In today’s episode, we’re unpacking a concept I teach inside the Get Paid to Get Published program about defining Your Cookbook Concept. Using a powerful metaphor —the Dinner Party Analogy—we’ll explore how to define what your book is really about, who it’s for, what’s on the “menu,” and why it matters in today’s publishing landscape. Today you’ll learn why you, the author, are the host of your book’s journey, how to identify and describe your ideal reader, and different cookbook concept types—from ingredients to holidays, what makes your book stand out in the market, and what is a competition study.

Things We Mention in This Episode:

How to Get Paid to Write a Cookbook Free Training
Join the waitlist for Cookbooks on KDP for September 2025

Welcome to another episode of the show. Today, I’m excited to welcome Cristina Carolan. Cristina is a plant-based personal chef and author of Plant-Based Pacific, a cookbook that reflects a vibrant fusion of culinary cultures from Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines. She’s the owner of Chef Veggie, a plant-based personal chef and holistic lifestyle service. A lifelong traveler, Cristina’s experiences living in Japan, visiting her mother’s homeland of the Philippines, and calling three Hawaiian islands home inform every dish and story in her book.

In today’s episode, we talk about:

• The inspiration behind Plant-Based Pacific

• How Cristina's multicultural upbringing shaped the concept

• Cristina's cookbook publishing journey

• Recipes and stories for local meals like Hawaiian Plate Lunch and Filipino Kamayan, all with a plant-based twist

• Advice for aspiring cookbook authors

Whether you’re a plant-based cook, a cultural food enthusiast, or dreaming of writing a cookbook, Cristina’s story offers warmth, insight, and plenty of practical wisdom for your journey in the kitchen and at your keyboard.

Things We Mention in This Episode:

Join the waitlist for Cookbooks on KDP for September 2025

Connect with Cristina Carolan

Order a personalized copy of Plant-Based Pacific

Welcome to another episode of the podcast! Several times a year, outlets like Eater, Food Network, Epicurious, Publishers Weekly, and others publish their roundup features: What’s hot in cookbooks this season? They’re the pulse checks of the cookbook world and offer a lens into what's resonating now. Today on the show, we’ll dive into trends in cookbooks published this spring, each tied to what cookbook buyers are craving and what publishers are publishing in Spring 2025.

Things We Mention in This Episode:

Join the waitlist for Cookbooks on KDP for September 2025

🎧 Episode 348 – Being a Cookbook Author: Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom

🎧 Cookbook Love Episode 347 – Being a Cookbook Author: Discover Your Authentic Voice & Indian Comfort Food

🎧 Episode 334 - Eat Better Sleep Better with Marie-Pierre St. Onge