�It�s a very nice cook book,� Mr. Masterson flipped through the clear plastic display book holding the cookbook manuscript. �And �Delicious Colors� is quite an interesting title.�

Mike nodded, hoping there wasn�t another �shoe to drop�. Tape-�-L'oeil was the last publisher who�d agreed to see him. �Well, as an anosmic, I only care about the scent or aroma of...�

�Anosmic?� Masterson dropped the manuscript. �Is that a Christian sect, Mike, or something Middle Easte?�

�It isn�t a Christian�� Mike�s voice trailed off. He felt a weird falling sensation as he realized the mental gulf between them. How could this man not know the cookbook was for people without a sense of smell? Had Masterson read the foreword to Mike�s cookbook? Had he read anything except the cover?

Masterson misread Mike�s silence. �Not that Tape-�-L'oeil Publishing would discriminate against any racial or religious group, but�� Masterson�s eye flicked left then right quickly, making Mike think of a cartoon rat. �But we do have to consider the size of the market for an 'Anosmian' book, especially a cookbook.� Masterson leaned back in his chair apparently feeling that he was back on safe ground. �How many 'Anosmians' are there in the United States?�

If there were enough, would Masterson�s greed overcome his misplaced bigotry? �As I wrote in the introduction, there are around two million anosmics in America.�

�Oh, so less than one percent of the population�and do all anosmics have to cook? I mean, on holydays or something?�

�Well, no. In fact, to many of us food has less appeal than it��

Masterson interrupted him with a dismissive wave. �Well then. That�s that.� He slid the manuscript across the desk to Mike.

�But two million people, if even one in ten buys a copy that is�� The perfectly manicured hand cut him off again. �That will mean three hundred million books retued to us. That�s what happens when you pitch to such a small percentage of the population.� Masterson leaned forward, teeth bared in a predatory grin. �And before we even get to forty percent sales we need to get it in front of people.� He pressed part of his desk and the door behind Mike opened. �Do you know how much it costs to make a book available to all three hundred million Americans?� Masterson stood and extended his hand for a farewell handshake. �For starters, twenty one percent of them live in rural areas.�

�Tus out, with a fifteen dollar book,� Dawn looked away from the computer, �you�d probably make less than a dollar.�

He glared at her. �The money isn�t the point.� He looked away. �Well, not the main point. I just want to give other anosmics cooking instructions so that they can make food that tastes good even without having a sense of smell. Plus it�ll have instructions on ways to cook that don�t depend upon a sense of smell.� He clenched his fist and muttered in a high nasal voice. �Saut� until the scent of the veal overpowers the scent of the onions.� �If you�re really not interested in money, you could give your cookbook away.�

�I looked into that. It would cost at least five hundred dollars. I can�t afford that, and it would still only get me a hundred books.� �Going that route, you�d have to collect those hundred books and somehow distribute them to other anosmics. Or you could visit bookshops and try to get them to take a few on sale or retu. You�d then have to go around a month later and try to collect the money for any that sell and take back the ones that didn�t.�

�Chr...� He stopped himself, ��istmas. I hadn�t thought about getting them to people, or even into the shops. I�d probably have to deal with a dozen people like Masterson.�

�A dozen, don�t you mean two or three dozen? But selling them you�d maybe make five dollars per book. So as long as you sell half you�ll break even.� �Masterson said forty percent.� He frowned. �Five dollars, don�t you mean ten?�

She shook her head. �Tape-�-L'oeil publishing could sell them for fifteen because they�re a big publisher. You�d be better to sell them for ten so they do sell. That is, if you really do want the work of selling traditional paper books.�

�So, why did you even suggest self-publishing? It sounds like a lousy idea.�

She nodded. �That wasn�t what I suggested. I was thinking you could literally give it away, for a lot less than the cost of a single print run.� She paused, smiling. �For only ten or fifteen bucks you could set up a website, with the full text of your cookbook online. That way, all your fellow anosmics throughout the country can have your scentless recipes for free.�

Mike sat up, raised his hand and slapped them together in a loud clap. �Hel�eck yeah. According to one website, about twenty people a day type �anosmia� into a search engine. With luck, most of them will find my webpage and get my recipes.�

Dawn tossed half a dozen sheets of paper onto the couch next to Mike. �Here are some more recipes for you to try and maybe add to your online cookbook.� She pointed to the top sheet. �Plus an angry email from another anosmic whose taste in food doesn�t match yours�?�

Once he picked up the pages she sat down next to him. �Oh, and someone else emailed wanting to send you money.� Dawn smiled. �I�ll give him the address of our post office box.�

Mike nodded. �Let�s just add our post office box into the webpage.� He picked up the sheets of paper. �Hopefully we�ll get enough each month to cover the cost of the website.�

As soon as Mike got home Dawn dashed out of her study and intercepted him in the kitchen. She had a handful of letters, and stared for a moment, obviously unable to resist smiling. Mike wondered what idiotic thing he�d done now. It had to be a �whale� to provoke that much joy. She held up an official looking envelope. It had the address of their post office box typed on the front, so it was probably a bill. �How many anosmics did you say there were?�

Mike shrugged, �About two million.�

�Yes, two million in America, and nearly one percent of them all seem willing to send us a dollar. But our website isn�t just seen in America. How many are there worldwide?�

He stared at her. When did it go from being his website to being �our website�? She silently handed him the envelope, which had a British stamp. �They say that to save them postage fees one person has volunteered to gather donations and send you a money order every three months. Apparently France and Spain are doing the same thing!�

By: Allan T. Price
http://www.m6.net
Allan T. Price is an anosmic writer working at M6.Net: �The web-hosting company for humans with or without a sense of smell.� Although he has little interest in cooking, he does enjoy eating. He likes to challenge people to describe any smell without referencing to other smells.

Allan T. Price is a creative writer working at M6.Net: �The web-hosting company for humans.� M6.Net is working hard to help humanity experience the power and freedom to develop their own part of the Inteet, to share their information and connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime.