For years Waterstones has been very supportive of its local authors. What is happening now?
There are changes going on! Waterstones is selling Kindle e-readers to its customers, with the idea of customers browsing books in their shops – the touchy feely version, as normal – and then if they want an ebook version they can download it on the premises. How this will work for them, as a profitable venture will remain to be seen. I guess they feel people are doing this anyway, and if they can be part of the experience so much the better. In other words, if you can’t beat them, join them!
I have done 3 book launches and over 30 book signings in
Waterstones since 2008, when I first launched Gypsies Stop tHere (as well as Borders and events).
They can be hard work, but I thoroughly enjoy doing them (not all authors do), have met people from all walks of life and had stimulating discussions at my little table of books. People have waved goodbye smilingly as they went out of the shop with a signed copy of my book(s), like old friends.
I will keep you posted and if anyone has any further info or
thoughts on the subject, please do leave a comment – as a writer, a reader, a
bookshop or a Waterstones bookseller!
There are changes going on! Waterstones is selling Kindle e-readers to its customers, with the idea of customers browsing books in their shops – the touchy feely version, as normal – and then if they want an ebook version they can download it on the premises. How this will work for them, as a profitable venture will remain to be seen. I guess they feel people are doing this anyway, and if they can be part of the experience so much the better. In other words, if you can’t beat them, join them!
More to the point here, Waterstones shops are cutting back on their author
signing events. All the booksellers I have spoken to about this across a number
of branches, are pretty upset by this initiative from their newish CEO James
Daunt but feel helpless to express their opinion. For a variety of reasons,
they see author visits as good for business. As I understand it, the focus will be on very
well-known authors (including celebrities who happen to have brought out a
book) giving talks ‘out of hours’ in the evening. The hope is for queues of people lining the
pavements, as in days of old. This idea will make it more difficult for new
writers to become ‘established’. Come on bookshops! Surely you can’t expect publishers and authors to do all the promotional work for you!!
 |
| Waterstones launch book signing of first novel, Gypsies Stop tHere 2008 |
They can be hard work, but I thoroughly enjoy doing them (not all authors do), have met people from all walks of life and had stimulating discussions at my little table of books. People have waved goodbye smilingly as they went out of the shop with a signed copy of my book(s), like old friends.
In The Author, the
Society of Authors quarterly magazine, I read: “In August,
The Bookseller reported that Waterstones might be getting cold feet about
hosting author events in its stores. The root of the problem seems to be some
individual writers, uninvited, over-zealously promoting their books to
customers in Waterstones shops …" It
would seem that “inappapropiate activities of a few” have spoilt it for the
rest of us - who do not appear to have
overcooked things. Indeed I have heard of one writer who is particularly
forthcoming – the culprit shall remain anonymous; very diplomatically, booksellers
can never recall his name, but from the descriptions I am sure he is the same
one. I completely understand that
customers do not want to be accosted; there is a gentle way of doing things,
but simple guidelines could be suggested and the situation easily ‘policed’ by
the booksellers.
 |
| Launch of Shades of Appley Green 2012 |
I am not sure what the future holds for authors – one branch
manager has already said that my visit was their last one of the ‘old signing events’
but they hope to arrange something else
with me soon; so I hope this indicates that all is not lost! Meanwhile,
inevitably, much as I value the strong relationship I have built over the years
with Waterstones, (with all my books stocked by their wholesaler so they get a
discount on a par with mainstream publishers), perhaps I shall need to switch my
focus to smaller booksellers and ebooks. Many other authors must be in the same
boat and I would love to hear from you.
 |
| Will this be the last? |
