How to Take a Nonfiction Book Idea From Good to Great: A Case Study, Part 2

This is the second in a behind-the-scenes series about a nonfiction book, featuring Renee Guilbault . You can read Part 1 HERE.

The hard work of publishing does not end when a writer partners with a publisher. Renee continued to invest in excellence and to work to bring her vision to life. Taking a book from good to great isn’t just about the vision and it isn’t just about writing. That’s where it all starts, but greatness comes from seeing it all the way through into the marketplace.

Renee always imagined that her book would have recipes. She’s a chef! She loves food! She experiences the world through food, so of course, a story about her career in food and a guide to other people to join the world of food should have recipes. This was one of the realities that guided her towards working with Page Two Publishers. They are an innovative company that center’s the author’s vision in a way that some traditional publishers can’t. They could accommodate recipes in a career book.

Jennie to Renee: You fought so hard to have recipes in your book. Can you tell us why

Renee: There were several reasons. ? Food experiences wrap around the most important moments of our lives -? so, when I think about the stories and learnings that shaped my career and my life - I also always think about the food that showed up in those moments and how it played a role. I found including them to be a delicious and often hilarious way to deepen the lessons from the storytelling while creating surprising and unexpected moments across the pages for the reader. 

I love to make people laugh, and I wanted these stories to stick, so I was not going to let that dynamic go - it was too important.        

But handling recipes is tricky business. They take up a lot of space and demand a different font treatment. Renee had more than 50 recipes she wanted to include and she also wanted to make comments on her recipes, the way you might in the margins of your own cookbook.So one of the first questions she had to answer was how to handle those recipes.

Renee and the team at Page Two decided to put 12 recipes in the book. Here is one:

A Second Book

They then came up with the idea of developing a second book to contain all the recipes that didn’t make the cut. Renee says, “These recipes are a series of “memory landmarks” from my journey in food that I hope will inspire you to grab some friends and get cooking as you dream, plan, and map out all of your own possible futures in food.”

Expert Interviews from the World of Food

Renee also wanted to include interviews with other people from the world of food– people who worked in all areas from all walks of life who came up in the business in all kinds of ways. The publishing team made the decision to put in QR codes at the end of every chapter, so readers can scan to watch a leader from the industry sharing personal stories and lessons from their career journey.?

The recipes and interviews and other design elements make A Taste of Opportunity a uniquely enjoyable reading experience.

Jennie to Renee: your book is so beautifully designed inside. How important was that design element to you?

Renee: Design was a very serious consideration and something that I was determined to get right.? You already know why I wanted to include the recipes in the book.? But convincing others that recipes needed to be in a career development book was not necessarily an easy thing.?
 
And building out QR codes that would link to industry leaders sharing their own personal journeys and insights was another unusual component that I felt really strongly about. 
A
nd further asking for those QR codes to be customizable so that this work could become a valuable recruitment and retention tool for food organizations so that they could feature their leadership alongside their mission, vision, values and unique benefits and programs - it was a tall order. 

I knew I had the right publishing partner in Page Two when they were excited about figuring out how to include those elements. And their books are stunningly beautiful. I knew they would do everything in their power to make this work the best it could be – and they did!?        

The Brand Beyond the Book

Publishing a nonfiction book designed to get the attention of an entire industry is not just about the book. It’s about the author’s brand and their message, and that message is conveyed in a variety of ways. Renee has always been someone who pays very careful attention to details, especially around user experience. She spent years developing and ensuring brand standards and customer experiences for international restaurant companies were executed with quality and precision. So, of course, she was going to think about every aspect of her book coming into the world.

The 15 interviews Renee links to in her book are not just zoom chats captured by a computer camera. She hired a professional team (the storytellers at Nelson Alley Media) to film and produce those Interviews, and a gorgeous book trailer, too.

She then hired a website development firm (Kickass UX) to design a site that would showcase those videos and amplify her brand.

