Category Archives: Product

e-Book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Permafree, Progress

From Thursday … and BEYOND!!!

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April 2019 an idea popped into my head!  One of those ideas that hits you like a two-ton heavy thing — it’s clear as day and stops you in your tracks unable to say pretty much anything other than “Oh … WOW!“  What was this idea???  To write an e-book using the four free recipes already available on my site for you to download.

My plan was to publish this free e-book on certain online places that get more web-traffic than my lil-ol’ WIBC site — all intended to gain more attention to my book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies.  In the book-biz this is called “permafree” — an e-book you publish and ‘sell’ for free, making a sample of your writing available to grow your audience. In two weeks time I banged out this e-book — content, cover-art — the works!

The Book Of Kindly Deaths
Just an average day for Eldritch Black

I was All Set To Go! I had my project uploaded to my target site and went to hit publish …. but then I found out they wouldn’t let me sell my book for $FR.EE (/sad face).  OKAY — FINE — I went to another site.  They wouldn’t let me publish an e-book that was for the purpose of advertising for a book I’m selling (you know, for money).

This past Thursday, while talking-shop and sharing-grumblings with author Eldritch Black this project came up again. He impressed upon me the value completing it now instead of after my current publication project.

So, I’m BACK TO WORK
on my permafree e-book!

I have been back to work on this permafree-project since Thursday evening and made quite a bit of progress! Instead of publishing 1 e-book with 4 recipes I may publish 2 — one featuring cookie squares, the other focused on biscotti.  Keeping in mind December holidays, my guess … this endeavour will be launched around the end of the month.  Maybe sooner, maybe later.
(BTW, here is Eldritch’s permafree book — The Night of the Christmas Letter Getters)

ALSO TALKING WITH Eldritch Black …

While Eldritch has been writing spooky tales to scare children since 2014 — which is ghastly, and we’ve pleaded with him to stop — for all his quirks he is not entirely without merit.  Among other things he is rather well-studied with regard to book marketing.  During our most recent meeting he tactfully pointed out that the cover of my book is only So-So as market effectiveness goes. Although I had this notion already, his feedback was invaluable!  The pictures used for the artwork were ones I had &/or were taken shortly before I was ready to publish (er, the 1st time). Eldritch and I are going to talk in January — after all the holiday hub-bub — about getting a new design for my book-cover.  New artwork has the potential to improve the marketability for my book — and I’m all for that!

RELATIVE TO THIS NEW BOOK COVER…

Gorham PrintingA few months ago I learned of Gorham Printing — right here in Washington!  They print books like mine with one difference — they don’t charge an arm & a leg for color pictures inside of a book. I’ve seen their work and it’s nothing short of STRIKING!!! Most of the time if you want colour pictures inside your book it is price-prohibitive.  While Gorham isn’t inexpensive either, they make it financially-fea$ible.

Once I have my new book cover for Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies I intend to begin ordering a small supply — 5-10 at a time. Obviously these will sell for higher than my Amazon copies. These colour copies will only be available through me — face-to-face sales or mail-order (+S&H) …. So get your PayPal accounts ready — I also have Square-Reader, I can take credit cards.

Best, Don

Author, Book, Podcast, Publication, Self-publishing, WOWI

WOWI, Dan Petersen, and Final Impulse

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You know about WOWI — right?  Writing On Whidbey Island — the new writing-focused podcast I’ve co-launched with Tom Trimbath?  Tom and I were recently invited into the home of author Dan Petersen.  We had the pleasure of discussing his approach to writing and his experiences since first publishing nine-books ago!

Dan Petersen’s Latest Release!

Final Impulse
Available NOW!

This weekend Dan releases his newest book from the Shane Lindstrom detective series — “Final Impulse“.  Prior to our visit, Dan kindly saw that Tom and I received advance copies of his latest addition (or would that be edition? LOL).  This is my introduction to the Detective Lindstrom series — and I quickly found I thoroughly enjoy Dan’s writing!

Dan Petersen

Like a lot of us, I’m a busy guy.  It can be tricky to fit in daily reading time.  I frequently have to set down a book after only a few minutes or even a few pages.  When it comes to Dan’s book, many chapters are only a couple of pages long.  Personally, I appreciate this — I refer to this approach as ‘digestible chunks’.  This presentation makes for an easier transition to and from a literary adventure.

Have you seen Tom Selleck portray Jesse Stone in the TV-movie series?  I too have enjoyed these and often thought their stories could take place here on Whidbey Island.  My hope has been to discover a detective series that answers this call — and with Final Impulse I believe I’ve Finally Found IT!  Dan writes using real-life Whidbey locations; for an islander like myself, I feel-like-I’m-there as I follow the story.  The characters are are distinct and memorable.  While I have only begun to read Dan Petersen’s newest book, I am excited to follow Shane Lindstrom as he gets to the bottom of his latest mystery!

