Self Published a cook book

dreadcptflint · 07-17-2010, 12:38 PM

Has anyone self published a cookbook. I keep looking at smashwords and wondering if that is the best format due to the limitations on pictures. I have almost five years of content and would like to have my recipes while cooking traveling. Help would be appreciated.

Worldwalker · 07-17-2010, 01:49 PM

My first thought was that I can't see what I'd want with an electronic cookbook. I certainly wouldn't want my ebook reader anywhere near the stove (full disclosure: I'm a bad -- and very, very messy -- cook). But I remember seeing some sort of e-cookbook in Sam's Club a while back, for about the price of an ebook reader, except supposedly kitchen-proof and pre-loaded with recipes. I'm not sure what it does about pictures; I think a small color screen is involved.

I'm not sure what you mean about Smashwords being a "format" ... they sell ebooks in many formats, most of which can handle pictures just fine. The bigger problem is that a lot of people would be trying to look at those pictures on a small screen in something like 8-level grayscale. That's fine for anti-aliasing text, but doesn't work very well when you're trying to show someone how the bacon is supposed to wrap around the chicken. It certainly wouldn't make for a mouth-watering picture of the finished dish.

I'm also a little confused about the purpose of this book. On one hand you're talking about selling it on Smashwords, but in the next sentence you're saying you want to have your recipes while traveling. Knowing the target market will make advising you a bit easier.

Poppa1956 · 07-17-2010, 01:56 PM

Without the ability to print from my reader, an e-cookbook is of limited use, IMHO. As the technology develops, I can picture being able to print a page or so using wifi on my own network.

fedora · 07-18-2010, 07:47 AM

Many cooks do take their computers (or Kindles) to the kitchen to follow recipes from expedia.com or cooking blogs. But it is the pictures which seduce a cook to try a new recipe 98% of the time, so until color pictures can be easily displayed in epublishing, I would suggest doing a blog with your recipes. Once you get a base, you can ask for paying subscribers, if you desire. Meanwhile, put together your cookbook (with pictures). The technology will be here soon.

Have fun with it:

http://madhousewifecellars.typepad.c...ewife-kitchen/

HarryT · 07-18-2010, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fedora

Many cooks do take their computers (or Kindles) to the kitchen to follow recipes from expedia.com or cooking blogs. But it is the pictures which seduce a cook to try a new recipe 98% of the time, so until color pictures can be easily displayed in epublishing, I would suggest doing a blog with your recipes. Once you get a base, you can ask for paying subscribers, if you desire. Meanwhile, put together your cookbook (with pictures). The technology will be here soon.

Have fun with it:

http://madhousewifecellars.typepad.c...ewife-kitchen/

We have a forum for promoting your own products here. Please use it, or your posts will be considered to be "spam" and you may be banned from MobileRead.

And please DON'T make duplicate posts.

Thanks.

banjobama · 07-18-2010, 08:24 AM

I think the best thing would be to make a PDF. Is it just for yourself to use? If you use Word or OpenOffice set the page size as the size of the screen on your reader. Then make everything like normal; make sure you use like size 9-10 font or else it will be too big. Then you can save the document as a PDF and load it onto your reader (assuming whatever you use can read PDFs). It should end up looking exactly like you made it, pictures and all. You can even make a table of contents for it.

neilmarr · 07-19-2010, 09:26 AM

As Banjobama says, Dread. You could also make the PDF print friendly so that it doesn't matter too much if a reader's recipe gets splattered with sauce. Cheers. Neil

RAScully · 07-19-2010, 09:04 PM

Check out Create Space. IMO

Cookbooks can be sold everywhere, especially if you are willing to do a little marketing. Fall festivals, community sales, are great places to retail your books. With the print on demand set up, you can get what you want and go from there. Lots of options. Definately E-book it, I strongly recommend Smashwords, they were great and I had little issue with them for my Fantasy Novel. Great place to start. Good luck and all the best!

nomesque · 07-20-2010, 01:41 AM

I would buy an ebook version of a cookbook - provided I could print pages if needed (though I have cooked from a recipe displayed on my laptop before). Smashwords would be good for that.

dreadcptflint · 07-27-2010, 07:13 PM

Thank you all for the input. I do a lot of outdoor cooking so some of these will be for myself and for people to share. An ebook format is ideal for what I am planning to do with my library.

