A version of this post originally appeared on April 21, 2025, in Eater and Punch’s newsletter Pre Shift, a biweekly newsletter for the industry pro that sources first-person accounts from the bar and restaurant world. Subscribe now for more stories like this.
Jenn Sit is the executive editor at Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, where she specializes in cookbooks and food-related nonfiction, nearly 50 percent of the imprint’s catalog. She’s worked on cookbooks by industry veterans like Rodney Scott, Deuki Hong, Paul Bertolli, Sean Sherman, and Nok Suntaranon and has co-authored two of her own: The Bread and Salt Between Us with Mayada Anjari and the James Beard Award nominee Senegal with Pierre Thiam. Here, she discusses the current cookbook market, what she’s looking for in a proposal, and why people in hospitality are already well-poised to write a book.
“At Potter, there’s not a one-size-fits-all or cookie-cutter approach for our cookbooks. But generally, we really are most excited about the ones that can clearly connect to this generation of home cooks and home bartenders. For us, this means really trusted, expert authorities with a strong voice and perspective and high-quality content that really keeps the reader’s experience top of mind. And I think that’s really true across the board, whether you’re a chef, a bartender, a content creator, a blogger, a food writer, or a TV personality.
“For culinary inspiration, there’s so many more sources now. This present moment is, of course, very much dominated by social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. In recent years, we also saw the rise of a lot of pop culture crossover projects, books from celebrities or tie-ins with entertainment properties. It’s more fragmented now. I would be very remiss to not highlight the continued success of tried-and-true, single-subject books: They might not get as much attention through the media or through influencers, but they are so important to our business. These are books both on evergreen topics like bread baking and pasta-making, and also ones that we publish very quickly to respond to trends in the marketplace, like device cookbooks [such as Melissa Clark’s 2017 Instant Pot cookbook, Dinner in an Instant].
“It’s really looking at the list as a whole and responding to, where are people interested in getting their inspiration from? Those sources have changed so much. Where are we going? The marketplace is really crowded and, of course, we have to make smart business decisions. Prospecting and scouting for authors is key to what we do. And it’s also a really fun part of the job. It’s keeping an eye on who is exciting to you, who is sparking your interest, who is really making an impact with folks out there, who has an exciting perspective.
“What we’ve seen work well with restaurant chefs, bartenders, and somms in recent years is when they’re really able to translate what is unique about their approach, expertise, and voice to the home cook and bartender. So that might mean going really deep on a single subject or a technical topic like pasta-making or bread. Or it might mean approaching home cooking in fresh ways, or creating a rich narrative world for the home cook to be immersed in.
“Sometimes when proposals come in, they are very different from what the book actually becomes. For Wine Simple by Aldo Sohm [longtime wine director at Le Bernadin] and Christine Muhlke, the original proposal was more focused on the bar, and for The Bartender’s Manifesto by Toby Maloney and Emma Janzen, the book was about the [Chicago bar] Violet Hour. With the latter, there was a feeling that there wasn’t quite a book that breaks down the craft of cocktail-making. And Wine Simple is really about distilling Aldo’s super professional expert knowledge for a beginner wine enthusiast. For both books, by broadening the premise and the perspective, we’re able to reach a wider audience and bring new people into their fold.
“On the cooking side, Italian American—by Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli of [New York restaurants] Don Angie and San Sabino—comes to mind. The cookbook is very much not positioned as a straight restaurant book, i.e. it goes beyond Don Angie. The through line [of the book is showing] their way of combining contemporary creative influences with classic, comforting Italian cooking. If you’re looking for some of the Don Angie recipes, they’re in there. But there are lots of others that are inspired by their families and what excites them. I can’t take credit for that. The proposal came in like that: They really wanted the book to be an evergreen entry to the Italian cookbook canon. I was really excited to see it positioned that way.
“What we’re seeing in the landscape is people wanting more approachable, home cook-friendly recipes. The thing that all of these chefs have in common is that they are really able to distill their perspective. Each book feels like them and their point of view. What’s really important is being intentional about who you’re writing your book for and why. That’s key. What is the promise you are fulfilling with your book? Whether it’s diving into a topic that you’re really an authority on or creating a world that’s driven by your own personal story and perspective. I like to think of cookbooks as a service tool where we can never forget the importance of the end user. And people in hospitality are set up really well to understand that.”
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