I’ll give an overview first about book proposals and how to approach them strategically. Then we’ll go through most of the sections of the proposal, one by one, including the Bio, Table of Contents, Promotion Plan, Competitive Analysis and Overview. I’ll discuss the strategy for each section, and then you will have time to write a first draft. By the end of the two hours, you will have a first draft to take home and work on.
Prior to the class, I will send you a six-page handout that discusses in detail how to write a book proposal and what to include in each section. It also includes customized information for cookbooks, such as how many recipes to include and how to choose them.
Whether you’re already a book author and contemplating writing a new book, or you’re a food-obsessed type with a great idea for your first book, this two-hour interactive workshop will get you started on your path towards publication.
All ticket sales are non-refundable.
