A funny thing has been happening these past few days with regard to the number of books showing as in stock with Gardners. Last week when I checked it said they had 11 in stock, so having secured orders from a few more stores, I was bracing myself for another email from Richard informing me that they had ordered some more. Then I checked again on Monday and found the number in stock had risen to 19...
Had they had some returns already I asked myself? They shouldn't be coming back this early, since the book has only been on sale or return since August 13th, just over 3 months now. I wouldn't expect returns to start coming back until at least the New Year. Then this morning when I looked again, the figure had risen yet again, this time to 35. What is going on.
After tormenting myself all night about this and wondering what on earth is happening, I came to the conclusion that the only way I was going to know was if I rang them. And so that is what I did. They were quite helpful as it happens, even though they could not tell me much (confidentiality and all that). One of the biggest draw backs of POD is that you cannot log into such systems yourself, since you are not the publisher. I wish I had known this when I signed on the dotted line, not that it would have made much difference anyway.
They confirmed though that the only returns they have had were for a few books damaged in transit - this always happens in small amounts, and it is around the figure you would expect so they told me. The sales woman told me in fact that based on the figures she could see in front of her, she would recommend the book to anyone who rang up as a popular title, so that has to be good. I am still no nearer then to knowing what is going on and what lies beneath the yo yoing figures, but at least I know they are not due to returns !
I have had a busy day today then - starting ringing round first thing this morning, since I had been told that this would be the best time to reach the manager at Waterstones in Cambridge. It turned out to be a good decision, since he agreed to order some, and so I rang some more shops and then some more again. By about 10.30, having secured orders from Enfield as well, and also ascertained that Bristol Galleries had some in stock that I didn't know about, off I went to Tescos to fill up our fridge.
Got back just after midday, unloaded and then dashed into town for lunch at our favourite tea shop, and for Coran to pay in some cheques, and then got back home around 2.30ish to make yet more calls. I managed to secure another order from Chester and also had some enlightening conversations with Same Day Books in Chertsey and Worthing respectively. The Manager at Chertsey asked me to email him the link to my website so that he can have a read of the sample chapter and Worthing will remind their Buyer to review the information that I posted to him at the end of October.
We had quite a long conversation as it happens, and they sound like a nice company to to business with and very local author friendly. Chertsey is a lot nearer than Worthing, but even they are only an hour away, so it is not outside the realms of possibility that I may be able to do an event there. I know at least one person who lives in the town, who also happens to be medium and I also have friends in Brighton as well , who as far as I am aware, are yet to get their own copy. We shall wait and see anyway, I am sure the universe will respond, as it usually does in its own inimitable way ....
78 book stores then, 300 copies and counting ....
Had they had some returns already I asked myself? They shouldn't be coming back this early, since the book has only been on sale or return since August 13th, just over 3 months now. I wouldn't expect returns to start coming back until at least the New Year. Then this morning when I looked again, the figure had risen yet again, this time to 35. What is going on.
After tormenting myself all night about this and wondering what on earth is happening, I came to the conclusion that the only way I was going to know was if I rang them. And so that is what I did. They were quite helpful as it happens, even though they could not tell me much (confidentiality and all that). One of the biggest draw backs of POD is that you cannot log into such systems yourself, since you are not the publisher. I wish I had known this when I signed on the dotted line, not that it would have made much difference anyway.
They confirmed though that the only returns they have had were for a few books damaged in transit - this always happens in small amounts, and it is around the figure you would expect so they told me. The sales woman told me in fact that based on the figures she could see in front of her, she would recommend the book to anyone who rang up as a popular title, so that has to be good. I am still no nearer then to knowing what is going on and what lies beneath the yo yoing figures, but at least I know they are not due to returns !
I have had a busy day today then - starting ringing round first thing this morning, since I had been told that this would be the best time to reach the manager at Waterstones in Cambridge. It turned out to be a good decision, since he agreed to order some, and so I rang some more shops and then some more again. By about 10.30, having secured orders from Enfield as well, and also ascertained that Bristol Galleries had some in stock that I didn't know about, off I went to Tescos to fill up our fridge.
Got back just after midday, unloaded and then dashed into town for lunch at our favourite tea shop, and for Coran to pay in some cheques, and then got back home around 2.30ish to make yet more calls. I managed to secure another order from Chester and also had some enlightening conversations with Same Day Books in Chertsey and Worthing respectively. The Manager at Chertsey asked me to email him the link to my website so that he can have a read of the sample chapter and Worthing will remind their Buyer to review the information that I posted to him at the end of October.
We had quite a long conversation as it happens, and they sound like a nice company to to business with and very local author friendly. Chertsey is a lot nearer than Worthing, but even they are only an hour away, so it is not outside the realms of possibility that I may be able to do an event there. I know at least one person who lives in the town, who also happens to be medium and I also have friends in Brighton as well , who as far as I am aware, are yet to get their own copy. We shall wait and see anyway, I am sure the universe will respond, as it usually does in its own inimitable way ....
78 book stores then, 300 copies and counting ....
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