Before diving in to publish cookbooks, take some time to thoroughly research the why and what you are writing about, who you are writing for and when is the best time to launch the book. Having great recipes typed onto a computer is great; but, knowing how to get it into published format is another. Research the publishing industry. Read multiple books on “How to publish cook books” or “How to publish your writing.”<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Cook books that are written for a very small group do not require business and marketing plans because you already know how many books will be purchased and who the buyers are. However, if you are planning to publish your own cook book for the mass markets, you need to understand that you have moved beyond author to publisher. That means that you are now a business person whose primary goal is the creation of a product to sell. 

Publishing cookbooks has special challenges that other books may not have. Your primary goal is to give people unique, delicious recipes that they can create successfully in their own homes. That means that you have to measure exactly and your instructions must be clear and simple. You will have to test each recipe over and over until it turns out perfectly every time, then you will have to enlist other people to prepare those recipes independently of you. No matter what their comments, you must take the critiques of your testers seriously because if they do not achieve great results the chances are very good that your customers will be unhappy with their “flops”. Finally, it is a good idea to have the recipes tested by a professional home economist or other food expert. 
Before you even begin to write your cook book, you must identify your target market. Who will actually buy your cook book?

Interviewing the owners of cook book stores and specialty cooking stores can help you to identify cook book trends so that you know what people are actually buying. It is also a good idea to think of corporations and organizations that might benefit by using your book as a promotional item. 

Once you have identified who will buy your book, you can target your marketing plan and your book design with your customers in mind, such as: 

 Where do they shop?

 Where do they play?

 What style of book appeals to them?

 What price are they willing to pay?

 How many pictures do they want in a cook book? (a lack of photos can kill book sales)

 What size of book is currently popular?

 What type of book binding increases sales?

 Are they concerned about health or other issues?

 Do they appreciate little stories, jokes, cooking tips or other information in the book?