We are excited to announce that Tastebud Guides is shifting from just producing food guides to publishing all kinds of food-related eBooks. We are also offering services to bloggers who are interested in DIY publishing, but require some help along the way. 

Here are some examples of the services Tastebud Guides now offers:

• As before, restaurant bloggers looking to publish a food guide for their city can submit proposals for a guide topic to be published in collaboration with Tastebud Guides
• Recipe bloggers looking to publish an eCookbook can also submit proposals to be published in collaboration with Tastebud Guides
• Bloggers looking to publish their own materials and maintain full ownership of their content can hire Tastebud Guides to set up their publishing accounts and layout their content in various eBook formats. 

Also stay tuned over the coming months as we roll out some resources to help DIY Publishers. The first post is up, outlining some of the frequently asked questions from people interested in eBook publishing. 

Tastebud Guides participated in the International Food Blogger Conference in Portland (August 24-26, 2012). The conference covers a range of 'food nerd' related topics, including eBooks and food writing. I was thrilled to go to see what other bloggers are doing and where the good food hotspots are in the Pacific Northwest. I have always heard incredible things about the Oregon food scene, but I wasn't quite prepared for the sheer amount of innovation and creativity that I found in Portland! 

We started off day 1 at the 'bookfair' during registration. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and chatted about the project, it was so lovely to talk to you all! This is the first time that I have really gotten out there and talked to bloggers about the idea, and it was exciting to see the reaction to the project live. Looking forward to creating some fabulous guides in the future!

I also really enjoyed the sessions I attended. By the end of the days my head was so full of new ideas and information I had to force myself to get out there and enjoy Portland (woe, a hard life!). Everyone in attendance was so friendly and the conversation flowed easily, especially since most of the conversation was about my two favourite topics (food, technology). 

The conference organizers worked really hard to make sure we got a taste of Portland's 'Local Flavour' (or I suppose 'flavor' since we were south of the border!). This included a "live food blogging session" in which we were treated to samples from some small producers in the Oregon area who are creating some incredibly delicious product. I really loved that we got a chance to sample some products from really small, local producers, in fact I wish we'd had a chance to do even more! 

We also got a chance to sample some amazing Oregon Wines! Not being as educated about wine as I would like to be, the opportunity to talk to the producers and learn about the differences in wine production between my home province of BC and Oregon was fascinating. A little too fascinating after such an early morning and light lunch because I was so busy chatting people up at the bookfair...! 

As this was my first conference, I wasn't quite prepared for the gift suite. Thankfully, now I have purchased a fold-up duffle to stick in my luggage for future travel! I haven't had a chance to try everything yet, but I appreciate the support of the sponsors in making the conference possible! 

Of course, there was much enjoyment of the rest of Portand's food scene, which I have documented on my personal blog! 

This is a call for contributions to a mini-guide to Victoria's "poutine scene." 

Poutine is a pretty hot trend in Victoria right now, and everyone has their favourite. The vision for this mini-tastebud guide will be to compare and contrast the different takes on fries + sauce + cheese that are available in the city. Articles will be edited together into an eBook format and be made available for free on eBookstores (iBookstore, Kobo bookstore & Kindle store) in English speaking countries. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Sign up to reserve a local restaurant (or two) by July 31st, 2012
• Submit ~200 words about the poutine with a high-resolution photograph before August 30th, 2012
• Include a 1-2 sentence bio & a link to your project/social media/website etc.
• Please do not select a restaurant where there might be a conflict of interest
  (e.g. you or a person close to you are financially [or otherwise] compensated by said restaurant). 

Once you have submitted the form below you will receive an email confirmation and more instructions about how to submit your article to the project. 

get to the sign up form by clicking "read more" in the bottom right corner of this post.

Excited to announce that the restaurants featured in "Local Flavour: Victoria 2012" will also be highlighted on Victoria's premier local-loving style blog, capitalcitystyle.ca! 

cc:style features 'bite sized' articles from and about locals who are at the cutting edge of trends in the city from fitness to fashion to food. 




The articles will cover the same ground as Local Flavour, but go into more depth about one of the delicious menu items at each restaurant, or feature an interview with restaurant owners and chefs talking about the behind the scenes passion that go into creating the food found in Local Flvour. 

Check out the first post about the delicious Capital Style burger at the Flying Otter Grill! 

For Immediate Release

Summary: Local Flavour is the first of a series of food guides launching in Victoria, BC from Tastebud Guides. The guidebook is available as an eBook and recommends 20 breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink establishments in the city. 

