Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky has dedicated his life to studying happiness. In this episide we talk to him about ‘mattering’ and how we can use his research findings to write more, worry less about our status and embrace a lightness in our creative work. * ABOUT DR. ISAAC Dr. Isaac Prilleltensky holds the inaugural Erwin and Barbara Mautner Chair in Comm…

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…

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…

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 …

Penny Wincer, an author, writer and non-fiction book coach on how writers can think deeply about their living spaces, what makes a house a home and we dive into her expertise around creating engaging non-fiction and creating a non-fiction book proposal to send to agents. * ABOUT PENNY WINCER Penny Wincer is an author, freelance writer and non-ficti…

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…

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…

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 …

Literary Agent (RCW Agency) and children’s author Sam Copeland on what he’s looking for in his submissions pile, how to write a compelling pitch letter, what he thinks about submitting to agents internationally and how he constructs funny middle-grade fiction. * ABOUT SAM COPELAND Sam Copeland was shortlisted for Literary Agent of the Year at the 2…

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 …

Award-winning cookbook writer, blogger and novelist Kate Young on creating a viral cooking blog, how she turned her blog into a series of cookbooks, and what goes into a pitch for a cookbook. Plus her approach to plotting rom com, adding depth to rom-com characters, her approach to writing sex scenes and what she thinks every rom com should have. *…

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…

Practical advice from Irish poet Pádraig Ó Tuama on writing and editing poetry and expanding your world with poetry. Highlights from a previous episode. For the full episode, listen to interview episode #103 * ABOUT PÁDRAIG Ó TUAMA ​Pádraig Ó Tuama is a theologian, writer, and conflict transformation practitioner. His books include In the Shelter: …

For decades, Rachel Blackmore dreamed of becoming an author. In 2020, she joined Writers’ Hour and began her first novel. Now, her debut, COSTANZA, is being published by Dialogue Books (Hachette) and is hailed as an addictive tale of desire and betrayal. In this special interview, we're joined by Rachel and her literary agent, Juliet Pickering. We …

A curation of our favourite questions and poems from our interview with poet David Whyte. We ask him: What we can do when we can’t access our writing? How do we live through fallow periods of writing and what rituals he uses for writing. He shares the poems: A Seeming Stillness, A Song for the Salmon and Start Close In. * ABOUT DAVID WHYTE David Wh…

Lyn Slater on going viral with her blog, Accidental Icon in her 60s, writing memoir How to Be Old and starting a Substack in her 70s and why getting older can be the most invigorating phase of life—full of rebellion, reinvention, connection, and creativity. * ABOUT LYN SLATER Lyn Slater is a cultural influencer, model, writer, content creator and f…

Olivia Petter, award-winning journalist & author on breaking into journalism, vulnerability, writing about consent and celebrity (Gold Rush), finding her niche in journalism and landing a book deal. * ABOUT OLIVIA PETTER Olivia Petter is an award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster based in London. As a journalist, she specialises in violen…

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…

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…

Marketing strategist, editor and author Charlie Hoehn on the key things bestselling authors do to create a successful and shareable books. We talk about: Helping Ramit Sethi and Tim Ferriss launch their books How to test and launch a nonfiction idea Creating a brand around your book, Effective marketing strategies The merits of self-publishing and …

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…

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 …

Sunday Times Bestseller Beth Morrey (Saving Missey, Lucky Day) on her journey as a writer and TV producer and writing humorous upmarket books while exploring darker themes. We talk about her latest book Lucky Day and what it means to stop saying ‘yes’ and start living for yourself. * ABOUT BETH MORREY Previously Creative Director at RDF Television,…

Nora Neus, Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and freelance journalist (CNN, Vice News, The Washington Post) and creator of the Long Form Lab on finding a story from the seed of an idea, how writers can discover and use their strengths and how to choose which media to use for a potential story. * ABOUT NORA NEUS Nora Neus is an Emmy-nominated journal…

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…

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…

SHOW SUMMARY Spoken word artist and writer Oisín McKenna on Oscar Wilde as inspiration, finding his footing in the spoken word world, turning his hand to writing a book, how he wrote his book in fragments and later added structure, and why you should be kind to yourself and how to trust that your writing will improve and get to where it needs to be…

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…

Short story and literary novelist and former Hachette Editor, Niamh Mulvey on how to create memorable characters, finding her voice as a writer after years of failing, overcoming rejection and what she’s learned from her years in the publishing industry. * ABOUT NIAMH MULVEY Niamh Mulvey is from Kilkenny, Ireland. Her short fiction has been publish…

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 …

David Heinemeier Hansson, serial entrepreneur and bestselling author on his 14-year journey to selling millions of copies of his books, why you should view your books as valuable products, and how he has co-written and marketed his books—all while running multiple successful businesses, including Basecamp, Ruby on Rails, and Hey.com. Plus how he us…

Kate and Molly speak with Ruth Reichl, an icon and authority in the food media world, about her breadth of writing experience - restaurant reviews, cookbooks, memoirs, articles and even tweets- and her new book, The Paris Novel. Ruth shares why food is a universal framework, her inspirations for this novel and the process of working with a new edit…

Kristin, Molly and Kate tackle cookbook design from a usability perspective. They point out design decisions that authors should consider: packaging and cover design, typeface and font legibility, photographs on matte vs gloss paper and much more. They share their own opinions, experiences and preferences on the elements that enhance or detract fro…

