How to Write a Cookbook Proposal
what you need to do to get a cookbook published
So, you have a cookbook idea that you can’t stop thinking about and you want to get it published. Where do you even begin? Oftentimes, it starts with a cookbook proposal.
Sometimes, you need to write a proposal to pitch agents and publishers. Other times, if you have a large social media following or have written articles for publication that have sparked conversation, an agent or publisher might reach out to you.
Either way, most of the cookbooks start with some kind of proposal.
So, what is a book proposal?
When you write fiction and often memoir, you generally need to have your entire book written before submitting it to agents or publishers. They purchase books based on the book itself.
Cookbooks, however, are more like other types of nonfiction. Instead of submitting an entire book to a publisher or agent, they want to see a proposal. The proposal is both a description of your nonfiction book as well as a marketing plan for it. Some people will say it’s like a business plan for your book, and that’s partially true. But thankfully, you don’t need to worry about predicting the financial side of things. (You can leave that to a publisher.)
Your proposal will also include something called “sample material” which are pieces you expect to include in the book. For a cookbook, your sample material might be a sample chapter. (Yep, a full chapter, with recipes and all!) Other times, you might want to include the introduction to your book along with a smattering of recipes from throughout the book so the publisher can see the range.
Ok, but why do I need to write a book proposal?
When you submit a proposal to an agent or publisher, you’re making a case on paper for your book by showing them that you have a great idea, that there’s a market for your idea, and that you are the person to write this book.
It also shows that you’ve given some thought to how you can help a publisher sell your book.
When editors decide which books to publish, they’re thinking about your book in the context of their other offerings. If they like your book idea, they’ll use your proposal to make a case within the publishing house for your book.
How long should a book proposal be?
Book proposal length can range widely from say, 20 pages, all the way up to 100. Most cookbooks are probably well served with a 40 to 60 page (double spaced or designed) proposal.
Sometimes, seasoned cookbook authors who want to write another book with the same publisher can draft shorter proposals with just a description of the book and perhaps a market analysis.
Other times, authors with big platforms who have a book idea the publisher knows they can sell do not have to write extensive proposals.
If you’re a new cookbook author, I recommend writing a proposal that’s as thorough and thoughtful as possible. Spend time making sure your idea is fully fleshed out and write and test your recipes as if they were going to be published.
You can read more about all the sections of a proposal below. If it’s too long for you, check out my cookbook proposal planner, which breaks down the writing process into manageable chunks so you can write your proposal piece by beautiful piece.
What needs to go into my cookbook proposal?
Proposals follow a standard format. You can often move some of the pieces around to help it flow better, but all full-sized cookbook proposals should include the following sections:
Title Page (1 page). Include your working title, your name, and your contact info.
Even if you’re not settled on a title, use something. And try not to get too devoted to your title. Publishers will sometimes ask you to change it.
If an agent is submitting your proposal to a publisher, they will generally put their contact information on the title page. If you’re submitting to an agent or a publisher, be sure to include your email address at the very least and phone number if you like. (Proposals often get separated from the original emails they came with, so having this info right on the front makes it so helpful for reviewers.)
Proposal Table of Contents (1 page). Help people get to where they need to go.
Picture this: An editor is sitting at a table with their colleagues at the publishing house. Everyone has copies of your proposal and they all want to look at the marketing plan. Instead of making them flip endlessly to find it, help them out by including a one-page TOC that includes page numbers for all of the relevant sections of the proposal.
(And be sure to add page numbers to all the pages of the proposal, preferably on the bottom right.)
Overview (1 to 5 pages). Romance them with your words.
Your overview is a little bit like the introduction to your book, but instead of writing for your ideal reader, you’re writing to your potential agent or publisher.
Yes, the overview describes the book you want to write but it also needs to be persuasive and talk about why this book needs to exist right now and why you’re the one to write it.
In the overview, you can highlight certain areas that you will also cover in more depth in other parts of the proposal. For example, if you have a large social media following, I’d mention it in the overview with a little bit about how you built your following and why people follow you.
I often like to start the overview with an anecdote that pulls the reader in and shows them why I want to write this book. For example, for Modern Potluck, I opened with one particular potluck I used to go to as a teenager and then led into how the ways people eat have evolved, so we need new potluck recipes.
I’m not ashamed to say it: I sang in a twenty-member a capella group in high school. Every year, my favorite concert was at a Quaker meetinghouse in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Why? Because it always ended with a spectacular potluck. A series of folding tables lined with gingham cloths groaned under covered platters of salads and oven-to-table casseroles. After the concert, we were invited to come eat. I loved lifting the lids on each of those dishes to see what was inside. It was often something creamy and starchy—rich, cheesy gratins; sweet creamed corn; classic green bean casserole topped with canned fried onions. It was a party that definitely relied on more than a few cans of condensed soup.
Sometimes, however, an emotional, sweeping statement works well. For the book, Rice Is Life, we opened our proposal with:
This book is twenty-five years in the making, a love story of sorts, about the incredible diversity of a common grain that sustains half the world’s people. It’s our ode to the nuanced and distinct flavors of heirloom varieties and the innovative methods by which they can be grown to reduce damaging environmental impacts and empower the lives of those who grow it. And, of course, it’s a story about the infinite number of ways this humble, gluten-free pantry staple can be transformed into the most flavorful and nourishing dishes. To rice, the world’s most essential grain.
About the Author (1 page). Who are you to write this book?
Being an author is about having authority. In your author bio, you need to show that.
