Tag Archives: Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies

Just Tom And Don And A Bit Of Randomness

author
See Tom

Well, that didn’t go as planned; but it may have come out better. Don and I decided to book ourselves for the last interview of the year. Gaps in our schedules coincided, Coupeville Library was nice enough to let us use their meeting room, and the two of us sat down to talk about Don’s books and projects, and my books and projects. We did that, but the conversation drifted over to what life is like for authors in the shopping and selling season. 

Bake cookies author food recipe
See Don

We also talked about the value of talking to other members of our writing community. Writing does not have to be a solo venture. Fellow writers can provide insights into how readers perceive a book. The author may have one intent, but readers may find something else that is not obvious to someone who wrote, edited, and repeatedly read the book before it was published. Bicycling books may appeal to RV owners. Travel books may appeal to people from countries that weren’t visited or even mentioned. 

Tom Don bagpipe presentation Scotland speaking
See Tom and Don in the library

This podcast has become an unplanned, informal, yet possibly useful resource built from the contributions and interviews of dozens of members of Whidbey Island’s writing community. Book store owners can bring some reality to expectations. Librarians can point to overlooked resources for research or even funding. Writers from your genre undoubtedly have encountered surprises, the good ones the bad ones and the weird ones. Successful and failed campaigns are useful as long as we learn from them. And, of course, writers can support writers simply by listening to frustrations or understanding otherwise obscure celebrations. (You finally found the right font!)

Thanks to everyone who participates by listening, being interviewed, and sharing.

I hope you enjoy the podcast, and I hope your sales treat you well.


Writing on Whidbey Island (WOWI) episode 42 – Don And Tom And Marketing


 

Some self-promotion which should have no shame involved (because each completed work is a celebration):

Don Scoby

Patriotic bagpipe sheet music food recipe cook bookWebsites
Whidbey Island Baking Company
BagpiperDon.com

Books

Tom Trimbath

Website – TrimbathCreative.net
Email – tetrimbath@gmail.com
Narratives – Amazon Author page

Books

  • Just Keep Pedaling, a bicycle ride across America (one man’s failed attempt to lose weight, really)
  • Twelve Months at Barclay Lake – from the wet side of Washington’s Cascades (party party)
  • Twelve Months at Lake Valhalla – from the cold crest of the Cascades (frozen more than thawed)
  • Twelve Months at Merritt Lake – from the dry side of the Cascades (with more than a whiff of smoke)
  • Dream. Invest. Live. – personal finance for frugal folks (by request)
    Walking Thinking Drinking Across Scotland – but could’ve used more drinking
  • Kettle Pot Cup – a light-hearted look at the way we really drink tea
  • Firewatcher – book one of the Exodus/Genesis sci-fi series

Photo essays – Blurb https://www.blurb.com/user/tetrimbath

  • Twelve Months at Cultus Bay
  • Twelve Months at Deception Pass
  • Twelve Months at Admiralty Head
  • Twelve Months at Penn Cove
  • Twelve Months at Double Bluff
  • Twelve Months at Maxwelton Beach
  • Twelve Months at Possession Beach
  • Twelve Months at Possession Preserve
  • Twelve Months at Dugualla Bay

October 2019 Podcast Topics

Want to know a secret? … PODCAST

Okay — we’ve been keeping this kind of quiet, but here it is …  PODCAST

Tom Trimbath and I have started a PODCAST!

 

It’s TRUE — Tom and I have started a PODCAST.  Take 1-part portable recording gear and add 2 guys energetic about writing,  and mix with a look at all-things-writing as it pertains to Whidbey … and you get “Writing On Whidbey Island“* — or WOWI!
(*Present web location, subject to change)

Our show is new — presently we have about half-a-dozen recordings, each around 40 minutes long.  Three of these have been interviews with Whidbey Island authors.  Our show is not a hard Q&A, it’s a conversation about the topic we pick — a guest talking about their book, a bookstore owner discussing their approach to the book business, online marketing, you name it!  This month Tom and I have 2 recordings tentatively scheduled — here’s what’s coming up! PODCAST

October 12th — Maribeth Crandell’s Latest Book

The 14Sep2019 copy of the Whidbey News-Times presented an article on Maribeth Crandell and her second book “Hiking Close to Home“.  In her latest book, Maribeth presents all the hikes here on Whidbey Island.  Her approach has included not only features of the hikes, which ones are wheelchair accessible, and also which ones you get reach using the local bus service — which is free by the way!  That Saturday she was presenting her book at the Coupeville library — she and her book sounded interesting so I attended!  Maribeth was passionate about her topic and full of character — and at the end of the presentation I invited her on WOWI.  She will be holding another release party a few weeks following in Anacortes — if you’re local, don’t miss it! PODCAST

October 28th — 1st Year Publishing Lessons Learned

Make Your Own Darn Good CookiesOur guest for our October 28th recording will be ….. ME!  A week ago Tom pointed out that my first book “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” was published one year ago on Amazon. Since then I’ve presented my book, published the Amazon and Smashwords e-book versions, started my next book projects, and learned more than a few things I didn’t know before.  Tom suggested that we discuss the experiences, lessons, and tips of a writer (me) the first year into being a self-published author.  *Stammer*Stammer* … uh … now that I think about it, YEAH, there are things that I can share.  I’m looking forward to talking with Tom about it and sharing with our listeners! PODCAST

Now, a few more things about WOWI

Tom and I live on opposite ends of Whidbey Island.  For our WOWI podcast this is a blessing and a curse.  The ‘curse‘ is that it is inconvenient to get together, so our recordings don’t take place on a regular schedule. The ‘blessing‘ is that we have to coordinate our schedules when we are going to be at the same end of the island.  This helps us to meet with myriad authors, writers groups, bookstore owners, ETC here on Whidbey Island.  We’ve worked this into the character of the show — recording in different places, featuring some of the audioscape of our beloved island in the background.  So far we have recorded outdoors, and the weather is beginning to turn on us.  We will soon be looking for indoor locations that will host us.  If you are a business this may work to your favour because we always say where we are recording from — for the use of a warm room, a little bit of electricity, and perhaps a few other comforts, we will GLADLY plug your Whidbey Island business! PODCAST