OH HEYYY! You probably already know that THE SUGAR HIT cookbook is coming out this year in September. In fact, you can pre-order it! (Amazon – Book Depository – Booktopia – Dymocks – Barnes and Noble) And I will love you forever if you do!
So, because I’m always so fascinated by other people’s stories of how their books came together, I thought I would talk about that today! There are also a bunch of this photos in this post, so I’ve kept all the text together at the top. Feel free to scroll on by if you’re just here for the pretty pictures. And one last thing – I’ll be talking more about this, so if you have any questions at all that you would like answered, please send me an email, leave a comment, tweet me, tag me on instagram or comment on Facebook! I’m an open book.
Like so many bloggers, I have always been completely food-obsessed. My parents have those cute pictures of my brother and sister completely covered in food when they were babies – but not me. I ate the food, it went in my mouth, I wasn’t spilling it. My favourite picture books were Spot Bakes a Cake, and Piccolo Peperroni’s Perfect Pizza. Name any Disney movie and I’ll tell you the food scene. You get the picture.
So from a very young age I loved to eat, loved to sit on the bench with my mum and cook (aka hack away at a potato with a butter knife), but for whatever reason even though all the way through school I was cooking and reading about food and eating, I never ever considered it as a career. I was a pretty typical ‘smart kid’, always got good grades, and as far as I knew the only way to be ‘in food’ was to become a chef. I briefly flirted with the idea of dropping out of high school and doing an apprenticeship, but my parents wisely steered me away from that course.
What does this all have to do with the book? Well fast forward to a few years after high-school, and I have started about four different degrees, and failed to finish all of them. So I went and got a full time job, thinking I’d better get my act together. I started as a receptionist, and worked my way up over two years to project management. And then, after I did that for a while, I started to kind of hate it. I just knew it wasn’t for me, the cubicle life.
I had been blogging on and off, in a very amateurish fashion, and decided that since other people were making a living at it, then dammit I could too. So I took all my savings, quit my job, and with the support of my boyfried, and the support/deep concern of everyone else I love, started this blogging gig full time. Fast forward to the end of last year, when I got an email from Hardie Grant asking me if I’d ever thought about writing a cookbook.
If you’re a blogger, you probably know what I thought at first. We bloggers get peppered with emails daily about great ‘opportunities’. Write about our product and we might share your post! Create your own cookbook for only $29.99! I think your readers would really be interested in my company’s new take on cinnamon! Things that seem to good to be true often are. So yeah, I immediately assumed it was a scam.
You guys? It was not a scam. A quick google confirmed the legitimacy of the email address, and with trembling fingers and a bursting heart, I replied strongly in the affirmative. This had been my dream since I was a kid eating raw potato chunks on the bench while my mum cooked. HELL YEAH I want to do a cookbook.
From there I put together a cookbook proposal, and at first, it was knocked back. The concept was a little out-there, and in hindsight, I can see why they weren’t keen. Lucky for me, Paul (the director of publishing) kindly put me on the right track and said have another go. So, a whirlwind two weeks later, I had deconstructed and reconstructed the book back into something that checked all the boxes. I loved it, they read it, and they said let’s do this!
I flew down to Melbourne and met with the team at Hardie Grant. May I tell you, they are so flipping lovely. Making a book is a full-on, sometimes stressful process. I don’t think I could have asked for a more cool team of people to do this with for the first time (<—hopefully there is a second time!). Once we drummed out all the nuts and bolts, they sent me a contract to sign and from there I had…gulp…10 weeks to write the manuscript and test all the recipes!
I remember almost nothing about that 10 weeks. I don’t think I left the house unless it was to go to the grocery store. I didn’t see any of my friends, I barely saw my family, and I agonized over every word and line and step and detail. Anyone who has tested recipes knows what this is like. A constant game of tinkering and re-tinkering, and then testing and re-testing again. Plus writing the thing! All I cared about was doing a good job.
Now that it’s over, I’m really glad that I took to the process like it was a military campaign. I have total confidence that every recipe in The Sugar Hit! is going to do me proud, and make you happy! I don’t think I could handle it if I thought there was a recipe in there that would let you down. As it is now, this book is full of just pure, unadulterated happiness in food form. So, the long and short of it is, I got all the testing done and filed my manuscript by the deadline. I breathed a sigh of relief…and then braced myself for the next part, editing. I was afraid, very afraid.
These are a bunch of photos from the two trips I took to Melbourne for the book. The rest of the story, including the editing process, design, the shoot, and wrapping things up, will be around soon in Part II.
And like I said, if there’s anything at all you’d like to know, just ask! I’m always so curious about how this stuff works, so I’m happy to answer any and all questions. Talk soon!
Check out PART 2 of this series – That Time I Wrote a Cookbook Part 2
xx Sarah.
Belle’s Hot Chicken ^ amazing.
I really regret not liberating this duck mug that was in the hallway of the building where I stayed for the entire week.
Omg Sarah!!! Congratualations!!!! 10 weeks to write a cookbook??? Wowza girl, you amaze me every time I look + read your blog… I can hardly wait for it to come out! Oh but may I ask how many recipes are in there?
Those photos of Melbourne are absolutely gorgeous!!! I’ve always wanted to visit and now you make me want to go there even more!
