authors who color outside the lines
Working on this book, I am in an interesting position (wearing hats of both author and publisher). So when the author side of me starts generating content that doesn’t slide perfectly into the book outline, my publisher side has to decide where it will go.
In this case, it seemed most appropriate to add new chapters to the book. As a publisher, I’ve never had this experience before. Previously, a clear-cut outline was easy to flesh out, the project not growing in scope but filling in all the colors of a black and white picture. This new process is at once scary and exhilarating. As we continue to work on recipes and discuss our purpose, JC and I are finding more and more information that is key to giving our readers the kind of support needed to embark on and – more importantly – stick with The Love Diet.
Originally, we’d hoped to include about 75 recipes into what will be a 160-page book. But we’re realizing that we can offer readers more by adding less recipes. After a series of discussions, we’re working on a section on stocking your pantry for a successful lifetime of Love Dieting. It will also include our advice on the most-needed kitchen tools and help you save money by letting you in on what kitchen “essentials” really aren’t so essential to the home cook.
We’re also working on a section of snacks and nibbles. Our book contains recipes with reasonable portions, not those scary, gargantuan plates you’ll find in too many family restaurants. But our reasonable portions would really seem unreasonable to anyone who eats only three times/day. Since our recipes include the foods that JC and I eat on a regular basis, we realized that we need to teach our readers how to snack like a lover. So now we’re working on sharing with readers the snacks that keep us going through the day – some are recipes and some are go-to groceries that help keep us going, blood sugar in check, libido high and muscles ready for anything.
I love the new changes and think that every day, we’re making the book stronger. But I have to admit that at the end of the day, the publisher in me hopes that from here on in, the authors can stick to the plan and start filling in the outline and stop coloring outside the edges!