Cut Short in the window of Heffers in Cambridge. It looks very small. Can you see it?Every year Heffers in Cambridge run an event called Bodies in the Bookshop where they invite crime writers to display their books. I was on the debut table with a group of intelligent, serious authors who all had vast piles of impressive looking hardbacks. They were talking about New York and Harrogate, their contacts and reviews, their international travel and their huge advances . . . And then there was me with my inexpensive little paperback, squeezed onto a corner of the table . . .
Many of the visitors were dealers who, I discovered, turn their noses up at paperbacks. Talk about judging a book by its cover! My low point came when a dealer upset a glass of wine over my folder. Not only did he not apologise, he didn't even buy a copy of my book. (I know, it is only a paperback.)
On a positive note, almost all of my books were bought, not by dealers but by ordinary readers who just wanted to read it - my kind of buyer. If anyone who came to Bodies in the Bookshop is reading this blog: I hope you enjoy reading Cut Short as much as I enjoyed meeting you.
And if you haven't yet managed to read Cut Short, it's in stock again on amazon. (Did I tell you that amazon sold out, resulting in Cut Short plummeting down the sales ratings - no books = zero sales. It went from 2 to 83 in one category in less than a day!)
25 comments:
Wow, that's cool. Sold out! That must explain why they still haven't shipped my copy.
How cool depends on how many copies they had in stock to start with. (Us Brits are naturally self effacing, Charles - I'm doing my best to be positive but the modesty slips out - can't help it!)
amazon.com isn't despatching Cut Short until August. (Although I noticed they were 'temporarily out of stock' today... It's all a mystery to me.)
superb, leigh!
i'm on chapter 15, four pages in... and enjoying it! :)
thx again!
You seem to sell out wherever you go, that is a good thing, no? Yes, well done. Fuck the dealers, what's the point of them anyway?
Glad to hear you're enjoying it, laughing wolf. Nice to hear from you.
I'm sure the dealers have a lot of point for - well, for dealers - but not to me. But as long as Cut Short is selling, who cares? I'm sure I must be missing something, but what's new?
Thanks for dropping by, Eryl.
What does the round red sticker say on your book in that window? - 'please buy me, I'm great!'
The dealers don't know what they're missing. Well done on selling well at Cambridge.
An award for your blog over at mine.
Hi Nanc Twop - the sticker says: "If you like Ruth Rendell, you'll love this book." Then it says the publisher will give you your money back if you don't like the book, they're so confident you'll enjoy it. I can't remember the exact wording. I hate stickers on books and always peel them off! When you buy your copy, you'll get a sticker as well as a book, and all for only £6.99 (or probably less on amazon).
Cut Short is available from amazon.com on 1st August so order your sticker (plus free book) now!
Thank you, Mel. I'm going over to take a look right now.
It's good that Amazon sold out but not good that they are now out of stock! How fustrating.
But wow, seeing your own book displayed like that!
I'm off to bed soon witn my copy! Nearly finished and loving it.
Thanks, world according to me. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'll be over soon to see if you've posted any photos yet.
There is always a fly in the ointment and you discovered it: an oafish dealer!
Hey Leigh! I was reading my latest copy of Writers' Forum mag and you have a mention in it to do with one of your signings. Cool Stuff!!
What did it say, Akasha? Tell me all!
Always a fly in the ointment, PI. So true. But maybe I should be a bit tougher. I have a feeling I'm going to reread this blog one day (when I have time...) and wonder why I made such a fuss about trivia.
Sounds like you've had quite an experience going about promoting your book (and meeting some "interesting" people).
Don't be discouraged by the hardback snobbery. If I am representative of most folks, I try to make my dollar (or pound) go far by not buying hard backs. I prefer paperbacks or the larger trade paperbacks at Costco.
Good luck with the touring!
Well most of the reading public will buy a paperback rather than a hardback anyday. Hardbacks are so overpriced ... snobbery won't sell their books. A good read and a good priced paperback will. Keep up the good work.
Hi Alan, and thank you for visiting. Cut Short is available (in paperback!) on amazon.ca from 1st August (hint) I hope you consider reading it and come back to let me know what you think.
You're right, Aggie. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what book dealers do anyway. How do they make any profit if they buy up books at the normal sale price?
This is what Writers' Forum (Aug/Sept issue, page 59) said ~ 'Author Leigh Russell will be signing copies of her new book Cut Short in Borders Bournemouth on Saturday 8 August.'
Short and sweet but to the point xx
Thanks, Akasha That's a bit random, as I'm booked at around 50 places, but nice to have a mention anywhere for anything. Thank you very much for bringing it to my atttention.
What a nasty person not to have apologised for damaging your folder, the least he could have done is bought your book.
Good luck with the rest of your book launch and I hope you sell just as many if not more than the hardbacks.
I'm sure he was just doing his best, following his own agenda, Jarmara, but it wasn't very nice. Never mind, takes all types. And I have to say that, in general, I've found people are really kind and friendly. That's made all the book promotion I've been doing really enjoyable. I can't complain. (But I still do . . . !)
And I have a mental image of the- man-who-spilt-wine-on-my-folder. I suspect he's going to turn up in one of my books one day, in a different guise. He won't be recognisable (I don't know anything about him really) but I'll know it's him . . . (Petty? Me? Never!)
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