Recycling . . .
Jesus, take me now. I’ve seen everything. Several times a week, I receive solicitations from authors hoping to get their book(s) carried in my store. While I’m a big believer in self-promotion, I’ve discovered that (as in any other endeavor) there’s a right way and a wrong way to approach it, and the differences between these two methods are small, but significant. Two years ago, at the World Horror Convention in Phoenix AZ, I spent an afternoon drinking and sermonizing about the ins and outs of the book business, concentrating on what grabs my attention as a manager and a merchandiser. Some highlights included: If you send me a letter, make sure to follow the basic, minimum tenets of Strunk & White. If you can’t write a simple letter, why should I believe you can write anything else? Always get a wedge of lime for your Corona. It just doesn’t taste right without it. Never call a bookstore and promote a fictitious appearance or media interview just to ge...