Copy of a post I put up at TB2K tonight (the reason I have been so inactive on all forums in the last 3 weeks... Think I'd get some good information here for sure... If any one wants to share??? Pretty please :)

Kath

Hi All.

I'm also putting a book together (not the same caliber as Michael's or Ed's, but I try). Which leads me to the famous "and I could use some help too" line. My book you may have guessed is called "The Homemaker's Recession/Depression Survival Bible". Since I love to cook and prepping and stocking up is my hobby, this is perfect for me. I'm also addicted to "Homemade" anything recipes, whether for food or cleaning... I have my forum "Kath's Kozy Kitchen" and I'd like to try out some of my stuff and info there. Anyone that's interested in being a guinea pig is welcome... Only kidding!!! But I'm looking for ideas and/recipes for copy cat of any kinda ready-mades that are cheaper and budget/stretch meal ideas. I have a lot, but tried and tested they are all not. If anyone has any, please post. TB2K will get a credit in the book I promise, that is if a publisher decides to take it. I plan to get the forum kinda reorganized in the next week or so. I will then begin posting sections/recipes for review by the best (that's the TB2K'ers of course)...

Thanks in advance for any help or criticism you can offer. I really think this is a book that could help out a lot of people as the recession/depression gets worse or if things really go down the toilet with other things...

Kath

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Answers

Not to put too much of a damper, but if you check Jessica's Biscuit Cookbook Catalogue (on the web somewhere), you'll find an overwhelming number of cookbooks of that genre. You might want to have a look before you invest a lot of valuable time and effort. If you decide to go ahead--all good wishes!

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Kath, how will your book differ from Sally's? Remember her Y2K kitchen? She published a book already.

http://www.sallyskitchen.com/html/recipes.html

link

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Old Git and Meemur,

What I have planned isn't like Sally's at all, though I do love her book (own it). Mine would be closer to an Encyclopedia of Country Living type, but with a modern twist. More a story to read, then an actual cookbook deal. With tips, recipes and such along the road... Kinda hard to explain, but I've searched out a lot of links on books and haven't found one similar to what I have planned on paper and in my mind. I'm hoping to have the basics up on my web site within the next week or so with the preliminary intro to it. This may kinda give off the flavor I'm seeking better than my current explanation...

Any of this make sense???

Kath

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001

Kath, my second job involves evaluating manuscripts. Unless you can think of a way to gear a book like that toward teens or make it appealing to your Chicago readers (as in a strong reginal book, such Big Mama's Black Kettle . . . whatever) I think you're going to have a hard time selling it to a publisher right now. Of course, you can always self-publish it and sell it out of your trunk at the flea markets. That's sort of how Carla Emery got a publisher interested . . . she proved she had the market for it.

If you can write salable fiction, Kath, I strongly recommend putting your energy into that, especially commercial and Christian romances. What I'm picking up from a recent skimming of PW (Publisher's Weekly) is that escapest fiction will make a huge comeback, along with high tech spy thrillers.

In terms of nonfiction, as someone suggested over on TB2K, there is need for a decent sewing manual, something between "Sewing for Dummies" and the Singer series -- you know, how to do "real" stuff, like turn curtains into a skirt or pair of pants.

In any case, I strongly recommend that you do further research so that you can write a clearer description of what your book is about and where it fits into the market and how it is unlike the other best sellers in that genre. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I think I remember you saying that you were published. If so, didn't you have a paragraph or two in your proposal letter explaining where your manuscript fit in the publisher's needs and how it was unlike others? It's the same thing here.

Lots of manuscripts get sent back to writers without a first glance because the writer couldn't clearly articulate the above, and unless the writer is already a household name -- Stephen King's grocery list would sell! -- then establishing the manuscript's place in the market and getting that information across to an editor is key to getting a sale.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001