Best How To Find A Cookbook Agent Podcasts (2025)

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136: Cooking the Food of Nigeria with Ozoz Sokoh 45:13

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5d ago45:13

45:13

Kristin and Molly discuss how Ozoz Sokoh, an Ontario-based professor of food tourism and culinary anthropologist, went about creating her new book that explores the vastness that is Nigerian food. Ozoz shares her thoughts on Nigerian cuisine, why she loves it and where the inspiration for making this book a 'bridge' came from along with the trepida…

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135: The Manuscript is In. Now What? with Martin Sorge 45:45

12d ago45:45

45:45

Molly, Kate and Kristin speak with Martin Sorge, the winner of The Great American Baking Show, about his debut cookbook while he is still in the thick of creating it. Martin talks about getting started on his baking journey, the role the show played in his career and what he's taken away from the experience before diving into the process of develop…

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134: Cookbooks as a Career with Maria Zizka 53:41

19d ago53:41

53:41

Kate and Kristin speak with cookbook author Maria Zizka about writing her solo projects as well as the more than forty collaborations she's worked on so far in her career. They chat about the challenges inherent in collaborations, how Maria got her start in the food world and the role letter writing played in getting her incredible internship—recip…

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133: Why Comp Titles Matter 37:48

26d ago37:48

37:48

This episode Molly, Kate, Kristin and Andrea chat all things comp titles, but first they talk about a recent plagiarism controversy that is rocking the cookbook world. They share their thoughts on copyrighting recipes, including attribution and having respect for 'the canon' of cookbooks. Then they move on to the subject of comp titles: what they a…

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132: Adam Roberts on being a Food Person 45:53

1M ago45:53

45:53

Kate and Molly welcome our first repeat guest, blogger and new novelist Adam Roberts, to discuss his foray into fiction. Adam shares what made him turn to fiction, why his first attempt didn't work and his own experience working as a ghostwriter as he shares the process of getting this book out into the world. He explains where the original idea ca…

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131: Delicious Tangents with Victoria Granof 51:54

1M ago51:54

51:54

Molly and Kate speak with the self described 'OG Food Creative' Victoria Granof about her vast and varied career in food media. With decades of experience cooking, catering, food styling, writing and directing she is filled with insights, stories and, like her newsletter, delicious tangents as she talks about what she loves about her work, lessons …

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130: Nature’s Candy with Camilla Wynne 49:14

2M ago49:14

49:14

Kate and Molly speak with Camilla Wynne, a Toronto-based pastry chef, writer and teacher, about her new cookbook Nature's Candy. Camilla shares her unique career trajectory, the book's origin story and why she wanted to write about the niche technique of candying fruit. She explains the challenges and approach to its writing, design, photoshoot, re…

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129: Cookbook Dreams Fulfilled with Rick Martínez 51:25

2M ago51:25

51:25

Kristin and Andrea speak with Rick Martínez about his new book, Salsa Daddy, and his thoughts on the state of Mexican cooking and cookbooks in America today. Rick shares why he wanted to write this specific book, how it changed him as a cook and what he hopes to convey with his work. He reveals a few key editorial differences between working on thi…

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128: Memoir Writing with Sutanya Dacres of Dinner for One 46:05

2M ago46:05

46:05

Kate and Molly speak with podcast host Sutanya Dacres about her debut memoir, Dinner for One, which was inspired by her podcast of the same name. Sutanya shares how her 'anti-fairytale' led to a show and a book, how she developed her writer's voice and her thoughts on what makes a memoir and why her book is unique to the 'American in Paris' lexicon…

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127: The Mid-Career Pivot with Betsy Andrews 43:02

2M ago43:02

43:02

Molly and Andrea speak with food journalist, poet and new cookbook author, Betsy Andrews, about her recent career pivot. She shares the story behind the book Coastal as it went from idea to article to cookbook and why a bidding war ensued after the proposal. She talks about how her hustle mentality and editorial background helped to craft the aspir…

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126: Open Sesame with Rachel Belle 50:40

3M ago50:40

50:40

Molly and Kate speak with Rachel Belle, a journalist and Seattle media personality who was hired to write Open Sesame, a cookbook all about tahini. She talks about her background in food media, the unique way she joined the project (leave the house!), and how she learned the aspects of cookbook creation on the job. She takes us through the recipe c…

