My Book, In Stores

Or at least in one store.

I was killing half an hour yesterday afternoon, and I wandered into a Barnes & Noble, just to look around.  The layout of this particular store was that new non-fiction was at the front, but the new fiction table was up on the third floor.  I didn't wander with any particular goal, looked around on the first two floors for about ten minutes, and then took the escalator up, and passed the new fiction table....  And stopped.  5 copies of my book in a pile, right there in between "The First Assistant," and something I didn't bother to remember the title of.  Four days early, but completely makes sense, since they probably just put things out when they get the shipments.  So I hovered around for a couple of seconds, and then wandered away a little bit, keeping it in my line of vision but pulling out my cell phone to call some friends and family and let them know I was currently standing in a Barnes & Noble, fifteen feet away from my book.  A nine-year-old girl seemed to like the cover.  She was feeling the embossed letters, and then she opened the book and looked at it.  Her mom was more interested in The First Assistant.  In the fifteen minutes or so that I was on the phone quietly, and watching from a distance, no one bought it, but no one bought anything from the table.  It was Friday at 2:00, the store was pretty empty.  And then I had to leave because if I stayed any longer I think I'd have been running the risk of making this a real activity, and wandering in the perimeter around my book watching to see if people look at it is probably not the best way to spend time.  Well, maybe for a few days it is.  So, um, I'll be the guy behind the column watching you, if you happen to think someone is stalking you while you're in the fiction section of the bookstore....

Comments

[stephen]

you should introduce yourself to people you see looking at it...offer to autograph it or something. might be a quick way to sell one or two copies. who wouldn't like to have a hot new book signed by the author who just happened to be shopping in the same bookstore?

[Jeff]

Jeremy -- I saw a copy of your book tonight in a Borders in Concord, NH!

[RES]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Great feeling, no?

I can't wait to read it.

RES

[Allison]

Just bought your book via your Amazon link. I can't wait!

[Eh Nonymous]

I ordered a copy at Robin's Bookstore on 13th at Sansom in Philly. I also saw two copies in the Borders in Center City, at first on the new books table, and then moved to general fiction.

I helped you out - stacked one of them front-facing, instead of spine-facing, to get better notice. It's a snazzy cover - all that blue.

Also, your bar review card has been a smash success, with at least two levels of re-mailings that I know of (me being zeroeth). And everyone single one has a link to the book...

[Keetha]

What a wonderful feeling! Congratulations! I would have done the same thing, only without the restraint to actually leave the bookstore; I would have stayed and spied on my book the whole time.

[someguy]

I pre-bought your book on Amazon and it shipped today. Did you notice the strange collection of books that show up as "others you might like" when you buy your book?