OK, I've been a very bad blogger. I know. I'm still trying to figure out exactly where and when I should invest time on all the different pieces of my freelance life. I'll figure it out and start to blog more consistently soon enough.
Anywho, I am in Denver this morning. Last night was the book launch party/reading/signing for Who Are You People? at the Tattered Cover. The Tattered Cover is a great bookstore and it was a great event. This was my second time in Denver, but the first time I was here I was on tour with the Milwaukees so visiting bookstores wan't high on the agenda (we are a rock and roll band and have a reputation to uphold), so this was my first time getting to the Tattered Cover. I have to say that it lives up to the hype and the people of Denver are lucky to have such a great resource for books. The staff was very helpful and surprisingly proud of their store and their job--a far cry from the average B&N experience. In particular, the events co-ordinator, Charles, was particularly helpful. I was happy to be able to spend 15 minutes talking with him about bookselling. I was also struck by how well-bought the books were. By that I mean that the shelves didn't seem dense with books. The store's square footage probably rivals many of the B&N superstores but I'm getting their title base is significantly lower. But oddly, I think this is a good thing. As a consumer, I really felt like the titles that I found in any given category were all pretty good. I didn't feel like I was browsing through a lot of crap to try to find the good books on the subject. It was a much happier consumer experience for me. I could tell that the book buying at Tattered Cover was done by someone who really reads and likes books--which was a refreshing feeling.
As for the event, I think it was a big success. I've read the book a few times now. When Shari began to read the introduction it was remarkable that she sounded exactly like the voice I hear in my head when I have read it. I had the honor of introducing her at the event, and as a joke I told everyone that it was going to run like an AA meeting and everyone who wanted to talk or ask a question would have to stand up, say their name and confess their passion. Lo and behold, when Shari finished, the first person got up and did just that. I forget what her passion was, but I am so glad she followed the rules, because then everyone else did too. What is amazing is how everyone seemed to appreciate the opportunity to define themselves as passionate about something. This gave me the idea to work with Shari on doing other events that independent booksellers can promote to their customers as "Fanatics Anonymous" meetings. It would be great to let the events be dominated by the passionate people who show up. The book would be a vehicle for them to share their passions. It would also be a great way for the stores to learn more about what some of their customers are really interested in. If any booksellers read this blog, please chime in with any advice about how this would work best in your store and any tips on ways to make an event like this work. I am even wondering if this is the kind of event that can happen without the author, since there is a very limited travel budget. Anyway, I'm excited about this idea and am looking forward to exploring it.
Well, I'm off to meet with Shari and an entertainment lawyer to discuss all of the issues involved in getting a "Who Are You People?" TV show produced. As Mel Brooks said in Spaceballs: Moichandising! Moichandising! Moichandising!
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