We (two friends and I) run a website that promotes our country’s culinary culture. The material that we have collected over a year is probably the most (or one of the most) complete information available about the subject. After countless suggestions and request from our readers we decided some time ago to polish it and write a book based on the material that we already have. The book and pictures (it will be fully illustrated) is 65% ready at this moment.
We found someone that is willing to sponsor our book, that is pay for a significant chunk of the printing costs should we decide to self-publish. We also found someone that offered to be our distributor in the US (possibly our largest market). The problem is that I don’t want to enslave myself with the burden of distributing the book. I have no problem having the book ready for printing (design, photography and cover), but this choice means that we will also limit our distribution and marketing capacity.
Another possibility is to find a publisher that is willing to buy the book. This will take away our control over the material but will also release us from a lot of work.
The question is: what are the chances of a publisher been interested in our book? There are over a million Dominicans in the US alone; other countries also have a significant Dominican community, not to mention the millions of tourist that visit us. What kind of publisher should we contact and how do we go about that?
I’d go to the nearest public library and find a recent copy of “Writer’s Market.”
It has listings of tons of publishers and agents, including the markets they serve and how to contact them. I don’t have a copy, or I could give you a couple of the relevant listings. It’s an excellent resource.
From everything I’ve heard about the industry, using an established publisher is the best way to go, as long as you’re prepared for lots of rejection. Good luck.
Couple of suggestions from one who has been trying to get a book published himself (with no success), but who has read a number of “how to” books.
Garfield226’s suggestion is excellent. Be sure you get the latest edition. I would also suggest a trip to the bookstore to look at cookbooks. Note the publishers. They’re the ones to research.
Consider using a regional publisher. Are there large numbers of Dominicans in a part of the U.S.? A regional publisher can focus their resources there. For example, Pelican Press is a Southern publisher and a lot of their books are on Louisiana.
Check out books on writing proposals. Writers Digest has a line of books on this topic, with titles like “Writing Proposals that Sell.” In putting together your proposal, you need to do some market research, both on the potential market as well as similar books on this subject. You should explain how your book differs from theirs.
I can’t say how successful your book could be, but cookbooks in general are welcomed by publishers because of their long shelf life (unlike, say, current events books or novels by today’s “hot” writers). If your book is comprehensive, interesting to read and does a good job of defining Dominican cooking, it could stay in print for many years.
Your book is a good candidate for self-publishing, since it is a nonfiction book that fills a niche. This doesn’t mean you’re assured of success, but you may be able to earn back your costs and a little bit more.
Before you self-publish, try a traditional publisher or agent. Don’t pay any money up front. Probably the quickest way to get a feel would be to query a bunch of agent that specialize in cooking books (look in Writers Market or Literary Marketplace, two reference books your local library should have). If someone shows interest, that’s the way to go. Very important: don’t bother with any agent who asks you to send them money, for any reason.
Your proposal should be a letter outlining the subject material of the book, with a list of chapters. The first chapter would probably also be good (I’m more familiar with fiction than nonfiction).
If there’s no interest, they give self-publishing a try. Don’t use any “print-on-demand” publishers or vanity presses: contact a book printer yourself and see how many copies you get for your investment. Once you have the books (1000 would be a good start), go to every bookstore in your area and drop off a few on consignment (bookstores will take these, as long as they get the standard cut of the cover price). Then do everything you can to promote the book. Sell copies on your web page, of course, but see about radio appearances, ads, press releases, etc. Send copies to any newspapers that review books.
If the book caches on, you can go back to the printer and ask for more. By that time, you should have an idea you’re doing well. If the book doesn’t sell, this will help limit your losses.
Is the distributor a professional company? Or just someone who is willing to take a poke at distribution for you? Personally I’d be more inclined to self publish if I had a reputable established distributor. That’s the piece that’s usually missing for self published books and it can be very very very hard to get books into bookshops as most bookshops don’t want to touch self published books.
The publishing route is going to take more time but less money. I don’t agree that publishers are keen for cookbooks in general but you have identified a niche market and you already have a website with traffic which does make you more desirable.
Another question: If we decide to accept the sponsorship (that will probably pay anywhere from 50 to 100% of the printing costs), is there any company that can distribute our book in the US?
Before you ask, no, English is not my first language. The book is co-authored by two friends, one is the editor and the other used to write for the island’s only news source in English. Both are native English speakers. So there… our book won’t be filled with nonsense and grammatical horrors.
