Everything Cookbooks – Détails, épisodes et analyse

We're back and starting off Season 6 with grab bag of topics with all our hosts. Kristin, Molly, Kate and Andrea discuss the pros and cons of the (potentially overfull) Fall cookbook season and how to emotionally prepare but keep expectations realistic on pub day while prioritizing celebration. We share our insights and experiences on contracts, printed errors, correction pages and wade into some existential territory as we discuss optional ingredients in recipe writing before diving back into one of our favorite topics, platform. Finally, we talk about the the current cookbook trends we're loving, upcoming releases we're looking forward to and court some potential controversy with our thoughts on pumpkin spice.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Monique of Hardcover Cooks

The Bojon Gourmet Pumpkin Spice Mix

Cookbook Chronicles: The Science and Art and of Recipe Development, by Martin Sorge

If Desired, by Joy Manning

The Truth About Platform, by Kathleen Schmidt

Kristin Donnelly's Newsletter

52: Matt Sartwell of Kitchen Arts and Letters

100: Advice from Our Listeners and Season 5 Wrap-Up

42: How to Write Recipe Titles

93: The Secret of Cooking with Bee Wilson

69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book by Liz Morrow and Ariel Curry
• Banjan: 60 Korean American Recipes for Delicious, Shareable Sides by Caroline Choe
• The Chinese Way by Betty Liu

To close out Season Five and celebrate 100(!) episodes, we're sharing some advice, tips and ideas from our listeners for our listeners. Molly, Andrea, Kate and Kristin discuss some of the terrific insights that our listeners have submitted to help aspiring cookbook authors and share their own thoughts on topics like: writing classes, caring the most for your project, the inevitable "dip" in the process, headnote workflow, photography ROI, self-editing and two-book deals.

Thanks so much for joining us for 100 episodes! We'll be back with Season 6 soon!

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Episode 29: Finding Your Voice with Tori Ritchie

Episode 15: Will Write for Food with Dianne Jacob

Episode 02: Do You Need a Cookbook Agent?

Episode 82: Craft Books for Cookbook Writers

Episode 01: Should You Write a Cookbook?

Episode 18: Pro Tips from Cookbook Critic Paula Forbes

Episode 88: On Being a First-Time Cookbook Author with Michelle Braxton

Episode 69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen

Episode 94: Insights from Literary Agent Lori Galvin

Episode 27: When Less is More: Ali Slagle on the Art of Short Recipes

Episode 63: On Rejection and Recovery

Episode 93: The Secret of Cooking with Bee Wilson

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

Kristin, Molly and Kate tackle cookbook design from a usability perspective. They point out design decisions that authors should consider: packaging and cover design, typeface and font legibility, photographs on matte vs gloss paper and much more. They share their own opinions, experiences and preferences on the elements that enhance or detract from a user's experience of the book and, because there's much more to say on the topic, tease a part two.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Debbie Berne Instagram

83: A Niche Cookbook That Sold 350K+ Copies with Shelly Worcel

47: Self-Publishing Cookbooks with Nick Fauchald

66: Becoming Your Own Publisher with Katie Parla
 

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• The Design of Books by Debbie Berne

Kristin leads today's discussion all about the cookbook proposal, sharing her own first experience with the process. Molly, Kate and Andrea each describe their own firsts as well as how they format their more recent versions. They review all of the elements that go into a proposal, the three vital things to highlight, how long the process can take and how a project can morph as it leads into its first draft. Finally, a listener's salt based SOS leads to many strong opinions and some helpful tips.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella
 

Mentions

• Heidi Swanson’s blog post on her cookbook proposal process 
• Kate Leahy’s blog post on the elements of a cookbook proposal
• Katie Parla’s blog post on how to write (and sell) a cookbook proposal
• Diane Jacob’s website is also a great resources
• "Recipe into Type" book (not avail on Bookshop.org)

