How to Self-Publish a Cookbook: A Step-by-Step Guide

Do you always get compliments on your food?

Are friends and family always asking you to cook certain foods for them?

Is your brain a rolodex of tested recipes?

If you identify with any of those, then the thought of making a cookbook has probably crossed your mind, but unfortunately, it never got further than that. With self-publishing, you can do what once seemed impossible. Imagine how great it would be to see all of your own recipes in print, how great it would be to share with others who appreciate your culinary creativity, and even better, the opportunity to make extra money while doing something you love. By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to  turn that idea into a reality.

The Challenging Part

The hardest part of self-publishing a cookbook or really trying anything new is simply getting started. It’s easy to let self-doubt creep in, thinking that your recipes aren’t good enough or that no one would be interested. This lack of confidence has been the downfall of many aspiring writers. But here’s the thing: everyone has something unique to offer, especially when it comes to food. Your recipes hold a personal touch that no one else can replicate. Whether it’s a family tradition passed down or a new twist on an old favorite, there’s an audience out there waiting to try your dishes. So let’s shake off the doubt and dive in—because you’re more than capable of creating a cookbook that others will love.

Getting to Know More About Self-Publishing

Before jumping into the process, it’s important to understand what self-publishing entails and how it compares to traditional publishing.

Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing

When it comes to cookbook publishing and getting in front of readers, you have two main options, go the traditional route or finding out the steps to self-publish a book on your own. 

• Creative Control: With self-publishing, you have full control over the look, feel, and content of your cookbook. You decide on everything—from the layout to the cover design. With traditionally published books, these decisions are often made by the publishing house, and you might not have the final say.
• More Royalties: Self-publishing typically allows you to keep a larger percentage of the royalties. Traditional publishers often take a significant cut, leaving you with a smaller slice of the pie.
• Flexibility in Marketing: When you self-publish, you have the freedom to market your book however you see fit. This means you can reach niche audiences, run your own promotions, and use creative strategies to get your book in front of the right people. While traditional publishing does have marketers that do it for you, you may not be able to connect with your audience the way you want.
  

We might be a teensy bit bias but at the same time we’ve seen thousands of our students’ lives completely changed after discovering and trying self-publishing. 

How Much Money Can You Make from Publishing a Cookbook?

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or KDP offers a user-friendly platform to self-publish ebooks and is is one of the best ways to generate income from your cookbook. By leveraging the popularity of Kindle, you can get your cookbook in front of millions of readers. The key is to ensure your cookbook is optimized for the platform and offers high-quality content that stands out in a crowded market.

Earnings Potential for a Self-Published Cookbook

The earnings potential for a self-published cookbook can be significant, especially if you tap into a profitable niche. Some authors make hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month by publishing their cookbooks on platforms like Amazon. The amount you can earn will depend on factors such as your marketing efforts, the quality of your book, and how well it resonates with your target audience.

How to Self-Publish a Cookbook in 9 Steps

Self-publishing a cookbook might seem overwhelming initially, but breaking it down into manageable steps can make the process much easier. So, let’s do just that!

1: Choose a Niche or Theme for Your Cookbook

One of the first things you’ll need to do is decide on a clear niche or theme for your cookbook. This helps to set your book apart and make it appealing to a specific audience. Some popular cookbook niches include vegan cooking, gluten-free recipes, keto-diet meals, or quick and easy dinners. If it is your first cookbook, think about your strengths and what kind of audience would benefit most from your recipes. Once you’ve identified your target audience, you can tailor your content to their needs and preferences.

A Self-Publishing Partnership

The road to publishing your own book can sometimes be confusing and lonely, and finding the right answer for your specific situation can be difficult. Here at Publishing.com, we created our AI Publishing Academy course to help you be as successful as possible during your self-publishing process. 

You tried and tested recipes, and we did the same for our Kindle publishing income course, so you can be sure that you’ll receive expert guidance from the best coaches, learn from other self-publishers in our private Facebook group, and watch digestible videos while planning and creating your book. We also don't stop there; we even teach you different ways you can multiply your streams of income even with only one book! 

2: Plan Your Cookbook Contents

Once you’ve decided on your niche, it’s time to plan and outline your cookbook. This is where you decide how your recipes will be organized, what sections to include, and the flow of your book. A well-structured cookbook is easier for readers to navigate and enhances the overall book-reading experience.

How Many Recipes Do You Need to Publish a Cookbook?

There is no magic number you need to meet in order for you to publish your book; it’s more about the quality. The number of recipes in your cookbook will depend on the theme and the length of the book. Cookbooks contain anywhere from 15 to 150 recipes on average, so focus on providing easy-to-follow recipes that you’ve tested and perfected, which leads us to our next point.

