Month: April 2010

Not All Booksellers Are Congenial

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BUILD RAPPORT ON COMMON GROUND
Staying overnight in a motel in a strange town, one of my first moves is to look up “bookstores” in the Yellow Pages. Let’s say I find one to visit. What would make me want to visit again? Why would I suggest—or not suggest—to friends that they visit this particular bookstore on their travels?

As far as I’m concerned, the store can be small and neat or sprawling and chaotic, contain all new books or all old, high end first editions or mostly paperbacks. What makes or breaks it with me is the bookseller. The bookseller must be (1) knowledgeable—about his or her stock in particular and about books in general; and (2) welcoming. Not simply one or the other! Both!

Most of the bookstores I visited this winter passed my test with flying colors. One failed miserably on part (2) and left a very bad taste in my mouth.

Cranky BooksellerPeople in sales talk about how important it is to establish rapport when trying to gain a customer. Research indicates that people like people based on perceived similarities, ways in which the other is like the self; thus the message you want to give is, “Me, too! We’re in this together!” You do not want to make someone in your shop feel stupid or wrong or unwelcome. I know, you’d think that would go without saying, but we booksellers are a strange breed!

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When eyes are not enough- scouting with multiple senses

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When confronting a mountain of books a pile can often become so overwhelming that it doesn’t seem like there’s anyway to deal such a huge pile of items.  How will you ever look through it all?

Don’t simply look, rely on your other senses.  Overreliance on sight means you may pass over treasures or simply be unable to complete a survey in the available time. A wealth of data can be gleaned about a book from your other senses, all processed together at once.  Reading each title isn’t necessary if you use you other senses to determine which books to focus your attention upon.  You don’t even have to notice all these details consciously.  When you process them all at once, you will be able to pick out books with great speed, seemingly by magic.

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Desperately Seeking Synopsis

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It has just occurred to me as I’m typing up my listings (still waiting, waiting, waiting for the website to be finalised) that I seem to spend most of my time searching the internet for book information, more accurately the synopsis. The new fiction books are easy. I usually go directly to fantastic fiction and … Read more

Bookshop Blog's Interview with Sam Moffie, novelist

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April 2010 Interview with Sam Moffie, author of  The Book of Eli – not to be confused with the film with the same title.

BB: Welcome, Sam. First of all, should we clear up some confusion about your book? Am I correct that it has nothing to do with the movie of the same name that recently came out starring Denzel Washington? How did Hollywood happen to get away with stealing your book’s title?

Thanks for getting to Denzel versus Sam first. The movie and book have nothing in common but the title. The Book of Eli has been around for a zillion years – the Bible and the Torah both have “Books of Eli.” I was contacted by a friend of the screenwriter who had read an interview of mine last year. In that interview, I had talked about my upcoming novel – “The Book of Eli.” The friend of the screenwriter then served as a conduit vis-à-vis Facebook, and the screenwriter had no problem with my book because of the content. I might add that I have no problem with the content of his movie!

BB: Sam, since this book largely takes place in heaven, do you see it as quite a departure from your earlier, more “realistic” fiction, or would you say it’s a natural progression for your writing?

Excellent question. A total departure. After three novels that all run more than 300 pages apiece, I wanted to write something short. A fantasy novel seemed the best way to go. I always wanted to get my two cents in about heaven and hell, so Eli was constructed.

BB: What are the circumstances that result in Eli Canaan ending up in heaven?

Eli has one major fault – he likes to have sex with women. Unfortunately, he is married. His wife puts a good, old-fashioned Gypsy hex on him exactly at the same time the Almighty has plans for him, and the result is a trip to heaven for Eli.

BB: Sam, I know you’ve had a few complaints about the sex in your books, especially since this one emphasizes how much Eli enjoys sex. What is your response to such complaints?

You can’t please everyone, especially in the time of the “New Puritans.”
BB: Sam, you’re obviously not the first person to imagine what heaven is like. What do you think makes your depiction of heaven stand out from others?

A few things pop into my mind about how I see heaven. Atheists are allowed up there. That people all hear the Almighty differently. That God and Jesus (along with many others) all have great senses of humor. That there are no pets up there. There is no eating, but plenty of drinking. I like that free will is why we do what we do, but that what we have to do better is being kinder to our fellow men, women and animals while alive. I also wanted to make it very clear that if the Almighty does decide to get involved in helping mankind, he will send an ordinary man or women to do so—that it won’t be Jesus or someone of that stature.

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