115: How to Write a 5-Star Cookbook with Kathryne Taylor

Advice for future cookbook authors, how to decide when it's the right time to make your first hire, and choosing a focus for your blog with Kathryne Taylor.

-----

Welcome to episode 115 of the Food Blogger Pro podcast! This week on the podcast, Bjork talks with Kathryne Taylor from Cookie & Kate about how she decided her blog would have a food focus, when she chose to make her first hire, and her advice for future cookbook authors.

How to Write a 5-Star Cookbook

While Kathryne’s blog Cookie & Kate didn’t start out as a food blog, she transitioned to sharing healthy, whole food recipes. From there, Cookie & Kate became her full-time job, and she quickly learned the ins and outs of blogging, web development, and design.

Just a few months ago, Kathryne released her first cookbook, Love Real Food, which has gained a ton of praise (including nearly 200 5-star reviews on Amazon). She learned a lot from the cookbook publishing process, and she has a few tips that will help aspiring cookbook authors turn their ideas to realities.

In this episode, Kathryne shares:

• What she did before blogging
• Why she started her blog and transitioned to sharing recipes
• How she transitioned to working on her blog full-time
• How she learned how to handle the design and development side of blogging
• How she decided to hire help
• What her typical week looks like
• How she chose a publisher for her cookbook
• How she got paid for writing her cookbook
• What she learned from editing her cookbook

Resources:

• Cookie & Kate
• The Faux Martha
• Show Me How To Do It
• Cupcakes & Cashmere
• Goop
• What to Eat
• The Omnivore’s Dilemma
• Saveur Blog Awards
• Mr. Money Mustache
• Treehouse
• Lynda
• Codecademy
• Evernote
• Check out Kate’s cookbook, the Love Real Food Cookbook
• Follow Kate on Instagram and Facebook

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for interviews, be sure to email them to [e-mail].