Happenings at Whizbang Books

I may have made internet history.

Last month I created the Whizbang Books Online Catalog. I did it with a blog. So, if it's a catalog in blog format, does that make it a blogalog? I've never seen another blogalog. If somebody else has, I'd like to know about it.

You can now go to the Whizbang Books Online Catalog and find information about all the Whizbang books and other products I sell. You can even see and read about (and buy) my books from the days before I started Whizbang books.

Why make a catalog in blog format? There are three reasons:

1. A blog is easy to establish, modify, and otherwise work with.
2. Blogs are free.
3. The Google search engine seems to favor blogs.

The only drawback I can see to a simple blogalog it that I can not offer click-and-buy-it-RIGHT-NOW-with-a-credit-card convenience. The conventional wisdom is that if I offered internet credit card purchasing, my sales would at least double and maybe even triple. I do not doubt that. But, still, I resist. I guess I'm just an old fashioned sort of guy. I'll come around to credit cards... someday... maybe.

The blog format does allow me to make a mail-in order form, of sorts. And I will take PayPal payments. A lot of my business is done with PayPal. You can use credit cards through PayPal. So I guess I do take credit cards.

Someday I'll get myself a real web site, not just a blogalog. But it'll do the job for now. Here's that link again: Whizbang Books Online Catalog

Whizbang Garden Cart Contest Winner
Last year's Whizbang book release was Anyone Can Build a Whizbang Garden Cart. To help spread the word and create some interest in the Whizbang Cart, I decided to sponsor a Whizbang Garden Cart Contest for 2007.

The contest ended on December 1st of last year. There was only one entrant so there was one winner. The first prize of a $100 gift certificate to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds went to Don & Caleb Underwood of Nebraska.

You can read the winning details here.

Whizbang Garden Cart Contest for 2008
So you missed out on winning a prize in last year's cart contest. Too bad. But I've got good news. I will be posting information about the 2008 Whizbang Garden Cart Contest at the garden cart blog this weekend.


New Catalogs Carry Whizbang Books
I am pleased to announce that the Whizbang Garden Cart book is now featured in the 2008 Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. It's also in the Pinetree Garden Seeds catalog.

By the way, it was a real surprise to see that The Lovely Marlene (my wife) is also featured in the Pinetree Garden Seeds catalog. There is a picture of her with the cart.

Pinetree and the Territorial Seed Company catalog are also carrying my book, The Complete Guide to Making Great Garlic Powder.

I have not yet received my 2008 Heirloom Acres Seeds catalog but I see from the Heirloom Acres web site that they have now added the Whizbang Garden Cart book, The Whizbang Chicken Plucker book, and the Whizbang Chicken Scalder book to their offerings. Heirloom acres already carried my Great Garlic Powder book and Writings of a Deliberate Agrarian. So, now, Heirloom acres and Cumberland Books have the distinction of being the only two places that sell ALL of my Whizbang books. And I am most appreciative!

My Next Book Project
it is January. A new Year. Time for me to get going on another Whizbang book. As mentioned here in the past, I have plans to publish a FREE online how-to book (in blog format, of course). I still intend to do that. But I've decided to first publish another paper and print book.

I'm researching and gathering material for this project now. The book will be something different for me. It will center around American agrarian history and culture. The book will be inspiring, entertaining, instructional, and practical. Anyone who appreciates rural living and rural history will appreciate and enjoy this next book. That's all I can say for now. I hope to have the manuscript to the printer by the end of March.

Less Blogging Ahead
I've been blogging here at The Deliberate Agrarian for almost three years now. I love to write about Faith, Family, & Livin' The Good Life. I have alot yet to say and share and, Lord willing, I will blog here for a long time to come. But for the first quarter of this year, as I focus on my next book, I expect to blog less than in the past. I hope you will be patient with me and stop by every so often.

Best wishes,

Herrick Kimball