Her About page is the best I have ever seen. It tells a story, it makes you laugh, it draws you into Renee’s world, and makes you want to stay there. Seriously – go look at it HERE.

And watch her gorgeous book trailer HERE.

Jennie to Renee: I know that one of the reasons you have strived for excellence and authenticity in every single part of this book writing process is that you want the book to be used and embraced by people all over the industry. Does that effort help you when you approach potential partners and collaborators

Renee: One of the deepest learnings across my career is the value of finding values-aligned partners who are truly passionate and supremely talented with what they do. This project is centered around a deeply-rooted personal mission to bring tools and inspiration to people navigating careers and to show people what’s possible for them if they make the food world their career home. 

I needed partners who believed in that message and who were excited about bringing the stories and experiences to life in a way that would draw readers in and invite them to stay with fun, surprising, and relatable experiences.
 
Ryan and Andrew Cox at Nelson Alley and Colton Schweitzer with Kickass UX were those incredible partners and I could not be more grateful. That’s the thing about the food world - you can feel the love that people put into creating food - that energy is real. In my view, it’s the same for the work you produce. That energy is awesome when there is love and passion behind it - and people can feel the difference.?        

The Reviews Start to Come In

Renee is spending the days leading up to her book launch doing podcast and print interviews and connecting with people in the industry. Nothing about the success of her book is being left to chance.

The reviews are starting to come in and it’s clear that people get this book and the vision Renee has to support people who are interested in making a career in the world of food:

• Booklife
• Kirkus

Jennie to Renee: I want you to know how much I learned from you throughout our time working together. The reason I do what I do is because it is such a thrill to coach someone who has something they are burning to say, who makes the commitment to say it, and who never backs down. We never know the kind of impact a book is going to have in the world, how it will be received by its intended readers, but you did everything you possibly could for this book. You controlled what you could control. From where I sit as your book coach, it feels to me like you achieved what you set out to achieve. How are you feeling right now

Renee: Grateful and hopeful. I am so extraordinarily grateful for you and all the incredible people who believed in this work and helped to bring it to life.? And I am hopeful that it will help others find meaning in their work and encourage them to reach for the things they want in their life.? My guiding principle for this project has been “everything needs to be in service to the reader” and I feel like we have all created something that accomplishes that goal.? And now it’s time to let it fly and do its thing.?        

Official Book Overview for A Taste of Opportunity

The most important ingredient for success in the food industry? You.

The food world has long kept a big secret: that everything is possible in this industry. Big dreams? You can achieve them here. No degree or connections? No problem. The scale of opportunity to earn a fantastic income, live a life of creativity and freedom, and even change the world is staggering. And all you need to get started is yourself.

This book is designed to help anyone who wants a rewarding career in food, whether you're in your first hourly-wage job, ready to move into management, or looking ahead to executive leadership. Drawing on her own raw and sometimes shocking experiences of working her way from the very bottom to the astonishing top, food-industry executive and consultant Renee Guilbault will teach you how to run your professional life in Mise Mode: her own unique career-development version of mise en place, the famous chef's process for making sure ingredients are prepped and ready to go. You'll learn how to keep moving forward in your career, navigate inevitable challenges, and embrace growth and resilience-all in service to achieving your career dreams. Truly special bonus materials include 15 industry experts sharing their career stories and leadership insights along with some amazing recipes.

A Taste of Opportunity shows you the enormity of what's possible in this industry and gives you the tools to make the industry work its magic for you.

Here is an excerpt from Renee’s book that appears on the Edible Communities website:

• Read HERE
• You can pre-order her book?HERE

_____

Does Coaching Book Writers Sound Like Your Dream Job?

Author Accelerator is on a mission to lead the emerging book coaching industry.

? If you are curious about book coaching and would like to learn more about what we do,?visit?authoraccelerator.com?to learn more.

? Subscribe to be notified of my next newsletter.