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

Molly starts out today's episode with an interview with Rica Allannic, a literary agent with editing experience. Then, Kristin and Kate share how they've navigated their own agent relationships while Andrea explains how she works without one. We get into the many roles of an agent, how to find one and the things to look out for as one moves along in their career. Finally, Andrea shares a recipe writing tip and Kate lets us know her recent favorite cookbook.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

• Rica Allannic
• Rica Allannic on IG
• David Black Literary Agency
• Publisher Marketplace - “Quick Pass” link for $10 day pass
• IACP membership for networking
• The Lisa Ekus Group
• Equity at the Table

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Ruffage by Abra Berens

Kate leads today's discussion on the most important question to ask before you sit down to write your cookbook: Should you write a cookbook? Molly, Andrea and Kristin share their individual journeys as authors and provide some insights into what goes on behind the decision to move forward with a project. They chat about the importance of hustle, platform and studying the elements in your favorite cookbook as well as some of the books they decided against creating. Finally, Molly shares a Tip of the Week and Andrea lets us know which cookbook has captured her attention lately.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

• Jane Friedman.com
• Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks website
• Susan Chang's Podcast: The Level Teaspoon
• The New York Times Magazine article about why dictionaries are valuable

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Taste & Technique  by Naomi Pomeroy
• Mister Jiu's in Chinatown: Recipes and Stories from the Birthplace of Chinese American Food by Brandon Jew

Welcome to Everything Cookbooks! A podcast for curious writers, readers and cooks. Hosted by four experienced cookbook authors, this show will take you behind the scenes of the cookbook creation process. Each episode is an in-depth dive into what it takes to produce a finished cookbook and is full of insights, advice, tips and wisdom.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Andrea Nguyen + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Kristin and Molly speak with cookbook author Phoebe Lapine about finding pleasure in restrictive diets and her new cookbook, Carbivore. Phoebe shares what led her down a food focused career path, how she learned while blogging and how a health diagnosis pulled her down a different path than originally planned. She talks about writing recipes that keep comfort and pleasure in mind, synthesizing data to communicate science to her reader and why her driving force is "healthy hedonism". She also discusses the concept of a "search term book", the importance of sub-titles and how she balanced blogging, social media and marketing while writing the book.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions
 

Phoebe Lapine

• Website
• Podcast
• Instagram
   

Carbivore pre-order freebies
 

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Carbivore by Phoebe Lapine
• Sibo Made Simple by Phoebe Lapine
• The Wellness Project by Phoebe Lapine
• In the Small Kitchen by Phoebe Lapine

Molly and Kristin speak with Sarah Kwak, a senior editor at Harvest an imprint of Harper Collins, to find out what the editing process is like. Sarah shares how she ended up at her current role, the focus Harvest has for cookbooks and what authors should keep mind regarding their proposal assembly before submission. She discusses her thoughts on comp titles, overcoming past book sales, multifaceted ways to grow a platform and what compels her to spend over two years working on a specific project. Finally, she talks about trends in the food world, the changes in the economy of publishing and her advice along with the books she is excited to release this year.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

• Sarah Kwak
• Harvest an imprint of Harper Collins
• Episode 09: Cookbook Editing Tips from Jennifer Sit
• Episode 48: Abi Balingit on Learning as You Go

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Mayumu by Abi Balingit
• The Book on Pie by Erin McDowell
• Jacques Pépin Art of the Chicken by Jacques Pépin
• Hot Sheet by Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine

Kristin and Kate discuss author Michelle Braxton's turbulent publishing journey for her new book, Supper with Love. She shares the story behind the "organic" growth of her food career, how she balances social media creation, blogging and book writing with a separate full time career and how the book idea came about. She talks about committing firmly to the book's concept, why she chose her publisher and the tumultuous publishing process that include her editor leaving and the imprint closing. Finally, she discuses who her audience is, why she creates the sorts of recipes she does and her tips and advice for aspiring authors.
 

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Michelle Braxton

• Website
• Instagram

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of the books mentioned in the show

• Supper with Love by Michelle Braxton