Is it just me, or is this tacky?

PattiTheWicked · Jan 7, 2008

So I'm working part time at a book store, to support my book addiction, and last night a lady comes in and says, "Do you have any books by the author who's outside?"

Me: (Blank, dull stare) Beg pardon?

Lady: The author outside, who's handing out fliers. I want to see his books.

Turns out there was a local guy who was standing around the front of the store, handing out fliers advertising his three books. The publisher (NOT Publish America, btw) is one out of Canada. They don't appear to be a vanity press, but at the Really Big Chain Bookstore, we can't order any of their books in, because they're apparently not distributed by our Really Big Distribution Place (I checked). Anyway, I told her she'd need to order them either from the guy himself or the publisher's website.

So then when I leave, four hours later, there's a flier on my car in the parking lot.

Now, I just have to say... even if I had considered buying a book from someone handing out fliers in front of a bookstore, that would've been the deal breaker. I freakin' HATE fliers on my windshield.

Am I just a mean, oppressive, other-author-hating bitch, or is the whole thing just tacky?

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 7, 2008

Standing outside passing out fliers is tacky.

kristie911 · Jan 7, 2008

I'm going to go with tacky.

But that's because I also hate flyers on my car.

scarletpeaches · Jan 7, 2008

The guy's name wasn't Paolini, was it?

Jersey Chick · Jan 7, 2008

Tacky. I also hate fliers under my windshield wipers.

this could be one of those threads where everyone actually agrees!

Sunkissed27f · Jan 7, 2008

No not terribly tacky.... you have your opinion on this as much as any one else does.

I have had an actual person come into my office and peddle his book and had to turn him away because we can't accept solicitors.

On the whole it was tacky of him to pan his self out that way.
He said and I quote, "This book is so good it will practically sell its self."
If that was they case, why was he peddling it?

At the same time....not giving these small time authors a shot just because you hate fliers on your wind shied may be selling your own self short....ya dig?

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 7, 2008

Jersey Chick said:
this could be one of those threads where everyone actually agrees!

Can I change my answer then?

IceCreamEmpress · Jan 7, 2008

I hate flyers on windshields.

Handing out flyers, on the other hand, is fine as long as you offer them to passers-by instead of forcing them on them.

So the "putting a flyer on your windshield" is tacky, but the "handing out flyers about his books" seems like a reasonable marketing strategy. And, hey, he got at least one person interested!

slcboston · Jan 7, 2008

Yeah, I have to say the "under the windshield" is where it crosses the line. Especially if it's one of those smaller fliers that looks a lot like the tickets the Parking Nazi's hand out here. (And no, that isn't hyperbole. I expect the meter maids here to any day now start wearing jackboots and goose-stepping from car to car.

)

On the other hand, passing out fliers, as long as they aren't too pushy about it, can be enough to get me to at least look at the flier. I'm not sure it would lead me to buy a book... and likely not... but I could then at least say I'd heard of the author and his work.

But wouldn't he have had better luck standing outside an agency handing out fliers?

Soccer Mom · Jan 7, 2008

Handing out fliers: not tacky, just self-promotion.

Doing it in front of a bookstore that doesn't carry your book: borderline tacky. That's not how you get your book in the store.

Flier under the wiper: tacky and messy. I hate litterbugs.

My .02.

PattiTheWicked · Jan 7, 2008

Soccer Mom said:
Handing out fliers: not tacky, just self-promotion.

This I'll agree with. It's not the concept of fliers or self-promotion that I find off putting. It's these:

SoccerMom said:
Doing it in front of a bookstore that doesn't carry your book: borderline tacky. That's not how you get your book in the store.

Flier under the wiper: tacky and messy. I hate litterbugs.

There ya go.

Perks · Jan 7, 2008

I find that anything that smells like a sad waste of time is usually tacky. Shoving a piece of paper into my hand (that isn't a secret code to adventure and a numbered, Swiss bank account) is one guaranteed way to see that my money stays in my own pocket and that you'll get none of it.

A little dignity is good thing.

There are plenty of reasons a person may be promoting his or her very worthy book. Do it with a little decorum and I may even be interested.

Jersey Chick · Jan 7, 2008

Annoying me is not the way to get me to buy something from you. I don't care how good a product it is. Having to pluck something out from beneath the wiper and then either find a trash can, or take it home and throw it away irks me.

