blank pages: be gone!
cookbook proposal
planner
a 47-page downloadable, fillable workbook. write your proposal piece by beautiful piece.
Do you have a cookbook idea brewing inside you?
Picture this: Your book, within arm's reach in people's homes and prominently displayed at your favorite bookshop.
If you're ready to find a publisher for your cookbook, you need to start with a book proposal.
The problem: Staring at a blank page is overwhelming! Where do you even begin? Don't worry, I've got you!
get your proposal done in AS LITTLE AS 8-weeks!
After helping many authors write their cookbook proposals, I learned something: It's too daunting to start at the beginning. So, I pulled apart the document into manageable sections and approached it from the easiest chunk to the most challenging.
The result: I learned to basically trick myself into getting it done! I also found my method gives me greater clarity about the book I'm writing by allowing me to understand who I'm writing for and where the book will sit on the shelf.
Earlier this year, I taught my method to a group of students who loved it. This guide takes you through my method for a tiny fraction of the cost of the class and gives you instructions for writing the proposal piece by beautiful piece.
If you're clear on your idea and are willing to spend five to ten hours per week on the proposal, you could have it finished and ready to pitch within eight weeks!
P.S. no shame if it takes you longer! SOME IDEAS NEED MORE TIME TO BREW. REMEMBER: It's not a race!
What's inside the
cookbook proposal planner?
A checklist with the pieces you need to include in the proposal.
An eight-week plan to help you divide the proposal into chunks and get it done!
Week-by-week descriptions of what you should accomplish.
Expert guidance and tips on how to write each section.
Worksheets throughout each section that you can fill out on screen or print out.
“I loved the way it's structured. It really makes a big project feel very manageable.”
sara may, student
This planner is for you if:
You're a food writer, recipe developer, food creator, nutrition expert, chef, or culinary business owner with a growing platform who is ready to do the hard work of writing a cookbook proposal.
You're a writer who plans to help a chef or culinary business owner write a cookbook.
You're an author who has self-published in the past. Now, you're ready to sell your next book to traditional publishers.
You're a cookbook author who wants a blueprint to follow as you write your next proposal.
You love a system that helps break big projects into manageable pieces to help you get them done!
the creator of the planner
Kristin Donnelly
Hi! I'm Kristin, and I'm the author of Modern Potluck from Clarkson Potter and Cauliflower from Short Stack Editions. I love nothing more than helping people write their dream cookbooks.
Over the past decade, I have written cookbook proposals for authors to help them secure five and multiple six-figure book deals and worked on at least a dozen cookbooks in many different capacities from behind the scenes.
For eight years, I was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine. With fellow cookbook authors Andrea Nguyen, Molly Stevens, and Kate Leahy, I cohost of Everything Cookbooks, a podcast about cookbook writing and publishing.
“Kristin worked with my clients Caryl Levine and Ken Lee as the writer on their cookbook, Rice Is Life. From the moment she came on board to help with the proposal, I knew we were in excellent hands. Anyone would be lucky to have her guidance on their food writing projects!”
Leigh Eisenman, literary agent
FAQ
WHAT IS A BOOK PROPOSAL?
A book proposal is a document that includes some sample material from the book you hope to publish as well as other sections that describe who you are, your vision for the book, and why your book should exist right now. (A cookbook proposal usually includes some recipes, too.)
Your proposal acts as a tool to help you sell your book.
WHY SHOULD I WRITE A COOKBOOK PROPOSAL?
If you want to sell your non-fiction book to traditional publishers — that’s to say those who will take care of all the editing, printing, and distribution of a book — you generally need to pitch them. And the way to pitch a publisher is with a book proposal.
HOW DO I KNOW I'M READY TO WRITE A BOOK PROPOSAL?
You know you’re ready to write a proposal when you have a solid idea for your book as well as the time and energy to write it.
Before you write a proposal, it's also best to have some sort of author platform, whether that's your social media or YouTube following, your business, your column in a major publication, or a deep connection to the people you're writing your book for.
HOW WILL YOU SEND ME THE GUIDE?
As soon as you purchase, you'll be able to download it and you'll receive it in your inbox.
CAN I WRITE OFF THIS GUIDE ON MY TAXES?
If you're a freelancer or business owner and this course is related to your work, you very likely can. Double check with an accountant to be sure!
IS THIS GUIDE ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WRITE COOKBOOKS?
No. While my expertise is in cookbooks and other food-and-beverage related books, non-fiction book proposals are similar no matter the genre. The biggest differences will be your market and what type of sample material you enclose.
DO I NEED A PROPOSAL TO FIND AN AGENT?
Sometimes. There are times when you can sign with an agent based on your platform or book idea before you have your proposal done. But often, they will want to see a version of a proposal before officially signing you.
HOW MUCH MONEY CAN I EXPECT TO MAKE FROM MY COOKBOOK?
It really depends. New authors with small followings and a compelling idea could potentially sell their cookbook to small publishers for four or low five-figures. Authors with huge followings can earn much more. In the end, most cookbooks are not big money-makers themselves. It's best to think of them as a way to share your voice and expertise and as an investment in your career.
Ready to say goodbye to the blank page?
$17
$17
Now is
your time
After talking with many, many aspiring cookbook authors, I know publishing is often confusing and even downright opaque. I’ve made it my mission to help demystify the process.
Here’s the thing: There’s no lazy way to write a book proposal. (Unless you hire someone else to do it for you, and that costs thousands of dollars!)
But there is a system you can follow.
I'm excited to offer this planner to help you craft your proposal for the book of your dreams.