Writing and Selling a Winning Book Proposal - Diane Morgan

dianemorgancooks.com

COOKBOOK
PROPOSAL WRITING
A WORKSHOP
WRITING A PROPOSAL
THAT SELLS!
with
Diane Morgan


Keys to a Good Proposal
 Proposals vary from project to project and in
length from a few pages to 60 or more.
 The key is to show the editor your voice at every
step and convince her that the market needs your
book.
 Your proposal is the blueprint for your book and
establishes your credibility.
 Never hand in a proposal that hasn’t been read
by at least 2 other people.


Title Page
Proposal
Date

Title
Subtitle

Author’s name
Address
Phone  E-Mail

Agent’s name
Address
Phone  E-Mail


Table of Contents
 Overview Page 3
 Why This Book/Audience Page 4
 Existing Literature Page 5
 Publicity, Marketing, and Online Presence Page 7
 Deliverables Page 8
 Proposed Table of Contents Page 9
 List of Recipes by Chapter Page 10
 Sample Chapter Page 17
 Author’s Biography Page 33


Book Overview
 A synopsis of the book, with persuasive points
about why it should be published.
 Describe special features, use of quotes, sidebars,
tip boxes, glossaries, provenance of recipes (if
coming from other sources), resource and buying
guide, etc.
 Describe illustrations or photography (see above)
only if that is essential to the book, otherwise do
not make suggestions on how you want it to look.
 Limit to 2 pages.


Why This Book / This Audience?
 Audience For This Book—who will read it?
 Do you have a built-in audience? (e.g., are you a
chef, cooking teacher, TV show host, professional
golfer, past president of large organization)
 Do you have a built-in audience for the topic
(seafood, low-carb, other trends)?
 Include statistical data from reliable sources that
will help establish the market, e.g.,
 “5 million people visit the Napa Valley annually,”
 “Bon Appetit magazine indicates that 92% of
respondents say “casual is their favorite way to
entertain.”


Existing Literature
 One has to go back to 1996 to find a book dedicated to
root vegetables. I found two earlier books as well, but all
are out of print (see below). Only Georgeanne Brennan’s
book has color photography, and none are a complete
reference guide to all root vegetables.
 Down to Earth: Great Recipes for Root Vegetables by
Georgeanne Brennan, published by Chronicle Books in 1996.
(out of print)
 The Essential Root Vegetable Cookbook by Sally and Martin
Stone, published by Clarkson Potter in 1991. (out of print)
 Roots & Tubers: A Vegetable Cookbook by Kyle D. Fulwiler,
published by Pacific Search Press in 1982. (out of print)


Existing Literature
 There are impressively many books on vegetables that
include root vegetables. The following act more as
reference guides rather than cookbooks:
 Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential
Reference by Elizabeth Schneider, published by HarperCollins
in 2001. (Does not include all root vegetables, few recipes.)
 Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables: A Commonsense Guide by
Elizabeth Schneider, published by Harper & Row in 1986. (Does
not include common root vegetables, no photos.)
 ...
 Melissa’s Great Book of Produce by Cathy Thomas, published
by John Wiley & Sons in 2006. (Excludes many common and
uncommon root vegetables and includes few recipes for
each.)
 Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka, published by Artisan in
2005. (Lots of recipes and useful information, only small black
and white photos.)


Existing Literature
 Consider the following scenarios …
 Suppose you’ve just returned from the farmers’ market
with a few heads of celery root. Wouldn’t you love to pull
a book off the shelf to tell you not only how to store and
prepare celery root but also to give you an enticing
selection of recipes to consider and get excited about?
 Consider that the increasing numbers who participate in
CSAs, and receive boxes with unusual vegetables such as
salsify or rutabagas, might not know what these roots are,
let alone how to cook them in an interesting way.


Existing Literature
 My goal is to bring comprehensive reference material
together with a terrific selection of recipes.
 Cooks, gardeners, and those who combine these passions,
are looking for inventive ways to prepare their bounty and
take advantage of seasonal vegetables—whether they are
coming from their backyard garden, a CSA box, or a trip to
the farmers’ market.
 Roots, organized alphabetically by the common name of
each root vegetable, will
 be packed with history and lore
 provide information on availability, selection, and storage
 detail the different varieties of roots in the marketplace, and
 provide nutritional information.
 In addition, and most importantly, there will be lots of great
recipes.


