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

96: Ken and Michelle from Now Serving Bookstore: Molly and Kate speak with the owners of Los Angeles based cookbook store Now Serving, Ken Concepcion and Michelle Mungcal, about the crucial role that niche independent bookstores play in the marketplace. Ken shares how his chef background informed his love of cookbooks and led to opening the store and Michelle talks about curating their space to create a specific atmosphere for their community. They speak about what titles they choose to carry, their thoughts on event formats and release schedules along with the obstacles that arise in the retail space and the ones that come with running a small business. Finally, they discuss their thoughts on self published projects and promote their new cookbook club. by Everything Cookbooks

42 min listen

95: Recipe Writing with Real Cooks in Mind: Kate, Kristin and Molly venture back into the user experience arena as they discuss recipe presentation in cookbooks. They highlight the need for this section to delight not distract and prioritize form over function as well as the need to write with a specific audience in mind. They discuss their thoughts as a consumer and developer on elements like: ingredients, equipment, serving size, prep time, method, sub-recipes, headnotes and bursts. Finally, they share their advice for recipe developers on things to think through and ways to research to bring clarity and individuality to their own work. by Everything Cookbooks

52 min listen

94: Insights from Literary Agent Lori Galvin: Kate, Kristin and Molly speak with agent Lori Galvin about her long career in the food media space. She shares what spurred her decision to move on from editorial work and how agenting required on the job learning and an entrepreneurial approach. She talks about learning to trust in her own taste, why she enjoys working with both fiction and non-fiction titles and the changes she is seeing in the cookbook sphere. After touching on proposals, comp titles and platform building, Lori gives some advice to authors looking for their own agents and what she in particular looks for in an book. by Everything Cookbooks

41 min listen

93: The Secret of Cooking with Bee Wilson: Molly and Kate talk with prolific writer Bee Wilson about her new cookbook, The Secret of Cooking. Bee explains how she uses her past experience as an academic in her food writing to showcase its breadth beyond restaurants and recipes and what inspired her to write this cookbook. She shares why she settled on a thematic structure for the book, the recipe writing and testing process along with her varied influences and resources. She talks about bringing the joy back into cooking and why she believes that the golden age of home cooking is still to come. by Everything Cookbooks

52 min listen

92: Ruth Reichl on Writing: Kate and Molly speak with Ruth Reichl, an icon and authority in the food media world, about her breadth of writing experience - restaurant reviews, cookbooks, memoirs, articles and even tweets- and her new book, The Paris Novel. Ruth shares why food is a universal framework, her inspirations for this novel and the process of working with a new editor. She talks about being a "writer who hates writing" and how this process differed from others as well as how she accesses memories to include specificities in her scenes. Finally, she shares her advice to push into the unknown and what she is working on next. by Everything Cookbooks

50 min listen

91: The UX of Cookbook Design: 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. by Everything Cookbooks

39 min listen

90: When a Health Issue Impacts Your Food Writing with Phoebe Lapine: 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. by Everything Cookbooks

54 min listen

89: Insights From Cookbook Editor Sarah Kwak of Harvest: 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. by Everything Cookbooks

35 min listen

87: Publishing Confidential with Kathleen Schmidt: Kate and Kristin speak with Kathleen Schmidt, an industry veteran with years of experience in editing, publishing, marketing and public relations and now author of the newsletter Publishing Confidential. Kathleen shares her extensive career path, what her focus is as a freelancer and the origins of her newsletter along with what keeps her writing. She talks about the differences between marketing and PR, her dedication to an author centric approach and walks listeners through a hypothetical scenario of book promotion. Finally, she discusses what authors should focus on, thoughts on Authors Equity, the idea of a digital surrogate and her current course offerings dedicating to help author demystify their publishing experience. - Please excuse the audio quality in this one! by Everything Cookbooks

47 min listen

86: Culinary Activism and Cookbooks with Lelani Lewis: Kate and Molly speak with Lelani Lewis, a London born food stylist and culinary activist of Grenadian and Irish heritage now based in Amsterdam. Lelani shares how homesickness spurred her into a culinary career through pop-ups, where the idea for her debut cookbook came from as well as why she chose this title. She speaks about her desire to share the colorful, diverse nature of Caribbean food alongside its dark history and what she hopes readers will get from reading her book. She talks about working with a Dutch publisher, the unique editing and translation process, how she settled on her final recipe list and her ambitious new project. by Everything Cookbooks

38 min listen

85: A Juneteenth Cookbook for Kids with Alliah Agostini and Taffy Elrod: Molly and Kristin dive into the territory of kid-lit in this talk with Alliah Agostini and Taffy Elrod, authors of The Juneteenth Cookbook. Alliah and Taffy discuss how they both got involved with the project, how they worked together and the goal they had of bringing the celebration of Juneteenth to life with food, history and family activities. They talk about the family representation in the book, the recipe development process and what went into all the extras inside. Alliah and Taffy both speak about tapping into their inner child while writing, what it was like working with their illustrator and the plans they have for the upcoming book tour. by Everything Cookbooks

