Take Your Cookbook from Dream to Done
This course and community will help you write, photograph, design, publish, and market the hell out of your cookbook, establishing you as an industry expert in the food space and upleveling your career.
AS SEEN IN
Publishing a cookbook was a huge step in taking me from side-hustling as a food blogger to making it my career.
Does this sound like you?
You feel lost in a sea of food bloggers. There is SO MUCH content out there and it's hard to get eyes on your recipes.
You’re ready to grow your blog and business, but aren't sure how to get people to see you as the expert you are.
People keep saying you need a niche, but you don't even know where to start. Hasn't everything already been done?
People keep saying you need a niche, but you don't even know where to start. Hasn't everything already been done?
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
This was me a few years ago.
I started my food blog over a decade ago as a hobby in college (aging myself here), but I saw the potential of turning it into something bigger. What I needed was a sense of purpose, direction, and a way to give me authority in the crowded food blogging space.

A cookbook seemed like a great way to accomplish that, but figuring out where to even BEGIN was completely overwhelming. I wasn't sure what I even wanted to write about and thought getting a book deal was the only way I could ever publish.
But I was wrong.
Stop waiting for a book deal to just happen to you.

So many of us dream of writing a cookbook one day. As food writers, this feels like the thing we’re working towards. But are we actually doing anything to make this happen for ourselves? 

When my cookbook topic finally hit me, I didn’t want to wait for a publishing house to deem the idea worthy. I wanted to make it happen now. So, I started learning about how to get a book deal, and that’s when I discovered self-publishing.


I'm so glad I did, because I realized traditional publishing isn't always the best path!

Here are just a few reasons traditional book deals aren't as great as we’ve been led to believe:

The deals being offered to cookbook authors now are the worst they’ve ever been (small advances, no royalties, really tight timelines).

Many of the costs of creating the book come out of your advance (recipe development, recipe testing, photography, indexing).

If you want to go on a book tour, that’s on your own dime, too. In fact, most publishing houses will rely on you to handle the marketing of the book entirely.

You lose creative control with a publishing house. You wanted that photo for the cover? Too bad. That color scheme? Not your choice. You won't even have a final say on the recipes included or how they are photographed. The book is only partially yours.

Distribution of your cookbook can just stop if your publisher decides it's not worth it to run anymore, which means that book you worked so hard on essentially no longer exists.

Yes, self-publishing is a lot more work. You’re the project manager, you find an editor, and you make the design happen. But the book is 100% yours (and you get to keep all of the royalties).

It's not all about book sales.

While my two self-published cookbooks have added another consistent stream of revenue to my business, it’s certainly not enough to support my family. Money should not be the main reason to self-publish your book, but the opportunities that come along with it are priceless.


Since self-publishing, I've done dozens of live TV appearances, podcast interviews, judged cooking contests, spoken at conferences, booked larger brand deals, and so much more. A year after self-publishing, I signed on with an ad network for my blog, and two years later I was able to leave my day job to take my business full-time.

This can be you, too. Imagine if...

You finally got to write your cookbook AND had complete control over its creation

You had a new way to connect with your audience and grow your community

People wanted you on their TV shows and podcasts and at their events

You had something tangible to give you authority in your niche
Hey, I'm Chelsea

MEET YOUR MENTOR

I’m the blogger behind the food blog A Duck’s Oven and cookbook author of Everyday Sous Vide: it's all French to me and Sous Vide Meal Prep.


In 2021, I quit my job as a marketing director to pursue food blogging and freelancing full-time, and I’ve never been happier. 

Outside of all that, I’m from Portland, Oregon and am still here. As a stereotypical Pacific Northwesterner, I love camping, craft beer, great wine, a good steak, and a fresh-caught piece of salmon. My husband and I are expecting our first baby in summer 2023!


