Melinda Smith-Sullivan

Since the pandemic, I’ve been teaching Zoom classes about how to publish a cookbook. Once I explain how difficult it is, some hopeful authors decide to self-publish, and others give up.

 

If you’re a prospective cookbook writer, you should know that there are always exceptions to the rule in traditional publishing. So here are the experiences of four authors who beat the odds to publish a cookbook or food-based book. (Two books are forthcoming, and another is a collection of essays with recipes).

 

I’ve asked the authors to talk about their experience in their own words. Their stories are refreshing, because there is so much pressure these days to build a big social media following, if you want a cookbook. But none of them had a big platform when they approached their publisher.