this will work
Hello once again from the big, black chair. I only say that because my chair is black and larger than others in the office. I know a lot of you are out of town doing all sorts of good time things on beaches and around pools so I will not bother you too much about things going on in the stores. I wanted to let you all know about a few other things I do aside from arrange for authors to come to the stores and speak.
By now, you should all be aware of our in-store event program, but did you know that Olsson's also provides books to off site events? What the heck and I talking about? Please allow me to tell you more about them.
To begin with, authors write books. This is something we know about. We have tried to stop them but then we would have to call them something else or they would all resort to blogging and bookstores would have to go out of business.
Some authors have friends or family members who are very supportive of them or excited that said author has finally gotten a paycheck from writing in a bathrobe day in and day out. Now they might move out of their parents basement or off their friend's sofa. These friends organize book parties for the author, involving catering and free booze. If those friends are really thinking ahead, then they contact the publisher so books can be sold at the event. This does two things: First, it makes the party look like more than 20 people in a living room drinking Heineken and eating buffalo wings. Second, it makes the book available for the guests and secures a small amount of income for the author thus, keeping them off the sofa for a period of time. (I think authors get money from book sales 15 to 20 years after the publication date) The publisher then contacts me and I come to the rescue with a bookseller.
The bookseller sits at a small table (provided by the host, we hope) and sells books to the excited masses. In the best case, people buy the books and have the author sign them and write something catchy inside like, "Happy 42nd, Martha!" In the worst case, the host gets confused about the concept of a bookseller and gives the books away to the guests. -- A side note on this. If you give away something that isn't yours and people take it, this is like stealing. I can't give everyone reading this blog a new Toyota, because I don't own them all. If I encourage you all to go pick up your new car at the dealer, you will all get arrested -- The best case happens more often that the worst case and all the guest get to go home slightly buzzed on free Heineken and chicken wings with one copy of Joe Author's book for themselves and one for Martha clutched to their chests.
This is a very roundabout way of telling you all that we also do events out of the store. July has been a very busy month for off-site events. We have done about 15 this month which is only 4 less than in-store events. If you are a person who has an author friend and want to have a party for them, by following these simple steps you might be able to get your author off your sofa.
Step one. Plan a party.
Step two. Call the author's publisher and have them call me. Don't call me directly, you don't have my phone number.
Step three. Throw the party and encourage all the guests to buy the book so the author will stop sleeping on your sofa.
Simple, isn't it? I thought so.
Okay, that has to be it for me. I am at the end of another long day and the only thing I have eaten today was cake and coffee. If you are having an event and want to have books available, please do contact me.
If you are my intern who has yet to show up and take some things off my plate, where the heck are you?
By now, you should all be aware of our in-store event program, but did you know that Olsson's also provides books to off site events? What the heck and I talking about? Please allow me to tell you more about them.
To begin with, authors write books. This is something we know about. We have tried to stop them but then we would have to call them something else or they would all resort to blogging and bookstores would have to go out of business.
Some authors have friends or family members who are very supportive of them or excited that said author has finally gotten a paycheck from writing in a bathrobe day in and day out. Now they might move out of their parents basement or off their friend's sofa. These friends organize book parties for the author, involving catering and free booze. If those friends are really thinking ahead, then they contact the publisher so books can be sold at the event. This does two things: First, it makes the party look like more than 20 people in a living room drinking Heineken and eating buffalo wings. Second, it makes the book available for the guests and secures a small amount of income for the author thus, keeping them off the sofa for a period of time. (I think authors get money from book sales 15 to 20 years after the publication date) The publisher then contacts me and I come to the rescue with a bookseller.
The bookseller sits at a small table (provided by the host, we hope) and sells books to the excited masses. In the best case, people buy the books and have the author sign them and write something catchy inside like, "Happy 42nd, Martha!" In the worst case, the host gets confused about the concept of a bookseller and gives the books away to the guests. -- A side note on this. If you give away something that isn't yours and people take it, this is like stealing. I can't give everyone reading this blog a new Toyota, because I don't own them all. If I encourage you all to go pick up your new car at the dealer, you will all get arrested -- The best case happens more often that the worst case and all the guest get to go home slightly buzzed on free Heineken and chicken wings with one copy of Joe Author's book for themselves and one for Martha clutched to their chests.
This is a very roundabout way of telling you all that we also do events out of the store. July has been a very busy month for off-site events. We have done about 15 this month which is only 4 less than in-store events. If you are a person who has an author friend and want to have a party for them, by following these simple steps you might be able to get your author off your sofa.
Step one. Plan a party.
Step two. Call the author's publisher and have them call me. Don't call me directly, you don't have my phone number.
Step three. Throw the party and encourage all the guests to buy the book so the author will stop sleeping on your sofa.
Simple, isn't it? I thought so.
Okay, that has to be it for me. I am at the end of another long day and the only thing I have eaten today was cake and coffee. If you are having an event and want to have books available, please do contact me.
If you are my intern who has yet to show up and take some things off my plate, where the heck are you?
1 Comments:
As a person who worked at these events and in the Olsson's stores for many years, this just breaks my heart. I'll risk speaking for all of us who have been responsible for fielding the initial inquiries, receiving the shipments, schlepping the boxes, setting up the events, selling the books, and dealing directly with the author and the customers, please, please, PLEASE, if you can't say something genuinely positive to Olsson's customers, the authors, and the staff, or offer your services without complaint, please don't post it on Olsson's company web site. Snarky messages about what interested parties must do to earn your favor are not good for business.
Carolyn Martin (former Dupont employee)
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