Podcast thumbnail for Babe Cave

by Amanda Polick

5.0(4 reviews)
130 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas Sponsors

Podcast Overview

Welcome to Babe Cave, where creative conversations are honest, funny, and anything but boring. Inspired by Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, host Amanda Polick—cookbook and food memoir coach, storyteller, and recovering improv actor—takes you behind the scenes of writing and publishing without the elitist BS. With over 20 years of storytelling experience, Amanda has helped writers land Big 5 book deals, see their work in outlets like Food52 and Edible Communities, and craft stories only they can tell. She's worked with Michelin-Starred chefs, produced 300+ live segments at Time Inc., and knows the food and publishing worlds inside and out. Now, she's bringing that expertise and her trademark truth-telling to the mic. Each week, expect solo deep dives into the messy realities of creative life, unfiltered interviews with authors who actually say what they think, and real-world advice for writers ready to stop playing small. Think of it as the writing club you always wanted, minus the pretentious conference vibes. Whether you're writing your first cookbook, wrestling with imposter syndrome, or dreaming of a food memoir that's uniquely yours, Babe Cave is your curated playlist of what actually matters. Come for the writing insights, stay for the laughs, stories, and a little rock-and-roll spirit. Perfect for: writers, authors, cookbook and food memoir creators, and creative entrepreneurs. Mature language and topics included—listen at your own discretion. Questions? Visit amandapolick.com

Language

🇺🇲

Publishing Since

10/3/2017

1 verified contact email on file for Babe Cave

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Recent Episodes

Episode thumbnail for The Analog Summer Episode

May 27, 2026

The Analog Summer Episode

<p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> Season four is a wrap, and Amanda is taking the summer to go analog.</p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> After eight months of taking on too much and being chronically online — including a day job that is literally social media marketing — she is ready to step back, create some white space, and remember what life felt like before the algorithm. This episode is part season finale, part personal manifesto, part permission slip.</p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> In this episode:</p> <ul class= "[li_&]:mb-0 [li_&]:mt-1 [li_&]:gap-1 [&:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Why she's calling it an analog summer and what that has everything to do with becoming a better writer</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">The advice Brand Builders Group gave to one of their clients about splitting attention across too many channels — and why it landed so hard</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">What she wants season five to look like, including bringing back the book club and having the audacity to invite more guests</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">The Annie F. Downs book that might be her whole summer reading plan</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"> Disposable cameras, needlepoint, a record player she needs to replace, and the whimsy she's been missing in her own home</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Why being present, having real conversations, and actually living your life is research — whether you know it or not</li> </ul> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> She's not disappearing. She's just going to be where her feet are for a while.</p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> See you in season five.</p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> Perfect for: anyone who's been a little too online lately and needed someone to say it out loud.</p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> Find Amanda: @amandapolick | amandapolick.com</p>

Episode thumbnail for The Film Adaptation Episode

May 20, 2026

The Film Adaptation Episode

<p>Books are having a moment on screen, and Amanda has thoughts — including that Greta Gerwig is going to direct her novel someday. Greta doesn't know this yet.</p> <p>Hollywood has spent years refusing to greenlight anything without existing IP, which sounds like bad news until you realize that existing IP is exactly what a published book is. This episode is about why that matters for writers right now, and what it actually looks like when a book becomes a film.</p> <p>In this episode:</p> <ul> <li>The Yesteryear deal: four studios bidding, 15 publishers competing, Anne Hathaway attached — and why that kind of buzz starts with the book</li> <li>What the self-described Book Whisperer of Hollywood says changed after Harry Potter and Twilight, including her advice to screenwriters to write the book first</li> <li>How options work, why most of them never become movies, and why that's not necessarily the tragedy it sounds like</li> <li>What you're actually giving up when you sign those rights over, and why having a good agent in the room matters more than people think</li> <li>Why the size of your fictional world determines whether it's a film or a TV series</li> <li>What Claire Cook said about showing up on the Must Love Dogs set to cheer, not to give notes — and why letting go of the book is part of the deal</li> </ul> <p>The thing she keeps coming back to: AI can't write from the depths you can. Hollywood needs original stories. So does everyone else.</p> <p>Perfect for: fiction writers who've pictured their book on a screen and wanted to know how that actually happens.</p> <p>Find Amanda: @amandapolick | amandapolick.com</p>

Episode thumbnail for The Gatekeeping Episode

May 13, 2026

The Gatekeeping Episode

<p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> No gatekeeping allowed — and that includes yourself.</p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> After leaving Jubilee feeling like the real conversations were happening somewhere else, Amanda found them at Copper Books' Book Fair in Nashville. One day, one room, and editors, agents, marketers, and publicists actually telling the truth about what's happening in publishing right now. She's bringing it back to you here, along with a moment of self-reckoning she didn't see coming.</p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> In this episode:</p> <ul class= "[li_&]:mb-0 [li_&]:mt-1 [li_&]:gap-1 [&:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3"> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">The honest state of nonfiction publishing right now: who's buying, who isn't, and where cookbooks actually land in that conversation</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Why a Simon & Schuster editor said one Substack subscriber is worth five to ten Instagram followers to a publisher, and what Amanda actually thinks about that</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">What three publicity powerhouses said about in-house pub teams, and why authors who were promised the moon are learning the hard way to be their own best advocate</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2"> Allison Trowbridge's reminder that if you have a book idea, you really have a business idea</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">The moment she realized she'd been gatekeeping her own process, and why she's done with that</li> <li class= "font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2">Why the mysterious writer who disappears and reappears with a bestseller is almost never the rule</li> </ul> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> The finger, she admits, was pointing right back at her.</p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> Perfect for: writers who want the inside conversation without having to buy the conference ticket, and anyone who's been holding their process a little too close to share.</p> <p class= "font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"> Find Amanda: @amandapolick | amandapolick.com</p>

130 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

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What is Babe Cave?

Welcome to Babe Cave, where creative conversations are honest, funny, and anything but boring. Inspired by Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, host Amanda Polick—cookbook and food memoir coach, storyteller, and recovering improv actor—takes you behind the scenes of writing and publishing without the elitist BS.

With over 20 years of storytelling experience, Amanda has helped writers land Big 5 book deals, see their work in outlets like Food52 and Edible Communities, and craft stories only they can tell. She's worked with Michelin-Starred chefs, produced 300+ live segments at Time Inc., and knows the food and publishing worlds inside and out. Now, she's bringing that expertise and her trademark truth-telling to the mic.

Each week, expect solo deep dives into the messy realities of creative life, unfiltered interviews with authors who actually say what they think, and real-world advice for writers ready to stop playing small. Think of it as the writing club you always wanted, minus the pretentious conference vibes.

Whether you're writing your first cookbook, wrestling with imposter syndrome, or dreaming of a food memoir that's uniquely yours, Babe Cave is your curated playlist of what actually matters.

Come for the writing insights, stay for the laughs, stories, and a little rock-and-roll spirit.

Perfect for: writers, authors, cookbook and food memoir creators, and creative entrepreneurs.

Mature language and topics included—listen at your own discretion.

Questions? Visit amandapolick.com

How often does this podcast release new episodes?

This podcast updates daily.

Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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