Book Deal
February 15th, 2010 | Announcements, Cookbook | 109 Comments
Disclaimer: This is not the final design or title of the cookbook
What a way to announce a great news during Chinese New Year, especially in the auspicious Golden Tiger Year.
It’s official! I have finalized a contract with Tuttle/Periplus Publishing Group to develop my very first cookbook—a Chinese recipe cookbook, scheduled to hit bookshelves in Fall 2011.
I consider myself extremely lucky. By chance, my editor discovered Rasa Malaysia and asked if I would be interested in authoring a cookbook. Caught by surprise, I fell out of my chair while saying “YES!”
Although I have been working on my cookbook for a few months, the contract negotiations were completed not too long ago. Upon receiving the signed contract from the publisher, I made an announcement on Twitter, my Facebook fan pages, and in the “From the Editor” section of Rasa Malaysia. Many readers offered their congratulations, to whom I offer my sincere thanks.
“Thank you” to my family, friends, fans, and fellow food bloggers who have been instrumental in the growth of Rasa Malaysia. None of this would have been possible without your continued support, and I look forward to your ongoing blessing and friendship. I can’t thank you enough for your kind assistance, generous advice, and encouragement.
I will continue to share exciting news on Rasa Malaysia regarding my cookbook, so please stay tuned.
Here are some of the common questions about the cookbook, as well as my answers…
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
1) What will your cookbook contain?
The cookbook will contain 80 healthy and easy-to-prepare Chinese recipes, each accompanied by a full-color photograph. Some recipes will include step-by-step color photographs. I will be styling and photographing all photos in the cookbook (so now you know why I have been investing heavily in a new camera, gear, and props!). Special thanks to my friend Chef Danhi who loaned me his precious collections of props.
2) Why not a Malaysian recipe cookbook?
Because I am a first-time cookbook author, I need to establish myself by publishing a cookbook on mainstream Asian cuisine, thus my first book will be on Chinese recipes. In fact, Rasa Malaysia is as much a Chinese food blog as a Malaysian food blog. For Malaysian food lovers, I hope to next develop a Malaysian recipe cookbook.
3) How will your cookbook be different from other Chinese recipe cookbooks?
My Chinese recipes will be healthy and easy-to-prepare, while preserving their authenticity and remaining delicious. Recently I received an email from a reader who tried one of my Chinese recipes and insisted that it was the best he had ever tasted, better than that of the best Chinese restaurant in his city (a city full of renowned Chinese restaurants)! On top of offering popular Chinese recipes for such dishes as beef chow fun, stuffed crab claws, and multiple types of dim sum and dumplings, my cookbook will also include restaurant-style recipes not commonly found in Chinese cookbooks!
4) What is the title of your cookbook?
My editor and I have not decided on a title. If readers would like to suggest some titles, they should feel free to post a comment.
5) How can I be a recipe tester?
Once all 80 recipes are perfected, this blog will inform readers how to do so. I will definitely need your help, so please stay tuned.
6) What is the release date of your cookbook?
The cookbook is scheduled to hit shelves sometime in Fall 2011. While the exact date is not yet determined, when it is will be posted on this blog.
7) Will your cookbook be available outside the United States?
Yes! Tuttle/Periplus Publishing Group publishes and distributes worldwide so you should be able to get my cookbook in a book store near you!
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That is wonderful news! Congratulations, Bee.
YAYAYAY! So glad you finished the contract negotiations! CONGRATS!!!!
Rachael – We will go shop again for props, so much fun. Hehe.
I can’t wait! :)
Great news–congratulations!
Congrats Bee! I hope I get to be one of those recipe testers. :) I can’t wait until the book comes out!
Shao – of course you will be a recipe tester, that goes without saying. Hehe.
I am so looking forward to it! :)
Congratulations!
Wow, I love the fried wontons picture, it’s definitely cookbook worthy and looks like a cookbook cover! I am sure your cookbook will be a hit. I have tried many of your recipes and they all work, and they are so easy. I have become a much better cook myself thanks to your blog, and yes I agree, your recipes are better than what I get at the Chinese takeouts here. Congratulations!
I agree with Kate completely, the photograph is awesome and cookbook worthy. I can’t wait to see your work in a printed book. I have no doubt that it will be perfect. Congrats!
Kate, Alta – thanks for your kind comment about the photograph. I am personally very excited about the food photography in this cookbook. It’s going to be a completely different look, refined, and yes, cookbook worthy. It’s a very different style from my blog. :)
i’m so excited for you! congrats! i recently tried your lobster in cheese sauce recipe (first time trying your recipes) and it was delicious even when i skipped the deep frying part!! i made it for my family’s chinese new year’s dinner. a big thanks! i definitely look forward to your cookbook(s)!
will you be including many recipes that haven’t been published on your blog? otherwise there’s no motivation to buy it. keep us updated!
