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