Editor | Consultant

Cookbook | Manuscript

Introducing the Problem

Repeat client reached out with new passion project.

A blank manuscript for a cookbook with recipes in progress. Already a strong mission to start.

Goals

Raise funds for client’s parents’ immigration fees.
Develop manuscript, branding and marketing for self-published book and first-time author.
Publish first edition before Mother’s Day.

Personal goals

Get my client’s cookbook into libraries and bookstores, so her family’s story is accessible to all readers.
Get my client’s book into the hands of publishers because of its strong mission and cultural relevance across digital storytelling trends.

Pitched to update subtitle from “An immigrant’s handbook, for eating & living authentically” to “Celebrating Life as a Mexican Immigrant.”

For book cover, advised adding outside margins to make room for the book binding.

While I didn’t own formatting layouts, changes I pitched for included:

ensuring title page, table of contents and introduction started on the right-hand page (recto) as a publishing standard.
adding gutter margins to text blocks.

How It Started

First-time publishing project for everyone involved: client, editor and designer.
Pitched initially to me as an editing job for a drafted manuscript with a 5-month lead time. Turned into a 3-month project where copy started from scratch.
Recipes missing measurement details. No recipe tester notes.
No clearly defined brief. On the flip side, my client trusted me to develop content and make changes as needed.
Content uploads left room for typos when manually migrating from Google Docs to Adobe InDesign.
Received initial pushback when pitching for Copyright page, LCCN, ISBN, and headnotes. Achieved 3 out of 4 with first edition.

How do you publish a physical book virtually, and on a budget?

Interviewed author, compiling notes and voice memos, to craft introduction essay.
Conducted all research on publishing standards, cookbook formatting, recipe style guides, and food story trends on social.
Created a recipe style guide for clarity and consistency.
Defined voice and tone with client to personalize author’s unique experience rather than utilizing a perspective of one person speaking for an entire group.
Pitched to update subtitle from “An immigrant’s handbook, for eating & living authentically” to “Celebrating Life as a Mexican Immigrant.”
Pitched to apply for an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) to sell to bookstores, as well as a Library Code of Congress Number (LCCN) to give this book the opportunity to add cultural value and relevance to libraries.
Created a copyright page and advised author to register as an LLC.
Formatted table of contents.
Pitched for bilingual index with author’s translations.
Pushed for final proofs once text blocks were manually uploaded.

The Library of Congress accepted the book, confirming the cultural relevance and value of the story my client was sharing.
The Seattle Public Library purchased copies for distribution at several branches.
Now Serving L.A. and Book Larder purchased the first edition.
Client sold all 500 copies of self-published edition.
The first edition received several publishing offers.
Client got in touch, requesting headnotes for second edition, but timing didn’t align.
Princeton Architecture Press published an expanded edition in 2022.
New clients reached out to me with manuscript and brand messaging projects.

Cookbook acknowledgment for self-published edition

When the mission is strong, the work itself is creative, and you’re lucky to have a passionate team, there are no limits.
Obtaining an ISBN and LCCN, even at the last minute, is not impossible.
You can publish a book without a query or an agent, but I do not recommend skipping this step.
This project confirmed something within. Big-picture thinking, risk-taking vision and the proven ability to transform a handful of ideas into powerful stories that resonate with readers.

What I’d do differently

Request a physical copy of the manuscript with all sections filled in prior to setting deadlines.
Require recipe testing in advance with clear notations.
Build tools into pricing so everyone has access during final phases. For example, pushing for Microsoft Word to document revisions instead of Google Docs.
Ensure everyone on the team has access to every tool to reduce number of revisions overall.