Creating an eBook

Self-publishing sounded so accessible. Just write, edit and publish. Skip the arduous search for an agent to get you through a wall of rejections to a reluctant publisher and then wait a year or longer as someone else edits your book and creates cover art that you’ll probably dislike. And instead of finding your book taken off the bookstore shelves and shipped back to the publisher after a month, as remainders, your book could be eternal, living in cyberspace forever.

Sign me up. I dredged out a half-written manuscript from twenty years ago and reviewed my material. I originally began the project after being inspired by William Goldman’s hilarious book, Adventures in the Screen Trade. I thought our mishaps in the mountains might make a decent comedic screenplay. And so, I began to write. For some reason, probably driven by growing doubts that anyone would find the stories as interesting as I did, I shelved the project. And only in December of 2020, during a great pandemic, hunkered down at home, had the spark returned, and I began furiously putting words to page.

The writing part came swiftly as it was a memoir, a slice of a magical time in my life. All I had to do was remember and tell the stories I found so fascinating. The memoir genre seemed to be more accessible than science fiction that requires a host of quirky intergalactic species with unpronounceable names and weird science, or the convoluted plot and subplots and evil characters required of crime fiction. Yeah, this should be easy. So, I thought.

I’d recalled Truman Capote stating that “writing is rewriting.” He was correct. That’s where the craft happens and the time disappears as you struggle to make it readable, interesting and if you’re talented and lucky, lyrical and truly captivating. I had no editor. But I did have the help of several good friends and my wonderful wife who read beta versions of the chapters and told me the truth, what I needed to hear to make it better.

And once I had my manuscript in order, then came the photographs, for both interior chapters and a compelling one for the cover. I conceived several titles and subtitles and mocked up over forty versions of covers with those titles with many different images. That was actually a bit daunting and yet fun.

Of course, every book requires both front and back matter. And that writing needed as much care as everything else. The minutia of the logistics, acquiring ISBN numbers, filing for copyright, and creating file conversions for Kindle Mobipocket and EPUB for others were mind-boggling. And don’t forget about keywords and categories and a compelling book description for your online listings.

There are plenty of online resources that instruct on every step of the process, but it’s an Easter Egg Hunt to find what you need. I only moved forward by creating a dynamic, continuously evolving ‘To Do’ list, reranking priorities, and chipping away at everything in bite-size chunks. After innumerable rewrites and tweaks, I finally finished and my memoir releases, as an eBook, July 1, 2021 on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. I tell the stories as best I can. I hope you enjoy them.

Don't Wimp Out

“Don’t wimp out.” My wife, Diane encouraged me forward after I equivocated about an early start to hike solo to Poo Poo Point. So, I arrived at the trailhead at 6:00 am and just did it. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Happened to catch the dawn patrol as a guy readied his paraglider for launch from the lower LZ. Mt. Rainier visible and resplendent on the horizon.

     I took the Chirico Trail and encountered about 75 hikers, most on the way back down. It was humid with clear views of Mt. Rainier. I saw no one at the upper LZ. I found it good to revisit the hike as I did not hike it at all in 2020. The trail is in good shape, the erosion along the granite staircase has been repaired and there is no deadfall. Going early on a day where we expected record heat was a solid plan. This Wednesday at 6:00 am the parking lot was about half full and there were still spaces when I returned two hours later. Many hikers wore masks and observed good trailside etiquette. All were friendly.

     For me, this trail is mostly an early-season training hike and a barometer of my fitness. I do like it, but it’s mostly a workout. Someone on the Facebook 'Washington Hikers and Climbers' group asked if it was a good hike for kids. Well, that depends on the kid. On weekends you’ll see a lot of them but not all are happy. There are no raucous creek crossing, snowmelt waterfalls, mountain goat sightings, or stunning summit views. If the kid just loves hiking, they’ll be alright. And when the paragliders are out, the views just keep on coming. Then everybody’s happy.

Chasing the Light

“Get out your camera gear.” Keylor announced that he and I would participate in this year’s ‘Chase The Light’ photo contest, a fundraiser hosted by the Photographic Center Northwest. For a weekend photo exploration, June 12-13, 2021, every participant would have one photo selected for inclusion in a virtual pop-up exhibition and fundraiser on Saturday, June 19.

Keylor and I had photographed together before. We hiked to Fremont Lookout on the northeast side of Mt. Rainier back in late August of 2019. The purpose of that Friday evening hike was to photograph the Galactic Core of the Milky Way over Mount Rainier. Unfortunately, some clouds drifted in above the mountain and hampered what could have been a perfect night shoot. We tussled with those intermittent clouds obscuring the galactic light show but somehow managed to get some dramatic night sky images. But the big surprise was a roiling sea of clouds that enveloped the lookout like an island in the sky. The inversion layer was awesome! Hiking out with headlamps, we agreed that it was a magical place and a memorable evening.

