Suggestions for good target audience for elegant appetizer cookbook?

Question

I am doing the layout for a cookbook titled 'Easy & Elegant & Appetizers' that my sister (and her friend) are working on.

"A selection of carefully chosen appetizers can turn any gathering into an elegant party. Easy & Elegant Appetizers is all about combining high quality ingredients, simply prepared, and presented in an elegant way that is sure to impress your guests.

Recipes are organized according to the amount of time that they will take to prepare. Party planning menus offer suggestions of which appetizers to combine together. Full color (full page/full bleed) photographs of each appetizer will help you decide which ones to prepare."

The book will contain approximately 15 - 30 recipes.

I need some help with a few questions. Based on the above description please answer these questions.

Can you suggest a good target audience? How much would you be willing to pay for the cookbook? What is the main competition for the book?

Answer 1

Well, I don't think the best target is book stores (there are just too many cookbooks there).  I'd match the book with the end customers and focus on where those customers are located: they might be at high end grocery stores buying the food for their parties; also at food wholesalers (caterers buying supplies); at high end dishes and linens stores; and more stores where the end customer shops.

I'd be willing to pay about $20 for the book - but I'd want more than 15 recipes; maybe even more than 30 recipes and I'd want the book to be printed with good quality paper and ink and in a way that makes it easy to open and use (wire-o binding or lay-flat binding).  

The competition will be other cookbooks and the internet.  You will need to differentiate your book by focusing on the uniqueness of offering planning menus and combinations.  You may want to put a Video together showing the prep of two of the best appetizers and posting it on the Net.  You might want to try to get local television interest and do a local interest story demonstrating the preparation of your appetizers and/or talking about why you would combine appy 1 with appy 4 and 5.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Hello My friend!

I'm a marketer, and I adore the cook business!

your cookbook seems to me very little, just 15 or 30 recipes is not enough, because your worst nightmare (talking in business) will be the Free recipes on line!

But, for me the target audience is in home magazines, women magazines.

You suggest a very fine and elegant cookbook, the matter is that people needs to see your cookbook for give you an answer... I will pay until $30.00 for a very good cookbook who contains awsome recipes from french kitchen... well, you know, the finest recipes.

I'll give you a little advice, include in the book a glossary of terms, because in cookbooks there isn't enough info about the ingredients, I mean, many people don't know the ingredients by the same name.

Good Luck with your project.