You may have heard of the “gram whole hed pea” phenomenon. Well, it’s actually a pretty accurate descriptor of the situation facing a part-time writer who volunteers to write a cookbook for free. What’s the poison in the pennichella (pea + garlic + tomato sauce + vinegar) that makes it so hard to resist?
You may be asking yourself: How much should I be paid to write a cookbook? Well here’s the answer: It’s all kinds of relative. Depending on what kind of cookbook you’re writing, the amount you’ll be paid can vary from zero to six figures.
Remember: You’re writing a cookbook for free, so you’re not bound to any specific rates or royalties for your work. You’re paid what the publisher is willing to pay you for the book.
Also, as a generally best practice, whenever possible, the publisher of a cookbook will pay you up front for your work.
So let’s walk through a cookbook writing process to figure out how much you’ll be paid for writing a specific cookbook.
The First Step: Gathering The Mentions
The first step in the cookbook writing process is to gather the mentions. This is a collection of all the names of recipes you’ll need in the book. For instance, if you were to write a French cookbook, you’d need to collect all the recipes with French sauces and dishes. So you start with “la bonne bouchée” (the good bite) and “les escalopes” (the slices) and then you work your way through the recipe names until you get to the end. (Note: This is just one example of what a French cookbook might look like.)
The Second Step: Planning The Layout Of The Book
Once you’ve collected all the mentions, you can move on to the next step which is to plan the layout of the book. The layout of the book is the arrangement of the content within the pages of the cookbook. For instance, you might want to have several large, full-color photographs on the cover of the book, or you might wish to use a partially glossed paper to provide a more vivid image of the food in the cookbook. You might also want to use a layout that provides for several seasons of food or use an image of a generic “family park bench” with children playing on it for a more wedding layout. Basically, the layout of the book is the visual presentation of the content you’ll be providing.
The Third Step: Creating The Mentions
After you’ve planned the layout of the book, you can start to create the mentions. This is a collection of all the items you’ll need to mention in the book, including step by step instructions, the ingredients, and the equipment needed to make the dish. Some of these items may be specific to a region of the world you’ll be visiting, or may be applicable to all recipes in your book. For instance, if you were to write a Southern US cookbook, you’d need to collect all the ingredients for fried chicken, mashed potatoes, or gumbo jambalaya.
The Fourth Step: Choosing The Typeface And Stylus
The fourth step is to choose a typeface and stylus. A typeface is the style of the lettering you’ll be using to write the book, and the stylus is the way the lettering is to be written. For instance, you might wish to use a Rockingham plate for your cookbook. This is a serif typeface with a regular and a bold variant. If you have a monotype face, you can go for that, otherwise you’ll need to use a serif face, such as Arial or Times New Roman for your typewriter. Don’t use a font that’s too small or too large for your purpose – it will look out of place and unprofessional. One last thing about the typeface: Make sure that it is easy to read, and that all the letters are consistent in size and shape. Use a grid to check for readability and appearance.