I'm so poor in keeping up with this blog, if anyone was actually reading it they'd be quite annoyed, or relieved that their time is now freer.
Anyway.
I've got an excuse (don't I always), I started a new job. After many years of pounding the floor at the bookshop I've upgraded to a new scarier world of responsibility, retail as I knew it, is done for me.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed selling books, especially when I could recommend something truly great and have the customer come back and tell me they really enjoyed it. Small smile of satisfactions abounded.
Other kinds of smiles had to be plastered on from time to time, as "the customer is always right". The following are all good examples of things to try if you want to see a bookseller trying to smile through the pain.
- Ask for the book by "the guy with the wife, you know, the one with the red cover."
- Ask them to recommend a book to you, listen attentively as they happily outline those that they've really enjoyed then decide to buy the latest blockbuster from the Author with a name you know, even if that author, a)is long dead or b) merely inspired said book and got some other pleb to write it. Or better still, listen to it all then go buy the book at the discount chain.
- Ask if they price match and then crack a wobbly when they say they don't.
- Tell them your child reads at a fourth grade level, despite being in grade one, nothing will impress them more believe me.
- Demand to know why some random book on 12th century agriculture isn't on the shelf.
- Ask for the latest by Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie or Pamela Anderson.
- Say "I don't read, what's good for my brother in law?" or words to that effect.
- Get the name of a popular book slightly wrong (say you heard it being talked about on the radio) then, when shown the correct book, swear up and down that it's not the one you're looking for then storm out muttering about bad service.
Of course if you want to make yourself very popular, go into a bookstore prepared to take a chance, ask someone who looks like they know what they're doing to recommend something and just buy it. It's only a book, but it could change your life, and as a writer in a tough market, the more people who take chances on lesser known writers the better off we'll all be.
And that's my two cents.
I promise my next blog will be shorter and less preachy!
Anyway.
I've got an excuse (don't I always), I started a new job. After many years of pounding the floor at the bookshop I've upgraded to a new scarier world of responsibility, retail as I knew it, is done for me.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed selling books, especially when I could recommend something truly great and have the customer come back and tell me they really enjoyed it. Small smile of satisfactions abounded.
Other kinds of smiles had to be plastered on from time to time, as "the customer is always right". The following are all good examples of things to try if you want to see a bookseller trying to smile through the pain.
- Ask for the book by "the guy with the wife, you know, the one with the red cover."
- Ask them to recommend a book to you, listen attentively as they happily outline those that they've really enjoyed then decide to buy the latest blockbuster from the Author with a name you know, even if that author, a)is long dead or b) merely inspired said book and got some other pleb to write it. Or better still, listen to it all then go buy the book at the discount chain.
- Ask if they price match and then crack a wobbly when they say they don't.
- Tell them your child reads at a fourth grade level, despite being in grade one, nothing will impress them more believe me.
- Demand to know why some random book on 12th century agriculture isn't on the shelf.
- Ask for the latest by Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie or Pamela Anderson.
- Say "I don't read, what's good for my brother in law?" or words to that effect.
- Get the name of a popular book slightly wrong (say you heard it being talked about on the radio) then, when shown the correct book, swear up and down that it's not the one you're looking for then storm out muttering about bad service.
Of course if you want to make yourself very popular, go into a bookstore prepared to take a chance, ask someone who looks like they know what they're doing to recommend something and just buy it. It's only a book, but it could change your life, and as a writer in a tough market, the more people who take chances on lesser known writers the better off we'll all be.
And that's my two cents.
I promise my next blog will be shorter and less preachy!
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