• Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Press
  • Awards
  • Freebies
  • Contact
Menu

Harriet Hodgson

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Press
  • Awards
  • Freebies
  • Contact

Blog

Want to Write a Cookbook? 10 Helpful Tips

June 20, 2016

Whether it’s novels, non-fiction, poetry, plays, stories, essays, or affirmations, each writing form has rules. This is true of cookbooks. Formats may change, terms may change, and it’s wise to be aware of these things before you start writing. These tips will save you time and work.

  1. First, determine the chapter topics and titles. You may follow current trends or opt for originality.
  2. Create recipe titles that inform and tantalize. Every title should tell, instantly, what the recipe is about.
  3. Add personal comments and stories. These comments will make your cookbook original and interesting. 
  4. Check product names. Granular flour, for example, used to be called gravy flour and is now called quick-mixing.
  5. List necessary tools. A melon baller may be used to make orbs of butter, for example.
  6. Follow capitalization rules. Names that refer to actual places usually begin with caps.
  7. Number directions. Reading numbered steps is easier than reading paragraphs.
  8. Include colored photos. Black and white photos are a turn-off; colored photos spark the appetite.
  9. Credit the sources you’ve used. This is common courtesy and legal protection for you.
  10. Make easy-reading your goal. Readers appreciate graphics and larger print.
← Pink Petunias, Nature, and WritingAuthor Tips for Dealing with Disappointment →

Latest & Greatest

Featured
May 6, 2026
May 2026 Hot News Bulletin
May 6, 2026
May 6, 2026
April 2, 2026
April 2026 Hot News Bulletin
April 2, 2026
April 2, 2026
March 2, 2026
March 2026 Hot News Bulletin
March 2, 2026
March 2, 2026
February 3, 2026
February 2026 Hot News Bulletin
February 3, 2026
February 3, 2026
January 2, 2026
January 2026 Hot News Bulletin
January 2, 2026
January 2, 2026
November 17, 2025
December 2025 Hot News Bulletin
November 17, 2025
November 17, 2025
October 2, 2025
October 2025 Hot News Bulletin
October 2, 2025
October 2, 2025
September 8, 2025
September 2025 Hot News Bulletin
September 8, 2025
September 8, 2025
July 30, 2025
August 2025 Hot News Bulletin
July 30, 2025
July 30, 2025
November 12, 2024
Holiday Gift Ideas
November 12, 2024
November 12, 2024

Copyright © Harriet Hodgson 2023