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125: Alternative Publishing Paths with Barkha Cardoz 42:54

3M ago42:54

42:54

Kate and Kristin speak with Barkha Cardoz about the motivations and intentions behind expanding on her late husband Floyd Cardoz's legacy. She speaks about working with masala spice blends and why a collection of recipes was the next best step to demystify and empower home cooks, even though she has seen first hand the demanding nature of the cookb…

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124: Should You Start a Food Podcast? with Maggie Hoffman 51:41

3M ago51:41

51:41

Kate, Kristin, and Molly speak with Maggie Hoffman, host of The Dinner Plan Podcast, about her varied career in food media and what led to her starting her show. Maggie reminiscences about blogging, editing and working at Serious Eats and Epicurious as well as the ever changing landscape of food media. She shares why she began her podcast, the conc…

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123: The Revolution Will Be Well Fed with Corrie Locke-Hardy 41:41

3M ago41:41

41:41

Molly and Kristin speak with Corrie Locke-Hardy about their debut cookbook, which pairs their passion for social justice activism and food. Corrie talks about their atypical path towards publication, the unique approaches of their publisher and how the 'figure it out as you go' method worked during the book's creation. Corrie shares how they balanc…

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122: Start With Who 36:02

3M ago36:02

36:02

In this first episode of Season 7 Kristin, Molly, Kate and Andrea sit down to ask the question: What happens when we start with Who instead of Why? They share the readers they had in mind when they wrote their first books and why its important to identify an audience instead of writing to the market. They share a few tips to research such as demogr…

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56: Hybrid Publishing with Vasudha Viswanath [re-release] 48:22

4M ago48:22

48:22

Kate and Kristin discuss all things hybrid publishing with Vasudha Viswanath, the author of The Vegetarian Reset. Vasudha shares a quick rundown of the typical routes of publishing and why she chose to go down the hybrid path. She talks about the pitching process, what partnership publishers cover (and don't), the recipe development steps and how s…

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04: Let’s Make a Cookbook Deal [re-release] 34:00

4M ago34:00

34:00

Andrea leads today's chat about selling a cookbook and all the nitty gritty elements that go into it. Kristin, 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 …

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03: Cookbook Proposal Writing Tips [re-release] 43:54

4M ago43:54

43:54

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 …

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31: Catch an Agent’s Attention with Sally Ekus [re-release] 40:17

4M ago40:17

40:17

In this repeat episode, Kate and Kristin talk with literary agent Sally Ekus. A lot has changed in Sally's professional life since we last had her on -- the Ekus Group is now part of the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, and Sally is a senior agent there. What hasn't changed is the great advice she gives in this episode for emerging cookbook writhers…

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02: Do You Need an Agent [re-release] 48:56

5M ago48:56

48:56

Molly starts out today's episode with an interview with Rica Allannic, a literary agent with editorial 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 the right one and some things to consider at various …

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54: Cookbook Ideas: Where it all begins [re-release] 44:09

5M ago44:09

44:09

Molly, Kristin, Kate and Andrea talk about the idea behind the cookbook. After sharing some shelved ideas of their own, they workshop submissions from listeners to highlight considerations on topic, marketability, expertise and "the hook" for each premise. They brainstorm and discuss structural considerations, format, audience appeal and comp title…

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121: The Burnout Episode 39:27

5M ago39:27

39:27

We've noticed that 'burnout' is seeming more and more prevalent these days so Kate, Kristin, Molly and Andrea are using the final episode of Season 6 to speak all about it. They discuss how to identify it, how it manifests for each of them and share some ideas on what to do about it. They speak about how the blending of life and career as freelance…

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120: The Realities of Photographing Cookbooks with Clay Williams 43:25

5M ago43:25

43:25

Kristin and Molly speak with photographer Clay Williams about the financial realities and logistics around cookbook photography. Clay shares what he wishes authors knew before embarking on the photography portion of their book and what spurred his viral Thread about the finances behind photoshoots. He speaks about assuming the role of project manag…

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119: Jenny Rosenstrach on Cookbooks That Chronicle Family Life 41:34

