COOKBOOK STARS

A NEW PERMANENT RATING SYSTEM FOR COOKBOOKS

________________________

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards crown once a year the best food and wine books. Over 4000 books are received during the whole year for the Awards, and each one rated from 0 to 3 stars (the best). These cookbook stars will now be made public.

For the celebration of its tenth year, Gourmand announces the first list of three star books in its new permanent rating system, which will be available on-line in 2005.

19 THREE STAR BOOKS AT THE END OF JULY

By the end of July this year, we had received 19 food and wine books which we rated 3 stars:

English : 7

French : 5

Spanish 3

Chinese: 2

Japanese: 1

Italian: 1

 19

They come from 10 different countries. Books in German will not be included until after the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Many more cookbooks are published in the second half of the year, and there will be more three star books among them. This is a first list, which will be followed by another one before the Frankfurt Book Fair,and the last one for 2004 before Christmas. The complete list will be on line in February 2005.

BIG INCREASE IN COOKBOOK TITLES

There is a strong increase in the number of food and wine books being published in 2004. For 10 years, the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards have rewarded the best in the world, receiving over 4.000 books from 60 countries in 2003.

The increase in 2004 is over 20%. This is due to the strong sales in cookbooks, compared to the book market in general, as well as a constant improvement in the technical processes which allow books with a lower printing to become profitable. All around the world, quality is increasing even faster than quantity.

THE NEW RATING SYSTEM

The large number of titles make it even more difficult for publishers, authors, bookstores and others retailers, and readers to find the best books. Gourmand is in a unique position to help thanks to the large number of books it receives.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards are testing this year a permanent rating system for food and wine books, with a classical three stars system:

 Three stars: buy and read immediatly – a masterpiece.

• Two stars : buy now if this book matches your focus, it should be present in all  food and wine libraries.

• One star :  a good book if you fancy this topic.

Other :    average books

This is not a new concept for books: for instance Publishers Weekly in the US gives star ratings to the books the reviewers believe will sell well in bookstores. Gourmand will rate both books that are already published, and books in the process of being produced. It should help books published in the first half of the year.At retail stores, most books now have a shelf life of 2 to 6 months. Awards arrive often too late, Cookbook Stars will be in time. Magazines and other media can use the Cookbook Stars system for selections for special cookbook features.

One of the objectives of the rating system is to increase the media potential for food and wine books.

In order to be most useful and practical, a list of rated books is published before the Frankfurt Book Fair. It covers all countries except Germany. The German Academy of Gastronomy issues on the first day of the fair an excellent list of awards for books in German. Most of the 3 stars books 2004 rated by Gourmand will be available at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and will thus stand out among the thousands of others competing for attention.

The rating will become eventually a permanent on-line system in 2005.

THE GOURMAND WORLD COOKBOOK AWARDS

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards will continue as usual. Books can be entered for 2004 until November 15, 2004, to be sure to cover all books produced this year. Many books appear just in time for the Frankfurt Book Fair, and in some countries the best books do not appear until the very end of the year, close to the best holidays sales time. This is due in part to the shortening life of books on retail stores shelves, now between two months and four months for the average books. Good ratings could save some books from being returned by bookstores to publishers.

The national or regional juries for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards will meet in November, with all results announced by the end of the month.

The winners will then compete for Best in the World, which will be announced at the end of January 2005. More details on the Gourmand permanent rating system for cookbooks and wine books will be announced at the Gala Dinner for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

For more information:

Edouard Cointreau

Mobile telephone: +34 650 416 396

Email: brigitte@gourmandbooks.com

Website: www.cookbookfair.com

[Home] [Former Winners] [Former Press] [2006] [2005] [2004] [2003] [2002] [2001] [2000] [1999] [Former Awards] [10 YEARS OF COOKBOOKS] [What makes a cookbook?] [Fotogalerie] [Contact] [Legal] [Buchreport]

copyright® 2007