Very interesting. Thank you for this. As a fellow cookbook author, albeit with but a fraction of the following Meredith has, I have been watching this book launch very closely as well. It's astonishing to see a cookbook, any cookbook honestly, stay on the list for this long. Even influencers with similar or even larger followingsusually only make the list for one, maybe two, weeks, tops. I would guess because their stans will run out and buy it the day it comes out, or more likely pre-order it as soon as it's available for pre-order, which makes their first week sales huge, then they pretty quickly recede.
But in her case, she had some nice off-social promotion from BH&G, Vogue, etc. as well which I'm sure introduced her to a brand new audience. And her book tour was very unique... and she's straddling the lifestyle/fashion industry as well. So her sales continue to stay strong, I would guess from non-followers who keep seeing her book everywhere.
All that said, I did buy her book. I did read the reviews that it's pretty seafood-heavy, but living in Maine, I'm okay with that! I haven't cooked anything from it, but I do plan to. I agree that it's a beautiful book, and her story is compelling. Two things that aren't always present in cookbooks. Regardless of how much, or how little, she actually wrote, it's clearly a success - and should be studied by anyone writing a cookbook. Her/publisher's marketing has been top-notch.
So many smart points here Lisa! Bingo on how the other creator cookbooks often make and then fall off the list. And, you're absolutely right about BHG and Vogue. We can debate the influence of legacy media all we want, but what a great way to introduce her to new audiences. Let us know how your experience goes cooking from it!
Will do. I also tend to think that readers of legacy media might be more apt to buy a cookbook also. They're old-school "print" people unlikely to want to cook a recipe from their phone? It is all so fascinating...
Great read. It’s interesting and heartening to see a creator with real culinary chops and a strong POV succeeding. Also, in my (limited) book pitching experience I was told selling an “entertaining” book is nearly impossible due to a record of sluggish sales, I’m happy to see Meredith break the mold.
What a pleasure to read and such a balanced perspective -- I think that a lot of content creators have been savvy about making their work an actual business and brand, rather than primarily a passion for recipes, and Meredith is so smart and strategic in this regard.
So smart! I also really appreciated your comment last night about how you respect authors who know their limits and leave the book writing to professional writers. I had one too many Lillets last night (meaning, I had one) which left me without the ability to intelligently incorporate that idea into my post.
I like your balanced critique and your optimism (hope) that this first step into cooking for her fans leads to even more cooking and cookbook adventures.
I think when it comes to influencers, it’s important to stay calm. Their success does not mean they’ve taken it all, that there’s less to go around.
And whatever their talents are, or are not, at the very least they’ve hustled hard to build a big audience on the platform they’re on.
I’m not familiar with Hayden, as I guess I live under a rock, but it’s nice to see this woman build a legitimate career with legitimate experience and skill. It’s also nice that she’s open and honest about the help she needs to build her business (ie: a writer.) She has a shiny, aspirational life… but seemingly one that took the work of many to get there.
I 100% appreciate this perspective, thank you! In general, I am a rising tide lifts all boats kind of gal, and my hope is when books like this do well, it's good for the whole industry. I also agree that these influencers/creators work HARD, and they have so many skills that I don't.
As someone with a single-subject cookbook (chocolate chip cookies) about to come out, who has a platform that's ok, but isn't giant, who also worked at Condé then went to ICE, but is not nearly as photogenic or Hamptons vibey (lol), I truly appreciate your balanced, positive take on influencer cookbooks. Being honest, it is often frustrating to be in competition with influencer cookbooks, but you made me really like Hayden and her cookbook. Thank you.
Lukas Volger told me has respect for that decision, when an author knows they should leave the writing to a professional writer. I hadn't looked at it from that perspective and thought it was a great point.
If an influencer does have a story but not the publishing experience, I applaud them when they use a co-writer (haha, as a collaborator myself, of course I do!). And I especially appreciate when they see the value of investing in recipe testers. The more readers trust cookbooks, and find value in them, (hopefully) the cookbook industry will become more robust. On the flip side, I've met many good recipe writers who don't have the ability to sell books. To me, writing the book is only half the job. Selling it is the other! Influencers can hire writers but writers can't necessarily buy a platform..
