Self-Pubbed Author Trolled by a Waterstones Employee

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Jess Haines

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/12/waterstones-bookseller-trolling-self-published-author

I can't say I'm very sympathetic to this author. By wandering into Waterstones to leave business cards in a bookstore that clearly was not carrying his material before (see in the article how Waterstones offered to put his book in their ebook store), he was inviting some criticism. I'm not surprised they threw out his cards, especially if they were left around unsolicited.

Trolling him was clearly taking it too far, but to ask for publicity on top of being carried by the chain boggles me. To ask to have his book mentioned on Twitter and Facebook makes me wonder how his interactions with the staff at the physical store actually went. Most people who work in this industry that I know wouldn't go to all the bother of making socks like this to troll the guy's book with bad reviews just because of a few annoying cards left around the store. What did he do to rile them up so much?

Would very much like to hear the other side of the story from the employee(s) at the store who dealt with him directly...

Anyone else have thoughts on this?
 

Susan Coffin

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Large chain stores don't take self-published books, so he should have not went to Waterstones to try and promote his book. He should have approached local independent bookstores in his area because many of them do take local authors, many self-published.

As for the Waterstones employee trolling- that person ought to be fired. That's unprofessional behavior.
 

veinglory

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I think the Guardian has sunk to a new low covering this and linking to the book's point of sale. They are basically saying, you throw a tantrum, everything throws a tantrum, and you all get publicity--yay!
 

Alexandra Little

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He shouldn't have been trolled, but he was being quite the special snowflake. He left his cards in a store that doesn't carry his book, then Waterstones was actually pretty nice to offer to sell it as an ebook, then he asks them for publicize his novel as well? Really now?

I'm not surprised that the Guardian has basically given him free publicity, but then again I haven't been impressed with their book section for a while now.
 

veinglory

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The title could equal read, troll trolled by troll. When they offered etailer listing by way of apology, he demanded promotion as well. Oy.

His other reviews don't look terrible 'real' either. They just happen to be 5-star so he doesn't mind.
 

shaldna

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Wow, that sounds just like a child having a tantrum - and seriously, he expected Waterstone to promote his book for him following all this?
 

Mac H.

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By wandering into Waterstones to leave business cards in a bookstore that clearly was not carrying his material ...
It was worse than that - they weren't business cards advertising him - they were cards he left at Waterstones that were directing people to purchase products from Waterstone's main competitor!

It's like leaving advertising at McDonalds that say "The Burgers are better at Burger King" and then feigning outrage that McDonalds choose to throw out the brochures!

Mac
 
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KTC

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Large chain stores don't take self-published books.

This isn't right in all cases. Canada's country-wide chainstore Chapters has a policy...a % of shelf in each store is available to local authors. The books can be self-pubbed or from small pubs who are not in their ordering system. ( I don't know W's po-po)

I'm not self-pubbed but I don't want to come off as being against it. That said, I've had some bad experiences with some self-pubbed authors. Some have chips on their shoulders and consider themselves entitled. It sounds like this author is one of them.
 

Torgo

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Large chain stores don't take self-published books, so he should have not went to Waterstones to try and promote his book.

Oh, Waterstones do, now and again, with children's books at least. I can think of a couple of examples: Janey Louise Jones, Hugh Montgomery... I'm sure there are more. But (a) it's rare and tends to be a local branch stocking a local author and (b) this guy went about it completely the wrong way.

I do find it kind of hilarious that the bookseller went and trolled the Amazon page in revenge - completely unacceptable, a sacking offence, but funny.
 

Anninyn

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Yeah, having worked in retail (though not bookstores) I have to say a person would have to be a lot worse than he's suggesting to get this level of revenge - retail workers get used to a lot of crap (sometimes literally). But if he was appalling, never letting them do their job, demanding etc I can see an angry worker deciding to give him a taste of his own medicine.
 

Phaeal

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Another example of why it's stupid for anyone to initiate or get involved in an Internet shitstorm. The author shouldn't have left his cards at the bookstore, but removing the cards was all the employees had to do. Attacking the book online? Ridiculous. Leave it alone, even if the author was unpleasant during any face-to-face encounter.

Now the employees have embarrassed their employer and gotten their target a lovely big forum for his complaints.

Win to the author, I'd say. Whose novel premise, about replacing the Royal family with talent show-chosen neo-Royals, is actually amusing. Execution, of course, must be all.
 

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I think the bookseller might have issues too, as s/he reposted the troll review multiple times even after Waterstones leadership got involved (assuming the story is accurate).
 

Buffysquirrel

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The Waterstones that used to be local to me had a special bookcase for independently-published books. Mostly though by that I think they meant small presses--this was before s/p really took off in such a big way.
 

Susan Coffin

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This isn't right in all cases. Canada's country-wide chainstore Chapters has a policy...a % of shelf in each store is available to local authors. The books can be self-pubbed or from small pubs who are not in their ordering system. ( I don't know W's po-po)

I'm not self-pubbed but I don't want to come off as being against it. That said, I've had some bad experiences with some self-pubbed authors. Some have chips on their shoulders and consider themselves entitled. It sounds like this author is one of them.

Kevin, I am so happy to hear some chain stores take self-published books, because I've been hearing all along that they don't. Our local booksellers, as well as coffee shops and art centers, do take them. My community at large is very supportive of all local authors no matter how they choose to publish.
 

Susan Coffin

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Oh, Waterstones do, now and again, with children's books at least. I can think of a couple of examples: Janey Louise Jones, Hugh Montgomery... I'm sure there are more. But (a) it's rare and tends to be a local branch stocking a local author and (b) this guy went about it completely the wrong way.

I do find it kind of hilarious that the bookseller went and trolled the Amazon page in revenge - completely unacceptable, a sacking offence, but funny.

He did go about it the wrong way. He sounds like he's pretty arrogant and demanding, in my opinion.
 

M.Macabre

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As for the Waterstones employee trolling- that person ought to be fired. That's unprofessional behavior.

That was my reaction. The author was extremely misguided to begin with, and probably dealt with the situation ungracefully at best, but he doesn't deserved to be trolled or harassed. They should have just thrown the cards away, call him and tell him to never do that again, and be done with it.
 

Jess Haines

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Yeah, having worked in retail (though not bookstores) I have to say a person would have to be a lot worse than he's suggesting to get this level of revenge - retail workers get used to a lot of crap (sometimes literally). But if he was appalling, never letting them do their job, demanding etc I can see an angry worker deciding to give him a taste of his own medicine.

Right, this is the point I was getting at. Just what did this bad boy do, hmm? He seems quite good at pointing fingers at Waterstones, but I would be very interested to hear the other side of the story.

More thoughts on this thread, not enough time to post. Argh! Will be back tomorrow.
 

fireluxlou

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Waterstones does take self-published titles, but you have to go through Gardners their stockist and supplier, and give them up to 70% discount on your books for them to be put in Waterstones and other shops they supply too. I know this from research for a paper. :) That's why there is a section in Waterstone's for local authors.
 

waylander

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I think he's just as likely to have no idea it's bad etiquette. Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by cluelessness!

Possibly, but the author is described as a PR consultant so he really should know better.
 

nkkingston

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Oh lord, have you read the comments on the article? He doesn't stop. Even though the mood is largely against him, he just keeps on plugging his books.
 
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