LOCAL FOOD EBOOK LAUNCHES IN VICTORIA
VICTORIA, BC - June 9, 2012 - Local Flavour: Victoria 2012; eBook; $3.99

Victoria's first eBook food guide recommending only locally owned, independent restaurants is now available from online eBookstores. "Local Flavour" makes 20 recommendations of local restaurants that offer a consistent dining experience an unparalleled value, celebrating the vibrancy of the local food scene in the city. Some recommendations in the guide are obvious, such as family favourites like Ferris' Oyster Bar and the world-famous seafood at Red Fish Blue Fish. Other recommendations reveal hidden gems and rising stars of Victoria's culinary scene, such as Spiced Water, the new coffee shop started by the founders of Jagasilk. 

This is the first of a series of eBooks that Tastebud Guides plans to release over the next year. Future guides will be written by other local food writers and bloggers with a focus on specific dining trends, such as coffee or microbreweries. "The idea of Tastebud Guides is that they are 'field guides' to fantastic food," says Jen Reiher, founder of Tastebud Guides and author of the first guide, "Visitors to Victoria now have a portable, cross-reference resource to help them explore food experiences in our beautiful, delicious city."  

Tastebud Guides presents restaurant recommendations in a format that allows for quick reference as well as more detailed decision making. Detailed information about the restaurant's history and ambiance are included to help discerning diners decide which restaurant is the best fit for them. Suggested menu items are highlighted with photographs and bolded for quick reference, and nearby and similar restaurants are cross-referenced at the end of each review.

To buy a copy of Local Flavour: Victoria 2012, search for "Tastebud Guides" on your eReader's bookstore or use the links below to buy the guide on your computer and transfer it to your device:
apple • kindle • kobo

Tastebud Guides is an eBook food guide publishing platform to help guide food lovers to fantastic local food. Guides are written by members of the local food community with a deep knowledge and passion about their topic. Information is presented in a user-friendly, crossed referenced way, making use of the features of eBook technology. 

###

Photos and review copies available

Media Contact:
Jen Reiher
jen~@~tastebudguides~.~com
1-888-503-8386
www.tastebudguides.com

Congratulations to Robin T., winner by random draw of the grand prize in the launch contest! 
The lovely Robin is going home with a $50 gift certificate to one of the restaurants in the guide, a beer poster and a copy of the guide. What a lucky lady!

We are also awarding Matt B a copy of the guide for being the entry with the most correct answers. 
Nicely done, Matt!


Stay tuned... the book launches fully next week and there is more exciting news coming very soon!

I am so excited to announce that with 12 days to go, we have already reached the funding goal to get into the tourism information centre! This is incredible news! I am so thrilled - it means that things are full steam ahead. I anticipate having the guide completed in the next week, and launched in the info centre soon after.

I printed out a smaller version of the poster when I pitched my project at the awesome shit club earlier this week! It was pretty cool to see it come "to life." The final version of the posters should be available by the middle of the month, barring unforeseen circumstances! 
Instead of having a faux grey background, I am planning to print them on flecked paper, and 18x24 (so no weird white edges!). 

The eBook is pretty close to launching! I put the draft on my iPad last night and it was a pretty magical moment. Just a few more finishing touches (like um, editing), some logistics and bureaucracy and things should be in an online bookstore near you!

I feel like we are at this really exciting time in history where technology is revolutionizing content creation. I suspect this will mean that instead of a few "big guys" making a lot from media, we will see a lot of "little guys" making their own little piece of the pie. This is my attempt at becoming one of those "little guys..."!

I am also excited about this because it offers an opportunity to platform for food bloggers like myself to have a way of easily monetizing their content. If this is successful, I can partner with people all around the world to create their own guides for the cities they blog in. This is also extremely exciting because it would mean that when I visit San Francisco, New York, Vancouver, London... there would be something like this for me to buy and read before arriving (hello foodie holidays, I am drooling about you already!).

After much deliberation I have decided to reach out to the community to take things to the next level. 

I have set myself a goal of $650. This money will cover the cost of getting the guide into the Tourist Info Centre down in the harbour so tourists can be connected to the fantastic food this city has to offer. I have 45 days to achieve this goal. 

So! If you have enjoyed a meal at the recommendation of one of my blog posts, if you love this idea or if you're just plain feeling generous please, take a few minutes and kick in some funding!