38 min listen

84: Do We Need Cookbook Reviews?: Molly, Kristin, Andrea and Kate tackle the topic of cookbook criticism, spurred on by recent online conversations. They discuss what it could look like, its importance and what the lack of rigorous criticism means for cookbook publishing. They talk about the unique obstacles to reviewing cookbooks, the elements reviews should highlight and why we need to be wary of echo chambers. Our hosts speak on the idea that this genre isn't taken as seriously as others, what that means for cookbook quality and share what they specifically want to see in a good cookbook. by Everything Cookbooks

39 min listen

83: A Niche Cookbook That Sold 350K+ Copies with Shelly Worcel: Kristin and Molly speak with author and blogger Shelly Worcel about breaking into speciality markets and writing niche, single subject cookbooks. Shelly speaks about growing her skills while blogging, how she was tapped to write her highly successful second book, and how her open mindset allowed a natural escalation of her brand and career. She shares the pitching process, how photography and styling fits into her workflow and how she is able to keep each new project fresh. She talks about marketing her books as "gifts", how she keeps merchandising in mind during the writing and the upcoming project she is concentrating on now. by Everything Cookbooks

43 min listen

82: Craft Books for Cookbook Writers: Kate talks with Kristin, Molly and Andrea about the challenges faced when beginning a writing career and the resources they use to help improve their writing skills. They discuss which interest came first, the writing or the food, how reading with a critical eye can help one move beyond the basics and why it is vital to always keep the reader at the forefront. They each share the specific books and tools they turn to for guidance, inspiration and exploration as they constantly look to advance their craft. by Everything Cookbooks

43 min listen

BONUS Re-release: 01: Should You Write a Cookbook?: To mark our 2 year anniversary, we're re-releasing our very first episode! 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 cookbooks 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. by Everything Cookbooks

39 min listen

81: “Do we really test all the recipes?” Season 4 Wrap-Up: Andrea, Molly, Kristin and Kate sit down to wrap up another incredible season of the show: taking listener questions, highlighting our top takeaways and hinting at the upcoming Season 5. They discuss how they individually approach recipe testing, what they learned about community this season and take time to celebrate the recent World Central Kitchen fundraiser and the evolution of our Insider Series. Thank you for your support and stay tuned for future episodes in the coming weeks! by Everything Cookbooks

33 min listen

80: From Co-Author to Bestselling Solo Author with Adeena Sussman: Kristin and Kate speak with cookbook author Adeena Sussman about her career, her new book and what its like working with Chrissy Teigen. A self described "late bloomer" Adeena shares her experience collaborating on over a dozen books, how she got her start and what she learned on the job as she hustled her way into food media. She talks about how she sees herself and her audience, what shabbat means to her and how she views social media recipe development. Finally, she discusses the value she sees in book events, how she stays organized and what her next book is about. by Everything Cookbooks

54 min listen

79: Collaborating with Family on a Cookbook with the Wang Sisters: Molly and Kristin speak with the Wang sisters, Stéphanie, Patricia Ho-Yi and Caroline, about their new cookbook, Asian Vegetables and its recently released English edition. They discuss how the idea for the book came about and how they decided to tackle it as a team using their various skill sets as a gardener, dietician and musician. They share their collaboration process, how they divided the labor and what themes they were passionate about including in this all-in-one gardening guide, memoir and cookbook. They talk about crafting one voice, the translation process and design choices including a special connection with their photographer as well as how working on this during the height of the pandemic brought them closer as sisters. by Everything Cookbooks

41 min listen

78: Co-Authoring a Cookbook Series with Darra Goldstein: Molly and Kate discuss serialized cookbooks with author and professor, Darra Goldstein. Darra explains how the idea for the series came about, how the writing team was assembled and the inspirations behind the project. She shares the obstacles that arose as they released two books at once, as well as the relentless schedule this involved. Finally, she speaks on the necessity of switching up her writing voice from academic to author, the hurdles of the design process and where the next installments are in the pipeline. by Everything Cookbooks

47 min listen

77: Politics, Food and Cooking with Clarissa Wei: Andrea and Molly talk with Taipei-based journalist and author, Clarissa Wei about her debut cookbook, Made in Taiwan and the inclusion of politics in food writing. Clarissa speaks about her career's origins and how her frustration with the outdated coverage of Taiwanese food in media compelled her to write this book. She shares how her journalistic background informed the project, how she worked with the various members of her team and her strategy for weaving in the history with the technical side of cooking. She discusses how she used her writing voice in this format and what she hopes to work on in the future. by Everything Cookbooks

