Best How To Write A Cookbook Proposal Podcasts (2025)

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29: Finding Your Voice with Tori Ritchie [re-release] 49:56

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20h ago49:56

49:56

Originally aired on November 16, 2022 Kate and Molly chat with cookbook teacher, author and editor Tori Ritchie about her career trajectory and how she developed her personal writing voice after years of working on branded cookbooks. She shares insights and tips about developing a voice and the bad habits to avoid in writing before revealing a few …

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22: What Does it Mean to Craft a Voice? [re-release] 45:28

8d ago45:28

45:28

Originally aired on September 28, 2022 Kristin starts out today's episode asking Molly, Kate and Andrea about the books that inspired them to follow this career path and how they'd define the idea of "voice" in writing. They discuss the difference between tone and voice, the tools they've use to craft their own and how to inject it into recipe writ…

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141: Season 7 Highlights 40:52

14d ago40:52

40:52

Molly, Kate and Kristin get together to celebrate the end of Season 7 and over 140 episodes of Everything Cookbooks! They chat about the highlights and takeaways from this season, what topics and guest insights stood out to them and even wade back into the waters of comp titles for a beat. They are delighted to see how the show has helped authors c…

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140: The Italian Summer Kitchen with Cathy Whims and Kate Lewis 41:09

21d ago41:09

41:09

Molly and Kate speak with chef and author Cathy Whims and illustrator Kate Lewis about their new cookbook The Italian Summer Kitchen. They share the inspiration behind the book, how it evolved after a few setbacks and why they landed on an illustrated version instead of a photographed one. Her first time working on a cookbook, Kate shares the proce…

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139: Green Gold with Sarah Allaback and Monique F. Parsons 47:52

29d ago47:52

47:52

Kate and Molly speak with co-authors Sarah Allaback and Monique F. Parsons about their new book Green Gold. With backgrounds in scholarship, journalism and avocado farming this duo was uniquely qualified to write all about avocados; their history, agricultural background and the characters that helped mainstream this ingredient. They share why deci…

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138: Writing a Cookbook Based Around Her Ice Cream Brand with Pooja Bavishi 43:43

1M ago43:43

43:43

Kristin and Kate speak with Pooja Bavishi, the founder of Malai Ice Cream, about her debut cookbook. They ask Pooja about her company's history from stand to scoop shop, why she wanted to revolutionize ice cream by highlighting South Asian flavors and why now was the right time to write a book—even when many publishing professionals told her to wai…

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137: Being a Cookbook Editor with Sarah Billingsley of Chronicle Books 46:40

1M ago46:40

46:40

Molly and Kate speak with Sarah Billingsley, the publishing director of food and lifestyle at Chronicle Books, about moving up the ranks as an editor and her experience on the other side as an author of her own cookbooks. She talks about how her role has shifted over the years, the first book she acquired and what makes something a "Chronicle Book"…

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

2M 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

2M 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

2M 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

2M 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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Reedsy Live: The Ultimate Guide to Book Endorsements with Joel Pitney 18:34

2M ago18:34

18:34

🔍 Book marketer Joel Pitney reveals his technique for securing (and leveraging) great endorsements from the people who really matter📝 Find a full transcript of this podcast episode here: https://blog.reedsy.com/live/get-amazing-endorsements-book/By Reedsy

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

3M 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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Reedsy Live: An Expert's Guide to Crafting a Brilliant Book Description with Bryan Cohen 32:37

3M ago32:37

32:37

🔍 Author and expert book marketer Bryan Cohen rewrites author-submitted book descriptions.📝 Find a full transcript of this podcast episode here: blog.reedsy.com/live/5-essential-…arketing-tactics/By Reedsy

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131: Delicious Tangents with Victoria Granof 51:54

3M 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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Reedsy Live: How To Create a 5 Star Cookbook Using Old Family Recipes with Joanna Pruss 20:26

3M ago20:26

20:26

🔍 Award-winning food and travel writer Joanna Pruess explains the basics of creating a compelling cookbook from your family recipes📝 Find a full transcript of this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/family-recipes/By Reedsy

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

3M 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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Reedsy Live: How to Jumpstart Your Story with Jennie Nash 19:42

3M ago19:42

19:42

🔍 Learn the three simple questions that will get your book into gear and save you years of frustrationBy Reedsy

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129: Cookbook Dreams Fulfilled with Rick Martínez 51:25

3M 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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Reedsy Live: The Secret to Nonfction Book Marketing with Jonny Andrews 14:02

3M ago14:02

14:02

🔍 Non-fiction authors: learn about the business you're really in, how to start correctly, grow systematically, and scale to profitabilityBy Reedsy