Publicity, Marketing, and Online Presence
 Based on the information above, how can you reach that
audience?
 Mention special markets that you feel are pertinent (cheese
stores for a cheese book, hardware stores for a barbecue
book, wineries for a Napa Valley food guide), but do not
state the obvious (cookware stores, bookstore chains).
 If you have strong connections in the food world, drop names
(especially if there is potential for a famous person to write a
book blurb).
 Detail what YOU can do to market the book: teach cooking
classes around the country, post daily links on an important
website, write a tie-in article for a well-read publication,
make a TV appearance.


Deliverables
 While long-standing tradition has been to deliver a fully
executed manuscript with tested recipes, head notes, front
material, etc., I have the ability to also provide digital images
ready for web-quality content. This would include images of
the fresh root vegetables as well as the finished dishes. I am
doing this for my website and will plan to do this for Roots.

 In addition, I can, with advance planning, shoot web-quality
videos that detail the basic preparation of root vegetables and
enticing recipes to go with them. For instance, a short video on
preparing beets could include the simple steps required to
roast beets and, at the same time, educate the viewer as to
the benefits of saving the beet greens and coarsely chopping
them for an easy, nutritious sautéed side dish.


Deliverables
 My website allows me to build an audience in advance
of the release of an upcoming book. With Facebook
and Twitter feeds, plus uploading my videos to video
sites, I have a growing network of readers and viewers
beyond those directly receiving e-blasts from my site.
 All this content, in the form of print, digital photography,
and video, makes Roots: The Definitive Underground
Guide to Root Vegetables With More Than 250 Savory
and Sweet Recipes a dynamic cookbook project that
reaches well beyond the walls of traditional book stores
and gift markets.


Proposed Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Roots, Tubers, Rhizomes, Corms
The Root Cellar

Andean Tubers
Arrowhead
...
Yuca
Other Roots

Selected Bibliography
Sources
Index
Acknowledgments


List of Recipes by Chapter
Beets
• Roasted Beets: Simple, Thyme-Infused, and Aromatic
• Sautéed Beet Greens
• Star Anise and Cinnamon-Spiced Pickled Beets
• Beet Salsa with Avocado and Blood Oranges
• Raw Beet Slaw with Fresh Fennel, Tart Apple, and Parsley
• Chioggia Beet Carpaccio with Arugula and Panko-Crusted Pan-Fried Goat Cheese
• Frisée Salad with Golden Beets, Poached Eggs, and Bacon-Sherry Vinaigrette
• Beets, Prosciutto-Wrapped Persimmons, and Bitter Greens with Creamy Blue Cheese
• Chilled Beet Soup with Dill and Crème Fraîche
• Hot Beef Borscht
• Golden Beet Risotto with Crumbled Ricotta Salata and Sautéed Beet Greens
• Beet Hash with Spicy Chicken Sausage and Poached Eggs
• Red Velvet Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream

Burdock Root
• Spicy Japanese Pickled Burdock
• Burdock Fritters
• Grilled Beef-Wrapped Burdock Root
• Braised Burdock Root with Caraway and Bitter Greens
• Steamed Mussels with Burdock, Leeks, and Cream
• Beef, Burdock, and Barley Soup
• Chicken and Burdock Hot Pot


Sample Chapter / Sample Recipes

 Complete Sample Chapter with Recipes
Depends on the book and how in-depth
chapters will be. What you are giving here is a
sample of the actual writing in the book.
 Sample recipes—6 to10 well-written, perfectly
edited, tested recipes, including title, headnote,
ingredient list, method, yield and any special
features: tip box, side bar, wine suggestions,
menu ideas, etc.


Sample Chapter
Beets
(Beta vulgaris)

History and Lore
Varieties
Nutrition
Availability and Selection
Storage
Basic Use and Preparation
Yields

Recipes
Roasted Beets: Simple, Thyme-Infused, and Aromatic
Sautéed Beet Greens
Star Anise and Cinnamon-Spiced Pickled Beets
Beet Salsa with Avocado and Blood Oranges
Frisée Salad with Golden Beets, Poached Eggs, and Bacon-Sherry Vinaigrette
...


Sample Chapter
(These detailed sections should be just a taste of what will be included,
they are not fully completed.)

History and Lore
A member of the Goosefoot family, or Chenopodiaceae, it is
believed that beets, in one form or another, were consumed in
prehistoric times. Origins of this plant can be traced back to Western
Europe and the Mediterranean, specifically Northern Africa. It has
been documented that the Romans were the first to cultivate
beetroot for consumption. Prior to that, beets were exclusively grown
for their leaves, until spinach cultivation drastically reduced beet
greens’ popularity. It wasn’t until the 16th century that the garden or
table beet, in the color and form that we know it today, was
cultivated and consumed in Europe. In the 19th century, beets were
harvested in the U.S. Within the last decade or so, beets have
transformed from a rather utilitarian winter crop for canning and
pickling to a shining star on the menu of many fine dining restaurants.


