RIPs

[Dudley]

For me, the real low point comes when he entices his audience, presumably made up of people who "like" serial killers, with, um, badges...

[Dudley]

[House of Usher]

In 1979, Knotts replaced Norman Fell on "Three's Company," playing the would-be swinger landlord to John Ritter, Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt.

...Three's company was the American version of Man About the House. Norman Fell played Stanley (not George) Roper over there.

[Satanist]

* Put the books face out in your local bookstores so people can see them

I pass 3 bookstores on my way home. I think I'll nip into each and move all his books to another section. I might even pop into the library.

[DavidXBrunt]

I hid all the copies of this book behind the Black Flame books in Manchesters Waterstones.

[DavidXBrunt]

Oh, and the form letter he sent me when I joined the V.S.T. suggested going into bookshops and ordering a copy of the book but not collecting it so that they will eventually stick it on the shelves to sell.

[House of Usher]

I'm horrified.

...but which bookshops allow you to order books without making payment up front these days? I did it once but that was more than 10 years ago.

[GordonR]

Oh lordy.  This guy's a TREASURE.  I wonder why he hasn't put this helpful sales-boosting hint up on his open website?

[DavidXBrunt]

I also bought a copy of Cabals 1 today and deliberatley didn't follow his advice on how to make it sell. Pleasingly when I popped back in F.P. later there was only one copy left which probably sayss omething.

[DavidXBrunt]

Piggy Mitchell writes -

First up - thanks for wanting to be a part of this team. We call it guerilla marketing - where folks do unexpected things to make products sell. There are some simple business truths about publishing that people don't know, including just how important the first two weeks of a book's shelflife are - so with Inheritance supposedly on the street NOW it is time for us to do some very basic stuff.

#1

I'm very curious as to how it's going in terms of getting into bookstores - the official release was Monday and yet play.com and amazon.co.uk both list it as awaiting delivery of stock so it didn't get to them in time for the release date.

My friends were in Belfast this week and Waterstones and Forbidden Planet didn't have their copies yet... my mother tried to get one in 3 stores in Newcastle... no joy.

This means that no sales are happening simply because no one has the book to sell.

You may remember me mentioning on the boards the trouble about Amazon putting in a very low order and not getting enough orders to force them to increase it - meaning that in those first few weeks it could be almost impossible to get ahold of the book? It seems like this is playing out and that with the exception of direct orders from Black Library no one is able to get the book.

This could potentially be a disaster - so there are things we need to do -

So, help me out folks, if you are in the UK drop by your local store and see if it is in. If they don't have it - ask them if they have it on order, if they do, great, if not, ask them to back order it. Don't worry about actually collecting it - back ordered books that go uncollected go on the shelf with normal stock. That way even the chains who wouldn't normally have it, will have the book in stock.

If they have some on the shelf - stick it somewhere prominent. Face out. Books sell when they are seen, not when they are tucked away in corners.

Please email me to let me know what things are like in your town -

#2

Word of mouth -

If you have read the book already, please talk it up to your friends. Go into your GW store and bug them about how great it is. If you are in a games club or roleplaying society recommend guys in the group check it out. Getting a buzz going is vital.

#3

well more to come - I have to go work on Slaine right now -

#4

SPECIAL STREET TEAM PRIZE

For the person who provides the best picture evidence of their efforts to terrorize the world with von Carsteins there will be a nifty little prize.
I have had 10 numbered and unique mugs made, with art work, signed by me - collectors items.
Best picture to prove your dedication wins one of these.

So what are you waiting for?


Steve


This is how I replied earlier today.

dear mr saville,
is it okay to call you that or should it be more vampireic like master?

i saw 5 copys of yuor book in waterstones in manchester today and turned them all to face the front like you said and when i bought mine i told the man how good id heard it was and later when i left my coat and hat in the cafe went back for another one because this is going 2 be a collectors item and wanted one to read one to keep i did the same again

im thinking of buying mum 1 for mothers day cause she reads and this would BLOW HER MIND cause everything youve written has had that affect on me

cheers

I await a response.

[Dudley]

Is it just me or does he start by slagging off his publisher's distribution channels?

[Quirkafleeg]

>'go into bookshops and turn my books face-out on the shelf'

But I've doing that with Gordon's books for years and he's never sent me any of the Friday The Thirteenth fan fic he promised me!

I'm surprised he's not done the sign all copies everywhere trick (he could get his minions to do it) as bookshops can't send signed copies back to the publisher

[House of Usher]

Ah! Cunning. That explains how I was delighted to find a signed copy of "Sheep" by Simon Maginn just sitting with the other paperbacks on the shelf when I was looking for a copy to buy for Deborah in 1994.

[DavidXBrunt]

Steve replied to my e-mail.

By quoting things I'd written in this thread.

Rumbled.

[PiggyMitchell]

I don't know if I should be delighted that you are talking about me in an RIP thread and I am not dead, amused by the hijack of the Street Team (which was pretty funny) or saddened by the presumption that the book will be cack just because I am a fat tosser. You might be surprised and actually like it. You might hate it. Odds are you will hate it because I have filled it with dialogue like:

'Look mutha, I goin' down the arrrrches to sort that bloke out.'
'Nah Slainie he ain't wurth it.'
'No one disses me, mutha. I'm gonna teach that fat an fatuous fokker a lesson wif ma axe.'

Just for you. I'll see if I can work in a self-obsessed celtic vampire just for you as well - that was a nice idea.

Thanks gents, you made my morning
S.