I breathed a big sigh of relief this morning when I went to Gardners website, typed in my ISBN and found that they have 36 copies of my book back in stock. They have been out of stock for almost 2 weeks now, and with the book signing at Waterstones in Staines approaching this weekend, I was having nightmares about turning up there and finding no books for me to sign!
Yesterday Coran and I drove out to Staines to make sure we know where the shop is, and find out about car parks, places to eat afterwards etc. He told me that I should drive while he read the map, as if I map read we would end up getting lost. What happened - you guessed it, we took a wrong turn and ended up halfway to Heathrow airport! Half an hour later we found ourselves in Staines, walked to the book shop and then spent another half an hour walking round looking for somewhere to eat ...
Both Coran and I are vegetarian and also wheat free, which can cause problems with eating out. We usually then go to Pizza Hut as they have a lovely eat as much as you like salad bar at lunchtimes, or failing that, go and get a jacket potato. We asked one of the security guards outside the shopping centre then where we could find a Pizza Hut, and he pointed us in the right direction. We couldn't see it anywhere though, and so ended up back in British Home Stores having small and somewhat hard baked potatoes with what they described as salad - this was a handful of wilted lettuce leaves with two slices of tomato. Then as we were driving home, what did we see but a big sign saying Pizza Hut in the local retail park - we had walked in the right direction alright, but not far enough! At least we know where it is though for Saturday, and more to the point, we can park for free outside, rather than paying £1 an hour for the multi storey up the road .... After all, it is only a five minute walk from Waterstones ....
After we got home I found the post waiting for me. There was a note from a friend who runs a spiritual magazine which has recently reviewed my book. She had very kindly sent me a list of all her stockists, knowing that the majority are small shops that also sell books. I rang then to thank her and then telephoned one of the shops on the list - Mysteries in London. This is one of the biggest independent new age book retailers in London.
I spoke to their Buyer who was very helpful, and said that she likes to try and help self published authors as much as she can. However with Christmas coming, they are very tight for space, and so she asked me to call back in the New Year, which I certainly will do.
I then set to work ringing a few more Waterstones - without much luck. I have almost got to the end of the list now - and so will have to start back at the beginning chasing the ones I have not managed to get hold of. This is never ending, and if I thought contacting over 300 Waterstones was bad enough, there are 3500 independents to contend with as well. Thankfully at least half of them probably don't stock books like mine ....
I then had an email from my friend Miller Caldwell, who I met over the weekend at the Authors OnLine 10th anniversary. He has published 5 books with Richard now, and he very kindly offered a free copy of his latest one, 7 point 7, to each of the authors that were there last weekend. It seemed only right and fair then to offer him one of mine in exchange.
Well, he loved my book and made some lovely comments, so I asked him if he would consider reviewing it for me - I will do the same for him of course in return. I also asked him if he would like to be featured in Conversations with POD - which he readily agreed to. So, I uploaded his answers this morning. He has written about his first book - Operation Oboe, and a very interesting book it sounds too.
Today not much has happened - a trip to Tescos to fill up the fridge and take back the application form for a Christmas job, followed by a few more book stores (still no luck) and then a visit to our friend Helen, for afternoon tea.
National Trust again tomorrow -and then I shall have to start preparing for the book signing this weekend. I wonder if the Staines and Ashford Herald will have a photographer free - I hope so, but Coran and the shop will take some photos if not.
Yesterday Coran and I drove out to Staines to make sure we know where the shop is, and find out about car parks, places to eat afterwards etc. He told me that I should drive while he read the map, as if I map read we would end up getting lost. What happened - you guessed it, we took a wrong turn and ended up halfway to Heathrow airport! Half an hour later we found ourselves in Staines, walked to the book shop and then spent another half an hour walking round looking for somewhere to eat ...
Both Coran and I are vegetarian and also wheat free, which can cause problems with eating out. We usually then go to Pizza Hut as they have a lovely eat as much as you like salad bar at lunchtimes, or failing that, go and get a jacket potato. We asked one of the security guards outside the shopping centre then where we could find a Pizza Hut, and he pointed us in the right direction. We couldn't see it anywhere though, and so ended up back in British Home Stores having small and somewhat hard baked potatoes with what they described as salad - this was a handful of wilted lettuce leaves with two slices of tomato. Then as we were driving home, what did we see but a big sign saying Pizza Hut in the local retail park - we had walked in the right direction alright, but not far enough! At least we know where it is though for Saturday, and more to the point, we can park for free outside, rather than paying £1 an hour for the multi storey up the road .... After all, it is only a five minute walk from Waterstones ....
After we got home I found the post waiting for me. There was a note from a friend who runs a spiritual magazine which has recently reviewed my book. She had very kindly sent me a list of all her stockists, knowing that the majority are small shops that also sell books. I rang then to thank her and then telephoned one of the shops on the list - Mysteries in London. This is one of the biggest independent new age book retailers in London.
I spoke to their Buyer who was very helpful, and said that she likes to try and help self published authors as much as she can. However with Christmas coming, they are very tight for space, and so she asked me to call back in the New Year, which I certainly will do.
I then set to work ringing a few more Waterstones - without much luck. I have almost got to the end of the list now - and so will have to start back at the beginning chasing the ones I have not managed to get hold of. This is never ending, and if I thought contacting over 300 Waterstones was bad enough, there are 3500 independents to contend with as well. Thankfully at least half of them probably don't stock books like mine ....
I then had an email from my friend Miller Caldwell, who I met over the weekend at the Authors OnLine 10th anniversary. He has published 5 books with Richard now, and he very kindly offered a free copy of his latest one, 7 point 7, to each of the authors that were there last weekend. It seemed only right and fair then to offer him one of mine in exchange.
Well, he loved my book and made some lovely comments, so I asked him if he would consider reviewing it for me - I will do the same for him of course in return. I also asked him if he would like to be featured in Conversations with POD - which he readily agreed to. So, I uploaded his answers this morning. He has written about his first book - Operation Oboe, and a very interesting book it sounds too.
Today not much has happened - a trip to Tescos to fill up the fridge and take back the application form for a Christmas job, followed by a few more book stores (still no luck) and then a visit to our friend Helen, for afternoon tea.
National Trust again tomorrow -and then I shall have to start preparing for the book signing this weekend. I wonder if the Staines and Ashford Herald will have a photographer free - I hope so, but Coran and the shop will take some photos if not.
2 comments:
Hi June,
Good luck with the book signing. Have loaned a special friend Genesis of Man on the condition that she knows that her own copy will be her Christmas present so look out for an order of at least two (one also to go to my best friend Sylvia in Canada who says she will promote it on the basis of what I have told her). Helen (currently reading my copy and taking good care of it, I hope) says that she has rarely read anything which has held her so spellbound, but thinks it is not one book - and I agree).
Much love,
Tracy
Have you ever thought about doing a workshop here in Spain? When P2H becomes available we could do a dual "thing": good market potential?
Hi Tracy
Thanks for the recommendation to those two friends, will look out for those orders coming in as well. Not sure when the final posting date to Canada is this year, so you might want to keep an eye on that, as they usually ridiculously early. I have never even been to Spain (I am not a beach and nightclub type person, which is how people tend to think of it), interesting idea though and might well be worth considering with cheap flights ...
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