AUTHORS, PLEASE DON’T DO THIS

[@chaosandwildflowers782]

Sean, we thank you for your service to your country during this time. It takes a brave soul indeed to work in a grocery store during a quarantine. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.

[@ebnovels]

Poor guy has to work so much next week. He’s hanging in there!

[@DEEliot-ky9cl]

He looked at her like... "woman, do you got the rona?" 😂😂😂

[@kendra5781]

D.E. Eliot 😂 I love this comment so much🤣

[@Magicme79]

“I spent all this time being nice to you...” this author sounds like the literary version of a niceguy

[@stevetherush1193]

In short: if you're an author, don't be an ass, and if you're an author who posts stuff that any KZbinr reads, use spellckecker. 😂😂 And if you're the general public, DO dab when you cough.

[@ebnovels]

Hahaha, I’m a pro at coughing 💁🏻‍♀️

[@alexnieves]

Obviously authors shouldn't do stuff like this and it's absurd, but it's also hilarious. Picturing authors lurking around bookstores, turning out the covers of their book, pretending that random customers left their books behind, I gotta respect the hustle. I would love to be working at a bookstore and witness this first hand because I think I would cry from laughing.

[@sammie9088]

I'm just imagining an author creeping around in sunglasses with the pink panther theme in the background as they look left and right nervously before moving their book 😂

[@kendra5781]

Lol 😂

[@StudlyFudd13]

Oh man, someone should honestly write a book about this type of author stalking book stores xD

[@hillareads]

I do the adult collection development for my library, and some authors donate books expecting them to get into the collection. I'm usually willing to work with that because I think promoting self-published authors is important. What I don't like is when the author self-publishes a book, edits the book after publishing it, and donates the newest edition expecting it to go on our new books display. We had one guy give us three different versions of his book within a year and a half. I also don't like it when authors email me multiple times asking me to buy their book, especially when their emails become increasingly irate. I have a large budget to manage, and we generally get a 40% discount from our distributor, so asking me to drop $29.95 on a paperback is kind of a lot (which has happened). I don't take my decisions with my budget lightly, so being flexible helps.

[@ebnovels]

Man, that sounds very frustrating. I’m sorry you have to deal with that! The progressively ruder emails sound so unprofessional.

[@miapopova2315]

Imagine an aunt who gave you some weird artwork she made and now every time she comes over she complains it isn't displayed. That's how I picture this lady.

[@StudlyFudd13]

Oh my god...I have people like this in my family O.O

[@lucaleone4331]

I'm about to publish my first book. And I honestly NEVER thought about doing any of this lol

[@ebnovels]

Congrats!!!! :D Also, yeah, I wouldn’t do this stuff either 😆

[@kendra5781]

Congratulations! What is it called? I will definitely check it out.

[@StudlyFudd13]

Give us the title please! :D I wanna read it

[@lucaleone4331]

@@StudlyFudd13 Ah, funny you should ask! I LITERALLY just posted a book reveal for my novel! It goes over the synopsis, the characters and the release should be weeks away. Its called Weavers, and if youre interested please check out the video! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqunnoSPbMmLb7c

[@StudlyFudd13]

@@lucaleone4331 Will do! Thank you for the speedy reply :D

[@victoriastambaugh5177]

I love the vibe of this video! I'm curious though, is there anything that book consumers do that are annoying? There are a lot of "authors don't do this" videos, but what do we as readers do that annoy authors?

[@ebnovels]

Ohh, great question! I’ll have to look into that :D

[@TheOtakuKat]

Nobody: Elliot: (cough) CDC: quarantine

[@Tony-hv8wz]

23-19!!

[@L.J.Kommer]

Elliot- *Cough cough Everyone- "Is that you, 'Rona?"

[@TheHexedLibrary]

A lot of bookstores if they have a signed copy, will leave a bookmark in it stating that it's signed that sticks out of the top of the book when facing spine-out. This way you know there's a signed copy without actually having to read anything. Also as a reader, I'm 100% guilty of seeing my favorite books on shelves in bookstores and facing them out. So.......

[@stephaniecusson7706]

I work in a bookstore where we put some heart stickers on the cover of books to show customers that the book is a Coup de coeur or that is sells well. Which means that I've inevitably had my share of authors who just came up to me, angry because their book did not have a little sticker. I get it though, the books that do have a sticker tend to sell better, but at the same time the author's book would get one if it sold in the first place. It sucks, but the publishing and literary world is hard and not everyone will have the success they want or even deserve.

[@byounie]

I'm an author, and when I go into a bookstore to talk to them about my books, I consider myself a guest at their store and will act accordingly. If I have signed copies at the end of the event, I ask them what they want to do with them. As long as they don't burn them, I'm happy :)

[@michaeltweezer7403]

Maybe I'm just oblivious but I had no idea people did this sort of thing 😂 I can only relate as a (former) musician, I used to drop off albums at record stores all the time and I would NEVER have even thought about messing up the store's displays to show off our albums. This honestly blows my mind haha.

