78 book stores, 300 copies and counting ....

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 ....

Back to business

After the weekend, today was a relatively quiet day. It started off reasonably well with my trawling through the notes I made from Paul's little black book and seeing which people I could ring. I decided to start with Methvens, who as it turns out, are now Same Day Books. I have a vague recollection of reading about them on The Bookseller recently and how some of their branches have closed.

Most of their business these days seems to be be conducted online, so I checked first to see if my book was on their website. It was but with the original cover, so I emailed them to let them know that it needs to be changed, and then set about ringing their stores. Their website lists five stores throughout the south east, including one in nearby Chertsey, so I started with that one, thinking that as a local author, it would be the best place to start.

The Manager turned out to a very helpful man, sympathetic to the needs of self published authors, and not adverse to dealing with them direct. It is of course though easier for everyone to deal with wholesalers and distributors rather than the authors supplying direct, so he was delighted to know that my book is one of the few POD books stocked by Gardners, and suitably impressed. He explained though that was about to go on holiday (lucky him) for a couple of weeks, and would not be back until mid November. He then asked me to call into the shop on his return with a copy of the book and other publicity materials. This then, when it happens will be my very first official face to face sales call.

I then rang their other two stores - Worthing and Gosport. Worthing were willing to talk, and asked me to send them information in post, but Gosport were not so helpful. The Manager explained that there is currently an embargo from their Head Office on ordering new titles, and I need to call back after Christmas. This seemed strange given the helpfulness of their other two branches, but I thanked her for her honesty and said that I would make a note to call in the New Year. It gives me time to hopefully get some decent sales in the Chertsey branch at least I suppose, which might persuade her to change her mind!

Following that I made some calls to Waterstones branches that I have posted stuff to in the last few weeks - Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth and Southend. Three of them said they not received it which is perhaps not surprising when you consider the recent Post Office strikes. They asked me then to email instead - the words bang and head once again sprang to mind ! Nottingham though were very helpful indeed; the Manager even promised to call me should he decide to order come copies - and he certainly seemed interested from our conversation. It is then once again a matter of wait and see.

After that it was time for lunch. I then decided to have a crack at Foyles, where I successfully obtained the email and direct telephone number for the Principal Buyer. An email then was fired off accordingly with the obligatory information sheet.

I then went round to the Post Office with the letter for Same Day Books in Worthing, and a review copy for Glastonbury Radio. Five minutes later Coran arrived home and we drove up to the view point for a well deserved cup of tea.

In between all this activity I have been posting on some writers sites to try and get some people interested in the new blog site - Conversations with POD. Tomorrow I will contact some of the writing magazines and maybe local paper, and get them to give it a mention, as that is one sure fire way to get people posting. The possibility of appearing in the new book may entice them even more. I may contact Grumpy Old Bookman again as well, and Jerry Simmons at the Nothing Binding project and get them both to mention it. I will be very surprised if Jerry's site doesn't produce some results.