Babe Cave

Spring didn't just show up on the calendar — it showed up in the work.

Amanda Polick recorded this one on the first official day of spring, and it's exactly what it sounds like: a real-time reckoning with hibernation, self-imposed smallness, and what it finally feels like to wake back up. This isn't a productivity episode. It's a permission slip.

Amanda gets honest about a winter spent rethinking major parts of her novel, sitting with creative fatigue instead of pushing through it, and quietly realizing she'd stopped betting on herself in ways she used to do without thinking twice. Cold emails. Conference sign-ups. Relentless connection. Somewhere along the way, that version of herself got comfortable — and comfortable got small.

In this episode:

• Why she's been shifting the language she uses with herself — and what phrases writers reach for that quietly keep them stuck
• What happened when she stopped treating her network like a to-do list and started letting the dots connect
• The meme about the world being on fire that actually made her feel better about going after her dreams
• Why art is the thing people reach for when everything else is crumbling — and what that means for your book
• The cycle of seasons in every creative project (and why the messy middle really does feel like the dog days of August)

If you've been in a winter season and you're not quite sure you're ready to come out of it, this one's for you. And honestly? Amanda's listening back to it too.

Hot garbage isn't an insult — it's a practice.

Cookbook coach Amanda Polick makes the case for why submitting imperfect, unpolished, still-in-progress work is not just acceptable — it's the whole point. Drawing on her background as an actor and Second City Hollywood graduate, Amanda unpacks why perfectionism stalls more writing projects than any lack of talent ever could, and what it actually takes to break through the wall.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why Amanda holds the line on deadlines with every client — and what that teaches writers about their own resistance
• The Anne Lamott quote on perfectionism that she returns to again and again
• What the Tadashi Suzuki acting method reveals about creative fatigue (and why friction might be exactly what you need)
• How writing 30,000 words in the wrong direction on her own novel changed how she coaches
• The free-writing technique that unlocks the section you've been avoiding

Oh — and this episode is itself a live demonstration of the concept. Amanda recorded it after realizing she'd forgotten it was due, with dinner to make and somewhere to be. Consider it proof of her own point.

Perfect for: writers at any stage who are overthinking the page, stalling on a submission, or waiting until it's "good enough" to share.

Virginia Woolf published A Room of One's Own in 1929. Nearly 100 years later, the questions she raised — about money, creative freedom, and a woman's right to write — are still the questions women writers are asking.

In this solo Women's History Month episode, Amanda Polick takes a deep dive into the essay that inspired the name Babe Cave itself, and unpacks why its central argument is just as urgent in 2026 as it was when Woolf delivered it as a lecture at Cambridge in 1928.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The story of Shakespeare's hypothetical sister — and why Woolf believed she lives on in every woman who hasn't written her story yet
• The history of women writing anonymously, and what it means to put your name on your work today
• Why Aphra Behn — the first English woman to earn her living by writing — deserves your attention (and probably a few flowers)
• How financial independence and creative freedom have always been the same conversation
• Why the restrictions facing women writers in 2026 are just as real as 100 years ago, even if they look completely different

Perfect for: Women writers, aspiring authors, anyone who has a story they've been afraid to claim, readers of Virginia Woolf, and anyone who needs someone to tell them to keep going.

Shownotes: https://www.amandapolick.com/blog/room-of-ones-own-episode Newsletter: Weekly insights on writing and creativity Connect: Instagram @amandapolick | amandapolick.com Work with Amanda: Book your Golden Hour Call here

What does hosting a dinner party have to do with writing a book? Everything, it turns out.

In this episode, Amanda Polick dives into Chelsea Fagan's Having People Over and draws surprising parallels between the art of entertaining and the writing process — from reclaiming formality in your creative work to why going deeper (not wider) is the move that changes everything.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why we've gotten too casual with our writing — and how to fix it

• The "back-pocket recipe" method for finding your creative focus

• How to combat the loneliness of writing by inviting people into your process

• What the Golden Hour coaching call is and how it can help you take your next book step

Perfect for: Aspiring authors, writers stuck in the idea phase, creatives craving community and a clear next step.

