5 Ways to Wow Food Lovers (and Publishers) with Your Book Idea

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“I don’t know why anyone would care about this book.”

No matter how many clients I’ve worked with or podcasts I’ve listened to about the book writing process, I feel that this is the universal feeling every writer has at some point. Maybe you haven’t gotten the response you thought you would to an initial draft of your memoir, or your cookbook proposal seems scattered because you can’t pinpoint your main idea. It’s okay. You’re not alone. 

Sometimes, we are too close to a project or an idea to see where the real gold is — we’re getting in our own way. And if we’re not excited about our book, there’s no way we’d be able to sell it to anyone else. So, let’s take a step back and look at 5 ways to wow food lovers (and publishers) with your book idea.

1. Say the Ish No One Else Will

When you’re selling an idea, people want to know: How is this different from the other books on the shelf? 

There’s a reason books like Kitchen Confidential are forever ingrained in people’s minds. It said what couldn’t be said in the front of the house or openly on the menu. For the foodies, it gave them an inside look into a world they were obsessed with and for the industry workers, it gave them a voice they didn’t have.

You don’t need to burn bridges, but you need to be bold enough to have a point of view and stick to it. And speaking of our beloved television host and cook...

2. Stop Trying to be Anthony Bourdain

Or Ruth Reichl. Edna Lewis. Samin Nosrat. Lisa Donovan. Nadiya Hussain. Bill Buford.

The quickest way to get people snoozing on your idea is to be someone else. You may admire the work of someone, but not be the brash storyteller they are. There may be a handful of recipes you’re obsessed with from your favorite chef, but your recipe development leaves a lot to be desired. Or maybe you prefer simple ingredients, like I do with design — because when the end product is high in quality, you don’t need the extras.

Food stories aren’t confined to cookbooks, and the best way to capture people’s attention is to take inspiration from others but feel confident you have a story worth telling too. Which brings us to...

3. Be Specific 

One of the most common comments I hear from clients is that they don’t want to leave readers out by being too specific.

To which I respond: Good — leave people out! Your story isn’t for everyone.

This is especially true if you want a publisher to sell it. Know your audience and what the market is like. You don’t have to write for the audience, but you need to write to them. You’ll wow food lovers and publishers with your book idea by being laser-focused on the nuances and details of your story that your book will automatically stand out on its own.

The funny thing is when you’re specific, your story instantly becomes universal. 

By digging into the details of your one of a kind story, you unlock a whole mess of emotions and truths you couldn’t get to if you just skimmed the surface to “include everyone”.

4. Trust Your Instincts and Go Where the Story Is (Even If It’s a No-Brainer)

One of my favorite book writing stories is Samin Nosrat’s with Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. In her first year of cooking, she was struck with the idea that those four components were the foundations of making good food over and over again. Her co-worker wasn’t impressed by her realization, but she felt no one was really talking about this basic principle. Seventeen years later, she told us this story in the introduction for the cookbook that would become a James Beard award-winner.

Often, the best stories are the simplest ones. We ache to be unique and stand out from the crowd with our creative ideas, but we can miss what’s right in front of us. What captivates you can captivate others by storytelling alone. 

It’s that passion that’ll give you the fuel you need to spend seventeen years on a book and still be obsessed with the story.

5. Tell the Story Only You Can Tell

During the writing process for One Part Plant, Jessica Murnane’s agent gave her some advice: You’re not this boring. 

I don’t know what it is about putting words down a page, but we all immediately try to sound like someone we’re not. We strip our stories of humor and quirkiness to fit a mold of what a writer “should” sound like. The joy gets sucked dry from adding fancier sounding words or holding back details and events. 

These are the books people buy and get pissed off at 10 pages in because you already know it’s a snooze fest. You’re definitely not going to wow food lovers and publishers with that response.

You have a point of view that no one else on Earth does. There are connections only you can see and share with readers. Tell the story only you can tell, so people can read the book that could only have been written by you.

Taking the Wow Factor with You

Once you embrace these 5 ideas, you’ll be a more intentional and striking storyteller whether you’re writing a food memoir or cookbook. The idea is your North Star to keep you on track and moving towards a complete manuscript. 

You weren’t made to be like everyone else, so don’t let food lovers (and publishers) miss out on your idea because you weren’t telling the right story.

Ready to wow folks with your book idea? Grab your spot on my coaching waitlist now.