DeleyanLee · Jan 7, 2008

scarletpeaches said:
The guy's name wasn't Paolini, was it?

LOL! Whereas my first thought was the publisher is probably Dragon Moon. I'm so bad.

I don't know if sticking flyers under wipers is tacky or not, but it's a waste of time and resources and probably could be fined for littering since so many of them wind up blowing around the parking lot. (Me, no, I've never dropped one! Heavens no! LOL!)

geardrops · Jan 7, 2008

Not sure where I heard it, but I'm going to (mis)quote this:

Handing me a flier is another way of saying, "Hey, you throw this away."

I'm on the side of sad and tacky. There's better ways to promote your book. And if you're going to stand outside a bookstore and promote it, try and ensure the store actually sells your book.

PattiTheWicked · Jan 7, 2008

Well, that was the sad bit. This guy's out there, handing out fliers for not one but THREE books he's gotten published, but the only way to get them is online.

And the odd thing is, I checked his publisher's website, and it looks as though they sell books to a very limited number of bookstores -- most of which are in Canada -- and not the chains. It appears that booksellers have to buy directly from the publishing house, rather than go through a distributor.

So what stumps me is, why would a guy in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, publish a book with this company in the first place? Don't get me wrong, I don't think they're scammers -- and I know at least one AWer has a book pubbed with them -- but I just don't see how this could be of any benefit to the author in this case.

I shoulda grabbed the guy out of the parking lot and chatted him up. Damn.

JimmyB27 · Jan 7, 2008

Soccer Mom said:
Handing out fliers: not tacky, just self-promotion.

Doing it in front of a bookstore that doesn't carry your book: borderline tacky. That's not how you get your book in the store.

Flier under the wiper: tacky and messy. I hate litterbugs.

My .02.

Even handing out fliers is indirect littering. How many people actually keep those things?

Soccer Mom · Jan 7, 2008

JimmyB27 said:
Even handing out fliers is indirect littering. How many people actually keep those things?

True. I just assume that at least there is a chance people will dump them in a trash can. Sticking them under the wiper seems to guarantee that about half will escape and flutter in the breeze.

It seems odd that if online is the only way to buy the book, that he would be promoting it at a brick and mortar location. He'd be better off flogging it online.

Triangulos · Jan 7, 2008

It's a sign of desperation I think. If ever I was tempted to self publish (and there's so much quality unpublished work out there these days that self publishing is nothing to be ashamed of in itself as long as you keep away from the sharks) I'd make pretty sure that I publicised it in ways that didn't look desperate or needy.

Flyers would definitely be out...

Lauri B · Jan 7, 2008

Sticking fliers under windshield wipers might not qualify as tacky, but it's not a good use of his time or his marketing dollars, and it certainly gives off an air of desperation. Given his publisher's lack of distribution and the apparently limited availability of his book, that guy would certainly have been better served by saving the money he spent on fliers and the time he spent standing around and spending both on getting the word out about his book online.

JoNightshade · Jan 7, 2008

I'm the kind of person who will actually call an organization/business and complain if they leave flyers on my windshield or my door. If you want to reach your audience, do a little market research and then USE POSTAGE. Handing out flyers tells me you have no idea who I am, no idea what I want, and you don't care if I listen or not, but you'd like to waste my time.

Stormhawk · Jan 7, 2008

PattiTheWicked said:
So what stumps me is, why would a guy in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, publish a book with this company in the first place? Don't get me wrong, I don't think they're scammers -- and I know at least one AWer has a book pubbed with them -- but I just don't see how this could be of any benefit to the author in this case.

I shoulda grabbed the guy out of the parking lot and chatted him up. Damn.

It's possible this was the only publisher that would take him, or the first to accept him.

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Jan 7, 2008

Do NOT put trash under my windshield wiper! It's tacky. It's annoying. It'll be ugly if I happen to wander up while you're doing it.

Tish Davidson · Jan 7, 2008

Doesn't your bookstore or shopping center have a policy about solicitation on their property? If not, maybe it is time that it does.

Birol · Jan 7, 2008

So what are good marketing strategies and methods of self-promotion? What would you be willing to do to publicize your book(s)?

Is it just me, or is this tacky?

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