A recommended read...

...thanks to Waterstones.


The card below it hasn't come out very well, but it displays several complimentary comments about my book.

And my apologies for the delayed update: I'm still not over this illness and every time I get back towards a normal workload I end up spending more time recovering. The doctor said six weeks, which gives me three more to go before normal blogging will be resumed.

On the shelves...

My book's in store at Waterstones. When I found out, I did as any budding author would and promptly headed down there with a camera to record it for posterity, the blog, and any long-suffering friends I could corner. The alternative was to purchase a copy just to get the receipt for my scrapbook, but that might be going a little to far. When I arrived, I wasn't disappointed.

This was good:


This was unexpected and even better:

My book is face-out on Waterstones shelves, right next to the author of one of my favourite books. For the suspicious among you, I didn't turn it that way. I found it like that.

If you want to buy Fire Season from Waterstones, here's the link to order online or check if it's curently in your local:

• Waterstones

Even if it's not you can also order it from any Waterstones in the country, and they can get it for you in a couple of days.

Local Author Adventures - Part One

I've run a few unexpected events into since I took on the dread label "Local Author" and started promoting my book. The pseudonym preserves a lot of privacy, but even so there have been quite a few surprises. I might write a few more in this series - depending on how much is worthy of blogging.

I hadn't actually considered that being a local author means forging a business relationship with stores you've been frequenting for years. Suddenly you are a supplier as well as a customer, but also a customer at the same time, which can lead to some very odd encounters.

Walking into your local bookshop as a known author for the first time after they've ordered your book, the staff seem strangely on edge as you walk towards the counter. The thoughts are on their faces: are you going to ask about your book, the display, whether it will get an end cap etc. They must get that a lot - the stories of authors turning books face out, putting them on end caps and even reverse-shoplifting their books into the store are legion.

"Hello," I said "Do you have [biography of sportsman]?"

There was a interesting moment of confusion and relief and then a broad smile and directions.

I may write, but it doesn't mean I gave up reading.

(It also doesn't mean that when my book comes in I won't go and buy a copy - just so I can add the receipt to my scrapbook.)

Books on Shelves

A very short update with some good news: Fire Season will be making an appearance on Waterstones shelves shortly.

I did a full post about what it took to get listed on Waterstones system some time ago (see here). While the publisher and distributor are handling the main stock, I screwed up my courage and asked my local.

I didn't have high hopes they would take any: Fire Season is a small press book from a new author. However as I found out, if the book is already on their ordering system stores can be very happy to help.

So several copies are now making their way to Waterstones. Once they arrive in-store, I may pay a visit with a camera, just to get a shot of them on the shelves and convince myself it's real.

Getting a book into Waterstones

This seems to be the holy grail for UK writers. As a small press author who seems to have managed it in a few stores, speaking to my publisher I found out it isn't as easy as you think.

Some articles make it sound like walking into any random store with your book and waving it at the manager stand you in good stead of shelf space. This is misleading. Although Waterstones managers do have some discretion over what goes on the shelves, they do also have a central list that they pick from. The three basic things you need to get into a book store seem to be:

1) ISBN: you have to have one.
2) (in the UK) be listed on Nielsen
3) A recognised distributor who manages sale or return.
4) Access to the Waterstones independant books listing

These will let you get listed on the Waterstones computer system, without which the managers can't order the book. Now they can order the book, you need to persuade them to do so. If you have a good distributor, they will handle this, but otherwise you need

3) A good commercial, marketable, book.
4) A media pack of press releases,posters, and details of how to order your book
5) Good walking shoes.

Just because your book is available for them to order doesn't mean they will order it, or even know about it. You need to speak to the store owners, arrange events and promote your book.

Sales reps do this nationwide and have many years experience. Normally I'd say leave it to them, with one exception: if you are a compulsive bookbuyer and on first name terms with your local, (e.g. your store knows you well enough to special-order books before you even know they are out, phone you, and then fetch them out of the warehouse shipment for you) you might want to approach those stores yourself. It worked for me.

Here's some more information, straight from the horse's mouth:

• Independant Publishers at Waterstones

(And if you read that, you can probably guess where one copy of my book and its covering letter will be going on 2nd December.)

One thing that surprised me: Being listed on their website for order is not the same as being available through their store system. If you are on Neilsen's feed, you'll probably show up on their site since they can order the book. Fire Season showed up there before it even had a cover, but was not available to stores for several more weeks.

• Fire Season on Waterstones website