Don't write that cookbook

“It's so tedious writing cookbooks or writing the recipes because I've never been much of a measurer. But to write a book, you have to measure everything.” —Maya Angelou

dear friend,

last week, I emailed my literary agent — the amazing Katherine Latshaw of Folio Lit — the digital proposal for my fourth cookbook. Now, if you told me back in 2020 that I’d be the author of at least three cookbooks, with two of them being bestselling ones in fact, I would’ve said, “Shut the front door!”

I’ve wanted to be a published author for as long as I can remember. Ever since fourth grade, when I read a story I wrote to a group of very captivated second-graders. I just never imagined my first traditionally published book would be a cookbook.

And wow, was I SO GREEN when I published my first book, Modern Asian Baking at Home, without literary representation. It was like driving in the fog with my eyes closed. I didn’t negotiate my contract. I didn’t have a lawyer look it over. I basically said yes to a lowball deal with sparkly eyes and no questions asked.

See, I was just so excited that a cookbook deal had landed in my lap!

Writing the book? A breeze. Recipe testing? Loved it. The photoshoot? Dreamy.
Then came the hard part, the part where I wanted to cry and quit every day: marketing and promoting the book.

And this is where most people who dream of publishing a cookbook quietly tap out.

Here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud: even if you have a big social media following, expect only one to five percent of that audience actually to convert into people who preorder your book. Likes and follows don’t equal sales.

Virality doesn’t equal longevity.

And if you don’t have a social media presence, a recipe blog, a popular Substack, or a background in food journalism or food writing… I’m gonna hold your hand real tight and gently say this: traditional publishers likely won’t bat an eye at you, and literary agents probably won’t answer your query either.

And even if you do have all of that — the platform, the clips, the credentials, do you have a community?

Because that’s the part people miss.

They think that having 400k followers means they will automatically be a bestselling author.

There’s a reason I can sell more cookbooks than influencers with much bigger followings. It’s not magic. It’s not luck. It’s because I’ve been building an online community since 2020. Since 2020, I’ve built this community by showing up, listening, amplifying others, fundraising, and creating something people actually feel part of.

This October, I published my third cookbook, 108 Asian Cookies, with a Big Five publisher, a literary agent, and my community is bigger than ever. There were new lessons I learned.

One, I had a much bigger advance, but it also meant I had more to spend, including on photography. If your publisher does not pay for cookbook photography, you can expect to set aside a massive chunk of your advance to pay for the photoshoots, and I’m talking about anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000 for bigger projects. And yes, this is in America.

If you’re able to fly to Asia and outsource the photography, you’d save on your cookbook photos. And it’s even better if your publisher gives you the green light to shoot your own photos! So work on your food photography skills!

The second lesson I learned is that the PR and marketing game has changed tremendously. Most publishers will not organize or pay for your book tour and may even encourage you to pay an external firm for additional PR and marketing help.

Most of the cookbook PR firms quoted me $ 3,000 to $ 6,000 per month and asked me to sign up for 3 to 6 months of service.

I cried in B&N when I didn't see my book

The firm that gave me the most expensive quote represents many cookbook authors, who ended up on many best cookbook lists in 2025, including The New York Times, The Best Cookbooks of 2025, Eater, Best New Cookbooks Fall 2025, Bon Appétit, 14 Standout Cookbooks for Fall 2025, The Washington Post, 14 Of Our Favorite Cookbooks of the Year, Southern Living, The Best Southern Cookbooks of Fall 2025, Chowhound, 21 Best Cookbooks of 2025), and got to go on morning shows like GMA and the Today Show. I also noticed they had fantastic book tours.

My book, 108 Asian Cookies, did not end up on any of those lists I named above. My previous two cookbooks were Amazon Editor picks, but for some reason, my third cookbook, the one I poured most of my heart and soul into, was snubbed this year.

Luckily for me, my publisher’s in-house marketing and publicity teams are fantastic, and they organized and paid for my amazing book tour, and I got featured on quite a bit of media! On top of that, 108 Asian Cookies is doing quite well, considering I didn’t pay the equivalent of a year’s mortgage or rent for PR!

108 Asian Cookies is a Seattle Library’s Peak Pick, earned a Booklist Starred Review!, was featured on the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, JoySauce, The Seattle Times, and The Berkshire Eagle, to name a few media outlets. Plus, I got to chat on a Milk Street and Good Food podcast! And since publication, bakers have been baking the recipes from the book nonstop, and that’s over two months now.

And get this, my book has nearly 10 to 20 times the reader reviews of other cookbooks that have made all the shiny lists, and that says a lot. I didn’t pay to play, and my community recognizes a FUCKING GOOD BOOK.

So, if you’re still thinking of publishing a cookbook, let me summarize some points for you:

• A large social media following does not equal book sales; expect only about 1–5% of your audience to convert to buyers.

• Likes, follows, and viral moments don’t translate to long-term success or revenue.

• If you don’t have a platform (social media, blog, Substack, or food media clips), traditional publishers and agents likely won’t engage.

• Even with a strong platform, community matters more than clout.

• Traditional publishing is not a magic fix—much of the marketing still falls on the author.

• Cookbook photography is expensive; if your publisher doesn’t cover it, expect to spend $25,000–$75,000 from your advance.

• Learning food photography or shooting your own photos can save money and give you leverage.

• PR is often pay-to-play; many cookbook PR firms charge $3,000–$6,000 per month for 3–6 months.

• Landing on “Best Cookbook” lists and morning shows often correlates with expensive external PR.

• Missing shiny lists does not mean your book failed.

• Strong in-house publisher support can still lead to solid media coverage and successful tours.

• Reader reviews and people actually cooking from your book matter more than industry gatekeeping.

• A deeply engaged community will outsell a massive but disconnected audience.

• Building trust, showing up consistently, and giving back compound over time.

• You don’t have to pay to play, but you do have to make a genuinely good book.

Additionally, tips for my Premium Substack subscribers!