Monthly archive for January 2015

My Cookbook Won!

My Cookbook Won!

Winner of Gourmand World Cookbook Award

Dear readers. What you’ve just read in that picture is what I’ve been trying to wrap my head around ever since I received the notification email a few days ago.  My cookbook, “Pomegranates & Saffron: A Culinary Journey to Azerbaijan,” has been named the W-I-N-N-E-R in the Eastern European cuisine category among the books published in the U.S. I read the email that came from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards a million times, to make sure I didn’t misunderstand what it said. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

When I submitted my book to the awards back in September, I knew I would be competing against books published by big and small publishers, who know what they are doing, and there I was, with my very first self-published book, the product of many years of learning ins and outs of the publishing industry by a single person, who still felt there was so much to learn and had her doubts about things, albeit small. But I hoped I would win. I hoped for my little book to stand out from the crowd. I wanted the awards committee to feel it that I spent 7 years on this book and gave my all to it. And they did. They noticed it. I am grateful for that. I am beyond happy, guys!

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