The time constraints on the ‘Chase The Light’ contest jump-started my plans. Could I combine a training hike with a photoshoot and challenge myself with something new in the realm of photographic exploration? Inspired by the idea of silky captures of snowmelt waterfalls and tumbling rapids, I prepared my kit with my tripod, a circular polarizer, neutral density filters, and radio triggers so I could take long exposures. 

Keylor had to remain in Seattle, so I would hike solo up the old Commonwealth Creek Trail to the narrow long bridge crossing (pictured above) and capture the magic. I memorized the steps in the process and added the small trailside waterfalls to my list. I’d make a loop, joining up with the Pacific Crest Trail to Kendall Katwalk and hike up over intermittent snowfields to access the upper falls and then return past others that tumbled across the trail. Alas, it was not to be.

Up at 5:20 am and heading east by 6:00, I reviewed my plan, the clearing skies encouraging me. The drifting clouds revealed the granite peaks surrounding Snoqualmie Pass and in a most dramatic way. I was ready for this. I pulled off the eastbound freeway and drove toward the trailhead road. Only a few yards up the road, I encountered snow, lots of it. The road was impassible. I couldn’t even reach the trailhead parking area.

Although I once wrote that while we previsualize and make plans, we often encounter the unexpected and need to throw our plans out the window and respond to the present conditions. I said to others, sometimes it’s more of a gift than a hindrance. I certainly didn’t feel that way after encountering that snow-covered road. Yes, I needed to regroup. And I did, finally tossing out two more plans as I drove back home, only to hike the local trails and photograph abandoned wrecked cars slowly overcome by tenacious moss. Waterfalls would have to wait.

The 13th Omnipotent

After thoroughly reading (devouring) the flyer, it was clear that this was a superior mountain tent. The design principles had convinced me. Now I needed to see the physical manifestation. Could it be as good as the description? I was a bit skeptical, but called the phone number and spoke to Bill Nicolai, the tent designer and manufacturer and, set up a time to meet with him and see the tent. He sounded very matter-of-fact. I couldn’t get a read on him from the conversation.

     My mind filled with questions. Who was this guy Nicolai? This tent was such a breakthrough design I concluded Nicolai must be some middle-aged engineer who probably worked at Boeing during the day. Yes, that made sense, a middle-aged engineer. A guy with glasses who smoked a pipe. The erudition of the brochure also gestured towards a scholarly individual. Perhaps he was a professor at the University of Washington.

     A couple of days later, Lara and I drove to the address on the brochure. Surprisingly, it was a small wood-frame house in an older residential neighborhood near Green Lake on the north end of Seattle. Could this possibly be right? I drove by, stopped, and then circled back and parked the car in front of the house. I paused, uncertain. The modest structure was someone’s home, not the commercial enterprise I expected. I wondered if this was some form of ruse. Nevertheless, I was committed to following through and left the car.

     Somewhat wary, I approached the house and knocked on the door. After a moment, a wild-looking man, who might be a good extra or lead character in the movie Quest for Fire, opened the heavy wooden door. I said I was there to meet Bill Nicolai. He replied, “He’s coming.” Though he didn’t introduce himself, I was surprised that he expected me and went back inside to get the tent. As he left, I peered into his house and noticed two ice axes crossed over each other, mounted above the fireplace mantle in his living room.

     I thought the ice axes a good sign, an omen, symbolic of alpine authority and expertise. Symbolism appealed to me. Later Nicolai would introduce me to this wild man. Mark Fielding was Nicolai’s long-time best friend, mountain mentor, and regular climbing partner. What I didn’t know at the time was that Mark was one of a cadre of the most skilled Seattle alpinists. He had partnered with the legendary Fred Beckey and numerous climbs and put up several first ascents.

     As Mark brought the tent out into the front yard, another outrageous-looking character drove up in a black 63’ Ford Galaxy. Looking a lot like Jerry Garcia, Nicolai slowly emerged, sauntered towards me, and introduced himself. I was astonished that he and Mark were my contemporaries, both young men, and neither even remotely close to the older, strait-laced, pipe-smoking, Boeing engineer or college professor types that I had led myself to expect. I had to laugh at the discrepancy between my expectations and the reality in front of me.

This is an excerpt from ‘The 13th Omnipotentd,’ an adventure story from my recently released memoir, Banquet of the Infinite, which is now available as an eBook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.