Your “About the Author section” should highlight aspects of your biography that are relevant to the book, whether they’re professional or personal. For example, if you’re a busy mom writing for other busy moms, you’ll want to say that. If you’re a fermentation expert who wants to write a book about the basics of fermentation, you’ll want to talk about how you gained your expertise.
Your bio should also be a bit “name-droppy,” and perhaps uncomfortably so. If you’ve worked in certain restaurants or for certain chefs, you should mention them. If you’ve written for publications, you should list them.
If you have a huge following on social media or YouTube, you will want to mention this here, too, even if it’s in your overview and promotion sections as well.
Book Details (1 to 2 pages): What’s in this book, in general?
While publishers will have a hand in helping you decide how long your book should be and how it will be designed, they like to get an idea of what you have in mind.
I often write a short paragraph about the general feel of how I envision a book. For example, is it oversized or somewhat small? Is it hard-covered or soft?
Then, I’ll create a bulleted list that includes the following:
How many pages I envision the book being.
How many recipes in the book.
How many words it will be (approximately)
How many photographs I hope to include in the book.
A brief explanation of how I envision organizing the book.
A brief mention of the photography and design style I hope to see, if I have strong feelings about it. (If I don’t, I’ll often say, “I am open to working with the publisher on the direction of the photography and design.”)
Audience/Marketplace Analysis (1 to 2 pages): Who is this book for?
To succeed, every book needs readers, of course! In this section, you’ll make a case for why the market needs this book and who those readers are.
I often draft this section by writing a brief introduction along with a bulleted list of the types of people who will enjoy this book. (For example, are they farmers’ market shoppers? People who read magazines like Travel + Leisure? People who enjoy Doritos?) I will try to attach numbers to these audience sizes as well.
You could also create a more narrative marketplace analysis that talks about some of the trends you’re seeing with references to articles, books, TV shows, social media trends, product sales that help you justify it.
Promotion Plan (1 to 5 pages): How are you going to help promote this book?
Your publisher has a team that will help market and promote all of the books in a season, but they expect the author to partner with them in these efforts. This is a good place to include your social media and other followings. But you should also describe other ways you will support the promotion of the book and the experience you have doing this. For example, have you written for publications before? Have you appeared on TV segments? (You could create a list of these features and include them as part of this section.)
It’s also ok to be a bit name-droppy again in this section and talk about all of the people you know and will call on who might help you promote your book.
When writing this section, you could divide your promotion plan into a few sections:
Pre-Launch
Here, you can talk about the articles and other media you’d pitch and how you will seed excitement about the book with your own audience.
Book Launch
In the few weeks leading up to the book launch, the publisher will often work with you to secure TV and podcast spots. But you should mention any connections you have that might help you promote your book during this time. You’ll also want to talk about events you’re willing to organize.
Post Launch
After your book is out in the world, how will you support its sales? Will you promote it once a week on social media? Will you find opportunities for events, book signings, and speaking engagements?
You can read some more book promotion ideas here.
Comparable Titles (1 to 2 pages): What other books are there that are like your book? And how are they different?
This is one of the most important sections of the proposal. I often hear agents and editors say that they turn right to this section after they read the overview.
The goal here is to show there is an existing market for the type of book you want to do or the subject matter. But you also want to show how your take on this topic will differ.
For this section, choose about five books (and up to eight) and describe what makes that title similar to yours. It could be the topic itself or the way someone approached a topic. It could also be that you feel that you are similar to an author in some way, whether that’s their audience size or writing style.
Ideally, the books you choose will be those that have been published in the last five years and are financially successful. How can you tell if a book has done well? Well, the truth is, without some insider tools, you can’t. But there are clues.
Were the books on any bestsellers lists?
Are they an Amazon bestseller?
Do they have a lot of Amazon reviews (hundreds or even thousands)?
Did indie bookshops ever list them as bestsellers in the shop?
Did they receive significant amounts of press?
While you will want to have this section written before you secure an agent, know that your agent will likely have suggestions about other books you might include, too.
Book Table of Contents and Chapter Summaries: How is the book organized?
Yes, you need to know how you want to organize your book before you write it. Yes, it might change after you get the deal. But for the proposal, you’ll want to include your TOC and then describe each chapter.
I usually like to create a one-page TOC so people can get an at-a-glance view of the chapters and organization.
Then, I write a brief description of each chapter – including the types of recipes and sidebars it will include. Finally, I do a bulleted list of recipes I want to include in this section.
Sample Material: Now show us what’s in the book.
Up until now, your audience for the proposal was a publisher or agent. You’re basically telling them about the book you want to do and persuading them that it’s a good idea. Now it’s time to show them and also switch to writing for your ideal reader.
How much sample material should you include in your book proposal?
This section could include a sample chapter (or two) or an introduction with a selection of recipes.
This part of your proposal should generally make up at least 50% of the entire document and often more. Out of all the sections, it will also probably take the longest to create.
While it will feel arduous writing all of this material not knowing whether or not you will have a deal, try to reframe it and know that writing this section will help you clarify what this book actually is.
It’s also a gift to your future self after you have a book deal because you’re not starting with a blank slate.
Should you test your recipes for your book proposal?
Yes, definitely. Editors have been known to try people’s recipes from proposals, so you want them to work and taste delicious! This doesn’t mean you can’t tweak them later. But you should feel good about the recipes you submit.
If you want more guidance on writing your cookbook proposal in as little as eight weeks, I’ve created a planner to help you get it done. I’ve broken the document apart so you’re only writing one or two of the proposal pieces each week.