Everything Cookbooks

Latest Episodes:

06: Getting Your Recipes in Shape with Tina Ujlaki Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

Kristin gets into the fundamentals of recipe writing as she chats with Tina Ujlaki, her mentor and the former executive editor at Food & Wine magazine. Tina explains her recipe writing philosophy, how testing can be the antithesis to cooking and the what bothers her about the format's evolution. She shares her thoughts on voice, headnotes, titles and the top 3 things to do before sharing recipes with the world.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

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

05: Getting Started Writing Your Recipes Apr 13, 2022

Show notes

Kate leads today's discussion about the recipe development, curation and testing that go into creating a cookbook. Andrea, Molly and Kristin each share their individual recipe writing processes and the tools used behind the scenes to keep everything organized. They discuss sticking to theme, finding your audience and what can take away from the magic of cooking as well as the juggling act of attribution and importance of recipe testers. Finally, Molly tells us about a recent cookbook that has her inspired.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

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

Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes & Rituals from the Soul of Colombia, by Marian Velásquez

04: Let’s Make a Cookbook Deal Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

Andrea leads today's chat about selling a cookbook and all the nitty gritty elements that go into it. Kristen, Molly and Kate share some of their own insights and lessons learned about advances, royalties, contract negotiation, and how to keep the right amount of tension there. They discuss how to gauge the value of your idea, morality clauses and what to look out for when looking over a contract. Finally, they answer a listener SOS and Kate gets the lowdown on the angst of butter measurement.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

An Agent Answers: “What Should I Expect for a Cookbook Advance?”
Would You Write a Cookbook for Next to Nothing? by Priya Krishna
The Trouble with Big Deals, by Brooke Warner
“9 Questions For When A Book Publisher Calls”
How to Make Sure Your Cookbook Deal Is Worth It, by Sonya Chopra
The Hidden Risks of Writing a Cookbook by Sierra Tishgart

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

03: Cookbook Proposal Writing Tips Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

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

02: Do You Need a Cookbook Agent? Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

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

01: Should You Write a Cookbook? Mar 16, 2022

Show notes

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

Trailer Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

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

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