"Life is full of surprises. No one knows what would pop up next. So, be prepared, always embrace life, no matter what"
In this post of mine, there are no recipes, rather I share with you all how my first Ebook came into being. Believe me, till mid-April 2019, I had not even thought about going for an Ebook. It was nowhere on my agenda. Then how come just after a month, in Mid-May, I not only own an Ebook but also has its reviews to share with you all. Read it to know all about this journey, how everything changed in less than a month...
When I started blogging about 2 and a half years back, I had no idea how it would shape up. All I knew was to share the recipes. But slowly, things started building up and something or the other kept popping up and thus eventually led to my grooming day by day. And one of the best thing that has happened to me so far in this period is to encounter Blog chatter.
I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon this forum as since then there has been a real learning period along with making friends and various fun-filled activities. First I participated in the @blogchatterA2Z challenge wherein all the participants were to post 26 entries in the month of April only. Believe me, it was maddening but with many other brownie points. It was like a marriage in the family where celebrations, rituals, preparations, hectic schedule, everything goes hand in hand. You get tired but you don't complain, in fact, you enjoy every bit of it. You can read about my A2Z challenge here.
And then suddenly in the midst of celebrations, you get an invitation to another wedding. You are too tired but you don't want to miss it either. And you just accept it. This is what happened while the A2Z challenge was going on. I came to know of their Ebook carnival. The moment I heard of it I was like a kid who just wanted to grab it at any cost. I got desperate to send my submission. I didn't want to miss this opportunity as it was not just the publication but the forum which attracted me the most. Where would you get a platform which would not only give you step by step assistance you but also promote you like this? A Big Thanks to Blog Chatter for their initiative and diligent efforts in this regard.
My biggest learning with Blog Chatter:
For my Ebook, I chose a topic of contemporary interest. I wanted to write something which my readers would find relevant and practical. There is a large content available on the recipes today. But what is a simple exercise becomes daunting for a novice for a simple reason - lack of knowledge/training of the finer points on baking in the recipe book. Through this ebook, An effort has been made to fill in the gap.
I completed the book much before time but other than knowledge content and recipes then there was the task of writing ''about the author'', ''introduction'' and ''blurb'' and designing the ''cover page'' which was not easy for me and thus had to devote a lot of time to it. Technical part like page relating to copyright etc was taken care of by my dear hubby. And then there was the most difficult part which was editing. Alignment, page break, the symmetry of various headings, fonts, etc. Though everything is computerized even then choices are human only. And as too many cooks spoil the broth, same way, too many choices make the decision difficult. Editing of just 83 pages took me to toll. But it has taught me a very good lesson. From now on, never ever I am going to criticize an error in any book for that matter. I have understood what all goes into the making of a book. Though, I have tried my best to present my ebook in the best possible manner but then can't say if something was left out.
With all this learning, I finally sent my submission on the scheduled date which was 9th May 2019. Then was the follow up from the Blog chatter team. I had to resend the matter a few more times to suit their requirements. Hats off to their team, especially, Geethica Mehra and Leha Divakar, who patiently handled novice writers like me.
And then came the D-Day, 14th May when my first ebook was launched and thus I turned into an author. What a Great feeling! Nothing less than that of a celebrity. And within 2 days, my book was downloaded more than 750 times which was a whopping number and now it has crossed 1,000 mark. Not only this, appreciation of the content by the readers has been the biggest reward.
Overall, a great experience with a lot of learning in the process. Along with the chocolatey side also got to learn the nuances of writing a book.
Thus, I have done my bit. Hope you will like it and find it useful too.
Though I have seen many swimmers but I myself dived into the pool for the first time and thus being my first Ebook, it is far from perfection. And now, it's your turn. So, go through the book, share your feedback, give suggestions/reviews. Pour in your suggestions to improve it further. Appreciate or criticize or give suggestions but spare me your indifference.
Here, I share the download link with you all. It is free to download but for a limited time.
https://www.theblogchatter.com/download/samira-guptas-homemakers-to-homebakers/
Blog chatter gave chance to lot many new authors. All the books were published on the same date. I am also sharing the link to Blog chatters Library from where you can download many other amazing books on diverse topics like travel, poetry, fiction, non-fiction and many more. Just have a look and even if you are not fond of reading, it would tempt you to download some. Believe me, great work done by all the authors.
Also, by now, my book has been reviewed by a few talented bloggers, namely Harjeet Kaur, Radhika Acharya, Rashmi Jain, and Priyal Poddar. Want to know how it has been, favourable or critical or a healthy review consisting everything? Then check it out in the link below:
Also sharing the blurb of the book so you get an idea as to what this book is about.
"This book is to help all those home makers who aspire to learn baking. It showcases 12 easy and healthy recipes made using wheat flour or Ragi flour or Semolina. All the recipes are without all-purpose flour. Some recipes are even sweetened with brown sugar or jaggery. The recipes are very detailed and have some pictures of the process as well. The book takes you slowly and gradually from the easy muffins to Teatime cakes to slightly difficult frosted cakes. Also, it shows how beautiful cakes can be baked even in the Pressure Cooker or Air Fryer along with the conventional oven. Tips on baking as well on whipping cream will take away all your fears related to baking and equip you for further experimentations and pleasantly surprise your dear ones."
Before I conclude, once again, my heartfelt thanks to Blogchatter and its team.
Hope you will go through these and share your valuable feedback. You know very well that its your feedback which fuels my enthusiasm and keeps me going.
Love and Gratitude
Samira