Well-said! "Writing a book is only half the job, and selling is the other." I wonder when that started though. I feel like it used to be publishers' jobs to sell the books (and obviously they put some PR and marketing behind it), but it feels like the lion's share of responsibility is now on the author. Also, I'm curious what you think...what about when an influencer DOESN'T have a story? Or, in your experience do most who get book deals have one?
This was such a wonderful read, thank you! It is so great to hear a critical analysis of a cookbook from someone with your expertise. I really appreciate all the thought that went into it.
Ha-ha! I’m surprised by the mention, but so happy that you enjoyed those burgers as well. There are several solid recipes in the Wishbone Kitchen cookbook, but I agree, I won’t be cooking many of them. I’m also not Hayden’s audience and honestly didn’t know she was a TikTok influencer. I probably wouldn’t have purchased the book if I had (but my 22 yo daughter knew her and cooks her TikTok recipes regularly, of course). But the book kept popping up on lists and was well received. As an avid cookbook collector, I had to get it. Thanks for your review!
Honestly Ginger, it was your comment that prompted me to get my hands on a copy of the book. So thank you! I'm curious -- is your daughter interested in the cookbook at all, or just the videos?
This is so fair and balanced Jenna! Really enjoyed reading this. As a fellow cookbook lover (who knows way too much about the behind the scenes) I completely understand the distrust or dislike for the concept of creator/influencer cookbooks but I appreciate you giving it and other creator books a shot, great ones can be great and I appreciate your perspective here. The landscape has changed and we gotta adapt with it, if creator-written cookbooks can help bring more people to the cookbook aisle everyone wins but a critical lens is important too!
Very interesting. Thank you for this. As a fellow cookbook author, albeit with but a fraction of the following Meredith has, I have been watching this book launch very closely as well. It's astonishing to see a cookbook, any cookbook honestly, stay on the list for this long. Even influencers with similar or even larger followingsusually only make the list for one, maybe two, weeks, tops. I would guess because their stans will run out and buy it the day it comes out, or more likely pre-order it as soon as it's available for pre-order, which makes their first week sales huge, then they pretty quickly recede.
But in her case, she had some nice off-social promotion from BH&G, Vogue, etc. as well which I'm sure introduced her to a brand new audience. And her book tour was very unique... and she's straddling the lifestyle/fashion industry as well. So her sales continue to stay strong, I would guess from non-followers who keep seeing her book everywhere.
All that said, I did buy her book. I did read the reviews that it's pretty seafood-heavy, but living in Maine, I'm okay with that! I haven't cooked anything from it, but I do plan to. I agree that it's a beautiful book, and her story is compelling. Two things that aren't always present in cookbooks. Regardless of how much, or how little, she actually wrote, it's clearly a success - and should be studied by anyone writing a cookbook. Her/publisher's marketing has been top-notch.
So many smart points here Lisa! Bingo on how the other creator cookbooks often make and then fall off the list. And, you're absolutely right about BHG and Vogue. We can debate the influence of legacy media all we want, but what a great way to introduce her to new audiences. Let us know how your experience goes cooking from it!
Will do. I also tend to think that readers of legacy media might be more apt to buy a cookbook also. They're old-school "print" people unlikely to want to cook a recipe from their phone? It is all so fascinating...
Another great point!
Great read. It’s interesting and heartening to see a creator with real culinary chops and a strong POV succeeding. Also, in my (limited) book pitching experience I was told selling an “entertaining” book is nearly impossible due to a record of sluggish sales, I’m happy to see Meredith break the mold.
Interesting! Maybe we'll see more entertaining books now?
I was told the exact same thing. I think entertaining books are making a comeback.
Based on the list of fall cookbooks I just put together, I think you're right!
What a pleasure to read and such a balanced perspective -- I think that a lot of content creators have been savvy about making their work an actual business and brand, rather than primarily a passion for recipes, and Meredith is so smart and strategic in this regard.
So smart! I also really appreciated your comment last night about how you respect authors who know their limits and leave the book writing to professional writers. I had one too many Lillets last night (meaning, I had one) which left me without the ability to intelligently incorporate that idea into my post.
I like your balanced critique and your optimism (hope) that this first step into cooking for her fans leads to even more cooking and cookbook adventures.
Thank you! Yes, optimism might be a strong word, haha.
It’s refreshing to seem some critical comments about cookbooks
Thanks for reading Janet! I really enjoy reading cookbooks closely (and cooking from them, of course).