~

Dan Petersen is a former professional journalist turned book-author who is now writing for fun.  His impressive list of titles are enough to cover most coffee tables!  Our time with him was pleasant and insightful — discussing how, why, and what to write, including the seemingly counter-wisdom of what not to write.  Every Saturday morning Dan posts on his sought after blog.  And when you join us for this WOWI listen, don’t be surprised by hearing heavy breathing and clicking toenails in the background.  That’s Duncan — Dan’s dog and the cover-model for one of his books.

LINKS

Outdoorsy Male
Duncan the Dog

WOWI episode 8 – Dan Pedersen, Final Impulse

Dan Petersen’s popular blog, including — to our surprise — his posting about the WOWI interview!

Find Dan at his Amazon and Goodreads profiles

Listen to WOWI podcasts

And, last but not least, my recent WOWI blog post leading up to our interview with Dan

You can find Dan’s books on Whidbey Island at

e-Publishing, MAKE COOKIES PLAY BAGPIPES, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Progress, Update

Is Writing Hell?

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The Four Before MeA Stray, astrayEarlier today I responded to a Twitter post by E.H. Night — author of “The Four Before Me” and “A Stray, Astray“.  She spoke about the weird prioritization that some of us get into.  With her endeavours she was considering making her 3rd-priority book her 1-st priority project or leave it where it’s at.  I understand this — I DO THIS!!!  Then came the question common to creatives of “Is this hell?”

I replied talking about my familiarity with this dilemma — I didn’t have a solution for her, only that I understand.  It came to me though to use this to update everyone on my book projects and where they’re at …. otherwise put, it’s my excuse to blog this week. hell

Before finishing “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” (book 1) I started on a bagpipe sheet music book comprised of my own compositions (book 2).  This got put on hold to start on my second recipe book (book 3).  Summer 2018 this second recipe book (book 3) got put on hold to write (book 4) my military & patriotic Highland bagpipe tunes & tune history book.  From my sheet music and tune history book (book 4) I got inspired to write a history book about one of the men who landed on Normandy as part of the D-day invasion (book 5).  When I started it (book 5) I knew that I was going to have to gather my notes and set it aside for later.  I’ve accomplished this and now I’m trying to complete my sheet music and tune history book (book 4) so I can have it published no later than June 2020.  The only problem with that is the audience I developed from Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies (book 1) are ready and looking for another installment of recipes (book 2). hell

Clear as mud — RIGHT?!?

So is being a creative-type, having so many projects we want to bring to life a form of Hell? I don’t know — I’m only saying that I understand — that E.H. Night and all the other creative folks out there reading this is that you’re not alone.

For a mostly full list of my projects (Hell?), please see Upcoming and Completed Publishing Projects.

E.H. Night LINKS hell

Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Podcast, Self-publishing, WOWI

Places I Post

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2014 04-18 TTrimbath BPD Langley Library
Tom and I years before conceiving WOWI

I try to write a blog post here about once a week week.  Sometimes I hit that mark, sometimes I fall short depending on how busy I am, and occasionally I crank out two or three.  I thought I’d take a minute to share with you about these locations.

Earlier today I wrote a quick post on the website of the podcast I recently started with my friend, TomTrimbath.  Together, we have taken on the topic of all-things Writing On Whidbey Island — which is the name of our show, or WOWI for short.  We’ve realized that there is a considerable collection of writers here on the island, along with other things having to do with writing, and we wish to present its unique character.  Tom and I pop up at different places here on the island, explore different writing related topics, and host conversations (not a hard Q&A) with other authors and people in the writing arena.

I blog about my experiences as a musician at BagpiperDon.com. I also write about Zombie movies and books … because, well, ZOMBIES!

And last but not least, I of course post right here at The Biscotto – A Bakers Blog.  I write about my culinary creation process, experiences as a writer, and give kitchen tips … among other things.

Read on & Enjoy! ~ Don

Announcement, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies

Modern Publishing Blues, Vol. 02

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If you read my most recent blog post, “Modern Publishing Blues, Vol. 01“, you will know that I had about 24 unnecessary hours of frustrations following an upload to correct errors in my book — “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies“.

I am here to tell you that the headaches are OVER.

MY BOOK HAS BEEN RE-APPROVED AND IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON WITH THE UPDATES.

And for what it’s worth, it is currently 12-cents off of the price I offered it for before … BUT … I would prefer that you do not buy it at this very minute.  WHY?!?

I Plan To Hold A FLASH SALE SOON

What’s a Flash Sale??? …

If you would like to get my book for a reduced price, this is a great opportunity!  Message me and let me know that you want in on my Flash Sale.  I will message you back and let you know when I plan to hold this secret-sale — yes, you will get the inside skinny!  In return, I ask that you read my book and write a review — hopefully a favorable one — on the site where you buy my book.

Best, Don

PS — Here’s some sneak-information …  It looks like I will be able to discount my book around 50%.  I’d like to go further, but that’s all I’m allowed.  I may also discount the e-book on Amazon and on Smashwords.  ALSO NOTE, so far as I know if you buy my book on Amazon you can get a free copy of the e-book.