Inspired to keep going

Back in 2009, I started this blog after the suggestion from a friend as a way to promote the cookbook I was writing; the cookbook with the recipes that I'd submitted to Pillsbury Bake-Off contests over the span of about 10 years. I knew the recipes were terrific, but I needed a way to get the word out and my friend thought a blog was the way to do it. At the time I didn't really know about blogs, and before I knew it, my own blog turned into something much more than simply a marketing tool for my future book.

I won't go into the gorey details that would chronicle my wishy-washiness, insecurities, love for, frustrations, gratefulness, hopefulness I've felt about the book and this blog since. Suffice it to say that it's been an emotional roller coaster, much of it centered around the book: Should I still write it? Do I have the time to write it? Should I try to find a publisher or self-publish? Would people want to buy it? What if I spend all the time and no one wants to buy it?

And then, inspiration came in two forms. Several months ago I read that after Alton Brown published the book he was working on at the time, it would be his last printed book. He felt very strongly that ebooks were the way cookbooks were headed, and that was the direction he'd be going with his future cookbooks. Really? I thought his prediction and future plans were very interesting, and I tucked it away somewhere in my brain. Then, very recently, a fellow blogger, Amanda over at Amanda's Cookin', wrote in response to queries from readers, that while she wasn't interested in publishing a book, she was going to try offering mini-ebooks. At the time she had two ebooks available, 6 recipes each, one called Baked Pasta and the other called Dreamy Pies.

I have to put it out there that I haven't been very receptive to ebooks; I am a paper-book girl. But these two things together made me pause and really examine my dream of publishing a cookbook. Does it have to be a printed book? What if I did an ebook, instead? What if I did an ebook instead?? I immediately felt better about the whole thing. An ebook is something I could do, right now, with the time I have that I can spend on it.

So, I am very excited (it's nice to be excited about it again) to say that I have been inspired to keep going and put renewed energy and umph into finishing my cookbook! Woo-hoo!

I'm trying to decide how best to put it together, and I have a favor to ask. I created a really short survey (9 questions) and would love for as many people as possible to help me by filling it out. I will only take you about a minute and a half, and your responses will be an incredible help.



Thank you so much for your help, and to those of you who have been such a support to me over the last couple of years!

Tiffiny