I think when it comes to influencers, it’s important to stay calm. Their success does not mean they’ve taken it all, that there’s less to go around.
And whatever their talents are, or are not, at the very least they’ve hustled hard to build a big audience on the platform they’re on.
I’m not familiar with Hayden, as I guess I live under a rock, but it’s nice to see this woman build a legitimate career with legitimate experience and skill. It’s also nice that she’s open and honest about the help she needs to build her business (ie: a writer.) She has a shiny, aspirational life… but seemingly one that took the work of many to get there.
I 100% appreciate this perspective, thank you! In general, I am a rising tide lifts all boats kind of gal, and my hope is when books like this do well, it's good for the whole industry. I also agree that these influencers/creators work HARD, and they have so many skills that I don't.
As someone with a single-subject cookbook (chocolate chip cookies) about to come out, who has a platform that's ok, but isn't giant, who also worked at Condé then went to ICE, but is not nearly as photogenic or Hamptons vibey (lol), I truly appreciate your balanced, positive take on influencer cookbooks. Being honest, it is often frustrating to be in competition with influencer cookbooks, but you made me really like Hayden and her cookbook. Thank you.
Thanks for reading Marissa, and good luck with your book launch! Sadly that Hamptons vibe is not easy to come by haha.
Soo interesting—I'm always curious to know more about authors who choose to work with a co-author!
Lukas Volger told me has respect for that decision, when an author knows they should leave the writing to a professional writer. I hadn't looked at it from that perspective and thought it was a great point.
I agree with Lukas.
If an influencer does have a story but not the publishing experience, I applaud them when they use a co-writer (haha, as a collaborator myself, of course I do!). And I especially appreciate when they see the value of investing in recipe testers. The more readers trust cookbooks, and find value in them, (hopefully) the cookbook industry will become more robust. On the flip side, I've met many good recipe writers who don't have the ability to sell books. To me, writing the book is only half the job. Selling it is the other! Influencers can hire writers but writers can't necessarily buy a platform..
Well-said! "Writing a book is only half the job, and selling is the other." I wonder when that started though. I feel like it used to be publishers' jobs to sell the books (and obviously they put some PR and marketing behind it), but it feels like the lion's share of responsibility is now on the author. Also, I'm curious what you think...what about when an influencer DOESN'T have a story? Or, in your experience do most who get book deals have one?
So thoughtful! I'm with you on all of this.
LOVED reading your expert take on this. Not mean for the sake of it- just applying your curiosity and perspective with the lens of an anthropologist
Thank you Emily! That was my goal, so I'm glad it came through.
Such a good read - as always - xoD
Thank you so much Dorie ❤️
This was such a wonderful read, thank you! It is so great to hear a critical analysis of a cookbook from someone with your expertise. I really appreciate all the thought that went into it.
Thank you Robynne!
Interesting one, honey. Enjoyed this.
Thank you Jessie! xo
that’s such an interesting read ! i did not know the a author and a the cookbook ( being in Belgium).
Thanks Lina! Are there influencer books in Belgium/France? Local influencers, not American
Ha-ha! I’m surprised by the mention, but so happy that you enjoyed those burgers as well. There are several solid recipes in the Wishbone Kitchen cookbook, but I agree, I won’t be cooking many of them. I’m also not Hayden’s audience and honestly didn’t know she was a TikTok influencer. I probably wouldn’t have purchased the book if I had (but my 22 yo daughter knew her and cooks her TikTok recipes regularly, of course). But the book kept popping up on lists and was well received. As an avid cookbook collector, I had to get it. Thanks for your review!
Honestly Ginger, it was your comment that prompted me to get my hands on a copy of the book. So thank you! I'm curious -- is your daughter interested in the cookbook at all, or just the videos?
Yes! I just got her the cookbook for her birthday in August and she’s excited to cook from it too.
This is so fair and balanced Jenna! Really enjoyed reading this. As a fellow cookbook lover (who knows way too much about the behind the scenes) I completely understand the distrust or dislike for the concept of creator/influencer cookbooks but I appreciate you giving it and other creator books a shot, great ones can be great and I appreciate your perspective here. The landscape has changed and we gotta adapt with it, if creator-written cookbooks can help bring more people to the cookbook aisle everyone wins but a critical lens is important too!
Absolutely. Long live cookbooks! Thanks for reading Delaney. 😊