This post is really for authors who come to bookstores. Authors tend to be readers and we love them for that. We love them for creating the works that we can so enthusiastically sell. But authors who just happen upon a bookstore act one of three ways: the upfront, the surreptitious and the sneaky.
Allow me to illustrate the upfront. The first summer we were open, in 1997, a very lovely man came into the store, strode right up to the counter, stuck out his hand and said, “I’m Steven Kellogg. Your store is lovely.” I was trying to be a cool bookseller, as if picture book illustrating Gods just wander in every day. I kept my cool and we had a lovely chat. He was delightful and we’ve been friends ever since. Another upfront author was one other than Katherine Paterson. I had been cleaning the middle grade section on a slow day, and in walks this stately woman. She offered her hand and said, “I’m Katherine Paterson.” I was star struck immediately, responding with the cool of a seasoned bookseller, “Wow, I just dusted your face.” Perhaps this sort of thing should be kept to oneself. Katherine had a good laugh over that one and I stopped blathering and showed her around the store.
The surreptitious author drop-by takes place in two ways. The first is you have no idea the author is in the store or has even been to the store. This was the case with Daniel Handler about eight years ago. Elizabeth and I were at a BEA cocktail party and he read our nametags and said, “Oh, I love your store.” To which, we both replied, “You’ve never been to our store.” He then proceeded to describe our store in amazing detail, having actually been there the weekend before. He was in town for his brother-in-law’s UVM graduation. Now, why he choose to be so quiet is beyond me. I would have loved for him to sign stock. Another surreptitious drop-by was Sandra Boynton who came in with a large group. Her family was vacationing in Vermont. I have never seen a picture of Sandra before, but I sure did recognize her signature on her credit card slip. I gushed, “You’re Sandra Boynton!” She nodded politely. I asked if she had time to sign stock. She didn’t at that moment but vowed to come back after going to the Teddy Bear Factory. She returned several hours later and signed all our stock.
The second surreptitious drop-by is when authors just checks out the shelves for their book. Often times they will face out their book or somehow make them more prominent on the shelf. I don’t really mind this, except when family members take it upon themselves to actually re-arrange a whole area so the books can be seen better. I understand this urge, but it’s not really very considerate of how the store is set up at that particular moment. There’s nothing antagonistic about how we shelve — it’s often purely alphabetical, or seasonal, or local, or featuring upcoming events.
The sneak attack visit is my least favorite. This is when the author neither introduces themselves nor re-arranges. They come up to the counter and ask if you carry a certain book. So I look the book up and sometimes we have it and sometimes we don’t. I convey that information and then they say, “I’m the author.” Well, why didn’t you just say that upfront? This way, it’s just awkward all around. I’m put on the spot and the author is being disingenuous.
What’s worse are parents who come in, ask if you carry a book and then get mad at you for being out of the book. Or they berate you for not carrying it. This one is a no-win situation. I always get the book’s info and make sure they see me ordering it. Folks need to know that we try to carry as many books as we can, but it’s impossible to carry all books, and sometimes that means we don’t have your kid’s book, yet.
So, authors, please, please let us know who are. We love meeting you. Don’t be shy, just come on up to the counter and say Hi. If possible give us a head’s up that you might be in the area, so we can stock up on your titles, and bring a pen you like to sign with. Then we’ll sticker your book and shelve it more prominently as a signed book. You’ll be happy, I’ll be happy, and most importantly, your Mom will be happy.
This is indeed helpful. As a first-time children’s author I’ve been wondering how to deal with this. Thanks.
And no matter what, the independents will always welcome an author a bit more smoothly than this– Author, Phillip Hoose stopped by a certain chain while traveling and asked if they would like him to sign the stock he had in his hand. They asked for ID.
Nice tips! But what happens if you are, as I am, an author who is not well known? (Most of my books are sold to schools.) If I introduced myself, I would most likely be met with a blank stare and that’s incredibly embarrassing. Suggestions?
And then there’s the author’s mother who came in a couple of weeks ago, wanted to know did we have her child’s book, why only two copies — and refused to buy it because we don’t give a senior discount! Your reports are accurate, and we, too, have found that the overwhelming majority of authors are decent, intelligent, and unbelievably gracious in the face of sometimes less-than-poised booksellers.