Cassidy Reeser
Author of Vegetarian for Dinner
"I bought the course a little over a year ago and today I published my cookbook. I just wanted to say thank you to Chelsea and Carly for the fantastic course!! I really could not have done it without your expertise. I had so many questions throughout the process and somehow the answer was always already in the course."

Lori Vaughn
Author of Classic Sourdough

"The Cookbook Lab is the ideal resource for those looking to self publish. After such a headache and endless hours of cookbook research, I was so glad I finally found this! It went through every question I've had about the logistics of making a cookbook a reality. I haven't found anything else like it. I wasn't quite sure I had enough skills or a large enough audience to publish a book, and Chelsea made me realize how possible it is and gave me the right tips to actually make it profitable."


Taffy Elrod
Founder of Keto Cooking School

"I have been cooking and teaching professionally for 20 years and I have always dreamed of publishing my own cookbook. But I knew nothing about self-publishing a cookbook. Bringing my knowledge out of the kitchen seemed almost impossible. Where to begin? I had no idea.


Thankfully I found The Cookbook Lab. Chelsea lays everything out in step by step detail. Starting with choosing a topic for your book all the way through to marketing and selling your book, she covers it all. It’s an amazing resource complete with personal support.


If you are ready to take the plunge and publish your own book this program is perfect and there is nothing else like it out there."

INTRODUCING THE

50+ transformational lessons to help you self-publish your cookbook

THE CURRICULUM

Here's what you'll learn
Pick and Refine Your Topic

Have a general idea, but looking for a hook? Or maybe you’re not sure what to write about at all? I'll walk you through how to choose your topic, do competitive research, and validate the concept so you know it's the right idea.

Brainstorm Topics that Work for You

Do Competitive Research

Validate Your Cookbook Topic so You Know People Will Buy It

Recipe Development
Now that you’ve decided to create a cookbook, you’re staring at a mountain of a task: developing and testing 50+ recipes, plus having others test them! I’m guiding you through this process, including organizational tools to help you keep your sanity.

Come Up with All Your Recipes

Test Your Recipes

Work with Friends, Family, and Peers to Test Your Recipes

Branding + Photography

Uncover your unique style and create a cohesive and consistent brand to use throughout your cookbook.

Color and Design

Select Your Fonts

Build Your Brand Guide

Get inspired by guest experts like Joanie Simon and Sam Adler

Get help with the technical side, like organizational tools and export settings

How to Write Your Book
There’s more writing to a cookbook than the recipes. You’ll need to introduce yourself, share details about tools, provide comprehensive overviews of methods, and more! I'll help you manage the workload, hire an editor, and write everything that goes between the recipes.

How to Manage the Workload

Learn How + When to Outsource

Find + Work With an Editor 

Design

This is one of my favorite things about self-publishing! You get to keep full creative control of your book so it looks exactly how you want it to. Our resident expert, Carly Jayne, walks you through the process with detailed video tutorials for designing your book from start to finish. Plus, we've got plug-and-play templates to make the process as simple as possible.

Learn How to Use Adobe InDesign to Create Your Book

Custom Book Template Files

Exporting the Book File

Publishing + Marketing
Learn all about print on demand self-publishing platforms and how to use them. Once it’s out in the world, I'll teach you how to market your book to your existing audience and beyond, and help you gain the confidence to pitch yourself to generate press!

Self-Publishing Platforms and Which to Use

Write Your Product Page Copy

Publish Your Book on Kindle

Market the Hell Out of Your Book

You'll also receive access to our vault of bonus trainings from guest experts!
Technical Recipe Writing with Diane Morgan
Photography with Joanie Simon from The Bite Shot
The Power of PR with Tiffany Eurich
Email Marketing with Allea Grummert
Color and Composition with Sam Adler
A Peek at Traditional Publishing with Sally Ekus
Plus you'll get support every step of the way

LIVE MONTHLY OFFICE HOURS


Because I know just how lonely and confusing doing this on your own can be, we'll meet together for live trainings and q + a's

PLUG-AND-PLAY TEMPLATES


Use our design template library to design your book without starting from scratch!