Is It Legal to Post a Recipe from a Cookbook?

When it comes to copying a recipe or posting a recipe from any cookbook, copyright law can be a little tricky.

What’s Protected: The specific way a recipe is written (the expressive elements) is protected by copyright law.

Example: Let’s say family recipes like "Grandma’s Famous Apple Pie" from a cookbook include a personal note, “My grandmother always said that love was the secret ingredient in this pie.” That personal note, as well as the unique descriptions in the recipe, would be protected by copyright.

What’s Not Protected: The list of ingredients and basic instructions are not protected. This means that while you can share a recipe’s ingredients, copying the exact wording of the steps without permission could violate copyright laws.

Example: If the recipe says, “Carefully fold the apples into the dough, ensuring not to break the crust,” that specific phrasing is protected. But you could rephrase it as, “Gently mix the apples into the dough, being cautious with the crust,” to avoid violating copyright law.

By being aware of these nuances, you can share recipes while respecting the original creator’s intellectual property rights.

3: Test and Perfect Your Recipes

Before publishing a cookbook, it’s crucial to test and perfect each recipe. If your readers buy a book and when they follow the recipe it’s a complete bust then they are more likely to leave a bad review, which is not going to be great for sales. That’s why we HIGHLY recommend testing, tweaking, and improve your recipes to make sure they are Chef’s Kiss.

4: Write and Organize Your Cookbook

When writing your cookbook, consider the structure carefully. A common structure for cookbooks includes:

1. An introduction
2. Individual recipe sections
3. Tips
4. Additional notes on techniques, variations, and substitutions

There’s always more you can do, but be sure not to overcomplicate things, more importantly make sure to keep your instructions are clear and concise, guiding your readers step-by-step through each recipe.

You can also check out these ChatGPT prompts for writing a book to help speed things up.

5: Take Professional-Quality Photos

You know the saying, “We eat first with our eyes,” well that’s a perfect example on why photo quality is important. Great photos can draw in readers and inspire them to try your recipes. You have two main options for photography:

DIY: If you have photography skills, you can do your own food photography. Make sure to use good lighting and pay attention to the presentation. This is also budget-friendly!

Professional Photographer: Hiring a professional photographer can give the quality of your cookbook a polished and professional feel, but it also costs extra.

Pro tip: If your book is focused on “home cooked meals” or more down to earth type theme then it’s easier to get away with DIY photos, but if your book mentions creating a gastrique or any of those fancy french words you might want to consider a professional photographer.

6: Format Your Cookbook for Print and Digital Publishing

Whether you're publishing your cookbook as a print book, an eBook, or both, proper formatting is key. Formatting your book for print should be very visually appealing, with clear fonts, margins, and spacing. Whereas for eBook’s you’ll want to ensure your digital format is easy to navigate, with clickable links for each recipe and section. Both can be true at the same time so you dont have to reformat if you want to take advantage of selling a physical option and electronic.

When it comes to the recommended formatting tools Kindle has their own so as you go to upload your manuscript you can also format at the same time. There are also other options like using AI, Reedsy, or hiring a freelancer, so it’s completely up to you and you’re budget.

7: Publish Your Cookbook

Once your book is ready, it’s time to get your book out to the world and start earning money, so press that coveted “Publish” button!

Can I Self-Publish a Cookbook on Amazon for Free?

Yes, you can self-publish a cookbook on Amazon for free through KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). There are other sites that we talk about in our course however in our experience KDP is the best for beginners.

Success Is In Sight

Speaking of our course one of our students, Carli, says she "can't sing its praises enough; if you follow the formula, it works" and that put’s a smile on our faces because we worked so hard to create a process that actually works.

Above all, we want to educate our students so that they can see success in the same way we did. Our student Ed said he "just follow[ed] the course—it work[ed] and continues to do so.” He said, “I believe in it and think it's awesome. I believe in it so much that I'm now coaching for AIA. It's amazing, and I want to help spread the message, enabling more people to achieve their own version of financial independence or freedom through publishing."

Students like Carli and Ed inspire us to keep getting the word out and reaching more people, like you, who just want to create something that’s theirs while generating income that can be life changing. Read more reviews here.

8: Marketing and Selling Your Cookbook

Once published, it’s time to market your cookbook. There are many ways to promote your book, including social media, email marketing, or even collaborating with a food blogger. There are so many options we dedicated an entire blog on “How to Market a Self-Published Book” below. Get expert advice on the best marketing strategies that will save you time and help you reach a wider audience.

The Obvious Next Step

Now that you’re all ready to start writing your very own cookbook, the next logical step is to get started. If you still have questions or want to know the best ways to speed up the process, hop into our free training and learn how you can turn your culinary creations into a published work that can reach kitchens all around the world!