51 min listen

76: Totally Achievable Zero Waste Cooking with Irene and Mei Li: Kate and Kristin speak with sisters Margaret and Irene Li about their new book, Perfectly Good Food, and the concepts of shopping your kitchen and foraging your fridge. They discuss the idea behind the book, how they approached its unique structure and landed on its fun, friendly tone and created its flexible recipes. They share how they divided the work of writing and what is next for them. by Everything Cookbooks

48 min listen

75: Food Trends: Do They Matter When You Write a Cookbook?: In our last episode of 2023, Kate, Kristin and Molly discuss food trends and how they apply to the cookbook world. Whether it's butter boards, nacho tables, "girl dinner" or baked potato bars these stunt foods can loom large yet die quickly in the public consciousness. They discuss ideas on identifying trends, how to capitalize on them and the importance of keeping a variety of demographics in mind when working on "trendy" topics. Finally, we list some things we're looking forward to in 2024. by Everything Cookbooks

38 min listen

74: Crafting a Drinks Book with Danny Childs: Kristin and Molly speak with Danny Childs about his new beverage book, Slow Drinks; its origination, proposal stages and how the pandemic affected its creation. Danny shares his background in ethnobotany, how he altered his writing voice from academic to narrative and the process of making these recipes adaptable to non-local foraging readers. He talks about the book's photography, illustration and design process, the books that inspire him and the new business venture he is starting. by Everything Cookbooks

44 min listen

73: Writing For the Culture with Klancy Miller: Kate and Kristin speak with Klancy Miller about her magazine and upcoming book: For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food. She speaks about writing the book she wanted to read when she was younger, how the idea came about and how events in 2020 influenced it. She shares how it evolved from proposal to book, why she included recipes and the ups and downs of its interview format. Finally, she talks about the decision to use illustrations, her self-funded book tour and what is next for her personally and professionally. by Everything Cookbooks

52 min listen

72: Nichole Accettola and Malena Watrous on Co-Authoring Scandinavian From Scratch: Kate and Molly get into the nitty gritty of collaborations with Nichole Accettola and Malena Watrous as they discuss their new book, Scandinavian From Scratch. They share how the book came about, how they began to work together and the process they followed so each could bring their own strengths to the project. They talk about the book's unique organization, creating a writing voice, the on-location photography shoot and the most difficult part of the entire process before sharing a few final words of advice for anyone looking to establish their own successful writing partnership. by Everything Cookbooks

51 min listen

71: Building Your Instagram Following with Ara Zada: Kate and Kristin speak with Ara Zada all about content creation and becoming a social media influencer. Ara shares his decision to pursue a large following and grow his platform as well as how a health scare motivated this choice. He describes a day in his life and the full time requirements of this work as well as the mental toll it can take due to its instant nature, algorithm changes, comments, trolls, monetization strategies and banned content. He talks about the inter-relatedness of his book to his online presence, how he evolves his content over time and a sneak peek into what he is working on next. by Everything Cookbooks

55 min listen

70: Native California Recipes and Stories with Sara Calvosa Olson: Kristin and Molly speak with Sara Calvosa Olsen about her new cookbook, Chími Nu’am and its inspiration, creation and message. Sara shares her food writing journey, thoughts on the title and cover and how the pandemic altered the book's approach and voice. She discusses why she calls it "an inconvenient cookbook" and what it was like working with her publisher and learning photography for its images. Finally, she talks about the best advice she received, the concept she returns to in times of doubt and the themes she wants to communicate with this work. by Everything Cookbooks

43 min listen

69: Writing a Menu Cookbook with Amy Thielen: Molly and Kate speak with writer Amy Thielen about her new cookbook, Company; its menu format, its inspiration and how its voice differs from her earlier works. She describes confronting her own created persona, why she feels it is important to highlight the bittersweetness in life, and who she writes for. She also discusses the delays with this book, working with her editor, stylist, and photographer, as well as her system for recipe writing, tracking, and testing. Finally, she shares her intimate approach to food writing and what she is working on now. by Everything Cookbooks

52 min listen

68: A Cookbook from the Tuscan Countryside with Giulia Scarpaleggia: Molly and Kristin talk with Tuscany based blogger, teacher and cookbook author Giulia Scarpaleggia about the concept of cucina povera and creating a community in two languages. She shares her career journey, the differences in publishing in Italy versus the U.S. and how her passion for writing and cooking developed hand in hand. She speaks on the recipe testing process, her translation method, dealing with one star reviews and the version of Italy that was important for her to showcase in this book. by Everything Cookbooks

38 min listen

67: Latinísimo by Sandra Gutierrez: Kristin and Kate speak with food columnist and author, Sandra Gutierrez, about her career path and her newest cookbook Latinísimo, an almost 600 page tome about the cuisines of 21 Latin American countries. She shares her love of challenges, what its like working with a university press and why she wanted to write this specific book. She discusses behind the scenes experiences of proposal writing, recipe creation, research, photography, unexpected hiccups and more before sharing some final advice for aspiring writers. by Everything Cookbooks

48 min listen

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

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

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