Are you ready to be an author? We’re here to help and guide you on how to self-publish a cookbook or self-publish a book. You might have an awesome idea and looking for a way to get it from idea all the way to print right?
One of the many questions I get asked is how did I go about to self-publish our cookbooks. Well we want to share that with you with this step by step guide so that you can use it for any book project you might have.
Step 1 – What’s the topic or theme?
You’re probably aware by now that there are all sorts or books out there. The best way to make your book successful is to find yourself a niche subject. What I mean by that is to find a subject you can identify with which your reader is likely to search. “Gibraltar recipes” is going to narrow down results so that our books appear far easier than “Mediterranean food“.
Don’t feel too stuck. Use your friends, family and better yet use your followers for feedback. Find out what they are searching for, what excites them and see reactions when you offer suggestions. You probably have a website with your recipes, if so then check your reviews and google analytics for the best hits see see what categories relate to them best.
Step 2 – Plan your book
So now we have a subject & theme it’s time to plan the book. It’s time to consider quantity, layouts, fillers, photography and tastings.
- The layout
- How many recipes are you going to have in your book? 50? 100?
- However many pages you choose it’s important to remember to keep the maximum page number to a multiple of 4
- Divide them up into sections. Starters, mains, desserts or are they all cakes in which case why not, chocolate, fruit and cream? See what works best with your theme and recipes that will make it user friendly for anyone wanting to use your book.
- Are you going to have a photo per recipe?
- Fillers
- Are you going to include any filler pages o give your book some personality and background? an introduction, measurements, history, contents, index etc.
Step 3 – Where will you publish?
There are many options out there when it comes to publishing. The traditional is to find an agent and get yourself a publisher. However if you are looking to self-publish, then I can personally recommend Amazon’s KDP Publishing. They have an easy step by step guide. Although their royalty share is a little steep, their customer service and the fact that they handle any orders made via the amazon websites completely is a big benefit.
Step 4 – Get it designed and proof read.
Once you have everything ready then it’s time to design your book. You can do it yourself using word or Adobe products like InDesign. Alternative you can hire a designer to do it for you. As a Graphic Designer myself feel free to get in touch via our facebook page if you have questions. However, from experience the best thing to do once you have your book designed is to have someone read through it entirely as it is to reword anything that doesn’t sound right and spot any mistakes. After writing it all and putting it together you go blind to your own mistakes.
Step 5 – Publish and promote.
You now have a completed book! YAY! It’s time to publish your book and promote it! Announce the book is on its way and tease your followers to get them excited. Announce the book once it’s live and keep reminding people the books are out month to month.
Check out our entire cookbook range
