by Leo Dimilo

Created on: January 12, 2009

Marketing a cookbook would be no different than marketing virtually anything else; You need to find spots in which your target market would be located. I have a couple ideas that could take a prospective cookbook author and make their cookbook a "best seller". In the very least, it could earn them a few extra dollars.

1. Trade Shows- If you are trying to achieve "lift off" with your cookbook, possibly the best option that would be available to you would be to go to trade shows. Trade shows will give you the chance to reach those that are genuinely interested in the same things that you are interested. For example, if your cookbook features chocolate recipes, then obviously a convention or trade show that features chocolate could possibly be the place to showcase your cookbook.

2. Social Sites and other web 2.0 platforms- Another great place to market you cookbook may be to leverage social sites and web 2.0 platforms and indirectly market to your target niche. For example, everyone knows who Rachel Ray is and if she happens to use Twitter, then you could actually follow her and try to leverage her followers into seeing you. Facebook and other social platforms work the same way.

3. Go local- Make your cookbook one that showcases restaurants around you. For instance, you could proposition local restaurants to release one recipe to be featured in your cookbook. As a result, the restaurant would be more likely to advertise your cookbook for you.

4. Offer an affiliate program- An affiliate program is just a cheaper version of advertising. Offer your affiliates a percentage of each sale that they make for you. The result? You will get a legion of marketers advertising for you. And there is no better way to build a grassroots ad campaign on the cheap than having others spend their money and time advertising for you.

5. Get featured in your local paper- Editors are always looking for ways to bulk up their newspaper content. What better way than to spin yourself as a sort of hometown hero?

6. Offer to donate a portion of the proceeds to a local charity- Once again, what you are doing is getting free publicity by giving to a good cause. They, ideally, be willing to partner with you. And once again, the more your cookbook makes, the more you can give. It's a win-win proposition.

Marketing a cookbook may sound like a harder endeavor than marketing a different product but really, marketing is marketing is marketing. Locate your prospects. Know what your prospects are looking for and then angle your cookbook as that solution.

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