Tips for a Successful Book Signing, Tasting, or Cooking Demonstration

Cookbook tastings, demonstrations, and author signings can be excellent avenues for selling books. All it takes is a well-thought-out plan and a willingness to promote the event. Make no mistake, this is a partnership on the part of the retail store AND the author. Many times, the retail store was expected to have made all the arrangements, massive crowd included. Nevertheless, it is the publisher’s responsibility to help create the demand necessary to sell books and have a successful in-store event. Click here for a list of tips to use when planning your next event.

Congratulations to this FRP self-publisher on a new book:

Henderson Park Inn - Exceptional Taste

Congratulations to this FRP self-publisher on a recent reprint:

Junior League of Baton Rouge - River Road Recipes
Debbye Dabbs (D.D. Publishing) - Take Five - A Men's Cookbook

ATTENTION Cookbook Marketplace Publishers!
The Atlanta International Tradeshow is fast approaching (July 14 - 21, 2010) and we have been invited (again!) to allow our publishers to send in fresh baked goodies to be served in the permanent showroom of our Sales Rep Group, Dugan-Bliss & Associates (DBA). If you want to participate, e-mail Anne Pritchard (apritchard@frpbooks.com) by Friday, June 25th and put "FRESH GOODIES FOR ATLANTA SHOW" in the subject line. To learn all the detail about how it is going to work this year, click here.

Cookbook Marketplace Publishers - Here's a great Co-Op Ad Opportunity for your cookbook!
Southern Lady magazine has offered The Cookbook Marketplace ad space in the September/October 2010 issue. This is their Fall/Thanksgiving issue - a great one to be a part of! They'll feature cabin chic interiors, several fall tablescapes and entertaining ideas, and much more. (For more information on Southern Lady magazine, visit their website at www.southernladymagazine.com.)

This opportunity is only available to books in distribution with The Cookbook Marketplace. The size of the ad will either be a full-page or half-page, depending on the response from this e-mail. Your spot in the advertisement will include your cookbook's cover, book details and a 10-15 word description of the title. All book sales will be driven through The Cookbook Marketplace website. Cost will be $175 per cookbook title.

If you are interested in participating, send an e-mail to marketing@frpbooks.com by Friday, June 25th. If enough publishers respond to this opportunity you will then be sent a title registration form to complete. There are a limited number of spaces available, and the ad will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't wait! Credit card payment is required, but you will not be billed until early September. Please let us know if you have any questions.

MyFRP—Are You Signed Up?
Valuable information is waiting for you on MyFRP. Publishers with a signed FRP contract simply need click here and choose "Click here to request a MyFRP Login." Once you complete the form, someone from FRP will get back to you shortly with your log-in information. If you have any questions about MyFRP, please contact us at marketing@frpbooks.com.

From Roger Conner - Vice President / Publishing Consultant

When we recently debuted The Hunter’s Table at the Ducks Unlimited® Expo in Dallas, this was one of the recipes that we cooked in our booth and on stage. It came from Chef Lisa Freeman who is on the DU Culinary Team and also the official NASCAR Chef. The recipe is very simple and the marinade is the key. Brandy could be substituted, but as a Tennessean, Jack Daniel’s^®is a home grown company and adds an interesting twist. Plus it’s a household name that everyone recognizes. The people who sampled this recipe raved about it. You can cook it on the grill but we actually used a George Foreman grill in our booth. People often overcook duck and it becomes tough and dry. I'd suggest using a meat thermometer and remove from the heat when the center of the breast gets to 155 degrees. If you want to eliminate more of the gamey flavor, try brining the breasts overnight in a solution of 1 gallon of water, ½ cup of salt, ½ cup of honey and ¼ cup of brown sugar.

Jack Daniel’s^® Grilled Duck Breast

1 tablespoon good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

1 to 2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried sage

2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine

6 ounces teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 ounce Jack Daniel’s^®(or just a splash more for good measure!)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 to 6 duck breast halves

Mix all marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add duck breasts and toss until evenly coasted. Cover and place in refrigerator. Let marinate 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat a charcoal grill (you many use a gas grill, but you just don't get that same flavor). When the flame has just died out and the coals are stacked and hot, start placing the duck breasts on the grill. Cook about 2 ½ to 3 minutes on each side or until rare to medium-rare. Do not overcook! Remove duck breasts from the grill and let them rest for a minute. Slice on the bias and serve. It will melt in your mouth.

Serve 4 to 6

The Hunter’s Table - Favorite Recipes® Press / Ducks Unlimited®

Order a copy of The Hunter’s Table at www.cookbookmarketplace.com and receive 40% off your purchase! Enter the promo code TT-June to receive your discount at checkout. (State sales tax and shipping will be added to your order upon checkout.) Offer good until June 30, 2010.

CORRECTION: In last month’s newsletter, while discussing The Beaufort Grocery Company’s use of Facebook to promote their restaurant and their brand new cookbook, we had the wrong title listed. Their book is called Closed on Tuesdays. Our apologies.

Author Margaret Dickenson, and her husband Larry were recently recognized in two categories by the Cordon d’Or Gold Ribbon International Academy of Culinary Arts. One award was for a "culinary master piece" and the other for food styling. For the former, Margaret developed a "Blue Christmas" theme, sending her entry in a FedEx envelope with a label saying "Sorry you cannot make it for Christmas". Inside, Margaret placed a Christmas card with a blue poinsettia on the cover. When opened it contained her menu and sheet music for Elvis Presley’s hit song, “Blue Christmas”. The table decoration and each recipe on the menu carried the "blue" theme and were captured by Larry’s photos. All the recipes and photos came from Margaret’s multi-international award-winning cookbook, Margaret’s Table – Easy Cooking & Inspiring Entertaining. Margaret and Larry received a third award which was announced at the end of the gala evening. It was for the most impressive entry (including cookbook awards). Two other entries shared this award (and the cash) with the Dickensons. Check out Margaret’s website at www.margaretstable.ca.

Congratulations to these Ben Franklin Awards Finalists in the Cookbook Category:

· Orange County Fare - Junior League of Orange County, Inc.

· Under the Fig Leaf - Sherri P. Lee

Are you an FRP publisher with good news to share about your cookbook? We want to hear about any media coverage, successful events, or goals reached. Please send your news to marketing@frpbooks.com and we will put it in the next issue of Table Talk.

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