SYNOPSIS AND FAQs
That’s right lads. I’ve written a whole recipe book! It’s been a crazy time, and I know you’ll have a lot of questions, so here’s the blurb to give you more of an idea about what it contains:
Blurb
If you’re a young(ish) person who wants to expand their kitchen repertoire beyond pesto-pasta and beans on toast, then you’re in luck. Do Yourself a Flavour is full of ways to take your cooking to the next level.
Brimming with over 75 recipes, plus tips and tricks for turning leftovers into fabulous meals in their own right, you’ll be covered for all situations, from those quick fridge-to-face moments, through to making a delicious dinner to feed your plant-based pals and raging carnivores alike.
Including dishes such as Puff Pastry Pizza Florentine; Sweet Potato, Spinach & Chickpea Curry; Mushroom, Ale & Lentil Pie, and Sausage, Squatternut Bosch & Red Onion Traybake, you’ll find din-spiration that doesn’t require a riot of expensive or bizarre ingredients, utilises the culinary skills you already have, and won’t ask you to go and buy more equipment for your (probably) shared, cramped kitchen.
Wahoo! And here’s some FAQs, with some FGA (frequently given answers) to help you you.
FAQS
Oooooh, you’ve written a book! Can I buy a copy?
I’d love for you to buy a copy! Publishing day is the 27th of July 2023, so you can either wait til then and run into a real-life bookstore, take the book to the till, and tell the bemused sales assistant that your actual, real-life mate wrote this book. Or you can pre-order a copy from any of the online retailers on this ‘ere link and have it delivered straight to your door on that day. How supremely convenient.
As an aside, pre-orders are pretty crucial for first-time authors like me, cos bookshops use them to work out what folk are most excited about and how much stock to order. Every pre-order counts so if you are able to put your money where your mouth is, then that’d be utterly, completely, fantastically brilliant. Thanks so much in advance, lads.
Wait, you still didn’t say which bookshops?
All the good ones. Some of the average ones. And none of the bad ones because in all honesty, I don’t think there’s such thing as a bad bookshop. More specifically, you’ll be able to get them in Waterstones, Blackwells, Foyles and a list of independents which I’ll be at liberty to share with you soon.
How much will this book set me back?
The hard copies are £17.99 RRP, my friends, £17.99. That’s less than £18. It’s even less than £20. Christ, it’s even less than £25 – and when you put it like that, it’s a total bargain.
I loathe the very thought of owning tangible things. Is there an ebook?
Yes, you’ll be able to get it on any of these platforms for £9.99 on the 27th of July. It’ll have everything the paper copy has in it, including full colour photos but it’s cheaper because no one has gone to the bother of printing it, and you won’t be able to spill egg on the pages and stick them together.
How many recipes will I get?
75 big juicy ones, plus countless little ideas for using up leftover gubbins too.
I’m veggie or vegan, will it be worth my time and money?
Yes. Out of the 75 recipes, only around 15 or so explicitly call for meat or fish. The vast majority of the food in this book is either veggie or vegan, and I’ve given substitutes for veganising where possible. If you’re gluten-free you’re also covered, even in the dessert and baking sections.
How many words are in it? Will I get pictures too?
If you like words, you’re in luck because there’s squigglions of them in here. And it’s not just the number of words that are important, it’s how they’re strung together too. My chosen words are formed into sentences, which then graduate and get jobs as either jokes, poems or recipes. Plus there’s some jaw-droppingly pretty photographs of food to go alongside that sweet, sweet prose.
Dimensions-wise, the book is 192 pages long, 2cm thick, weighs 350g and is 23cm high and 18.9cm long. In case that information is important to you.
Will you sign my copy?
I have an ego the size of a modest family car so OBVIOUSLY I WILL SIGN YOUR COPY.
How is writing going?
Babes, it is finito. And has been for a while. For reasons unknown to both me and God, publishing has an insanely long timeline: I finished the first draft of the book in May 2022, and final edits were signed off in October last year. This is very normal with books, according to everyone, and the whole process has gone really smoothly. Ebury, my publisher (the non-fiction department of Penguin Random House) have been awesome the whole time, and ok they did pay me, but they didn’t pay me to say that.
Wait, did you get paid to write the book?
Yes. I got what’s called an advance, which is a lump sum from the publisher to write the book. An advance is paid in three parts: the first on signing my contract, the second on delivery of the manuscript, and the final instalment on publication day.
How much was your advance?
Nosy bugger. Buy me a pint and I’ll tell you.
Will you make loads of money from sales?
Short answer: I don’t know. Long answer: the thing is about an advance is that it’s shorthand for ‘in advance of royalties’, so I personally won’t make any money from the book until sales make up – or earn out – that lump sum, which could take a while depending on how things go. If the advance is earned out, then I’ll be able to take royalties from each book sale, which are around 10% – but this figure varies according to rights and stuff, plus I have an agent whose job is to talk people into paying me, so she gets a cut of what I make for doing the all important negotiations.
If I do earn out my advance and start being eligible to take royalties, they’ll arrive in a cheque from my publisher twice a year. In summary, it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme for anyone involved, really, unless either you have millions of TikTok followers or you are Prince Harry.
How did you get a book deal?
Magic and witchcraft. Only joking. I sort of fell into the all right laps at all the right times. You’ll get the full story if you buy the book. Or if you buy me a pint. But you should deffo prioritise buying the book. Obviously. Book > pint.
Um, thanks but I still have questions.
Email me, love, or drop into my social DMs on Twitter or Insta. I’m always happy to chat.
Until then, happy pre-ordering!
Student Cuisine for the Gloomy Teen 