Shownotes: https://www.amandapolick.com/blog/having-people-over-episode Newsletter: Weekly insights on writing and creativity Connect: Instagram @amandapolick | amandapolick.com Work with Amanda: Book your Golden Hour Call here

Lokelani Alabanza has invented over 300 ice cream flavors, spent five years writing the cookbook she was born to write, and will absolutely change the way you think about what's in your freezer.

Loke is a classically trained pastry chef with 20+ years of experience, founder of Saturated Ice Cream (a non-dairy, plant-based brand based in Nashville), and the author of Ice Cream Queen: Flavors from Black America's Past, Present, Future — out June 16, 2026, the week of Juneteenth. The book covers 200 years of Black American ice cream history and includes 100 recipes.

In this conversation, they get into:

→ What it actually took to finish this book — surrendering control, surviving the silence, and betting on herself when no one could guarantee the outcome

→ Why you have to be a little delusional to see a creative dream through (and why that's not a bad thing)

→ The mission behind Ice Cream Queen — and what Loke hopes you feel the next time you walk down the ice cream aisle

→ What the publishing process really looks like from the inside, including the things nobody tells first-time cookbook authors

This episode is for the creatives, the dreamers, the people in the messy middle of something they can't quit. If you've ever had a big idea and wondered if you had what it takes to actually finish it — this one's for you.

Pre-order Ice Cream Queen: lokelanialabanaza.com

Connect with Loke: @yokiyanifanza

Amanda Polick is a cookbook coach, writer, and the host of Babe Cave. She helps creative people get their books into the world through one-on-one coaching, editorial services, and her blog about cookbook proposals and book marketing.

Shownotes: https://www.amandapolick.com/blog/lokelani-alabanza-episode Newsletter: Weekly insights on writing and creativity Connect: Instagram @amandapolick | amandapolick.com Work with Amanda: Apply here

Your cookbook proposal isn't a rough draft—it's a business plan that will make or break your book deal.

After years of coaching aspiring cookbook authors, Amanda Polick has seen the same mistake over and over: brilliant writers with incredible concepts who sabotage themselves by treating their proposal like an afterthought. They think agents will clean it up, or figure it out. But if your proposal doesn't immediately prove you have a clear concept, know your audience, and can market your book, it's dead in the water.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why your proposal is your best opportunity to land a book deal (not your book itself)

• What goes into each section of a winning proposal and how to make it sparkle

• The marketing and promotional plan mistakes that immediately signal amateur hour

• How to get expert guidance without going it alone (including three new coaching options)

Perfect for: Aspiring cookbook authors, food bloggers ready to write a book, recipe developers seeking traditional publishing, anyone writing a nonfiction book proposal

Amanda Polick is a cookbook coach, writer, and the host of Babe Cave. She helps creative people get their books into the world through one-on-one coaching, editorial services, and her blog about cookbook proposals and book marketing.

Shownotes: https://www.amandapolick.com/blog/how-to-write-a-cookbook-proposal Newsletter: Weekly insights on writing and creativity Connect: Instagram @amandapolick | amandapolick.com Work with Amanda: Apply here

In this episode, celebrating Black History Month, Amanda Polick dives into the life of Edna Lewis. A woman who became the Grand Dame of Southern Cooking not by following culinary trends, but by staying true to her roots.

Edna's path was anything but linear. She worked as a seamstress making dresses for Marilyn Monroe, threw legendary dinner parties in NYC's bohemian art scene, and eventually became head chef and co-owner of Cafe Nicholson, where literary giants like Tennessee Williams and Eleanor Roosevelt came to eat her roast chicken and chocolate soufflé. But the real turning point came when her editor told her she was telling two different stories—and forced her to choose the one only she could tell.

In this episode, discover:

→ How growing up in Freetown, Virginia (a community founded by formerly enslaved people) shaped everything about Edna's approach to food and community

→ The epic dinner parties that led to her running one of NYC's most celebrated restaurants with zero professional training

→ The moment her editor Judith Jones said "you're telling two different stories"—and how that critique led to The Taste of Country Cooking

→ Why critics insisted her food must be French because they couldn't imagine a Black Southern woman creating something so sophisticated

→ How to recognize when you're avoiding the work only you can do

Perfect for: Writers, creators, food lovers, anyone interested in Southern cuisine and African American culinary heritage, and anyone who needs permission to lean into what feels true

Amanda Polick is a cookbook coach who helps food creators develop book proposals and navigate the traditional publishing process.

