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 balanced the various tones of the book, why they focused on the recipes they did, how they worked with the team on its production, distribution, and promotion, and the project they hope to work on in the future. 

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions
 

Corrie Locke

• Website: The Tiny Activist
• Instagram: The Tiny Activist
   

The Washington Women's Cookbook

Sally Ekus

Raspberry Bow Press

High-Five Books

The Revolution Will Be Well Fed, by Corrie Locke-Hardy

Episode 85: A Juneteenth Cookbook for Kids with Alliah Agostini and Taffy Elrod

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

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 demographic data, awareness level and niching down as well as the tools and actions that could be helpful when either identifying or building an audience for a project. Finally they introduce a new Everything Cookbooks offering and tease our upcoming slate of new episodes.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Subscribe to our brand new Substack here!

EVCB Community Discount on Substack

Simon Sinek TedX Talk "Start with Why"

Episode 61: Writing a Second Edition with Lukas Volger
 

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

• Why I Cook, by Tom Collichio
• Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten
• Coastal, by Scott Clarke with Betsy Andrews
• Start with Why, by Simon Sinek 
   

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 she assembled her creative and publicity team. She describes the part her book plays in her business strategy and her experience learning as she goes in the cookbook community.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Vasudha Viswanath

• The Vegetarian Reset
• Substack: We Ate Well
• Instagram

The Collective Book Studio

Episode 40: Snackable Bakes with Jessie Sheehan

Episode 47: Self-Publishing Cookbooks with Nick Fauchald

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

IngramSpark

52 Shabbats by Faith Kramer

Reedsy

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

• Will Write for Food by Dianne Jacob

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 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

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 

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

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. We talk to Sally about her career path, what she brings to the table for her clients and peek into a day in her life. Sally shares how agents help careers, the key items in a query emails and the homework authors should do before reaching out to agents. Finally, she tells us her thoughts on proposal designs, where voice matters most and the one question she urges potential authors to ask themselves before getting started.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

The Ekus Group

• Instagram
• Website
• Submission Requirements

Sally Ekus

• Instagram
• Self Paced Course: How to Write a Cookbook
• Facebook group: How to be a Cookbook Author

Association of American Literary Agents Mentorship Program

Women's Media Group

The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook

First Generation

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

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 stages of a cookbook author's 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

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 titles to give listeners insights into the vital first step of the book creation process.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Episode 1: Should You Write a Cookbook?

Episode 2: Do You Need a Cookbook Agent? with Rica Allannic

Heidi Swanson

I’ve Made Everything from Gnocchi to Mapo Tofu in My Camper Van’s Kitchen

By Ali Slagle

Episode 50: Telling Your Story in a Chef Cookbook with Vishwesh Bhatt

Get Saucy

The Pleasures of Cooking for One

Savoring Spices and Herbs

Article about the Ski Town Aprés Ski Cookbook success

Association for Dressing and Sauces

Cooking for One by Judith Jones

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

• Good & Cheap by Leanne Brown
• Back Pocket Pasta by Colu Henry
• The New Sugar & Spice by Samantha Seneviratne
• Salad for President by Julia Sherman
• Priya's Kitchen Adventures: A Cookbook for Kids by Priya Krishna

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 freelancers can exacerbate feelings of constantly being 'on', perfectionism and excessive people pleasing along with the pressure to constantly be creating content. They talk about some of the ways they notice burnout looming and the 'rebellious' activities, tips and resources they use to combat it. See you in the Spring for Season 7!

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella
 

Mentions

• I was a bestselling recipe writer - then burnout killed my appetite for food, and life. This is how I found my way back by Meera Sodha
• On Politics of Attention in 2025 by Alicia Kennedy
   

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

• Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman 

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 manager, unexpected expenses, his typical workflow and the essential roles on a set. He shares why he continues to be interested in cookbook photography, his artistic approach to projects and what has and hasn't changed about the industry since he started.

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

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

Mentions

Clay Williams

• Website
• Instagram
• The Thread that started it all

Crystal Wahpahpeh

Black Food Folks

Episode 41: Writing a Bestselling Cookbook in Your 80s with Emily Meggett and Kayla Stewart
 

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

• My America by Kwame Onwuachi
• Roots, Heart, Soul, by Todd Richards
• Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Miss Emily Meggett
• Vegan Soulicious: Plant-Based Island Cooking by Charlise Rockwood