Cookbook Love Podcast

Welcome back to the Cookbook Love Podcast! This week I sit down with Justin Ellen, the baker and content creator behind Everything Just Baked, whose fun, chaotic, personality-filled approach to baking has captured the attention of millions of people across social media. We talk all about his beautiful new cookbook, Better Than Grandma's: Comfort Desserts We Grew Up Loving, his path from posting cake photos on Instagram at sixteen to building a following in the millions, and the leap from social media into an independently published book, including the vulnerability of showing up on camera, the real math behind traditional advances versus going independent, and how he decided which recipes made the cut. In this episode, Justin will show you: Why the fear of showing up online never fully disappears, even after you've "made it," so that you can stop waiting for the fear to go away before you start What a traditional publishing advance would actually cost Justin in time and money, and how he weighed his own publishing options  How to decide which of your most-loved recipes or content belongs in a book versus staying just for your audience What it took to independently publish a book that looks and feels as polished as one from a traditional publisher, so that going independent doesn't mean settling for less Justin's journey proves your path to build your platform or publish your cookbook doesn't have to look like everyone else's journey. You truly can choose your own adventure. Mentioned in This Episode: Everything Just Baked Join waitlist for next cookbook publishing masterclass  

Welcome back to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast! Today's episode pulls together the best publicity advice from top cookbook PR agents who've been on this show. These experts have worked with names like Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, and Ina Garten, and have helped first time authors build a following from scratch. When I laid their advice side by side, the overlap was clear, and that's what this episode is built around: what to focus your time and energy on, and what to let go of, and what's working in 2026. After this episode, you will: Know where to put your time and energy, without spreading yourself thin Have clarity on publicity vs marketing, and choose the right tool for the job Release the pressure of one big launch so that you can build something sustainable Own your own origin story, so that you are ready for the moment someone asks why your book matters Stop chasing what isn't working, and put your energy toward what is If this episode has you rethinking where to put your energy as you build toward your own book, get on my email list for free training on cookbook writing. Mentioned in This Episode: Join waitlist for next cookbook publishing masterclass  

Welcome back to another episode of Cookbook Love Podcast. Today I'm tackling a belief I encourage every one of my students to hold: publishers and agents aren't just open to your ideas, they're actively waiting for them. I share the real story behind my first book deal, including the year I spent sitting on a business card before I found the courage to send my idea, and how that single decision led to four cookbooks with three different publishers over the next ten years and a life built around writing cookbooks and coaching cookbook writers. In this episode, we discuss: The stainless steel bowl analogy: why hiding your ideas keeps you invisible, and what to do instead The business card story: a year of silence, and what finally broke it What actually got me signed (hint: it wasn't a big Instagram following) Two questions to ask yourself about your own kitchen work and its value There's an abundance of publishers and agents ready for your unique perspective. This episode is my invitation to you to start believing they're waiting for you too. Mentioned in This Episode: Join waitlist for next cookbook publishing masterclass  

Welcome back to another episode of the Cookbook Love Podcast! Today I'm talking about something I hear all the time, from people who visit my table at events and from readers on my own email list: the belief that there are already too many cookbooks. I went through a season where I believed this myself. I really did not think there was a need for any more cookbooks, mine included. If that thought has ever crossed your mind, I want you to know you are not alone, and I want to tell you why I no longer believe it. In this episode, we discuss: Why nobody ever says there are too many romance novels, cozy mysteries, or business books, and what that tells us about the "too many cookbooks" complaint The one truth about food that means a cookbook can never stop mattering: every single person alive needs to eat Why your perspective on a subject is worth just as much as the hundred other people who wrote about it first Why there is not too many cookbooks, but the perfect number, with always room for more If this episode has you thinking differently about the story you've been telling yourself about why you haven't started, get on my email list for free training on cookbook writing. Mentioned in This Episode: Join the waitlist for the next cookbook publishing masterclass  

Welcome back to the Cookbook Love Podcast! Before I launched my recent masterclass about how to grow your audience for a cookbook, I sent my email list two questions: what's holding you back from growing your audience, and what do you want answered in the class? In this solo episode, I'm sharing the answers my readers sent in, along with a mindset shift for each one, so you can see whether you're standing in the same gap they are. In this episode, I discuss: Why writing a blog isn't a barrier to your email list, it's one step away from it Why consistency isn't a personality trait, it's a weekly decision you keep making The difference between engagement and attention, and how to invite more of the first Why internet politics doesn't have to touch your dream of writing a cookbook What to do when you haven't identified your cookbook topic yet I close the episode with a reminder that waiting to grow your audience or build your platform isn't neutral. A small shift in how you think about these five "excuses" can be the difference between staying stuck and finally starting to build an audience and get a book deal you dream about. Mentioned in This Episode: Cookbook Concept Map (free download)