07-17-2010, 12:38 PM	#1
dreadcptflint Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wenatchee Device: Sony 950	Self Published a cook book Has anyone self published a cookbook. I keep looking at smashwords and wondering if that is the best format due to the limitations on pictures. I have almost five years of content and would like to have my recipes while cooking traveling. Help would be appreciated.

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07-17-2010, 01:49 PM	#2
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	My first thought was that I can't see what I'd want with an electronic cookbook. I certainly wouldn't want my ebook reader anywhere near the stove (full disclosure: I'm a bad -- and very, very messy -- cook). But I remember seeing some sort of e-cookbook in Sam's Club a while back, for about the price of an ebook reader, except supposedly kitchen-proof and pre-loaded with recipes. I'm not sure what it does about pictures; I think a small color screen is involved. I'm not sure what you mean about Smashwords being a "format" ... they sell ebooks in many formats, most of which can handle pictures just fine. The bigger problem is that a lot of people would be trying to look at those pictures on a small screen in something like 8-level grayscale. That's fine for anti-aliasing text, but doesn't work very well when you're trying to show someone how the bacon is supposed to wrap around the chicken. It certainly wouldn't make for a mouth-watering picture of the finished dish. I'm also a little confused about the purpose of this book. On one hand you're talking about selling it on Smashwords, but in the next sentence you're saying you want to have your recipes while traveling. Knowing the target market will make advising you a bit easier.

07-17-2010, 01:56 PM	#3
Poppa1956 Evangelist Posts: 487 Karma: 344188 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon, USA Device: Verizon Ellipsis Tablit w/Kindle and Nook apps.	Without the ability to print from my reader, an e-cookbook is of limited use, IMHO. As the technology develops, I can picture being able to print a page or so using wifi on my own network.

07-18-2010, 07:47 AM	#4
fedora Connoisseur Posts: 80 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle	Many cooks do take their computers (or Kindles) to the kitchen to follow recipes from expedia.com or cooking blogs. But it is the pictures which seduce a cook to try a new recipe 98% of the time, so until color pictures can be easily displayed in epublishing, I would suggest doing a blog with your recipes. Once you get a base, you can ask for paying subscribers, if you desire. Meanwhile, put together your cookbook (with pictures). The technology will be here soon. Have fun with it: http://madhousewifecellars.typepad.c...ewife-kitchen/

07-18-2010, 08:24 AM	#6
banjobama Busy Read'n Posts: 980 Karma: 5039283 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Auburn, WA Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux 5	I think the best thing would be to make a PDF. Is it just for yourself to use? If you use Word or OpenOffice set the page size as the size of the screen on your reader. Then make everything like normal; make sure you use like size 9-10 font or else it will be too big. Then you can save the document as a PDF and load it onto your reader (assuming whatever you use can read PDFs). It should end up looking exactly like you made it, pictures and all. You can even make a table of contents for it.

07-19-2010, 09:26 AM	#7
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,216 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	As Banjobama says, Dread. You could also make the PDF print friendly so that it doesn't matter too much if a reader's recipe gets splattered with sauce. Cheers. Neil

07-19-2010, 09:04 PM	#8
RAScully Member Posts: 19 Karma: 68 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Northern Ontario Canada Device: Sony	Check out Create Space. IMO Cookbooks can be sold everywhere, especially if you are willing to do a little marketing. Fall festivals, community sales, are great places to retail your books. With the print on demand set up, you can get what you want and go from there. Lots of options. Definately E-book it, I strongly recommend Smashwords, they were great and I had little issue with them for my Fantasy Novel. Great place to start. Good luck and all the best!

07-20-2010, 01:41 AM	#9
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	I would buy an ebook version of a cookbook - provided I could print pages if needed (though I have cooked from a recipe displayed on my laptop before). Smashwords would be good for that.

07-27-2010, 07:13 PM	#10
dreadcptflint Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wenatchee Device: Sony 950	Thank you all for the input. I do a lot of outdoor cooking so some of these will be for myself and for people to share. An ebook format is ideal for what I am planning to do with my library.

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