Young Adult Bestselling author Krystal Sutherland on the reality of hitting the New York Times Bestseller list, how she constructs compelling hooks and endings for each chapter, moving across genres, and her advice for getting your book done and creating a page-turner. * ABOUT KRYSTAL SUTHERLAND Krystal Sutherland is the New York Times and indie be…

Kristin and Molly speak with cookbook author Phoebe Lapine about finding pleasure in restrictive diets and her new cookbook, Carbivore. Phoebe shares what led her down a food focused career path, how she learned while blogging and how a health diagnosis pulled her down a different path than originally planned. She talks about writing recipes that k…

Molly and Kristin speak with Sarah Kwak, a senior editor at Harvest an imprint of Harper Collins, to find out what the editing process is like. Sarah shares how she ended up at her current role, the focus Harvest has for cookbooks and what authors should keep mind regarding their proposal assembly before submission. She discusses her thoughts on co…

Rupal Patel, an ex-CIA agent and author of From CIA to CEO on applying CIA tools to your personal and creative life. Plus she gives us tips for how to create more time and how to pitch a non-fiction book. * RESOURCES & LINKS 📄 Interview Transcript (unedited) From CIA to CEO Rupal’s TED Talk, My Unexpected Discovery About Working at the CIA Rupal’s …

Kristin and Kate discuss author Michelle Braxton's turbulent publishing journey for her new book, Supper with Love. She shares the story behind the "organic" growth of her food career, how she balances social media creation, blogging and book writing with a separate full time career and how the book idea came about. She talks about committing firml…

The poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama tells us about his journey into poetry, how he knows a poem is complete and how poets might practice noticing. He also reads from his collection and deconstructs his poetry. We also discuss what it means to make a living as a poet. * ABOUT PÁDRAIG Ó TUAMA ​Pádraig Ó Tuama is a theologian, writer, and conflict…

Kate and Kristin speak with Kathleen Schmidt, an industry veteran with years of experience in editing, publishing, marketing and public relations and now author of the newsletter Publishing Confidential. Kathleen shares her extensive career path, what her focus is as a freelancer and the origins of her newsletter along with what keeps her writing. …

TV writer Michael Jamin (‘Just Shoot Me!’ and ‘King of the Hill.’) on his experience as a writer and showrunner, growing his platform and how he created, promoted and self-published his book A Paper Orchestra, * ABOUT MICHAEL JAMIN Michael Jamin has been writing for television since 1996. His many credits include Just Shoot Me, King of the Hill, Be…

Kate and Molly speak with Lelani Lewis, a London born food stylist and culinary activist of Grenadian and Irish heritage now based in Amsterdam. Lelani shares how homesickness spurred her into a culinary career through pop-ups, where the idea for her debut cookbook came from as well as why she chose this title. She speaks about her desire to share …

Molly and Kristin dive into the territory of kid-lit in this talk with Alliah Agostini and Taffy Elrod, authors of The Juneteenth Cookbook. Alliah and Taffy discuss how they both got involved with the project, how they worked together and the goal they had of bringing the celebration of Juneteenth to life with food, history and family activities. T…

The First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid on her writing habits, her creative life and why the Iceland Writers’ Retreat is a perfect place for writers. We also discuss her fiction and nonfiction, navigating self-doubt, being tenacious with time and how she balances her responsibilities as a writer with her role in public service. * ABOUT ELIZA REID Eliz…

Molly, Kristin, Andrea and Kate tackle the topic of cookbook criticism, spurred on by recent online conversations. They discuss what it could look like, its importance and what the lack of rigorous criticism means for cookbook publishing. They talk about the unique obstacles to reviewing cookbooks, the elements reviews should highlight and why we n…

Clara Vulliamy, a children’s author of over 30 books talks about how she approaches collaboration, and what she’s learned from decades in the world of children's publishing as an author and illustrator. * ABOUT CLARA VULLIAMY Clara Vulliamy is the daughter of author-illustrator Shirley Hughes and architect John Vulliamy. Her first experience of mak…

Kristin and Molly speak with author and blogger Shelly Worcel about breaking into speciality markets and writing niche, single subject cookbooks. Shelly speaks about growing her skills while blogging, how she was tapped to write her highly successful second book, and how her open mindset allowed a natural escalation of her brand and career. She sha…

Before Sunrise co-writer, Kim Krizan on plotting for the screen, creating memorable characters for Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy and advice on how to start writing a screenplay. * ABOUT KIM KRIZAN Kim Krizan is the Academy Award-nominated writer of the films “Before Sunrise” and “Before Sunset.” Her book Original Sins: Trade Secrets of the Femme Fata…

Kate talks with Kristin, Molly and Andrea about the challenges faced when beginning a writing career and the resources they use to help improve their writing skills. They discuss which interest came first, the writing or the food, how reading with a critical eye can help one move beyond the basics and why it is vital to always keep the reader at th…

New York Times bestselling author Learning to Love Midlife on why life gets better with age, midlife as a chrysalis & awakening and how we can create the ideal condition for a Creative Life. * ABOUT CHIP CONLEY Chip Conley is on a mission. After disrupting the hospitality industry twice, first as the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second…