A COCKTAIL BOOK IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS.

Ben Reed has written 14 cocktail books and sold over 1 million copies in 25 countries. In this latest post, he spills the beans on what it takes to become a published author in the highly competitive drinks books market.

  INSIDER TRADING TIP #14: TOP TIPS ON WRITING DRINKS BOOKS

So I was in Waterstones Piccadilly a week or so ago and noticed a display of some 20 or so cocktail books including one of mine, 'Gatsby Cocktails'. (Yes it was on a display not in a bucket).

Walking around the corner it became apparent that the book display I'd seen was just a tease for the 'main' display which was bursting with more than 40 odd books. It got me thinking; when my first book, Hollywood Cocktails, was on the shelves, it was only Gary Regan stateside and the ubiquitous Maestro who had made any inroads into publishing. Hells it even took Dale another 10 years before he published his first.

Referring to my library recently I tried to trace back when it was that the floodgates opened. Did Alex Kammerling's 'Blend Me Shake Me' tip the balance? Douglas Ankrah's 'Shaken and Stirred'? Or was it Salvatore's 'Cocktails for Wimps' that opened those floodgates and set in motion the trend for cocktail books potentially eclipsing those books on Tuscan winter breaks as the aspiring middle class's coffee table tome of choice?

I've since (ahem) written a further 13 books with somewhere in the region of a million sales. So I figured it might be worth capturing what I've learnt along the way for those of you who want your words to be read by others.

FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT.  DO YOU WANT TO MAKE MONEY OR IS IT A VANITY PROJECT? WHO'S YOUR BOOK FOR?

I don't know exactly but I'll have a punt at the numbers: .0001% of the global population are cocktail bartenders. Out of the remaining 99.0009%, perhaps 50% drink alcohol of which, hmmm, maybe 20% of those drink cocktails or at least own a coffee table (that they'll use to show that they do). You do the math. 

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE AND THEIR BUYING HABITS:

I once chastised my publisher for wanting to put the same cocktail in two different books. She laughed and informed me I wasn't writing the Encyclopedia Britannica and it was unlikely that anyone was going to buy the set. I'll take it a step further and say that if a household already owns a coffee table sorry, cocktail book then it's unlikely they'll buy another so what makes yours more alluring than the next one on the Ottoman?

It'll most likely be a woman buying your book for her partner (this fact I do have the stats to back up) so aesthetics will be important. There's a good chance that this book will go straight onto the aforementioned table - and, sorry for this news, never actually be used in a practical sense. So, to be clear, make sure the outside of your book looks sexy af. Kerb appeal is paramount.

(NB If you're writing for that .0001% none of the above rules apply - so, you pays your money, you takes your chances)

BE WELL KNOWN OR AT LEAST KNOWN FOR SOMETHING.

I was lucky to be running the tabloid gossip column's bar of choice when I was approached by my first publisher and as such my weekly column for the Saturday Times magazine stood me in good stead. Do you run/own a well know bar? Have you recently won a bunch of awards? Are you known for a brand or expert knowledge of a category? This will help you stir up both publishing and, subsequently, purchasing interest.

WHAT WILL IT BE ABOUT?

Write a book on Tiki or variations on the Old fashioned and you've created a niche problem for yourself. Be more general and boom, say hello to a bunch of competitors. Make it clear on the cover who the book's for. Ben Reed's Bartenders Guide.. see? Ronseal. 

DECIDE ON CONTENT:

I know I keep going on about this but where does one buy sheep's wool lanolin anyway? How many of your drinks will be original creations vs classics? If your book's aimed at the consumer, make it accessible. If the ingredients aren't available at Saino's will anyone be bothered?

WHAT WILL THE INSIDE LOOK LIKE?

Get your illustrations right. Yes the core of this is the words but, like the outside of the book, the inside needs to be alluring. By and large the prettier, shinier, more pictorial the illustrations, the more consumer (day walker) friendly. If it's a reference book make it easy to reference, duh. Categorise it logically and make it easy to read (in soft lighting).  

WHAT WILL YOUR FORMAT BE? 

There's a good chance your book will sell best at around Christmas time for reasons I have made clear above. Your publisher will help you with this but I heartily recommend a format that is seasonally friendly so: hard back, bound in something aesthetically pleasing with a shiny cover or failing that, soft back and stocking size.

GIVE IT A SNAPPY TITLE.

Cool Cocktails? I have nothing more your honour. The defence rests.

Oh, and did I mention? Make it look sexy - after all, a cocktail book is for life, not just for Christmas.

N.B. Gatsby Cocktails (still available after 7 years and recently republished with a snazzy new cover) now in Waterstones Piccadilly and all leading bookshops.

Ho Ho Ho

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