"Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." - Jim Davis
In This Issue:
1. Editor's Note – THOUGHTS ABOUT COOKBOOKS
2. GET SPECIFIC WITH YOUR PITCH LETTERS by Pam White
3. HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST AGENT FOR YOU by Sophfronia Scott
4. Markets for Writers
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1. Editor's Note – THOUGHTS ABOUT COOKBOOKS
Welcome to Food Writing, the ezine that provides care and feeding to aspiring and expanding food writers. This week I received a question from one of my students and, without revealing any details of her book proposal, thought the answer would be applicable to many writers.
In essence, the question was about how to create a cookbook based on cooking from a specific place. It could be a restaurant, or a former department store that had a well-known restaurant, or it could be a remake of a classic cookbook. The question was how to pitch the idea without the restaurant or company refusing to cooperate with the writer and going out and hiring their own writer to create the dream cookbook originally proposed.
The answer is that you really can't stop someone else from taking your idea and creating it in their own vision. Remember, ideas cannot be copyrighted, and shouldn't be, because there are few, if any, original ideas. We are lucky if we surmise a new way to present an old idea.
Here are my thoughts:
If you have a great idea that includes the cooperation of another chef or entity, then proceed carefully. If you know the chef, talk with him or her about recipes, favorite dishes, special techniques and ask if he or she would cooperate in some way with a cookbook.
Write up your book proposal, including your sources for recipes, historical background, stories, and photographs. Then send your proposal to an agent (or more than one). Let the agent guide you through this potentially explosive effort. You need someone on your side that is familiar with negotiations between writer, recipe creator, and publisher. Ideally, you want your name and the business's name on the cover – "Lunch at Marshall-Fields: white gloves, soufflés and chocolates at the famous store" by Pamela White.
You could take a list of your memories of the meals and then create your own recipes but getting a book published of recipes that are similar to the real thing, without any real credibility simply won't work.
And think about how many books will sell, not on your name as author, but the chef's or store's name in the title.
How do you find experienced agents? Look in the acknowledgements of high profile cookbooks, especially those that are a collaborative effort between a chef and the writer. Make a list of the agents' names and search for contact information online.
These are the steps to get your going on your own successful search for a way to protect your ideas and find someone to represent you for your own financial advantage.
Best wishes for a truly profitable and joyous new year,
Pam White
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Announcements: ONLINE CLASS
Next session of Eat, Drink and Make Money: All About Food Writing begins March 5, 2007. Register early and save 10% on the price and reserve your spot! Sale ends midnight 1/31/07. http://www.food-writing.com/booksclasses/onlineclass.html
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2. GET SPECIFIC WITH YOUR PITCH LETTERS by Pamela White
My first non-newspaper sale was to be to a religious magazine. I wrote a query letter about how I wanted to write about new ways to honor the Sabbath in our busy lives. I planned to write about families who refused to join sports teams that practiced and played on Sundays, modern people looking to the traditions of generations past of doing no cooking or housework on that day, and ways to find a day of rest in the middle of the week for those in professions that required them to work Sundays.
Instead of giving a list of points I wished to cover, I wrote about the Bible study class I taught for years and how we learned new ways to honor the Sabbath during the course's 34 weeks of meetings as a way of selling myself to the editor. I added in something about my own busy life, and that I wrote for a few newspapers. I did not mention that I had pulled the magazine's name out of a book on markets and never heard of it before then.
I received a letter that asked me to write the piece on spec.
What I turned in and what they expected were two different things. I wrote about new ways to feel the Sabbath in your heart, and to incorporate that feeling through the week. I encouraged embracing new ways to include old ways of worshipping. The editor's response was a form letter stating that my piece was inappropriate for their magazine. Only later when I read a copy of the magazine did I realize that it was quite conservative in its approach to religion.
All this could have been averted if I had read the magazine and not just the magazine's guidelines, and if I had included an outline in my query letter.
The query letter is your sales tool. What you include in the letter should only be your best so that editors cannot turn down you or your idea. You know your own writing successes and professional background as it suits your pitch, but how much other information should you include in an outline.
For your outline, think in short, salient points. If you are pitching an article on healthful eating in the summer time, you will want to include:
Resources for your nutrition information
Nutritionists, doctors, chefs you will interview
Names and brief descriptions of recipes that will be included
If you are pitching an article on 25 tips on growing roses, include:
All 25 tips in their short form: Best protection in winter, Trimming tips, When to fertilize
Experts you'll quote
How you'll break down the quotes: into seasonal tasks, regional requirements, for beginners
If you are writing a query for creating a playgroup, your outline could take the form of:
Getting started – classified ads, news releases, flyers
First meeting – choose time, places, snacks or no snacks, parents night out
Sample activities – fingerpainting, making snacks, outdoor games, music
Sample snacks – cheese and crackers, fruits and dips, English muffin pizzas
What not to do – Avoid foods that can choke, sugary snacks, leaving children alone, meeting in homes that are not childproofed.
In all cases, the outline will be a part of the query. You will still introduce your topic, why this particular magazine's readers will swoon over your article, and why you are the person to write it. The outline adds depth to your query and allows you to avoid any misunderstandings that will get your article dropped. And adding an outline to the body of your pitch letter when the guidelines do not specifically request one will show the editor that you are going to be one of those blessed writers that makes life easier for editors.