[@albinodeer7449]

Yeah, I agree here. Go ask. And don't mess with the display (Though Sanderson is known for "brandalizing" books, where he sneaks in & signs without asking on the other hand he's popular enough that brandalized books will quickly sell like hot cakes)

[@ebnovels]

Hmm, interesting! I thought he would’ve asked, but I think you’re right that booksellers might not care in his case 😮

[@UdyKumra]

Well he did also do it before he was popular, but he was known for doing it at airports and Barnes and Noble which is a *little* more okay.

[@DavidDecero]

That's ridiculous and no author should ever do that; instead, do this: 1.) Hide behind the trash can sitting in front of your nearest Barnes and Noble. 2.) Throw copies of your signed freshly published book at people as they leave the store. 3.) If you hit someone in the hands and make direct eye contact I'm pretty sure they have to pay you for the book. 4.) Have your family and friends join you. 5.) ??? 6.) Profit.

[@chloefranklin5324]

As an aspiring author, I always wondered how some authors managed to do random signings in bookshops. I had myself convinced it was some kind of mission impossible situation. Now I know it's as simple as asking to do it, I feel a bit silly 😂

[@lucaleone4331]

Kinda same. I thought it would be really complicated or you need to set up a bunch of stuff

[@hanniffydinn6019]

Life lesson, if you don’t ask you don’t get. It’s people who ask who succeed. 🤯

[@ebnovels]

See, Elizabeth Bluemle has indeed taught us all! 💁🏻‍♀️

[@chloefranklin5324]

@@ebnovels omg you replied! Hi! And yes, yes she has 😊

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

Ooo I didn’t know about the autographed copies being returned 😱 that’s interesting!

[@ebnovels]

I didn’t know that either. Bluemle educated us 😄

[@WhitneyDahlin]

I didn't like the industrious author. she really seems like she's playing up how she has everything right except this one thing so that makes me think that she is just lying about doing that stuff right. I bet you my left arm she's the author who sneaks in, secretly signs books, puts her own sticker on, then faces them out and leaves.

[@ebnovels]

Hahaha, it kinda sounds like it 😆 If it would help her book, it’d be mutually beneficial, right? *sarcasm*

[@JashanaC]

I loved the lil "bish please" insert.. haha! OMG "someone brought their own avocados in to the produce section..." Dead.

[@kyliefitzgerald6984]

I can’t speak for independent bookstores, but I worked at Barnes and Noble and aside from specialty shelves (top picks, bestsellers, seasonal displays), the regular fiction section. We would face our whatever books would make the shelf tight and fill in gaps 😂 so obviously as people buy books, there are gaps so as we’d walk around we would just randomly face out books to fill gaps. I know at my store all of us would face put books we like 😂. But definitely at independent bookstores they probably have a system, and you shouldn’t mess with it.

[@UdyKumra]

Elliot: I don't emphasize the typos! I just ned a sec to read it Also Elliot: Zooms in on the typos

[@ebnovels]

Hahahaha, it was more of me making fun of myself for taking so long to figure out what was going on with that sentence 😆

[@lostinabookcase3796]

"BlUUemle. Elizabeth blUUUUEEmeleeee."

[@ryanratchford2530]

In the words of Pleekley “EDUCATE YOURSELF!”

[@safinan8008]

Nice seeing u two together!! I hope u had a nice birthday??

[@frugephoto2191]

Nice seeing the two of you in videos and hearing both of your opinions. Hearing some of things this "author" had to say really just turned me off to buying signed copies from a book store. I know most authors probably behave far more appropriately but still.

[@ebnovels]

Haha, it definitely makes you think twice about how those books got signed! 😆

[@lyndseymurray8065]

I might start asking some questions about the signed books before I buy them.

[@jampsonn1826]

I live for these types of videos, love you guys 😂🙌

[@LanaFeyah]

That response sis so amazingly entitled, haha! "I've taken the time and energy to ," sounds to me like the "nice guy" of authors. "I'm a nice author, why do all the book stores always go for bad authors who ignore and mistreat them?!"

[@lottiebot]

We almost always find a way to display a local author's book when it's dropped off/signed. Sure, we might have to spine it when we get the 50 copies of some big new book. BUT now the employees recognize your title, and are more likely to recommend it to others.

[@nina_gc]

I love these types of videos you make.

[@dgs788]

I can't believe people do this stuff. I got a good laugh at least!

[@ebnovels]

People can be very...silly 😆

[@Crazykid949]

I wrote a book series and as an author, I would never have thought of doing any of those things in the video. I am the type of person to go up to the manager and ask if there would be a chance of allowing me to do a reading and signing, be it either in the store or just outside of it, as a paired promotion between the book store and myself.

