A Cookbook Proposal Seminar Auction - #afundforjennie

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By now, most folks in the food blogosphere and beyond have read about one of my friends, Jennie Perillo, and the sudden passing of her husband, Mikey. The online community came together by baking a peanut butter pie for Mikey, a request Jennie made on her blog.

Words cannot begin to describe what an ordeal Jennie is going through. Aside from emotional shock, the reality of dealing with financial burdens have set in. Once her husband's health plan runs out in December, the monthly payments will amount to more than her current mortgage payment. And then there is the not-so-small matter of raising two small daughters in New York City by herself, something she did not sign up for at the get-go.

There have been quite a few eloquent and moving posts written over the course of the last few weeks. Reading them makes me cry every time. There's a lot behind the tears, and I'll admit that as many of them have been squeezed out of my own experiences and fears as they are for Jennie's pain. I cry because I deeply  care about Jennie. But in all honesty I also cry because I can so easily see myself in her place. And it scares the hell out of me. So I ask myself, what would I want my friends to do for me? That is what I want to do for Jennie, at least in the conrete ways that I can. I cannot make Mikey come back. All I can do is help cushion the hardship that she's facing, albeit it in a small way.

And in this spirit of help-where-we-can, a few folks got together to create A Fund For Jennie (Twitter: #afundforjennie). Maggy of Three Many Cooks and Erika of The Ivory Hut worked tirelessly to create a non-profit called Bloggers Without Borders, which organized the drive. The idea is to help at least offset the finacial woes as a community while we all help, in our own individual ways, the searing heartache Jennie is going through on a personal level.

Now, here is my auction. I'm offering a 3 hour long seminar for 4 people on writing a cookbook proposal via a blind email auction. Have you had a cookbook idea simmering in your head for awhile and weren't sure how to put the proposal together? Do you have a proposal that just needs a little something to give it the sizzle to sell for the big bucks (or any bucks?).  I'm here to help you!

As the author of 32 books (yup, it's true), I have been through the ins and outs of the book publishing world. I can give you information about agents (getting one, making the best use of one, or do you even need one?), platforms (not shoes), publishing houses (the good, the bad, the ugly), editors (yay for editors!). And I can help you take your dream and walk you through the steps of creating a marketable book proposal. All you need is an idea and a passion and we will work as a group on the rest (during the 3 hour seminar.)

The seminar will meet in New York City, either at my place or one of yours, in January, February or March of 2012 on a mutually agreeable date. Five of us (four of you, and me) will get together and help each other in a CONFIDENTIAL, gentle and nuturing environment. Bring your idea, your half written proposal, excerpts from your blog, or nothing at all -- from whatever you have we can spin gold. And together we will write, critique and edit it into a viable draft of a proposal. I will give you the tools and blueprints you need to sell your book. You just need the drive and vision (or at least passion, I can help you sculpt the vision).

Here's what you do: send an email to fundforjenniemclark@gmail.com with your auction bid. The 4 highest bidders will win entrance to the seminar. If you want to bid with a friend, just send that info in the email and I'll try to make that work.  Or if 4 of you want to bid together, that is great, too., I'll try to work with you. Be generous, this is for a good cause. A good person, a good family who need our help. Bidding starts at $300 per person. It will be well worth it. I'll bring snacks and wine. This will be fun, helpful, and very creative. At least, that's the plan.

Auction will close on Monday September 5th at noon. Then I will email the four highest bidders and coordinate dates, etc. Feel free to email questions.

Let the bids begin!