Non-Fiction Writing: Writing a Cookbook - LIVE WEBCAST

Do you come from a family of great cooks? Are you a chef? Or have you spent years collecting recipes from friends, family and the back of boxes and cans? Or do you belong to an organization that needs a special fundraiser treasure? These are all great reasons for compiling a cookbook. In this class, students will learn how to shape a cookbook so that it has a viewpoint and will speak to potential readers. Students will also consider how to make the process as organized and simple as possible (especially important if you are working with collaborators). This course will cover everything from taste testing recipes to choosing a printer to how to submit your cookbook for consideration by publishers. Some sessions will include hands-on practice for laying out your work attractively, and for taking food-related photographs. As a group, students will create a sample cookbook throughout the class.

Material covered relates to modern writing and marketing theory, and discusses the structure of recently published works. The teaching method accommodates the needs of students who want to shape their work for publication, as well as those who are writing to create an heirloom. The instructor has published a cookbook, and had a column for several years sharing herb-related recipes on Dave's Garden.

This is a hands-on class, with writing assignments (in-class and as homework) and assignments that involve cooking and photographing. Students will have the opportunity to have samples of their work critiqued each week.