A Format
The exact word count, trim size, file format, and front/back matter spec nutritionists use to publish a clean eBook on KDP and sell direct from their own site.
If you're a nutritionist building an eBook, the content is only half the job. The other half is format: word count that matches reader expectations, a trim size that looks right on a shelf or a screen, file specs that pass KDP review without a rejection email, and front matter that makes you look like a professional instead of someone who exported a Word doc. This page lays out the exact production spec nutritionists and dietitians use to publish a book that reads clean on Kindle, prints clean through print-on-demand, and sells clean on a direct checkout page. No guesswork, no formatting rabbit holes. Just the numbers that work, plus two book concepts built on this spec so you can see it in action.
Nutritionists tend to start with content: the meal plans, the science, the client stories. That's the right instinct, but format decisions made after the fact cost real time. If you write 60,000 words assuming a 6x9 trim and then decide to sell a slim direct-to-client guide, you're cutting a third of the book to fit a different container. Lock the spec first. Word count, trim size, and file format determine how a chapter needs to be structured, how many recipes or protocols fit per section, and how much white space you have for callout boxes and macro breakdowns. Decide the container, then fill it.
KDP has hard technical requirements: cover resolution, file format, metadata fields, and category rules that Amazon enforces automatically. Miss one and the upload bounces. Direct sale through your own site has no gatekeeper, but that freedom means you're responsible for every piece Amazon would normally handle: the checkout flow, the delivery email, the file the reader actually opens. Most nutritionists selling both channels build one manuscript and export two file sets: a KDP-formatted EPUB and MOBI pair for Amazon, and a print-ready PDF plus EPUB for direct sale. The content stays the same. The wrapper changes.
A nutrition eBook without credentials up front reads like a blog post someone stretched. Front matter should include a title page, a short bio with your certification (RD, RDN, CNS, whatever applies), and a one-page disclaimer if you're giving dietary guidance, since this protects you and signals that you take the content seriously. Back matter is where most nutritionists leave money on the table: a resources page, a link to book a consult, and a call to your next product. If someone finished your book, they're your warmest lead. Give them somewhere to go.
Nutrition content has structural demands most fiction formatting guides never touch. Recipes need consistent ingredient lists, numbered steps, and macro breakdowns that don't reflow badly on a Kindle screen. Protocols and meal plans often work better as tables, but tables can break on e-readers if they're too wide, so keep columns to three or four max. Build a consistent template for every recipe or protocol block and reuse it exactly. Consistency reads as authority. A different layout every third recipe reads as rushed.
nonfiction
“A structured, no-guesswork meal and macro plan built for nutritionists to hand clients on day one.”
A 21-day nutrition reset guide combining daily meal templates, macro targets, and a consistent recipe format designed for both new clients and self-guided readers.
nonfiction
“The plain-English macro guide nutritionists wish every client read before their first appointment.”
A short, direct guide breaking down macronutrients, portion sizing, and label reading for readers who've never tracked food before, built to double as a client onboarding resource.
Make Your Own
Write it, illustrate it, publish it. You own the copyright the moment it exists — sell it on Amazon, Gumroad, or your own site. Quari only takes 15% on books sold through your Quari storefront.