PRIVATE SLACK CHANNEL


Connect with other cookbook authors, pool resources and get feedback on your ideas


ACCOUNTABILITY 

EMAILS


Emails delivered to you regularly to tell you what you should be focusing on to stay on track and what tools are available inside the Cookbook Lab to help you do those tasks.
Kathy Berget
Founder of Beyond the Chicken Coop

"The Cookbook Lab has given me a great place to start with planning for my cookbook! I'm just in the beginning phases but feel like I'm already heading in the right direction instead of just blindly heading down the wrong road! I really appreciate that I can use the lab at my own pace and can revisit each lesson as many times as I want! Chelsea has great energy and her videos are very clear and well designed."


Nosheen Babar
Founder of Untold Recipes

I recently embarked on my journey as a full time food blogger and publishing a cookbook was part of my long term plans. A Cookbook Lab by Chelsea Cole is a course I was drawn to the first time I heard about it. After listening to Chelsea speak at a conference I was sold! I purchased her course and it's one of the best decisions I've made! She is clearly passionate about sharing her knowledge and skills with others and brings that energy to her live zoom classes. Not only is the step by step process of self publishing laid out in an organized, methodical manner during these sessions, but additional support is available through the cookbook lab community group. I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in self publishing a cookbook!"

Here's a glimpse at what Cookbook Lab students are
publishing

Souper Simple Soups 

by Ashlee Karen Wright

Classic Sourdough 

 by Lo's Kitchen

Desert Honey 

 by Elizabeth L. Wescott

Just As Tasty 

by Taleen Benson

Vegetarian for Dinner 

by Cassidy Reeser

Ready to enroll?

Choose the plan + save when you buy in full!

BEST VALUE

One Payment Of

$497

  • Over 50 Video Lessons Walking You Step-by-Step Through Writing, Editing, Publishing, and Marketing Your Cookbook
  • Students-only Slack Community to get Support and Feedback
  • Design Templates and Tutorial Video Library
  • Launch and Marketing Plan with Swipe Copy

MOST FLEXIBLE

Two Payments Of

$250

  • Over 50 Video Lessons Walking You Step-by-Step Through Writing, Editing, Publishing, and Marketing Your Cookbook
  • Students-only Slack Community to get Support and Feedback
  • Design Templates and Tutorial Video Library
  • Launch and Marketing Plan with Swipe Copy

Taleen Benson
Author of Just As Tasty

"Publishing a cookbook had always been a dream of mine and I truly don't think I would have taken the plunge if it hadn't been for the Cookbook Lab! I learned so much from Chelsea and Carly and really appreciated their willingness to share their knowledge and allow me to bounce ideas off of them. I'd highly recommend the Cookbook Lab to any and all aspiring authors!"


Taryn Solie
Founder of Hot Pan Kitchen

"The Cookbook Lab has been great! I love the live classes, they've really helped me not only stay on track but also get additional questions answered. Chelsea is very knowledgeable and generous with her time. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to self-publish a cookbook."

Here’s What Happens When You Join

WELCOME!!!

Head to your inbox for login information so you can jump right in.

Join the Slack Channel

In your welcome email, you’ll receive instructions for joining our private Slack channel. Pop in and introduce

yourself!

