https://publishing.co.uk/tags/cookbook/Recent content in Cookbook on publishing.co.uk — Professional KDP Book FormattingHugoen-gbSun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://publishing.co.uk/guides/cookbook-kdp-formatting/Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://publishing.co.uk/guides/cookbook-kdp-formatting/<h1 id="cookbook-kdp-formatting-uk-authors-guide">Cookbook KDP Formatting: UK Author's Guide</h1> <p>Self-publishing a cookbook on Amazon KDP requires layout decisions specific to the genre — decisions that affect spine math, royalty per copy, reader experience, and (most importantly) whether your file clears KDP's automated review on the first attempt. This guide gives the formatting recipe most cookbook authors should follow, plus the specific pitfall the genre is most likely to trip over.</p> <h2 id="tldr--the-cookbook-formatting-recipe">TL;DR — the Cookbook formatting recipe</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Trim:</strong> 7&quot; x 10&quot; or 8&quot; x 10&quot; (cookbook standard); 8.5&quot; x 11&quot; for full-photo coffee-table</li> <li><strong>Paper:</strong> White, premium colour interior (cream is wrong for cookbooks — colour reproduction needs the white base)</li> <li><strong>Body font:</strong> Modern sans-serif (Avenir, Proxima Nova, Source Sans Pro) at 10-11pt for recipes; serif for narrative interludes</li> <li><strong>Chapter heading font:</strong> Display serif or hand-lettered look for chapter heads at 28-36pt</li> <li><strong>Spacing:</strong> 1.35 spacing, left-aligned (not justified — ingredient lists look wrong justified)</li> <li><strong>Typical page count:</strong> 160-240 pages (most cookbooks)</li> </ul> <h2 id="why-these-defaults-are-the-right-starting-point">Why these defaults are the right starting point</h2> <p>The 7&quot; x 10&quot; trim is the cookbook industry standard for a reason — it's what trad-published cookbook books use, so it's what readers expect to feel in their hands. Deviating from the genre standard isn't always wrong, but it's a deliberate decision that needs a reason: maybe you're producing a limited-run hardcover with a different feel, or your book has unusual layout requirements. For 95% of authors in cookbook, the standard trim wins.</p>