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Author, Baking, Book, Cookies, Cooking, e-Book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Product

Guest Contributors to MYODGC

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I’d like to tell you a little about my book…

What you see here is Eryn’s actual thumb!

More than that, I’d like to tell you about some great people who  supported my project along the way — they believed in me and made contributions to my book — and it goes like this….

Everyone needs good food, and people connect with others over food. This makes community and it is one of the foundations of civilization — seminal to our individual humanity.

For my first book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, I asked a number of my friends — each one a unique individual — to contribute recipes and chapter openings.  Each person responded with gems — each one a true gift — and through these writings and these folks the sense of community was brought out in my book. I’ve been getting Thank You copies delivered to these wonderful folks, and yesterday I found that this copy reached the hands of my friend Eryn in Montana. contributions

Among other entries in Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Eryn shared how she flavours her coffee using essential oils — something I knew Absolutely Nothing About before she sent me her writing, which came as a complete surprise! Eryn’s contributions can be found in the fourth chapter of my book — which includes coffee, a throw-back to the 1960s with Russian Tea*, applesauce, and Blueberry Buckle. I’m glad to have gotten a copy of my book to Eryn to say Thank You for her contributions, and she seems to be happy with it too 😀
(*Russian Tea being one of her submissions as well!)

The guest writings in my book are a true gift that enhanced my book and brought out the community element — it would not be the same without these great folks! Not just Eryn but a long list of folks you can read about in the opening of my book — available now in paperback and as an e-book on Amazon.com. contributions

All the Best & Happy Holidays to you and yours
~ Don

Announcement, Author, Book, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Product, Progress, Publication

My Book PUBLISHED & Shirts Available!

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WHOO — WHAT A WEEKEND!!!

Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies by Donald P. ScobyNearly 3 years of work and a number of speed-bumps along the way, and my debut recipe book is finally PUBLISHED.  I finished the submission to Amazon on Friday and Saturday morning it had GONE LIVE!!!  I was part way through breakfast when I found out the news — then the web and my phone EXPLODED with activity.  Congrats on getting published, questions about my book, someone bought a copy, someone else wants 3 signed copies as Xmas gifts, keeping up with the comments, posting on Facebook and Twitter …. and about 4 or 6 hours later things calmed down and I turned to find the rest of my cold, uneaten breakfast sitting next to me.  Really, coffee shouldn’t be treated that way.

Later that day my new WIBC Logo/URL t-shirt when live on Etsy via Stitch 6 To 6.   Within the next hour the first shirts were ordered! book

Things stayed busy, and come Saturday evening I got some time to make my new Author Profile on Amazon and update my website. book

It took me a while, but I finally figured out where and how to order copies of my book.  I’m getting about 60 on this first go-around.  I have around 20 people to give copies to who contributed to the project and were amazingly supportive along the way — I am grateful to get reminders of how incredible people can be*.  There are also two people seeking around 5 copies each (WOW!) for Christmas gifts — 10 copies already sold!
* One among them is this guy — Tom Trimbath!  He also has an impressive collection of books he’s written available here.

Yeah, things started moving pretty quick — and finally, now … late Sunday evening, I’m getting to make a blog post about the highlights of what’s gone on.  It’s been an amazing ride so far — testing my stick-to-it and gumption, giving me challenges to use my resourcefulness to resolve, and numerous new things and lessons learned — I love this stuff!  And now…? book

Now I go from being a writer to being a published author. book
Now I get to work on converting the manuscript for my book into an e-book — and likely an audio-book too, narrated by yours-truly!
Now I remember that I need to get new business cards made.
Now the pivot of WIBC from being a company that makes food to being a company about good food and people connecting with people is complete. book

And now … now I go to bed and get some sleep!

Links You’re Going To Want To Know About

Announcement, e-Reader, Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies, Product, Publication

Publishing Update – E-Reader Edition

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As promised earlier today on Facebook
a Publishing Update!
Big or small, here’s the thing & here we go….
{Coming up – E-Readers & a Big Fat THANK YOU}

Ooh — BOOKS!

How do you like reading recipes?

When it comes to baking & cooking, I’m not particular — I prefer working from a recipe card, a piece of paper, or a book. Most of my recipes have coffee rings and other bits of ingredients decorating their edges. When it comes to working from an electronic screen I don’t mind working from my laptop, and I often do.

About a year ago I asked on the WIBC Facebook page what people prefer to work from — paper, computer screens, recipes written in pen on their forearm, etc. Largely I learned folks prefer paper, and I’m all for it. I am, however, planning to get my book published and As Soon As Possible following up with publishing for e-reader.

I have a little more work to go on my book before analogue publishing, and I’m already taking steps toward the re-format to follow. With this I have been learning that e-publishing is a different game — you have to do all sorts of different things to have your book appear right on an e-reader and there are different things you need to include in the writing — not to mention the things you CAN include …… yep, try to put a web link in your paper book!

*To That End*…. I posted a question on my personal Facebook profile lately asking about what I need to know to reformat my book as an e-book … the answer, A LOT. Okay, so, I’m working on that.

Big Tex – consummate Texas State Fair resident from 1952 to 2012

One of the responses I got was from an e-friend, Aleta somewhere in the great state of TEXAS (<– Note, everything is bigger in TEXAS), very kindly pointed out that to reformat my book for e-reader I would want to see it on an e-reader as I work, and she offered to send me one of her earlier cherished models.

My mom has been using e-readers for years … I’ve helped her figure out a few bugs with downloading her books …. but otherwise I’ve never used one & barely touched the things. I like my analogue books and have a stack of them to plow through. I asked my editor, Linda, if I needed one of these & about taking Aleta up on her generous offer. Short-story made longish by yours-truly, I took Aleta up on her offer and a smart little unit arrived by post yesterday!

Ophiuchs wrasselin’ a serpent with Hercules lending a helping club

This looks like a great device! And now I have to figure out how to work it …?… which, when it comes to electronics, I have a knack for that. I’ll just have to control my temptation to peek at it when I’m not currently working on my practical-publication — gotta get that puppy DONE!

There’s this great thing about finding passion for something & being a DIY’er — you say you want to do something and people come out and volunteer their support. Aleta has certainly helped me to go forward with her support in the new direction of Whidbey Island Baking Company.

Thanks Aleta!
All the Best ~ Don

WIBC on Facebook

The Great State of Texas and Texas.gov

Ophiuchus AKA the Serpent Bearer

Hercules who occasionally lends a helping club