What if this is your best book writing year ever?
The Social Club
Sound familiar?
You’ve been to Cherry Bombe’s Jubilee, have that friend of a friend who works at Food Network, and can’t stop talking about the Everything Cookbooks podcast. Dianne Jacob’s Will Write for Food and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird are hanging out on your desk. You don’t think you’ll ever shut up about Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat (cookbook and Netflix series combined). And Anthony Bourdain will always be the professional love who got away.
Having your book on the store shelves has been a dream for as long as you can remember. But the more you look for answers on how to do it, from start to finish, you’re even more confused. And once you start the process, it feels like you’re the only one without a raft. Or better yet? You’ve already written a book or two and still feel like you’re starting from scratch.
Let’s be real.
Most of book writing and publishing (especially within the food space) still feels very secretive, and like you can only get the actual answers if you’re in certain rooms. Plus, the industry is constantly changing, so what worked 2-3 years ago isn’t what agents and publishers are looking for.
But what people don’t talk about enough is how lonely writing a book is.
Even if you have some friends who’ve done it or are currently doing it too, everyone has their own pace, their own path. There are wildly long stretches in-between meetings with your book coach, agent, and editor where you’re mostly staring at the screen wondering if you’re even meant to do this.
You’d love to share what you’re working on and build a community of like-minded food writers.
It’s easy to become precious about your work when you spend so much time alone. But you know that’s stopping you from creating more and doing the thing that’s been in your heart for as long as you can remember. You want a place where you can talk about the craft (and business) of writing, share ideas with no judgment, and connect with folks a step or two ahead or behind of you.
$35 a month to change your whole writing life
Welcome to The Social Club
We bring together food writers in the book creation process, so that we can finish AND pitch book proposals to agents, find ease in the writing process after the book deal, and launch a book with confidence to an audience of raving fans.
(And we have fun doing it.)
What you’ll get when you join
2025 Monthly Themes
Here's a sneak peek at what you can expect this year in The Social Club!
January: Fresh Start, New Goals
Begin the year by setting clear intentions, redefining your priorities, and mapping out your writing journey.
February: Stories That Shape Us
Uncover the power of personal histories, family traditions, and cultural influences that give depth to your culinary storytelling.
March: Mastering Marketing
Lay the groundwork for your brand, create buzz around your work, and plan for future book launches and promotions.
April: Perfecting Proposals
Develop a standout book proposal highlighting your unique voice, audience appeal, and creative vision.
May: The Revision Kitchen
Sharpen your editorial skills, polish your drafts, and learn to refine your work without losing your authentic voice.
June: Mid-Year Refresh
Step back, reassess your progress, and reset your productivity habits to maintain momentum for the rest of the year.
July: The Power of Pitching
Gain confidence in pitching your book concept to agents, publishers, or media outlets, and learn how to stand out.
August: Building Your Author Platform
Grow your readership through email marketing, social media engagement, and community-building techniques.
September: Recipes That Resonate
Focus on writing recipes that connect with readers, ensuring clarity, reliability, and a rich narrative backdrop.
October: Writing with the Senses
Enhance your storytelling by tapping into taste, texture, aroma, sound, and sight to bring your food stories to life.
November: Crafting Your Food Memoir
Blend personal history and culinary culture to create a compelling memoir that resonates with your audience.
December: A Season to Celebrate
Close out the year by recognizing your achievements, savoring your growth, and looking ahead to what’s next.
Meet your host
Amanda Polick
If we haven’t met, I’m a cookbook and food memoir coach who guides bloggers and creators through the book writing process. Through our work together, clients have landed Big 5 publishing deals, literary representation, and stories in Food52, Stained Page News, and Edible Communities.
After saying “see you later” to my acting and improv career, I fell into food writing. I ended up with a fellowship at Cooking Light which led to being the first dedicated segment producer of Facebook Live for Time Inc. There, I oversaw over 300 live segments and created the company’s Food Media Junket, bringing in James Beard award-winning and Michelin-Starred chefs for over a dozen food and lifestyle brands.
At my core, I’m a writer. And I’ve been in enough writing workshops, sketch comedy rooms, and editorial meetings to know how hard it is on both sides of the page. Creatively, the best rooms are ones where ideas can be appreciated, stretched, and examined without ego.
To be honest: I believe there’s a preciousness in food writing you don’t see anywhere else. People hold their work so close to the vest that they don’t receive constructive feedback that could help them along the way. They become closed off to sharing ideas because they’re afraid someone may take it, or they think other food writers are their competition. So, they end up in a lonely book writing process wishing they had people who are on the same wild train.
But I want to change that.
Let’s make food writing fun again and create a community you can’t wait to show up for every month.
Member Love
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It's such a supportive community and makes whatever someone is working on, a little less lonely <3
Liz Ho, Baker
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Such a great way to stay inspired and motivated. Love how open everyone is to sharing!
Laura Scherb, Food Photographer
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Love the access to recorded meetings and resources! It's a great place to find insightful nuggets, and the community is so kind.
Jannell Lo, Food Creator & Writer
What would it feel like to finally make time for that book you can’t shut up about?
$35 a month
Space is limited. Cancel anytime.
FAQs
When you say food writer, what do you mean?
Primarily, folks who are in the process of writing a cookbook, food memoir, or novel.
Gotcha! That seems like a lot of different focuses for one group.
Not when you understand that once you have a grasp of storytelling, the boxes don’t really matter. Yes, there are structures to each category, but you can also learn from writing focuses outside of your specialty. And a lot of things overlap. For example, the best way to write a page-turning memoir is to structure it like a novel. It all works together.
I’m just starting out. Is this the right group for me?
The Social Club is meant for people who have a writing background. That could mean someone who went to school for writing or has spent a lot of time in writing workshops and at conferences. Or it could be someone who’s written professionally for blogs, newsletters, and online or print publications. They likely read a lot and are obsessed with compelling stories, often analyzing texts for what made something good or not.
If this doesn’t feel like you, it’s okay! But before joining The Social Club, here are some recommended resources to get you started:
Okay, cool. But what if I’ve been doing this for a while? I only want to be with people who are in the same stage as I am or are ahead of me?
With all the love in my heart, I hate to break it to you: But even if you’ve published a book before, you’re starting over with each book you write. Yes, you have an idea of the process, but even agents will tell you it’s different every time. And you’ll never truly be at the same place as someone else. You could start writing a book proposal at the same time as someone else, but they could finish it 4 months before you do. Or your books could be published 3 years apart.
It’s less about being in the same place as other people and more about what you can learn from people a few steps ahead and behind you. Yes, you want people who get where you’re coming from, but that doesn’t mean it can only be people who are working on the exact thing you are.
Plus, you also need to be the community you want, so you should connect with people just starting. I’d bet people were very kind and generous with you at the beginning of your career, so The Social Club is a great place to pay it forward.
What if I can’t make the calls? I don’t want to miss out!
The Monthly Dish (a workshop or Q&A) will be recorded, so you can watch later if you can’t join live. And the monthly Social Hour won’t be recorded, but there will be ways for you to connect with fellow members if you can’t make it.
Our private community has daily questions and prompts, which are the best ways to stay connected with the group.
I’m not a food writer, but I work in book publishing. May I join?
Absolutely! We’d love to have you, but ask that you keep the goal of the group in mind.