Shownotes: https://www.amandapolick.com/blog/edna-lewis-episode Newsletter: Weekly insights on writing and creativity Connect: Instagram @amandapolick | amandapolick.com Work with Amanda: Apply here

Not everyone who wants to write a cookbook should—and as a cookbook coach, Amanda Polick knows when to say so.

In this episode, Amanda shares the red flags she watches for when aspiring authors apply to work with her: the family friend who insisted his wild game cookbook was "all in his head," the woman who tried to negotiate rates while planning to spend $8,000 she didn't have on self-publishing, and the applicant who sent her a Canva movie in French.

Listeners will discover:

• Why "it's all in my head" is the most dangerous phrase in cookbook publishing
• The platform-building work aspiring authors must complete before writing a book proposal
• How to know if you need a coach, ghostwriter, or just more time
• Red flags that indicate someone isn't ready for the publishing process

Perfect for: Aspiring cookbook authors, food creators considering traditional publishing, home cooks wondering if they should turn their passion into a book

Amanda Polick is a cookbook coach who helps food creators develop book proposals and navigate the traditional publishing process.

Shownotes: https://www.amandapolick.com/blog/you-shouldnt-write-a-book-episode Newsletter: Weekly insights on writing and creativity Connect: Instagram @amandapolick | amandapolick.com Work with Amanda: Apply here

Hot take: That novel you're "too busy" to read? It might be the most radical act of resistance you can do right now.

Amanda Polick is tired of fiction getting a bad rap. You know the types—"I only read TRUE stories" people who act like novels are somehow less valuable than self-help books. But here's the thing: while 40% of Americans didn't crack open a single book in 2025, our leaders are literally telling us not to believe what we see with our own eyes. Coincidence? Amanda doesn't think so.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why reading rom-coms and fantasy actually makes you better at spotting BS in real life (hint: unreliable narrators aren't just in books)
• The surprisingly low bar for literacy in America—and why it matters when propaganda is everywhere
• How your brain on fiction is like your brain at the gym (30 minutes = stress relief equivalent to yoga, plus you get smarter)
• Real talk about why that 900-page book is exactly what your shrinking attention span needs

Perfect for: Writers, avid readers, anyone concerned about media literacy and critical thinking, people experiencing reading resistance, educators, and anyone feeling guilty about reading for pleasure during hard times.

Amanda Polick is a cookbook coach and writer. She believes in the power of fiction, librarians, and that red vs. white wine debates are elitist nonsense.

Shownotes: https://www.amandapolick.com/blog/reading-resistance-episode Newsletter: Weekly insights on writing and creativity Connect: Instagram @amandapolick | amandapolick.com Work with Amanda: Apply here

If you've ever felt like you're "too small" to get a cookbook deal or that everyone with a million followers is getting all the opportunities, this episode is for you.

Amanda breaks down what's really happening in the influencer world right now. Spoiler: follower count doesn't matter the way it used to. Instagram's algorithm shift means small creators with shareable content are getting discovered regardless of how many followers they have. And that changes everything.

This is a warm, honest conversation about building something real in a landscape that's constantly shifting. Whether you're dreaming about a cookbook deal, tired of chasing viral trends, or just trying to figure out how to show up authentically online, this episode will give you permission to do things differently.

You'll hear about:

• Why the algorithm shift to prioritize shares over followers is actually good news for micro-influencers
• The real story behind follower counts and book sales (and why 5,000 engaged followers can matter more than 500,000 passive ones)
• Why starting an email list is less scary than you think—and why one client went from zero to 6,000 subscribers in six months
• What makes your content uniquely yours in a world where everyone's copying everyone else
• How to think about building a platform that outlasts every algorithm change

Perfect for: Food bloggers, aspiring cookbook authors, content creators who want to build something sustainable, and anyone who's ready to stop copying trends and start creating something that's actually theirs.

Shownotes: https://www.amandapolick.com/blog/influencing-is-dead-episode Newsletter: Weekly insights on writing and creativity Connect: Instagram @amandapolick | amandapolick.com Work with Amanda: Apply here