P.S. I can totally get your feelings when you were younger. I mean, I’m in high school right now and everyone practically questions me about my future career nonstop. I think I’m probs going into bio or something but that’s not that related to my food blog and I could never imagine going into food science or something of that sort :/
Thank you so much chica! You know, I don’t have an exact count on the number of recipes (I should get onto that) but I think it’s approx 75. And on the whole high school/career/job thing, my unsolicited advice is this: do something you think is fun. We humans have to spend an awful lot of time at work, so try and pick something that you’ll enjoy! And always remember that you can change your mind. Shit, I changed mine like 6 times. Anyway, thanks again! Love your blog!
xx
Sarah
I’m so excited for you I can’t even imagine how wonderful it feels to get your own cookbook!
Congratulations Sarah! so happy for you! I can feel your excitement from the way you write. Looking forward to reading part II. Definitely pre-ordering! (girl, you got me at hello).
Kisses.
Haha, thank you so much Theodora! May I say, I love your name – do you ever get the nickname Teddy? I always wanted to be called Teddy.
xx
Sarah.
Super exciting! Talk about a dream come true! I love hearing about the ‘behind the scenes’ details of writing a cookbook. Look forward to more of your posts.
Totally! Lots more behind the scenes pictures and story to come! I love it too, so I went a bit bonkers on the documentation.
x
Sarah
Dude I am all over this pre-ordering like a rash. Can’t wait for Part 2. This is so wonderful!
My question is how did you come up with and create a full cookbook worth of content in 10 weeks?! What kind of strategy did you use for coming up with all of the recipes?
PS Belle’s hot chicken is where it’s at
PPS seriously, congratulations
Thanks lovely! I will answer your question in a big Q&A post sometime next week if that’s OK?
xx
Sarah
CongratS, I went through the process of finding ‘what I wanted to do with my life’ for about 7 years (including 3 living in a foreign country) and i decided to do the chef thing, which I love but totally understand how it’s not for everyone, it’s hard. But I can’t wait to read your cookbook I’m a massive collector of them. Congratulations again
Thanks Charlie! I should clarify that I was glad my parents steered me away from dropping out of highschool, not from being a chef. I actually still think about studying pastry all the time. The cordon bleu in Paris? Yes please!
xx
Sarah
Great to hear the back story, but wow!! I’m with Anne…10 weeks to write a whole book! And you still had time to talk to us :)
I’m amazed you’re not still curled up under the doona!
Anyway, great news, and hope it does fabulously…
Hahah, I’ve actually been wearing a doona as a sort of toga-dress ever since. It’s the best I could do.
xx
Sarah
I’m so excited for you about the book, Sarah, and thanks for sharing behind the scenes. I’d love to write a cookbook someday and you are such an inspiration!
Sarah girl you are a rockstar!! 10 weeks and I know your book will be outta this world totally amazzzing! I’ve always wanted to write a cookbook and considered going to culinary school (maybe still am?), so I totally feel those feelings with you. I live the cubicle life right now and honestly, I hate the crap out of it. You are an inspiration, keep doing awesome things girl! xo
I’m first in line for a copy of your book, lady! I know you have it in you! xx Sarah
Congratulations … I have already ordered my copy … it will take pride of place in my cook book library!
Haha, thanks Mum! xx
Cookbooks are totally the dream. :) I can’t wait to see yours! Looking forward to more of these posts. Congrats!
Thanks Beth!
Thanks for sharing this! I love hearing people’s making-it stories, and yours is so inspiring.
I cannot wait for your cookbook to come out! Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us! I love reading your blog, and drooling over your gorgeous photos, and I can’t wait to hold a copy in my hands!
You are one of my blogging idols, so thanks for sharing your book story! Can’t wait for part 2!
Gah, I am so bloody excited for you! writing a cookbook is such a strange, crazy process but worth every second when you get to hold that beauty in your hands. cannot wait to see it sarah! xox
Holy cow, ten weeks for a cookbook?? That is insane! Awesome that it all came together though, I am super excited to check out your cookbook (you bet that it’s on my to-read list now!) :)
So many fist bumps right now, gurl!! I am sooooo excited for you and love love love you for sharing the behind the scenes with all of us. Looking forward to hearing more and already know your book is gonna slay. You’re awesome and all I can say right now is !!!!! WOOOHHHOOOOO YAYYYYY. Huge congrats!!
Thanks Boo! xxoo
If your cook book is half as interesting, informative and entertaining as I find spending time having coffee with you, then I have no doubt it will be a best seller. We’re very proud to know you xxoo
That means so much to me, thank you Lynne! xxx
Ahh the photo of the corner where we first met, like a sweet pick up story where I forced you to walk much further than we’d like after you’ve worked your butt of making a COOK BOOK! SO EXCITED TO SEE MORE. X
BOOM! I am so excited about this cookbook and SO EXCITED FOR YOU! What an amazing thing to get to live your dream. I cannot wait to order and receive a copy of your book, I am positive it will be just as fun and vibrant as you are. You’re basically a unicorn. XO!
I cannot believe you did that in 10 weeks! I hope you had a lot of taste testers.
Sounds like a super intense journey!
but congratulations – i can’t tell you how ecstatic i am for you that you’ve published your own cookbook (*hyperventilates*) and how excited i am to get my hands on a copy.
Continue being super awesome and churning out all your good food whoo :)