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FEBRUARY CLASSES
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These four-week online classes begin February 5. Register for one or both of them at:
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Cost is $44 per class
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3. HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST AGENT FOR YOU by Sophfronia Scott
Recently I've had a few writers seek me out for consultation because they were dealing with the fortunate mishap of having more than one agent interested in their work. That may sound fantastic if you haven't been able to get anything other than single sheet rejections in your mailbox, but these writers found themselves feeling like the dog chasing cars who finally caught one! What to do now?
Below are a few points to consider, but note this: each one involves an evaluation of yourself and the agent. Ideally you'll be asking yourself, "What do I want here?" and then "What does the agent offer?" You'll see what I mean as we go on.
The Art of Communication
This first point is all about how the back-and-forth communications between you and your agent will happen. Will you mostly talk via email? Or telephone? How easy will it be to get your agent on the phone? Now, what do you want your communications with your agent to be like? A couple of the writers I spoke with weren't happy with the agents who didn't return their phone calls or answer their emails in a timely fashion. In fact, they got downright antsy about it and thought the agent had changed his or her mind about their project. Of course this wasn't the case, but that didn't stop the thought from driving the writers crazy anyway!
Still, it's important to consider: are you the type of writer who requires a lot of attention? That's not a bad thing, but it means you may want to think twice about choosing an agent with a large client base who is busy and can't return calls or emails on the same day. A smaller firm with more personal attention would be the more appropriate choice.
Bigtime Connections
On the flipside, the agent who is too busy to return phone calls might be busy because he's escorting one of his writers to an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show"! An agent who has celebrity clients may have a foot in the door for certain publicity opportunities and immediate recognition from the editors at the publishing houses. The editors know, for instance, to pay attention to a manuscript coming from Agent X because he regularly sends them great stuff! If you want that kind of star power behind your book and you're secure enough to be in a huge fold where you're not top dog, then go for this agent.
But don't write off a smaller agent because his or her connections are with small or mid-size publishing companies. Your book may require the kind of attention (budgetary and otherwise) that you can get from smaller firms. This type of agent may be more helpful in the building of your platform, where with a bigger agent you might be expected to have your audience already in place.
Any Editing in the Deal?
Some agents are interested in helping you develop the content of your book. Some agencies even employ in-house editors. Why? Because they know a book has a better chance of selling if it's in top form before they take it to the publishing houses. Do you feel you'll need this type of assistance for your book? Does the agent you're considering offer this type of service? If not, remember you may want to invest in hiring an editor on your own.
Consider the Long Run
I recently assisted a writer in researching an agent and my contacts at a publishing house told us that he was a hit-and-run kind of guy--he threw lots of projects at you, trying to see what would stick. If he couldn't sell it, he'd drop the project and move on. Again, that's not necessarily a bad thing--many agents operate this way. But the writer in question here was looking for an agent who would not only represent his book, but also help him develop his writing career--someone who could help him evaluate opportunities and brainstorm future projects. If the writer was only interested in selling his current book, this agent could have been the right choice. But for the long run, he knew this agent wasn't the guy!
Now: Make the Choice
Once you've done your evaluating, make your choice and tell the agents as soon as possible. For the person you didn't pick, make the communication clear and friendly. You don't want to burn any bridges in this business. These days people switch sides frequently so today's agent could be tomorrow's publisher. Just something to keep in mind!
© 2006 Sophfronia Scott
Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com
Sophfronia is also author of the bestselling novel, All I Need to Get By. If you liked today's issue, stay tuned for more because The Book Sistah also offers FREE audio classes, FREE articles, workshops, and other resources to help aspiring authors get published and market their books successfully.
The Book Sistah
261 South Main St.
Ste. 319
Newtown, CT 06470
866-834-3942
Info@TheBookSistah.com
http://www.TheBookSistah.com
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4. MARKETS FOR FOOD WRITERS
TRANSITIONS ABROAD
www.transitionsabroad.com
Guidelines: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/information/writers/travel_writers_guidelines_transitionsabroadcom.shtml
Looking for submissions about traveling to eat, drink or cook. Pays $150 for 1500 – 3000 words.
PLENTY MAGAZINE
www.plentymag.com
Guidelines: http://www.plentymag.com/guidelines
Lifestyle stories that are well-researched to show how these topics positively effect the environment. Website needs articles of 500 words for $150; print publication looks at up to 3000 words for about $1 per word.
GET FRESH!
http://www.fresh-network.com/getfresh/index.htm
Guidelines: http://www.fresh-network.com/getfresh/guidelines.htm
Articles must be about raw food living. No payment.
BYRONCHILD
http://www.byronchild.com/writers.htm
Goal is to empower parents and professionals who work with children. Familiarize yourself with the magazine. Pay not specified for 2000 word articles. Food articles have been about genetically engineered food specifically, and the politics of food generally.
SPIRIT. The Magazine of Southwest Airlines
Guidelines: http://www.spiritmag.com/contact.php click on writers guidelines under "editorial" for detailed instructions.
Includes "The Best of" in a variety of areas including food.
About.com – Food and Drink Senior Editor position
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=49297&page=1
Administrative Assistant Food Network
http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=48575&page=1
Food and Dining Writer, Phoenix, AZ
http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=723434
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"He added that a Frenchman in the train had given him a great sandwich that so stank of garlic that he had been inclined to throw it at the fellow's head." – Ford Maddox Ford
Food Writing is copyrighted by Pamela White, 2007
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