Writing and publishing my cookbook has been an incredible journey. It was years in the making; required a lot of patience, determination and drive; and taught me so many things about the process, and about myself.
Now that the book is published, and my efforts are focused on promoting it, I can take a step back and really absorb the magnitude of what I did. I wrote a freakin’ cookbook, y’all! A legit 100+ recipe cookbook. With pretty pictures too! Anyone who knows me well can attest to the fact that I’m not one to put myself in the spotlight. An introvert from birth, I’ve always been content to hang back in the shadows, work behind the scenes, do anything to AVOID being noticed. So putting myself out there like this – and then promoting it? That’s HUGE!
My reasons for writing this book were deeply personal. I’m not famous, I don’t expect to get a cooking show or food writing job out of this (although that last option might be fun), and while I’m thrilled that the book has been selling so well, and been supported by so many, even if it didn’t sell a single copy, I’d still be immensely proud of it. Not only did I create a tangible, usable keepsake to pass down to my daughters, I let them see that they can do ANYTHING they want to in this world as long as they believe in themselves. No dream is too big, too far, too unattainable as long as you work hard towards it.
I’ve often been asked why I chose to self-publish this book (see above comment about not being famous…haha!) I think there’s a big misconception in general about self-publishing, and I wanted to share my experience to help debunk some of the myths about self-published books (but are they real books? How do you sell them? Will they look professional? Isn’t it so expensive?) and encourage others who are considering the process to give it a try.
So last week I sat down with Maggie Green of The Green Apron Company. Maggie is a trained chef, licensed and registered dietitian, culinary nutrition expert, food and nutrition writer, recipe developer, and cookbook industry consultant. If it relates to a cookbook or cooking, Maggie’s done it, and she has this great podcast dedicated to all things cookbooks, called Cookbook Love. After hearing about my self-publishing story through Instagram, she invited me to chat with her about my journey and offer some advice to others who are interested in self-publishing and specifically crowdfunding (I successfully ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund the publishing of my book.)
So, if you’re inclined, here are links to my podcast interview. I hope it inspires the inner cookbook writer in you. (I’ll be back in the corner avoiding the spotlight now!)
Cookbook Love Podcast Interview with Ally Lazare
iTunes: https://apple.co/2L2zmnJ
Stitcher: http://bit.ly/2P9T8mC
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2TWmW4N
Google Play: http://bit.ly/33UgMa4