Sample Chapter
Varieties
Beets are cultivated in several species, but table beets are the
common garden variety. The vibrant red, yellow, and orange hues are
due to the pigment betacyanin. As an anthocyanin, this pigment is
water soluble and leaks or “bleeds” when it is cooked, bruised, or
pierced.

RED
 Red Ace, the principal variety of beet found in the United States,
typical for its bright red root and red-veined green foliage.
 Detroit Dark Red, with relatively low concentrations of geosmin,
and is therefore a popular commercial cultivar in the United States.
 India Beet is not as sweet as Western beet. However India beet is
more nutritious than Western beet.
 Lutz Greenleaf, a variety with a red root and green leaves,
maintains its quality well in storage.


Sample Chapter
Nutrition
Beets are one of the most nutrient-rich foods on earth and they are low
in calories. A dieter’s delight. The roots are an excellent source of
folate, fiber, and beta-carotene. Betalain, the pigment group found in
all colored beets, adds phytonutrients and antioxidants. The greens are
a very good source of dietary fiber, high in calcium and iron, and
packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K.

Availability and Selection
Though beets are available in most supermarkets year-round, they are
typically planted in the spring and summer and harvested in late
summer through fall. Beets vary in color and shape based on variety,
but all should be firm with smooth skins and no sign of bruising. As a
general rule: the larger the beet, the more fibrous and woody the
texture. Medium-sized beets are ideal for most uses since they have a
silky texture and are easy to peel. Purchase beets of uniform size for
even cooking. If the greens are attached, they should be bright green
and fresh if they are to be consumed …


Include 5 to 10 Recipes
Sautéed Beet Greens

It’s like getting a bonus prize, a twofer, when you buy fresh beets with their lovely
beet greens attached. Not only do you have the rosy subterranean beauties, the
beetroots, to enjoy, but you have the striking green tops with their bold red veins to
savor as well. I find the simplicity of a sauté the best way to cook these greens.

Serves 2

1 bunch of beets, including the bushy fresh-looking green tops (about 4 beets)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Trim off the beet greens leaving 1 inch of stem attached to the beetroot. Reserve
the beetroots for another use. Trim and discard the thick, fibrous stems from the
greens and remove any wilted or spotted leaves. Stack the greens on top of one
another and slice down the middle through the center vein …


Author’s Biography
Diane Morgan is an award-winning cookbook author, freelance food writer, culinary instructor, and
restaurant consultant. She is the author of fourteen cookbooks including The Christmas Table, The New
Thanksgiving Table, Grill Every Day, Salmon, Pizza, Delicious Dips, The Thanksgiving Table, Midnight
Munchies, Cooking For The Week, The Basic Gourmet, The Basic Gourmet Entertains, and Dressed To
Grill: Savvy Recipes for Girls who Play with Fire, all from Chronicle Books. Forthcoming for fall 2010,
Diane will have two new cookbooks released: Skinny Dips from Chronicle Books and Gifts Cooks Love,
a collaborative project with Sur La Table published by Andrews McMeel.
Diane has been involved in the world of food for more than 25 years. She spent six years in Chicago as
a caterer and chef for an executive dining room. Leaving behind Chicago’s blustery, frigid winters,
Diane moved to the Pacific Northwest, settling in Portland, Oregon. Her focus shifted to teaching
cooking classes and pursuing a career in food writing, Her first cookbook, Entertaining People: Menus
from a Pacific Northwest Cooking School won an IACP/Seagram’s cookbook award and was followed
by Very Entertaining: Menus for Special Occasions.
Diane’s newest cookbook, The New Thanksgiving Table is featured in the November issue of Health
magazine and her other holiday cookbook, The Christmas Table, is featured in the December 2009
issue of Better Homes & Gardens. In the December 2008, Oprah’s “O” magazine featured her
Christmas cookbook with six-pages of glorious photographs highlighting food gifts from the kitchen, all
created by Diane. In addition, her decadent recipe for Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes was on the cover
of December 2008’s issue of Cooking Light magazine.
Diane has been a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times food section and has written for Bon
Appetit, Fine Cooking, Cooking Light, The Oregonian, Northwest Palate, and Edible Portland. She has
appeared on the Today Show, ABC World News Now, CBS Early Show, The Food Network, Smart
Solutions on HGTV, Seasonings on PBS, and Good Day Oregon. In addition, for the past four years,
Diane has consulted on the core menu, promotional seasonal menus and recipes for a Northwest
chain of family dining restaurants.

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