For those of you who have purchased the book from Amazon.com, please go in and post a review, even if it is not what I want to hear, as long as it is not fabricated I can live with that; but don’t post if you have not actually read the book.

• The author didn’t explain how to price products, just said to “include everything.” Then she says to use a cake matrix which she doesn’t explain further. But go to her website and for a hefty monthly membership fee she provides it. Smells like a scam.

• And the only thing she says about bookkeeping is to find a software program. Good thing I already bought another book. That’s how I learned to set up my business books.
• Also the author, a supposed expert, says don’t do wholesale. That’s unsound advice and can cost you business. Most of my business is wholesale.
• On the plus side, the interviews with home-based bakers are okay and probably help to sell books to their friends and family. But interviews are for websites and magazines, not in a book I paid for.

Please note that the following comment was made by someone who not only has not purchased my book but has little to no knowledge of home-based baking and the cottage food industry. I will address her comments one at a time.

1) “The author didn’t explain how to price products, just said to “include everything.” Then she says to use a cake matrix which she doesn’t explain further. But go to her website and for a hefty monthly membership fee she provides it. Smells like a scam.”
Chapter 5, pages 71-77 addresses pricing; and a cake matrix is mentioned twice in the book on page 45, “Basic accounting software (e.g. cake matrix pricing tool for costing out your cakes” and page 73 “Some bakers use a cake matrix pricing tool that allows you to calculate your cost, time, supplies, and ingredients” never referring to any website.

(2) “And the only thing she says about bookkeeping is to find a software program. Good thing I already bought another book. That’s how I learned to set up my business books.”
Bookkeeping and Management is covered in Chapter 7 pages 94-99, and the book does not endorse any software program or company.

(3)  “Also the author, a supposed expert, says don’t do wholesale. That’s unsound advice and can cost you business. Most of my business is wholesale.”
See page 73. Section: Wholesale vs. Retail Production
“The question to sell wholesale vs. retail is not a difficult one. If you want to make quantity sales, then you should consider selling your products wholesale. Unfortunately this is difficult to do if you are baking from home, since most home kitchens only have one oven.”

(4)  On the plus side, the interviews with home-based bakers are okay and probably help to sell books to their friends and family. But interviews are for websites and magazines, not in a book I paid for.
“Interviews are a wonderful way to share what others are doing and I encourage readers to contact the bakers in this book about their business start-up and their journey thus far. By the way all of the bakers in the book are still in business and open to answering questions about their home bakeries.”

I recently received this email from my editor who said, “We agree it does not sound like she purchased the book and back you up on all your points, especially regarding the interviews that we find is a great addition to the How to Start series and are included in every title possible that we publish. They definitely give the reader a sense of “look how many people have found success so it is attainable.”

I know there will be people who do not like everything I say or do, but people who flat out refuse to tell the truth, well that’s just “sad!”