Making Money as a Cookbook Author
Since 2014, I’ve earned a portion of my income from working on cookbooks. Sometimes, I get paid by the publishers for my own work. Other times, authors pay me to help them write or recipe test their book.
But here’s the thing: I’ve never earned more than low-to-mid five figures each year from books alone. That’s for a few reasons:
I’m often a collaborator, so I’m receiving a percentage of the advance, not the entire thing.
Publishers pay out advances in three-to-four chunks, and sometimes, those final payments don’t come until a year after publication.
I like to work on one or two books at a time. Some collaborators can juggle lots of book projects at once, but I enjoy the process of going deep on fewer projects.
For some friends of mine, a cookbook is a slice of their larger brand. They earn the rest of their living from advertising on their own websites, sponsored content and influencer marketing, and writing for other publications.
For others, cookbooks are a piece of a freelance portfolio, and that’s the case for me. For years, I made up the balance of my income by creating content for websites, writing for magazines, and teaching. While all of this work is super fun, I could never seem to bust out of earning more than the same mid-five-figure salary I had as a magazine editor back in 2012.
How I Learned About Copywriting
Two years ago, while finishing up a book project and feeling unsure about what I’d do next, a Facebook ad flashed across my feed for a company called Filthy Rich Writer. Skeptical, I ignored it at first, especially with a name so hyperbolic and maybe even a little scammy-sounding...
But as Facebook ads do, they chase you.
One of those ads talked about a woman earning six figures writing copy for brands while living in Cyprus. That sounded pretty good. Go on….
At the same time, a friend had hired me to help her with content and copywriting at Blue Bottle Coffee, and the gig paid me better than almost any editorial work I had done (although, I later learned, lower than many copywriting gigs).
So maybe writing for brands was the way to level up my finances…
The next time a Filthy Rich Writer ad came across my feed, I clicked.
Instead of finding some bro trying to shove a get-rich-quick scheme down my throat, I met Nicki, a friendly and encouraging coach who had made a great living as a copywriter for years. She had also trained thousands of others in the skill of copywriting, including teachers looking for a career change. (I know lots of those).
Filthy Rich Copywriter Review
Welp, she got me. So on January 3, 2020, I bought her course, Comprehensive Copywriting Academy.
While the world descended into a sh*tshow ten weeks later, I quietly built up my portfolio as a copywriter and, for the first time, made my career as a freelancer feel truly financially sustainable.
So how’s it going now?
In 2021, I nearly cracked six figures, with half of the income from copywriting and half from cookbook authoring. In 2022, I earned more than six figures while my husband took a break from his job to finish an MBA. We also spent a month in France because we had the flexibility to do so.
I will be 100% honest here: I never fully finished this course. Instead, I dip in and out of it as I need it because the interface is so easy to navigate.
For example:
I did the first few lessons to make sure I really understood someone of the psychology of copywriting.
Then, when someone asked me to write, say, Facebook ads or an email for them…I consulted Comprehensive Copy Academy for advice.
When I was asked how much I’d charge to help a brand update their voice and tone…I consulted Comprehensive Copy Academy.
Essentially, Filthy Rich Copywriter has given me the confidence to say YES to any copywriting request. And my clients are always thrilled with my work. I’ve even tipped off other copywriters to some techniques I learned from this course that they didn’t know before.
Getting started copywriting.
You might be thinking, “Well, it was easy enough for you. You had a friend hire you for your first job.” This is true. My first gig came more easily to me than others.
BUT, in the course, you learn how to find copywriting work even if you’ve never done it before and build a copy business from the ground up.
There’s also an incredibly supportive Facebook group filled with people worldwide who have found both full-time and freelance work writing copy because of this course.
If you’re curious at all about writing copy, you can check out the free on-demand workshop Nicki has about how to land freelance copywriting work.
And if what you see appeals to you, I can’t recommend the larger course highly enough.
Please know, this is coming from someone who takes a lot of courses. I’m what you might call a lifelong learning junkie and an online educator’s dream.
But no other course I’ve taken to date has had as fast and direct an impact on my income as this one, so I thought it was time to spread the word.
If you are:
A freelance writer looking to pump up your income,
A hobby writer who dreams of earning a full-time living with words,
A full-time parent looking to make some side income and love to write,
Feeling stuck in your office or teaching or healthcare job and want more freedom in your work life,
I highly recommend Filthy Rich Copywriter.
Best of all, you can do the course on your own time and it’s reasonably priced enough that you can earn the money back quickly. So click to join the free Learn How to Land Freelance Copywriting Work workshop, and you’ll get it sent right to your inbox. Set aside a time, put it on your calendar, and watch the training.
Full disclosure: If you decide to purchase the course and have used any of the links in this post, I will receive a commission.
If you have any questions about the workshop, course, or copywriting, feel free to hit me up with an email.
P.S. If you know a friend who might be interested in writing copy for a living, I'd be so grateful if you sent them this post.