Publishing a Fan Cookbook for A Court of Thorns and Roses with Chelsea Cole

Reinventing your brand, transitioning from self-publishing to traditional publishing, and developing a cookbook for a fan base with Chelsea Cole from A Duck's Oven.

-----

Welcome to episode 510 of The Food Blogger Pro Podcast! This week on the podcast, we are welcoming back Chelsea Cole from A Duck’s Oven.

Publishing a Fan Cookbook for A Court of Thorns and Roses

This is Chelsea’s third (!!!) appearance on the podcast and we’re thrilled to have her back. In her previous two interviews, she has shared her wisdom on self-publishing and creating content within her sous-vide niche. But today she is back on the podcast with a bit of a 180 — to discuss her first traditionally published cookbook in a totally different niche — a fan cookbook for the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.

In this interview, Bjork and Chelsea discuss cookbook publishing and how it can be a part of your overall business strategy. Chelsea also shares how she chose the subject matter for her new cookbook and what it was like to write and develop a cookbook for a (very devoted) fan base, all while giving birth to and raising her first child!

Chelsea also explains more about the royalty structure for cookbooks, how cookbooks can be a source of passive income for food creators, and how she is thinking about her current reinvention as a food creator.

Three episode takeaways:

• How to negotiate your cookbook contract — Chelsea is no stranger to publishing cookbooks, but this was her first go-around in the traditional publishing space. She worked with a great agent and has lots of insights into how to negotiate your payments as an author (including negotiating the photography, the advance, the royalty structure, etc.).
• How to approach testing new ideas with your audience — Before the launch of A Feast of Thorns and Roses, Chelsea shared recipes in a specific, small niche (sous vide). In this interview, she shares how she approached this new venture with her audience, how it has reignited her love for recipe development, and how to use your audience when exploring new types of content.
• The pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing — Chelsea has literally written a course on self-publishing and knows the process backward and forward. She shares the advantages and disadvantages of each (speed, control, marketing, etc.) and provides insider knowledge to both sides of the publishing world for those looking to make a similar decision.

Resources:

• A Duck’s Oven
• A Feast of Thorns and Roses: The Unofficial Cookbook of a Court of Thorns and Roses
• 187: How to Self-Publish Your Own Cookbook with Chelsea Cole
• 364: Self-Publishing a Cookbook as an Online Food Creator with Chelsea Cole
• Everyday Sous Vide: It’s All French to Me
• Sous Vide Meal Prep
• The Cookbook Lab
• The Unofficial Sims Cookbook: From Baked Alaska to Silly Gummy Bear Pancakes, 85+ Recipes to Satisfy the Hunger Need
• A Court of Thorns and Rose