Writing a cookbook proposal is different from writing a cookbook. It requires a different set of skills. But they’re skills anyone can learn. Whether you’re a chef, recipe developer, food writer, content creator, or culinary professional, you can write a compelling cookbook proposal yourself. You just need to know what agents and editors are looking for and have a roadmap for getting there.
In this class, cookbook collaborator and book proposal consultant Kelsey Erin Shipman will walk you through every section of a cookbook proposal, using her proprietary 26-page Book Proposal Checklist, developed after years of writing and consulting on dozens of book proposals.
This workshop is designed for writers who want to build their own proposal from the ground up. You’ll leave understanding not only what belongs in each section, but why publishers ask for it and how to write it in a way that strengthens your overall project.
Note from Rebecca
If you’re even remotely interested in writing a cookbook, you’ll get so much valuable, actionable information from this class.
One of the things I love most about how Kelsey teaches this material is the way she shows you where and how to start. Starting a big project like this can often feel overwhelming, but Kelsey shows you where to start and then lays out the best path forward.
She also shows you how you can use the proposal writing process to build your platform, sharpen your focus, and flesh out all of the creative ideas rattling around in your head.
You’ll find detailed instructions for what belongs in each section of a proposal, along with examples of each section from real cookbook proposals.
This class comes with Kelsey’s proprietary Book Proposal Checklist, a 26-page workbook that was developed after years of writing and consulting on dozens of book proposals. The workbook will help you get started on your own book proposal today!
If you are a paid subscriber, you’ll see the class recording below along with links below to download the Book Proposal Checklist and the class slideshow.
If you’re not a paid subscriber, upgrade for access to this and every class offered in The Food Writers Business Lab. Paid subscribers also have the opportunity to join a monthly business strategy meeting and to be featured in a Substack LIVE coffee break chat.
About Kelsey Shipman
Writer, Educator, Creative Partner
Kelsey Shipman is a cookbook collaborator and ghostwriter who has spent years helping chefs, recipe developers, and food writers shape cookbook ideas into proposals for traditional publishers. She is represented by Transatlantic Agency and specializes in cookbook and memoir collaborations. Kelsey is the co-founder of Write Up where she co-teaches an annual 12-week Book Proposal Intensive alongside food writer and author Hannah Howard.
Her food and travel writing has appeared in The Rumpus, The Chocolate Professor, ParentCo, Off Assignment, HuffPost, USA Today, and The Austin Chronicle. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing, has worked as an educator for more than seventeen years, and writes the Substack newsletter Cheese Toast with White People, which explores food, family, and the strange inheritance of Southern white culture.
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