The publishing path less traveled

The number of cookbooks published every year through traditional channels is astonishing. No one person could keep up with each and every book that comes out (although Jenny diligently reviews as many as possible). However, there are more books that don’t even hit most people’s radar because they are self-published. The world of self-publishing is growing, and the books can be just as exciting as those that come from traditional publishing houses. That is what Jane Friedman, a writer with 25 years of experience in the publishing industry, has discovered. Friedman thinks these books are “hidden gems,” as she explained in a recent interview with author Matthew Bounds, who chose the self-publishing route for his cookbooks.

Bounds – who only started posting about food in 2022 – quickly racked up millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook and has self-published two cookbooks (Come Fix You a Plate and Keep It Simple Y’all). His first was by a startup company (Found) that specializes in fast turnaround, capture-the-moment books. While Bounds said that was great for getting his books out there in a hurry while his social media presence was growing, there was a downside to the speed. “There were a ton of typos, because [Found] is more of a printer than a publisher. The appeal is you get it out quickly, but you better double-check yourself, because they’re not editing,” he told Friedman. Another drawback is that Found only sells the books through their website.

For his second cookbook, Bounds decided to do it all himself and sell the books through Amazon. The result is Keep It Simple Y’all: Easy Dinners From Your Barefoot Neighbor, and Bounds says he has already sold around 35,000 copies since the book’s July release. That’s an impressive number even for a traditionally-published book. His self-publishing success has allowed Bounds to quit his former job as an insurance adjuster. Bounds offers advice for aspiring cookbook authors, telling anyone who is thinking about it to “just do it. It’s never going to be perfect. It’s never going to feel like the right time. You’re going to think of 100 other things you should have done differently after you hit the publish button. But just get it out.”