6M ago41:34

41:34

Molly and Kristen speak with Jenny Rosenstrach about her family focused approach to food writing. She talks about her long running dinner diary, how her first book was a real time project and what went behind the decision to continue working around that theme. She explains why she includes a 'hook' in her recipes and how she landed on her unique re…

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118: Nicola Lamb on Writing the Book You Want to Read 52:00

6M ago52:00

52:00

Kate and Kristin speak with Nicola Lamb her debut cookbook, Sift, and writing the book you want to read. Nicola talks about her passion for baking, learning and teaching before diving into the book creation process. She shares the lengthy proposal writing process, working from her Substack and a post-it wall, the importance of trusting your team an…

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117: Joe Yonan on Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking 55:07

6M ago55:07

55:07

Molly and Andrea speak with Joe Yonan, the Food and Dining Editor at the Washington Post, about his new book, Mastering the Art of Plant Based Cooking. As they discuss the idea behind creating an authoritative resource, Joe explains why he wanted to write this particular book and concentrate on this topic as a cuisine instead of a lifestyle choice.…

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116: Emily Weinstein on What Makes a Good Recipe 46:13

6M ago46:13

46:13

Kate and Andrea speak with the editor in chief of New York Times Cooking, Emily Weinstein, about all things recipe writing and recipe curation for the new book Easy Weeknight Dinners. They chat about what makes a great recipe, what are missteps, if there is a formula and all the formatting considerations involved in writing recipes. Emily talks abo…

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115: Cookbook Trends 35:58

6M ago35:58

35:58

Happy New Year! Molly, Kristin, Kate and Andrea take a look at the past year in cookbooks and share their thoughts on the trends they predict for 2025. They discuss how the pandemic affected the cookbook market, how they see production costs and finances changing and share some insights from editors and agents about what publishers are looking for …

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114: Hetal Vasavada on Desi Bakes 49:01

7M ago49:01

49:01

Kate and Molly speak with blogger, writer and MasterChef alum Hetal Vasavada about her atypical career journey. She shares stories and lessons learned from her time on the tv show, how she got around the limits of her contract after it aired and why it was important to foster a community. Hetal talks about the differences between book one and book …

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113: Food, Romance, and Fiction with Sarah Chamberlain 48:01

7M ago48:01

48:01

Today things get a little bit spicy and steamy as Kate and Molly speak with debut romance writer Sarah Chamberlain. Sarah shares her experience working to "American-ize" foreign cookbooks and how she brought that food world expertise to her fiction writing. She discusses stepping into the romance world (reading and writing), the inspirations for he…

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112: Writing a Cookbook for Kids with Priya Krishna 42:06

7M ago42:06

42:06

Kristin, Andrea and special co-host Elsa chat with Priya Krishna about her fresh and unique kid's cookbook 'Priya's Kitchen Adventures'. Priya talks about approaching this project without kids of her own and why she wanted to create a physical book instead of going the video/social media route. She shares how writing for kids made her a better reci…

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111: The Joy of Networking 37:12

8M ago37:12

37:12

Kristin, Molly and Kate chat all about that often dreaded activity, networking. They talk about the stressors involved, their individual approaches and what they focus on to build relationships and why re-framing these as learning opportunities can help with imposter syndrome. They discuss some specific resources and advice along with some personal…

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110: Sarah Fennel on bringing an online platform to the page 38:59

8M ago38:59

38:59

Kate and Kristin speak all things platform building and content creation with Sarah Fennel as we learn what should come first, the audience or the book? Sarah shares her definition of 'content', her path from hobbyist blogger to business owner and what areas she focused on on to build her platform. She speaks about tipping points in her career, how…

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109: When Southern Women Cook with Toni Tipton-Martin and Morgan Bolling 51:48

8M ago51:48

51:48

Kristin and Molly speak about the newest release from America's Test Kitchen "When Southern Women Cook" with its editor, Morgan Bolling, and its forward writer, Toni Tipton-Martin. This is a newer format for ATK so Morgan and Toni share its journey from idea to publication, where the concept and title came from and how late night conversations insp…

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108: Live at Cookbook Fest: Toriano Gordon and Anna Voloshnya 36:31

