One of the most basic questions we are asked by new cookbook editors at FamilyCookbookProject.com is How long does it take to make a cookbook?
A cookbook created with FamilyCookbookProject.com can be done in as little as a week and as long as several years. Most people take 2-3 months on average. It is different for everyone. A family cookbooks starts with your personal vision on what the cookbook should look like.
Number of Recipes: The more recipes in a cookbook, the longer it take to enter them. There is no magic number or recipes that make up a good cookbook – you are the best judge of what is needed have what you have. However, the average number of recipes in many family cookbook is around 100-150.
Number of Contributors: Adding contributors can significantly shorten the amount of time needed to enter your recipes. If everyone enters a handful of recipes, the work gets done quicker. The trick is to set a short deadline, two to three weeks, because people always put off what is not due right away.
Layout and design: Our design tools make laying out your cookbook quick and easy. Select one of our professionally designed covers and recipe layouts and your done. If you choose to create your own custom cover and custom layouts, expect the project to take additional time before you can print.
What’s Your Rush: A hard deadline makes things move much quicker. If you plan on giving your cookbooks as holiday presents or using them at a family reunion, then you have to commit to having your cookbook complete in time for it to be printed and shipped to you (about 3-4 weeks).
It depends on the size of cookbook you want, how many contributors you have and how much time you have to devote to the project in a given week. It can be done in as little as a week and as long as several years. Most people I think take 2-3 months on average.
Bill Rice is founder and Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories through customized printed cookbooks filled with treasured recipes. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!