Yes, authors love books. And they love bookstores. And now that they are authors, they spend a lot of time in bookstores…selling their books, signing their books, meeting readers, etc. Sometimes an author needs to be able to do what everyone else gets to do anonymously…just visit a bookstore and look around. Maybe buy a book. It can be tedious being JOHN DOE THE AUTHOR all the time. Self-promotion is not easy for some authors. Agreed. It would benefit everyone if the author just said Hello, I’m JOHN DOE. I love your point of view. But sometimes they are dressed down or have small children in tow. Sometimes, they just want to browse without being noticed and be a reader again for a short while. Not all authors who don’t introduce themselves are sneaky, but it does require being surreptitious occasionally to enter a bookstore unrecognized. Course, I wouldn’t do this, I’m just saying SOME authors might 🙂
What a great post! It’s so good to know that the bookstore folks don’t get annoyed when we introduce ourselves. Sometimes I feel a bit pretentious. LOL on checking the shelves for our book. It’s an illness. We. Can’t. Stop. What’s funny about authors: If the book isn’t there, we wonder what’s going on. If it IS there, we wonder why it’s not flying off the shelves. We’re sick.
I don’t think Josie meant authors must introduce themselves at every bookstore visit, but that we’d prefer they be open about who they are if they’re inquiring about their own books. Anonymity is everyone’s right, as is shyness. I’ve met scads of authors at conferences who admitted coming into my bookstore as regular customers and being too shy to introduce themselves (or just not in author mode at the time). I’m the same way; it’s much easier to introduce myself as another bookseller than as an author; you don’t risk getting that blank stare or, worse, the sudden guarded hesitance of a bookseller who suddenly worries you’re about to start a sales pitch. (I suspect if authors knew how often we get really hard pitches from authors who are, let’s just say, salespeople rather than true writers, they might understand that the guardedness is not meant personally, and does evaporate on further conversation.) It’s up to every author and bookseller to decide how to approach those interactions. I do know that most booksellers are delighted to meet fellow book lovers who are involved in the field, and hope you feel welcome enough to say hello, whatever hat or identity you’re wearing that day. : )
Josie, great post! I love getting a sneak peak on the inside track. I think I would have been just as star struck as you were when Katherine Paterson introduced herself.
Great post! In response to another response by Donna Marie Merritt about not being well-known, as co-owner of Left Bank Books in St. Louis I can tell you the same courtesy applies. Try to get over your shyness and simply let us know who you are and what you’ve written. We can take it from there!
I feel awkward introducing myself to booksellers. Fear of the blank stares, as Elizabeth eluded to. Although I suppose I should try to get over it. I haven’t been tossed out into the streets yet. Although, I suppose that could still happen. Sigh.
It’s that guarded look of fear some booksellers get that always makes me leery of introducing myself. I’ve been on the other side of that counter as a bookseller, and I *know* the kind of crazy sales pitches that booksellers sometimes get. So I don’t begrudge the wary look at all–instead, I fret about how to dispel it as quickly as possible.
Thanks, Kris! If I’m ever in St. Louis, I will stop by your bookstore and introduce myself. 🙂
Thanks for this helpful, amusing insight into the other side of the book business – love the comment about “dusting your face”! When our star author visits a store we have a hard time hiding his arrival, as he is a wire fox terrier (who, yes, does travel with his own inkpad should he need to paw-tograph any kids books in the run).
This is great stuff. I do tend to introduce myself at bookstores with a sort of mumbling awkwardness, but maybe my mouth will fully open next time. And I can attest to the wonderful treatment at Left Bank Books.
This is amazing! Thank you so much! I already sent this to all my Fall 2009 authors and illustrators to get pumped. Awesome!
Josie, Thanks so much for posting. I’ve been wondering how to handle this. Of course when I visited The Flying Pig – the gushing went the other way. For me, visiting your store was like a Potter fan visiting Hogwarts.
I’m a first time author. There’s so much to learn about this business and I really appreciate knowing what do do when I go into a bookstore. I think that offering to sign the stock is a wonderful idea and it shows a ‘what can I do for you’ attitude as well. Thank you
I hate to say this, but Josie’s advice really only applies to well-known authors. The rest of us, when we go into bookstores and introduce ourselves, get the fisheye at best. Booksellers ALWAYS assume we are self-published and act as if they’ve never heard of, oh, let’s say, Random House. (Maybe they haven’t.) And the terrible thing is, indies are the worst offenders.
Great post! Thanks for sharing. I’ve had great responses when I introduce myself at my local indies. They’re the best supporters of local authors, big or small. But when I’m in my sweats, with my brood, no make-up, hair a wreck, I have to admit, I’m not as forthcoming about my author i.d.
Great post! Thanks for sharing. I’ve had great responses when I introduce myself at my local indies. They’re the best supporters of local authors, big or small. But when I’m in my sweats, with my brood, no make-up, hair a wreck, I have to admit, I’m not as forthcoming about my author i.d.
It’s wonderful to hear your point of view. As a new author, I’ve only gotten the suspicious look so far. But your perspective will give me courage to introduce myself in the future. Thanks!