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

4M 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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Reedsy Live: How to Write a Stellar Short Story with Laura Mae Isaacman 18:12

4M ago18:12

18:12

🔍 Editor Laura Mae Isaacman shares her top tips for writing cracking short stories📝 Find a full transcript for this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/write-short-story-live-training/By Reedsy

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

4M 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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Reedsy Live: Five Common Pitfalls That Mystery Writers Fall Into with Allister Thompson 16:12

4M ago16:12

16:12

🔍Editor and publisher Allister Thompson reveals his top five things to avoid when you're writing mystery fiction📝 Find a full transcript of this podcast episode here: https://blog.reedsy.com/live/mistakes-in-writing-mystery/By Reedsy

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126: Open Sesame with Rachel Belle 50:40

4M 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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Reedsy Live: The Art of the Nonfiction Book Proposal with Dr Noah Charney 33:21

4M ago33:21

33:21

🔍 Learn about the most essential document of a nonfiction author's career from bestselling author Dr Noah Charney📝 Find the highlights for this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/book-proposals-101/By Reedsy

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125: Alternative Publishing Paths with Barkha Cardoz 42:54

4M 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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Reedsy Live: Conflict, Stakes, and Momentum: How to Construct a Scene with Oksana Marafioti 38:04

4M ago38:04

38:04

🔍 Discover the essential elements behind all impactful scenes in this episode with Oksana Marafioti, a seasoned author and editor 📝 Find the highlights for this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/anatomy-of-a-great-scene/By Reedsy

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

4M 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

5M 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

5M 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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Reedsy Live: The Most Common Mistakes Fiction Series Writers Make with Jim Spivey 16:09

5M ago16:09

16:09

🔍 Former Hachette and DC Comics editor Jim Spivey shows author what classic mistakes to avoid when writing a genre fiction series📝 Find a full transcript for this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/writing-genre-series/By Reedsy

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Reedsy Live: How to Keep Commercial Appeal in Mind When Writing a Memoir with Paul Bradley Carr 27:04

5M ago27:04

27:04

🔍 Author Paul Bradley Carr reveals his top tips for creating a memoir that appeals to a wider audience📝 Find the full transcript for this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/how-to-write-a-memoir-with-commercial-appeal/By Reedsy

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Reedsy Live: Adapting Your Story for the Screen With Richard Stokes 20:21

5M ago20:21

20:21

🔍 Find out how to turn your book into a gripping screenplay for film or TV📝 Find a set of written highlights for this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/book-to-screenplay/By Reedsy

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

5M 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

5M 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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Reedsy Live: Add a Personal Touch to Your Query Letter with Rachel Stout 23:15

6M ago23:15

23:15

🔍 Former literary agent Rachel Stout reveals her tips for researching agents and personalizing query letters📝 Find a full transcript of this podcast episode here: https://blog.reedsy.com/live/personalizing-your-query-letters/By Reedsy

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

6M 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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Reedsy Live: How to Structure a Novel Like a Bestselling Author with Caroline Leavitt 21:31

6M ago21:31

21:31

🔍 New York Times bestselling author Caroline Leavitt talks about her approach to story structureBy Reedsy

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

6M 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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Reedsy Live: Crafting a Successful Story Pitch in Seven Steps with Jeff Lyons 24:16

6M ago24:16

24:16

🔍 Story consultant Jeff Lyons reveals his cookie-cutter formula for crafting a winning logline, and shares some of his own examples📝 Find a full transcript for this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/logline/By Reedsy

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

6M 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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Reedsy Live: To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme? Talking Children's Books with Tracy Gold 25:34

6M ago25:34

25:34

🔍 Editor and children's author Tracy Gold discusses rhyming in picture books — is it needed, and how can you do it well?📝 Find a full transcript for this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/rhyming-picture-books/By Reedsy

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

6M 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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Reedsy Live: Plot a Romance Novel in One Hour with Bryn Donovan 23:49

6M ago23:49

23:49

🔍 Get the ball rolling on your page-turning romance book in this episode with editor and romance extraordinaire Bryn Donovan📝 Find the highlights for this podcast episode here:https://blog.reedsy.com/live/plot-romance-novel/By Reedsy

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121: The Burnout Episode 39:27

7M 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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Reedsy Live: How to Write a Thought Leadership Book with Stacy Ennis 28:18

7M ago28:18

28:18

🔍 Learn how to write a thought leadership book with author and keynote speaker, Stacy EnnisBy Reedsy

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

7M 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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Reedsy Live: Using Poetry to Become a Better Writer with Emma Murf 20:49

7M ago20:49

20:49

🔍 Learn how poetry can elevate your novels, short stories, and non-fiction books with poet Emma MurfBy Reedsy

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

7M 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…