Of course, the cookbook will be choke full of new and unpublished recipes, and some classics that are already on the blog, but much better and “enhanced” versions of them. Thank you!
congratulations! cannot wait to see the finished product!
and really, it’s ABOUT TIME. LOL. how this didnt happen sooner i just dont get…:D
Sarah – thank you, and when are you coming out with your own book? You write so well!!!
So excited for you Bee! Congrats!
Very exciting! I will definitely purchase the book and will patiently await your Malaysian cookbook! I’ve wanted one for so long.
This is such a good news! I like the look of this cover/title already! You must be proud :)
this is awesome news!! congratulations!!
Congradulations! I’m very excited about this.
What a great way to start off Chinese New Years. Congratulations!!! If we send postage, can we taste test for you?
Jared – would love for you to test my recipes for me. Thanks so much in advance.
Congratulations!!!
Thank you Slammie. :)
Congrats! Can’t wait to buy me a copy!
Josie – thank you, yay that you already want to buy a copy.
Congrats! Bee. I’m so excited for you. :)
Thip, thank you, you have fun in Europe!!
Awesome!!!! Congratulations! I’m so excited for you!
congratulations ! You have achieved every food blogger’s dream !
congratulations!
A huge congrats to you! way to ring in the New Years!
Way to go, Bee!! Keep up your wonderful work and thanks for keeping your readers in the loop :-)
Hi Bee,
Congratulations! It’s really a great news in the year of the tiger, another milestone of your blogging. Fantastic !
Congras!! This is so exciting.
Hearty congratulations again Bee! Looking forward to the book, I know it will be a best seller!
omg, so excited to see the mock up of the book cover! CONGRATULATIONS once again Bee hehe
I’m so happy for you, congrats.
I’ve an avid fan of your blog, & I’ve also try some of your recipie, they are so delicious.
Hope that I can buy your book here in the Philippines, & I’m so excited & can’t wait anymore.
Bee, once that book hits the shelves, I will make sure all of my family and friends hit Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Borders, and every bookstore imaginable to pick up your book. I am always amazed at what you do and that photo on the cover is GORGEOUS!
Congratulations! I am so excited and happy for you. You are so talented and totally deserve it. Can’t wait for the release.
Wonderful news! I’ll be grabbing this as soon as it reaches the shelf! I already feel like a recipe taster…. I test tons of your recipes from the blog, can’t wait for others to try :-) Congrats!
Fabulous!! Congratulations!! I am looking forward to your cookbook.
Wow! Doing Malaysia proud:)
This is inspiring! I love your recipes and am going to be all up on this book when it comes out!
Congratulations! Now I can say I knew you when. :)
Hey Binh, LOL. Cookbook or not, I don’t think that’s going to change me much.
Congratulations! Will be waiting too….;P
wow congratulations! :) i would like to test your recipes too!! :)
I can’t wait for the book (even though I’m waiting even more for the second one – the Malaysian recipes). Wishing you all the best for its success.
Congrats!!!!! Knowing that you’re cooking, styling, photographing and doing it all yourself makes it even more special.
Thank you Diane and thanks for the advice when I was going through the process. :)
CONGRATULATIONS! I’ve been a fan of your recipes since I first stumbled upon this wonderful blog quite some time ago. Kung Pao Chicken is my all time fave :)
Wow, that’s great. I’m an avid follower of your blog and love trying your recipes. You have a fantastic site. Well deserved and I look forward to reading your new book!
Congrats Bee!!! You deserve that deal. Here’s hoping that you’ll publish more books in the future
Congratulations! It’s well deserved. :) You’re always the blog I turn to when it comes to Chinese/Malaysian food, and I’ve managed to satisfy many a craving when I’ve been far away from home thanks to your fantastic recipes.
Congratulations!
I thought your cookbook would be on Nyonya cuisine. :)
I wish but Nyonya cuisine is such an unknown cuisine in the US. I am hoping to combine Malaysian and Nyonya into a book in the future. We shall see. ;)
Congratulations!!! I can’t tell you how much your site inspires my dinners!! :)
good luck on the book, even if your techniques presented is pretty known culinary facts, i wish you luck with your sales and hope it will somewhat stand out from the crowds. Good to hear that you actually made a contract deal.
This is fantastic news! I’m all for bloggers getting cookbook deals. Absolutely cannot wait to get a copy. Congrats!
Congrats, Bee! I can’t wait to buy a copy!
Looks fabuous! thanks for posting!
