Monday, December 04, 2006

What do 3 TONS of cookbooks look like?



Better yet, what does your body feel like after moving 3 tons of recipe books to your basement? From (very recent) first hand experience, I can tell you: not good! I do not even want to know what I will feel like tomorrow. Thankfully, the work was spread between three of us - me, my wife, and our daughter. We had a decent system for moving the cookbooks from the garage to the basement worked out, and created a rudimentary "slide" to quickly get cartons down the steps. So, one person at the top, another placing them on the slide, and another loading a hand-truck at the bottom to transport to the storage racks. Then, getting them from the hand-truck onto the racks. Oh, what a workout! What have I gotten us into?

The next thing is knowing that we'll have to move some of these same boxes out shortly to take to, or mail to, our retailers, and to everyone on our pre-orders list that is waiting for their gluten-free desserts book to arrive just in time to make some delicious treats for Christmas and the holidays. But, at least the cookbooks are out of the way, and we can get an automobile back in the garage.

After being nearly 2.5 weeks late from the shipping company (arghh!), I feel a huge sense of relief and satisfaction knowing that the cookbooks are now in our hands, and the glutenfree/celiac population that is eagerly awaiting them will soon also feel some gratification when they get their hands on one. I apologize to anyone that has found the waiting as tough as I have -- when/if we reprint another batch, I'll allow more time for delivery issues (and, hire some teenagers to move the books).

So, it seems we have a seriously busy week ahead of us getting these things out to everyone. I think the post-office will love me, though anyone behind me in line at the post-office waiting to send holiday gifts is going to absolutely hate me (as I take a long time in front of them)! :)

For those of you overseas that have asked about ordering online -- give me a couple more days to get the international shipping rates updated and implemented. The only international destination ready to go right now is Australia for quantity-one shipments only (that was my "test case" where a very patient Australian has helped me work through the process). I'll soon be ready for Canada, UK/Great-Britain, Germany and a few others. Just need to figure out how much the rates to each location will be; of course the "flat rate" package the post-office had for international would not quite fit the book!

As I type this gluten free blog entry, I think that tomorrow may well be a good day to do some "desk work"... anything non-physical, as I already feel the exertion really taking hold in my knees, lower back, and elbows. I know what will help, at least for a few minutes: a nice gluten-free dessert/snack; perhaps even going overboard and eating some celebratory Haagen Dasz ice cream!

5 comments:

Shannon said...

Wow! That is alot of books! It must feel great (if not achey) to have all of those in your house.

Lynn Barry said...

HALLELUIAH! Must be a good kind of weary, better than the worry you were feeling when you wondered when the heck they would get to you.GOOD JOB FAMILY!

I feel guilty already having my awesome amazing GLUTEN FREE GOURMET DESSERTS cookbook...ah, not really, just thankful. It's a beauty.

Take care and take a rest now, you deserve it.

Mike Eberhart said...

It is definitely and interesting feeling having all those books here. But, we also now know we have work to do getting them out of here. If nothing else, a life-goal in publishing a book has come to fruition.

And Lynn, I'd love to take a break, but I've spent the first half of the day already working on boxing up orders. I really don't look forward to how long I am going to be at the post-office later getting all these books sent out, especially the international ones that I had to fill out customs forms for. Oh well, all part of doing business I guess.

ByTheBay said...

Amazing! Congrats! I will certainly buy one if/when I have the additional spending money (things are tight right now).

Mike Eberhart said...

ByTheBay, if the coupon I offered pre-order persons would make a difference, I'd certainly give you one yet for being kind enough to link to my blog and all. Just send me an email at my book site (sales AT www.suretalent-books.com).

I certainly want the most gluten-free persons out there to benefit from our book, and I realize that funds will be tight for some. Oh, if only I could implement a "hardship case" coupon system or something, but I fear I that suddenly everyone would apply for such a discount whether they really need the discount or not. If somebody has a great way to solve this dilemma, let me know.

Either way, thanks much for the congrats, and keep up that GREAT work on your blog -- love it!