Have you thought about self-publishing a cookbook? Self-publishing can feel so overwhelming with all the unknowns. It can be helpful to find someone who has done it before to help you know exactly what to do.
IE 208: 5 Steps for Self Publishing a Cookbook with Jason Logsdon
Jason Logsdon is here today, and if anyone can speak to self-publishing a cookbook, it is him. He has self-published 13 cookbooks. He gives you the 4 main steps of self-publishing and will help you take the leap into getting your cookbook out into the world.
Make That Bacon!
Jason Logsdon originally got his start blogging at Amazing Food Made Easy. He took high-end restaurant techniques and showed how to apply them in your own kitchen.
He likes creating products and services, so he has also created iPhone apps, printable cheat sheets, video courses, self-publishing and traditionally publishing cookbooks, teaching online classes, etc.
As he did this more and more, he realized that a lot of bloggers don’t treat their blogs as businesses. This caused him to create Make That Bacon, which is all about helping bloggers better serve their fans and increase their revenue. He also has a podcast, Makin’ Bacon.
Jason also has a book about self-publishing and has traditionally published 2 books.
The Two Main Fears of Self-Publishing
There are two main fears that people might use as an excuse when it comes to self-publishing:
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They don’t feel like an expert
You don’t have to be the expert in your field. You just have to be 5 steps ahead of your avatar. If you have been working in your area of “expertise” for a few years, and they are still a beginner, you will be an expert to them. You will have knowledge that they do not have.
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They are afraid or don’t know what it takes
There are a lot of moving parts to self-publishing that can feel super overwhelming. If you don’t feel like you have the answers to your questions, it is easy to just put your idea on the back burner and move on to something else.
You don’t have to feel stuck if you want to self-publish your own book. Jason has the tips you need to get started.
The Steps of Self-Publishing
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Know your goal.
Are you trying to market yourself, spread an idea, what problem are you trying to solve, etc? This applies to all books, not just cookbooks.
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Write your book.
This is easy to say and will take 6-12 months of constant effort. Create all the content, including recipes and photographs.
There are 3 main ways that you can make time to write a book:
- Overlap your blog content with what you are including in your book.
- Use content that is already available on your blog and be upfront that the content is not brand new.
- Create time by not trying to do everything. Spend less time on blogging while you work on your book. You can also put it in your calendar as part of your work for the day. Do what is manageable.
Distribution. This includes formatting the book, (Kindle, iTunes, Nook, etc.), the design stage (you can use InDesign for classic cookbooks), and sending it to the people who are distributing it for you. Keep it simple, especially if this is your first time publishing. You can take your manuscript and photos to a designer and show them some examples of what you like and they can create it for you.
Market your book. Whether self or traditionally published, you are just getting started when the book is published. Launches are huge, regardless of what you are publishing or releasing. If you have a huge launch and your book is available on Amazon, they will take note of that. There are benefits to bringing in new fans and readers.
Diving Into Self-Publishing
Jason has a freebie that will walk you through the 7 most important videos from his course on self-publishing. You will dive into the intricacies of the table of contents, the marketing and promotion, and so much more. You will get one video a day for a week in your email. You don’t want to miss this.
You can find Jason on his website or on Facebook and Instagram. Send him a message, he loves to chat about self-publishing.
Action Steps:
- If you liked this episode of Influencer Entrepreneurs, please subscribe and leave a fabulous review!
- Join the conversation on Instagram by tagging Jenny when you’re listening to the podcast. She’ll send you a personal message whenever you tag her.