Congratulations again! I look forward to testing the recipes in the cookbook but I hope they are not ‘westernised’ Chinese recipes though! :)
Believe me, I will not offer westernized Chinese recipes in my cookbook.
I want a copy of this book. I would love to learn easy recipes for Chinese food! It would be really neat to invited friends over for a nice Chinese dinner that I made all alone. Thanks for the great idea and the book.
That is great news. Congratulations.
Happy New Year and congratulations!
I tried the restaurant-style Chinese Steamed Fish. It is the best steamed fish recipe I’ve tried. The fish tasted so good that I felt like eating in a restaurant in Taiwan where I grew up.
Thanks for all the nice recipes!
Congratulations on your book deal!!!
Aileen
Congratulations on your book deal!!!.
Aileen
Congrats, how exciting! It’s going to be great!!
Congratulations Bee!!! How wonderful!!! Can’t wait to get your cookbook!!
congratulations once again bee!! really cant wait to see your book in the stores! :) and happy chinese new year to you and your family! :)
Congrats, Bee!! You deserve it.
Hi, Congrats Bee… You deserve it…. You work hard to please your Rasa readers…
Congratulations!!! I have tried many of your recipes. They are truly simple and delicious.
A huge congrats! How exciting for you! And how wonderful for the rest of us to have such a delicious book to look forward to.
Hi Bee, Greetings from Sydney! This is wonderful news indeed. It will solve the problem of buying gifts for friends for me. Am really looking forward to it. I have had amazing success with recipes from your blog and recommend it to friends all the time. And can’t wait for a Malaysian and Nyonya book to follow. Best wishes from me.
First & foremost, Gong Xi Fa Cai ! As I’m writing this, a lion dance troupe is performing noisily in the neighbourhood :)
I collect good cookbooks so I look forward to adding your book to my book shelf. Congratulations !
hope your recipe book have delicious and nice pictures. the price of your book is reaonable. the recipe will be simple and easy to cook. ingredient easy to get in the supermarket. hope to get email for free recipe too.
Thank u.
regards
kat
ill be waiting for it
Congratulations Bee, I can’t think of a more deserving person than you to get a book deal out of all your hard work through the years.
Often when I need inspirations for Asian or Malaysian cooking, I’d know I can always drop by your blog to pick up a delicious recipe to make. Thank you for sharing you wonderful knowledge with all of us who love food and love making it for those around us. You will always have a fan and supporter in me from Australia!
Keep up your fabulous work in this wonderful golden Tiger year!
Many congrats! I love your blog and your recipes – it’s only natural that your style is popular enough to put into print! How exciting!
Congratulations ! I can’t wait to buy your book !
I love your blog and food you make. I will definitely buy your cookbook! Congrats~
Congratulations!!! Bravo! Looking forward to testing some recipes…will check later for details :) My favorite bookstore here carries Periplus so I’ll definitely be getting myself a copy when it comes out…can’t wait!
Wow a huge congrats! All that hard work did pay off after all! :) I’ll be sure to buy it.
I’m super excited for you, Bee! You always have great content so I’m sure this book will be a great addition to my kitchen counter. Looking forward to it tremendously!
Thanks so much for your encouragement and support. :)
This is awesome, I’m excited…can’t wait to try some of the recipes out!
Congrats! Can’t wait to see your cookbook, promoting the best in Asian cooking.
This calls for a celebration Bee :) A much deserved congratulations !
Congratulations! It is nice to see your passionate hobby bear fruit. Hope that its publication and the work leading up to it will be smooth sailing.
Congrats on your first cook book! So excited for you, Bee! Wish you have more to come, host of cooking shows, travel shows as you have intended …
Way to go, Bee! Mabuhay Ka! Congrats on this new venture.
hope i can buy it in austria
Congratulations – so well deserved and I know your book will be absolutely amazing :)
Congrats, you have done a great job on your website! I bet the book will be a best seller!
Congrats Bee, all your hard work is coming to final fruition soon!
Congratulations, Bee! I’ve always loved your photography and recipes, and always thought them bookworthy! Am so glad you finally have a cookbook coming out! Can’t wait to buy it!
OMG!congratulations!your very first cookbook..you remind me of Bree from Desperate Housewife :)from compiling recipes,then launch a cookbook then later have your on tv programme!..hehehehe..dream big!
Bree minus the ‘R’..way to go!
Congratulations! I love your blog, insightful, always interesting with stunningly delicious photos and it deeply reminds me of home. :)
Congratulations! I must say I am super super impressed with your blog. You really have an amazing eye for photography and you write really well too. Looking forward to seeing the book!
Jen – thanks for your comment, you are so sweet. You have a cute little blog, too. :)
Yours is my favorite food blog, and I will definitely buy your book once published! I am thinking of putting together my own food blog some day.