How to create a personalised roast book

A personalised roast book is exactly what it sounds like: a premium hardcover book with a witty, custom cover that playfully roasts someone you know - and completely blank pages inside.

The cover is the gift. The emptiness is the punchline.

At Empty Book Club, the whole process takes about two minutes. Here's how it works, step by step.

Step 1: describe the person

Start by telling us about the recipient. Their name, a few personality traits, hobbies, or that one thing everyone teases them about. The more specific you are, the sharper the roast.

Examples of what works well:

• "Always late to everything, obsessed with coffee, thinks they're a great cook but burns toast"
• "Corporate manager who speaks entirely in jargon and schedules meetings about meetings"
• "Fitness fanatic who won't stop talking about their marathon time"

You don't need to write an essay. A few honest observations are enough for the AI to work with.

Step 2: choose the roast level

Three options:

• Gentle - wholesome teasing. Safe for colleagues, parents, and people who might take things personally.
• Medium - pointed but playful. The sweet spot for most friends and family.
• Savage - no mercy. Reserved for best friends and people with thick skin.

The roast level affects both the title and subtitle on the cover. Gentle might produce something like "Everything [Name] knows about relaxing." Savage goes somewhere darker.

Step 3: preview the cover

Our AI generates a book title and subtitle based on your description. You see the full cover design before ordering - if it doesn't feel right, you can adjust your description and regenerate.

Every cover is unique. No two roast books are the same, even if two people describe similar traits. The AI finds a different angle each time.

Step 4: order

Each personalised roast book is EUR 19.95. Standard shipping to the Netherlands is EUR 6.95. The book arrives as a genuine hardcover with quality binding, 170gsm interior pages, and 300gsm cover stock with matte lamination.

It looks and feels like a real published book. That's what makes the joke land - the production quality creates the expectation of content, and the blank pages subvert it.

What makes a great roast book

The best personalised roast books share a few qualities:

1. Specificity. "Everything [Name] knows about cooking" is funnier than "The wisdom of [Name]." The more targeted the roast, the better the reaction.
2. Truth. The funniest roasts are based on things everyone already knows about the person. It's not mean - it's recognition.
3. Surprise. The format is what sells it. Nobody expects a beautiful hardcover book to be completely empty inside. The moment they open it is the moment the gift pays off.

When to give one

• Birthdays - the most popular occasion. Works for any age.
• Leaving gifts - when a colleague moves on, a roast book captures the team's affection better than a card.
• Christmas / Secret Santa - a EUR 20 budget goes further with a roast book than with another generic gift set.
• Just because - sometimes the best gifts have no occasion at all.

Ready to make one? Create your personalised roast book here.

Or if you'd rather skip the personalisation, browse the classics collection for pre-designed titles that work for anyone.

See also: personalised roast book guide — everything about creating the perfect gift.