This week marks the end of an era. I've finally sold the last remaining copies of my first self-published book, Anna's Kitchen. I learned a lot from the experience, and since that time I've done my best to share what I've learn with the rest of you.
I produced and published Anna's Kitchen back in 2005. I was such a little smart-alec at the time that I thought I knew everything. Okay, maybe being a free-lance graphic designer helped, since I was able to produce something that looked really cool, but I didn't know squat about editing, distribution, or marketing. So, here are some of the lessons I learned.
- A spell checker is not a substitute for an editor, or a proofreader.
- If you want your book to be distributed, you really need Ingram.
- 500 books really does take up a lot of room in your shed.
Ah, I was so naive at the time, but looking back, it was still a good experience. I learned a heck of a lot, and I have no regrets.
Will I republish Anna's Kitchen? Not at this time, although I did consider it. A couple years ago I started up a food blog called My Timeless Cuisine, as a tool for promoting the book. What I discovered from that blog is that food, like fashion, seems to follow trends, and right now old-fashioned home cooking doesn't appear to be in vogue. But then again, I may change my mind someday.
In the meantime, many of the recipes from Anna's Kitchen, are available on My Timeless Cuisine.
Bon appitite,
GM
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