Get Started

Creating a cookbook is a big undertaking, but we make it simpler by breaking it down into a step-by-step process. Start with the “Getting Started” section inside the Cookbook Lab to see what you’re in for.
Just a few of my favorite messages lately...
Frequently Asked Questions
  • Why should I self-publish instead of getting a traditional cookbook deal?
    Why should I self-publish instead of getting a traditional cookbook deal?
    So, you want to write a cookbook! I’m pretty confident you could get yourself a book deal if you wanted. But here’s why I opted to self-publish. When pitching publishers, the process of going from idea to deal can take years, between writing a proposal, pitching, waiting, negotiating, and more. I wanted my book done now. The deals being offered to cookbook authors are worse than ever (small advances, sometimes no royalties, tight timelines). Many costs of creating the book come out of your advance (recipe development, recipe testing, photography, indexing). If you want to go on a book tour, that's on your own dime, too. You lose creative control. I had a vision for my book and didn’t want someone else telling me what to do. (I might have a problem with authority??? )
  • Do I have to know how to use the Adobe suite/InDesign
    Being somewhat familiar with the Adobe suite makes things easier, but we start from step one and teach you how to use InDesign (an Adobe program) to create your cookbook. InDesign is somewhat easier to learn than other Adobe programs like Illustrator or Photoshop because it only has one function (formatting long documents and posters) and doesn't create graphics or edit photos. I have seen many people with little or no design experience get comfortable with the program in a short amount of time.

    I’m sure you’re wondering about Canva: we don’t recommend it for many reasons, but you can use it if you want. We talk about this in greater detail inside the Cookbook Lab!
  • What if I don’t have a cookbook topic in mind yet?
    I’ve got you! We help you come up with ideas, make sure people are actually searching for cookbooks on that topic, and test those ideas with your audience.
  • What are the benefits of writing a cookbook?
    Writing a cookbook opened so many doors for me! Since self publishing, I've had the opportunity to do live cooking demos at events, multiple TV appearances, podcast interviews, a magazine feature, LEAVE MY FULL TIME JOB and I've even been presented with cookbook offers from publishers (to which I said no), all because of my books.
  • If I work hard, how quickly can I reasonably expect to finish my cookbook?
    I finished my books in 6 months with a fair amount of distraction. If you really wanted to push it, you could probably do it in as short as 3-4 months. It's okay if it takes longer, too! You'll have lifetime access to the Cookbook Lab. You can work at your own pace and go as slow or fast as you want.
  • What if my photography isn’t great?
    We can help with that, too! We’ve got tons of resources to help you better your photography, including guest expert trainings from Joanie Simon and Sam Adler, and we’ll walk you through creating a cohesive look for your cookbook.
  • What skills do I need to have to write a cookbook?
    All of the skills you’ve built food blogging over the years have prepared you for this day! Some organizational and time management skills are helpful, as well as photography and basic design. But even if you don’t have the latter two, we are here to help!
  • How much will writing a cookbook cost me?
    The final costs are dependent on what you choose to hire out vs. do yourself, but I estimate you’ll spend between $1200 and $3500, including groceries. I have a free guide about pricing and cover this in depth in the course along with the real numbers of what I spent publishing my cookbooks.
  • What kind of support will I get from you?
    You’ll be invited to a private Slack channel that I'm active in daily. My favorite support is our themed office hours where I'll answer any questions you have and you can hear questions from others. You’ll also receive accountability emails to help keep you on track and remind you of resources available inside the course.
  • What if I don’t have a big social media following?
    That’s okay! I only had about 3000 Instagram followers when I launched my first book (and frankly, I still don't have many). As long as there’s demand for your book, which we talk about, you can sell it.
Ready to publish your book?

Choose the plan + save when you buy in full!

BEST VALUE

One Payment Of

$497

  • Over 50 Video Lessons Walking You Step-by-Step Through Writing, Editing, Publishing, and Marketing Your Cookbook
  • Students-only Slack Community to get Support and Feedback
  • Design Templates and Tutorial Video Library
  • Launch and Marketing Plan with Swipe Copy

MOST FLEXIBLE

Two Payments Of

$250

  • Over 50 Video Lessons Walking You Step-by-Step Through Writing, Editing, Publishing, and Marketing Your Cookbook
  • Students-only Slack Community to get Support and Feedback
  • Design Templates and Tutorial Video Library
  • Launch and Marketing Plan with Swipe Copy

The Cookbook Lab$0

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