So, Who’s Buying Cookbooks? (2024)

FAQs

So, Who’s Buying Cookbooks? ›

Sixty-five percent of all cookbook buyers are women.

In 2017 roughly 17.8m cookbooks were sold in the US alone. Nielsen BookScan data shows that cookbook sales in the US grew 8% year-on-year between 2010 and 2020, with sales numbers boosted even further by the pandemic.

Most people buy two or three cookbooks each year, and 12% of buyers buy four or more. 70% of cookbook buyers buy for themselves, and the remaining 30% buy cookbooks as gifts. Half of all cookbook buyers say they cook at home at least once a week.

Bowker releases their findings on cookbook sales.

According to Bowker, it's largely folks between the ages of 30 and 44, and with a household income of between $50,000 and $75,000. What are they buying?

People love buying cookbooks, whether for themselves or for others. “It's always a strong category,” said Kristen McLean, book industry analyst for market research company The NPD Group.

Sell Individual Cookbooks on eBay or Amazon

this route will get you the most money for your collection. We recommend eBay vs Amazon if you don't want to be selling for over a month. If you have a lot of time, Amazon works well for books and draws the largest audience.

Amazon. In the beginning, amazon is the best place to sell your cookbook- as you don't have to keep physical stock/inventory of your book, nor do you need to handle the postage and shipping youself. If you publish your book through KDP as recommended above, your book should automatically be listed for sale on amazon.

"Cookbooks can have auction potential, especially if they are rare, valuable, or have historical significance," said Sawyer, who's based in New York City. "Some vintage cookbooks can fetch high prices at auction, particularly those that are in excellent condition and have a strong provenance."

The list price for print cookbooks typically runs anywhere from $15 to $30 for popular cookbooks and $25 to $50 for gourmet or restaurant cookbooks. Amazon usually discounts these by 30% to 50%. It is usually ideal for most Monetizing or Marketing books to fall somewhere in this range.

Both large and small groups can make huge profits with cookbook fundraisers. Cookbooks easily sell for 2–4 times their cost, allowing you to earn $500 to $50,000 or more! We're so sure you'll make money that we back it with our No-Risk Guarantee.

How do I market my cookbook? ›

Traditional cookbooks appeal to the local, grass roots American market, and they often reflect the regional cuisine, as well as the character and ethnicity of a community. They include easy-to-follow recipes with common ingredients. Traditional cookbooks appeal to the masses and can be sold to most anyone.

If you want to find an agent, you need to research cookbook agents and then to retain an agent you need to send them your cookbook proposal or concept summarized in query letter according to their submission guidelines.

Fill the odd cabinet above the fridge

Other lesser-used areas for book storage include a shelf in the pantry or space in a nearby laundry room. Or you might show off your cookbooks from behind a glass cabinet front, suggests Drew Henry of Design Dudes.

Smaller, local publishers, however, sometimes will work with authors directly, even though an agent is still preferred. Either way, it's ideal to have a book proposal outlining your concept, audience and budget to help sell your concept to them. The average cookbook sells between 5,000 and 8,000 copies.