8M ago36:31

36:31

We're pleased to share our very first live show with all of our listeners! Kate, Andrea and Kristin spoke with Toriano Gordon and Anna Voloshnya at the Napa Valley Cookbook Fest earlier this year where they spoke about their individual cookbook journeys and career paths, the challenges that came with their projects and the ways the process felt ful…

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107: Caroline Choe on Banchan 42:47

9M ago42:47

42:47

Kristin and Kate speak with chef, artist, teacher and writer Caroline Choe about her debut cookbook, Banchan. Caroline shares her career journey and how her teaching experience and art background informs her work today. After a confluence of events caused her to declare that she was quitting the industry, ultimately she was hired to write this cook…

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106: Caroline Chambers on Building a Substack Platform 52:41

9M ago52:41

52:41

Molly and Andrea speak with Substack's number one food and drink writer, Caroline Chambers, about her experience building a successful following that led to the release of her new cookbook, What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking. Caroline shares how the pandemic spurred her shift from freelance recipe developer to newsletter writer in spite …

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105: Bebe Carminito on Building Community Through Cookbooks 43:41

9M ago43:41

43:41

Kate and Molly speak about cookbook clubs and career shifts with debut author Bebe Carminito. Bebe shares what inspired her love of food and her various career changes, from makeup artist to pastry assistant to food stylist to cookbook author. She followed her curiosity, gathering contacts, classes and experience over the years which eventually led…

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104: Cookbook Criticism with Leslie Brenner 42:43

9M ago42:43

42:43

Molly and Kate dive back into the topic of cookbook reviews as they chat with Leslie Brenner, an experienced critic, journalist, editor and consultant in the food media space. Leslie shares how she got into food writing, the inspiration and motivation behind her website and why she focuses on the home cook. She speaks on the mental and physical tol…

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103: Propping, Styling, and Photographing Your Own Cookbooks with Betty Liu 38:35

10M ago38:35

38:35

Molly and Kate speak with Betty Liu about the process of creating her second cookbook which she photographed while juggling a demanding day job. She shares how she ventured into the cookbook sphere from her career in wedding photography, blogging and surgical residency as well as where the idea for her first book came from. She talks about why she …

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102: Lara Hamilton of Book Larder 50:09

10M ago50:09

50:09

Molly and Kate speak with Lara Hamilton, the owner of Book Larder Seattle's community cookbook store. Lara shares the motivations behind opening the store, why Seattle was the perfect base and how she sees the connection between food and books. We learn the origins behind the name, location and design of the store as well as some behind the scenes …

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101: Pumpkin Spice and Hot Takes 45:42

10M ago45:42

45:42

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, pr…

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100: Advice from Our Listeners and Season 5 Wrap-Up 43:32

12M ago43:32

43:32

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 mos…

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99: Eat Your Books 41:31

12M ago41:31

41:31

Molly and Kate speak with two members of the cookbook indexing website Eat Your Books team; Jane Kelly, co-founder and CEO and Jenny Hartin, Director of Publicity. Jane shares where she got the idea to create the website, the way it works and how its grown since its inception with now over 2.5 million recipes indexed. We learn how vital the communi…

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98: Writing Regional Recipes for a Global Audience with Chris Tan 51:42

12M ago51:42

51:42

Kate and Andrea chat with Singapore based cookbook author Chris Tan about his new book, Nerd Baker 2 and his publishing process. He shares why he wanted to revisit the world of Nerd Baker, how he keeps international readers in mind while writing and how his experience as a cooking instructor informs his work. He talks about the climate obstacles he…

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97: Teamwork=Dreamwork with Hot Sheet Authors Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine 45:52

1y ago45:52

45:52

Kate and Kristin tackle the topic of cookbook collaboration as they chat with Olga Massov and Sanaë Lemoine about their new book, Hot Sheet. Olga and Sanaë share a bit about their career paths, where the inspiration for this book came from and why partnering on it was the best way to go. They speak about the strengths and expertise each brought to …

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96: Ken and Michelle from Now Serving Bookstore 42:00

1y ago42:00

42:00

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 c…

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95: Recipe Writing with Real Cooks in Mind 51:52

1y ago51:52

51:52

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 li…

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94: Insights from Literary Agent Lori Galvin 40:56

1y ago40:56

40:56

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-fi…

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93: The Secret of Cooking with Bee Wilson 51:52

1y ago51:52

51:52

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 …