Thursday, May 3, 2012

The Next Chapter starts for The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook


Just in time for the "silly season" of planting gardens and preparing for summer holidays "on the Island,"  the next phase -- or chapter -- in producing the book is that we are moving into the marketing arena…

This is quite a story unto itself - another world, really.

After a few aborted attempts for a teleconference with the publisher’s marketing and public relations top-rate team, we finally all connected!

The template they have in place to reach our reader audience – you! -- for The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook is a winning combination of local and national news outreach – all the way to Canada!

Radio and print and online will be targeted with the good food news.

They sent me the news release for review and edits and that will be sent out next week to the press in a “media blast” according to Dylan Miller, the PR pro.

According to Steve, the publisher’s marketing guru, advertising is being put into place for the Hamptons jitney, and local news media, including the much loved and widely read, Dan's Papers 
And of course, Edible East End magazine, the local food and drink publication.

Lindsay Morris, Lindsay Morris photography, a masterful photographer who contributed greatly to the Homegrown cookbook is also the magazine’s artful photographer, bringing all the stunning charm and beauty of the sea and farms and restaurants to the pages of this award-winning publication. 
And Brian Halweil, the editor of the magazine – and the publisher of Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn wrote a thoughtful Forward for The Hamptons and Long Island Homegrown Cookbook.
So Edible East End feels like an extended sibling of the Long Island food family.

I am very excited that we are looking to produce and work with YouTube for online video advertising.   I had some preliminary, informational talks with them back in March and I liked what I heard.  Plus, I have some video I took on-site with some of the chefs and their growers at the time of the book’s photo sessions.
Today’s meeting went very well. 
Stay Tuned for YouTube!

I have to change the book’s Facebook page… Facebook would not let me rename a page they’d given me for my blogs.  However, the placement is not intuitive – one wouldn’t find it just by search, so I have to bite the bullet and redo it.  
Sigh.

I am reaching out to a former colleague who is quite active with Slow Foods and OFA on Long Island, so we can coordinate some events hopefully.  Working on that. 
The plans are to hold events in local bookstores and in the chef’s restaurants. 

My main focus is to produce the PowerPoint presentation for these events and for the big launch on May 16th at the 92nd St Y! 
And then I just learned this week that my love, George, from the Horticultural Society of New York has so graciously invited me to talk and do a reading!  HSNY
That is now scheduled for June 14th – right after the Homegrown book hits bookstores on June 5th.  I am so humbled and naturally over the moon about this opportunity to talk to my hort friends. I am giddy about it, really.  I love HSNY and have attended many an excellent talk there – they produce an outstanding event program line up – and to be part of this excellence is just unbelievable.

I have the basics and the text for the PowerPoint but want to add oodles of images and some of the video I took on –site during the photo shoots. 
Then, EunYoung Sebazco – the “PowerPoint Princess” – and genius of all things design and visual – has graciously offered to help me produce a presentation that will make the audience “weep” with visual delight!  EunYoung Randall's Island Rice Paddy news Blog
And

We will do that Tuesday I hope, as the James Beard Awards are on Monday, May 7th I just learned, and I need to cover that food news event.

The template for my food talks is taking shape and looks like it will be like this:

·      My presentation overview that tells the story of the making of the Homegrown book – and there are some very good tales to share!
·      The interest and importance of homegrown, local food
·      How I found the master Homegrown chefs and the growers and food artisans who inspire the chefs.  The growers include oyster and honey and mushroom growers, duck and tomato farmers and vintners
·      A reading or two of a chef’s profile and their grower
·      A chef or two – will cook a recipe from the book
·      The grower will talk about their craft and dedication
·      And Tastings!  We get to sample the amazing food cooked up by the amazing, talented chefs
·      Followed by a book signing  (I have to get that book-selling app for my iPhone.  I’ve seen them at the Greenmarket – the farmers use them. Very elegant solution.)

Sounds good, right?  and fun too...

So The Hamptons and Long Island Homegrown Cookbook is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble (at a limited, reduced price, I’m told) and ships on Saturday, May 5th. 
Wow! 

To pre-order my book The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook
At B&N, Amazon:

or

I still have to produce the Barnes & Noble Author’s page, but I did do the Amazon one.

Take a look here.  It’s a work in progress but looks good, I think.
Amazon Author’s Page: Amazon Author Page Leeann Lavin

You will see the 92nd St Y event listed there too -- along with my blogs, available on Kindle J

I have been working with the Y to produce the posters and on-line news announcements. And with the chefs and the farmer, to coordinate and prepare for the event.
The two chefs from the Hamptons and Long Island Homegrown Cookbook that will join me at the Y are:

Chef Deborah R. Pittorino
Executive Chef and Gardener at Cuvée at The Greenporter Hotel on the North Fork of Long Island’s wine country, and locavore food and wine blogger, www.seasonedfork.com
Chef Jason Weiner
Executive Chef and Proprietor of Almond, an American bistro with locations in Manhattan and Bridgehampton, New York. www.almondrestaurant.com
And Jennifer Pike, Pike Farms, www.pikefarms.com from Sagaponack.


Not a moment to spare.
And it’s garden-planting season, too!
Cheers.





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