CRANBERRY TWP - Music fills the home of Jeff Bleiel, you just wouldn't know it by listening at the door.

That's because rather than audible notes, it's all about the written word. Bleiel makes his living as a writer and publisher of books about popular music icons such as Bobby Darin, The Carpenters, The Beach Boys and disco queen Donna Summer.

"I help take someone's germ of an idea and make it become a book," said Bleiel of his niche-market company, Tiny Ripple Books.

Operating as a home-based business, Tiny Ripple Books specializes in the careers of recording artists.

As a newspaper feature writer in Alexandria, Va., a freelance writer for Goldmine Magazine and someone whose work has been published, Bleiel said he "learned a fair amount of the publishing business before jumping into it."

"I wanted to be more than a self-publisher," he said of his goals with the business, which he started in 2000. "I wanted to be a small publisher and pursue projects that interested me.

"Publishing is a different business (than writing). I know I'm not going to get rich with this, but it's very rewarding. Sometimes I like it better than writing, sometimes not. There are aspects (of publishing) that get me the creative fulfillment."

Having successfully launched five projects, he says he will "judiciously" explore taking on others in the future.

His current book, "That's All, Bobby Darin on Record, Stage and Screen," is the revised and expanded second edition of his first book - and Bleiel's attention at this stage of the process is focused on marketing.

"The post-publication work is as important and as intense as the pre-publication work," he said.

Post-production includes everything from advertising and public appearances to filling orders.

Having done five books, the blueprint for the process of publishing is established for Tiny Ripple Books.

At the onset of a possible project, Bleiel examines the premise a music historian/writer has in mind and decides whether it will work as a book. He checks out the fan base of the entertainer to see if there is a market for the project.

His next step is to research the availability of other texts on the artist. Although a new book may be more well-researched, have more information and even be more well-written, if potential readers seem satisfied with a previously published book, he'll pass on the project.

If Bleiel decides to proceed, he'll say to the writer, "Let me see what you've got." Once he begins delving into a manuscript, he makes more "yea" or "nay" decisions based on the quality of product.

He edits the manuscript and works on the flow of the writing, "making it into a product that can go" forward. A graphic artist will develop design ideas and it will go to a page layout artist. Bleiel will proofread it again to assess the readability before the project heads off to a printer.

Randy Schmidt of Denton, Texas, author or "Yesterday Once More," was one such author whose publishing project was undertaken by Tiny Ripple in December 2000.

"My book is about The Carpenters and it's a compendium of articles, reviews and interviews that had been published in various places like Rolling Stone that I had collected over the years for my own enjoyment," said Schmidt.

"People were calling me for information about the Carpenters and it began to make sense that it could be brought together in book form.

"I found Jeff by going on Amazon.com and looking for publishers of similar books. I found the book he published on the Beach Boys.

"I sent him a query letter outlining the idea of the project. Jeff helped me bring it to life," Schmidt added.

In the beginning of Tiny Ripple Books publishing, Bleiel used his "gut instincts" to decide on the number of books to be printed. He now has a history of experiences to draw from when it comes to estimating how many people would buy the specialty books.

Knowing where to advertise a book and

finding outlets for i

ts sale come next on Bleiel's work schedule.

The four titles published by Tiny Ripple Books are available through Amazon.com and online at Barnes and Noble. Selected bookstores carry his titles, and Bleiel also does a small amount of direct sales from his Web site, www.tinyripple.com.

Bleiel said his book

on

Bobby Darin was always timed to be released about now. It is a fortuitous circumstance that it coincides with the release of "Beyond the Sea," Kevin Spacey's movie about the versatile performer and songwriter who made "Mack the Knife" a timeless pop standard.

"I knew the Bobby Darin movie was coming out, but it had been talked about for 20 years," said Bleiel.

Originally intended to be a magazine piece, Bleiel's research on Darin's career began small.

"I didn't know that much about him," Bleiel said. "I had the impression he had done a lot of different things in the late 1980s. I went to the used record store (for research) and it ballooned from there.

"He had such a unique career, succeeding in so many musical styles. He was a songwriter as well, with about a quarter of his recorded material his own. Bobby Darin is not the top of anyone's list, but he did protest, folk, jazz, country and rock 'n' roll songs along with pop standards.

"He sang pop standards with a big band at The Copacabana, and he sang protest songs with a four-piece rock band at The Troubadour," said Bleiel. "(Darin) surprised, and even angered, people with the continual and radical changes he made. No other major star did as many different things and did them credibly."

Darin's other career credits include being an Oscar-nominated actor, television variety show staple and record producer.

"By virtue of creating the book, I became the expert" on the career of Bobby Darin, said Bleiel.

Bleiel was also the co-producer of a four-CD box set "As Long As I'm Singing: the Bobby Darin Collection."

The other books published by Tiny Ripple Books are:

"Yesterday Once More: Memories of the Carpenters and Their Music," by Randy Schmidt

"Add Some Music To Your Day: Analyzing and Enjoying the Music of the Beach Boys," edited by Don Cunningham and Jeff Bleiel

"Donna Summer: Her Life and Music," by Josiah Howard

"Behind the Muse: Pop and Rock's Greatest Songwriters Talk About Their Work and Inspiration," by Bill DeMain.