[@Rather-Be-Reading]

I'm sorta new-ish to the book world but I don't understand signing a book to be left on a shelf there's no personal experience with it. Again as I'm new I'm not sure but I'd want a signing to be done in front of me at a signing! This doesn't happen that much in Australia that I know of though. Anyway my point is I agree with you guys that seeing a signed book I wasn't already interested in wouldn't make me pick it up. Edit: also I love the editing on this video (the pikachus etc!)

[@lucaleone4331]

I wouldn't say I have to be there when they sign it. But I'd prefer if I bought it and knew they signed it specifically. For instance I have a signed edition of elliots book but it was mailed to me after i purchased it.

[@ebnovels]

I honestly don’t feel that connected to a signed book unless it’s an author I really care about 😮

[@lyndseymurray8065]

I’m sorta new to the book world too (at least I’ve been really trying to read more the last few months instead of a few books a year). So far I don’t really notice or care if the books I’m buying are signed or not. I know I have a few that are signed, but I only noticed it after buying the book, it wasn’t the reason I bought that book, it just looked interesting. Maybe someday when I know more about authors, I will care. 😊

[@spacecaptain9188]

I agree with the author, in that the book sellers sounded pretty disdainful towards the authors, or the presumed friends of the authors. And if you don't value the author's offered assistance in signing them, then maybe stop saying yes when the offer is given. She's right. She's helping make sales. It's not necessarily the best thing ever, but it is valuable, and showcasing that makes sense. (And no, I'm not an author).

[@sophiasthoughts]

I think you should definitely take a pile of PaT and just pop them on the shelf at your local book store. That definitely seems like the way to go

[@nosferatum791]

I wanted to write something smart, but I started coughing during this video and I'm still coughing minutes after watching it (anxiety intensifies)

[@ebnovels]

Stay healthy!

[@iaxandthemoon2471]

I would not buy a random book bc it has an autograph, but if I know the book and was contemplating on buying it, it would probably push me to buying it. Also a book that is on display _has_ a higher chance of being bought, otherwise book covers would be unnecessary. Not that one would buy a book just because it is on display but the chance is much higher that customers pick it up and read the synopses compared to a book in a lower shelf

[@ebnovels]

That’s true, though I wonder nowadays how much of a difference it makes when so many people aren’t going to bookstores 😬

[@tenshiangelina]

I follow Neil Gaiman in twitter, he has mentioned he usually signs a few books at bookstores he visits. Though he never clarifies whether he asks for permission, he does say he does it sneakily, so it's a surprise for buyers. I don't know if that's an exception that he can only enjor, or should he ask for permission as any other author sohould?

[@Meshuga63]

My thoughts are #1. Authors are not the criminal masterminds they think they are #2. I like your sassy, snippy, passive-aggressive voice for objectively annoying people so I guess that’s more confusing feedback for you #3. You and Sean are so conversational, you feel like friends even though this relationship is one sided #4. Love the filters & edited commentary, so funny #5. Does Elliot have the Corona?

[@djsuth7727]

With more authors self-publishing I guess any strategy which helps gain traction/sales is fair game. It's hard to get a break.

[@ebnovels]

I feel sorry for the booksellers who have people coming in and messing up their displays 😆

[@Meshuga63]

The point is these underhanded tactics are NOT fair game. They are literally unfair game, and will not ingratiate authors to the book store. The self righteous food author perceives the relationship between author and book seller to be antagonistic and may have precedent, but the truth is sellers and authors need one another. Mutual respect is how business gets done, these dirty tricks like lying to the store about orders or messing with displays is shameful. I don’t care how desperate you are for exposure, you sell your books by writing great characters and original settings with gripping plots, and by honoring the practices of your fellow authors and the merchants who hawk your wares on your behalf. Deceiving a seller or angering them in any way should be the last thing you want to do. Can you picture a store employee EVER recommending a book when they’ve had a personal interaction with the asshat author?

[@LemurianJones]

I come here for the weird voices XD

[@ebnovels]

We try to deliver 😌

[@lyndseymurray8065]

RogertheLemur Me too! I love it when you make different voices, lol!

[@Morfeusm]

In the case one of my favourite authors are watching this, hi! 🤗

[@Rinzler.14]

The way bookstores order their shelves goes like this: two spine of the same book, or face out all of another book till the end of the shelf ledge. It does depend on the store size and their shelf space. Bookstores are great to work at, but after a couple of months it can get repetitive. Just a word of caution that is all.

[@Superchild88]

I have never bought a signed book before and if I did it would have to be an author I enjoy. If I want your autograph I'll go to your signing.

[@jazsminlyon6884]

Once, someone who worked at Barnes and Noble was helping me look for specific books I came in to buy. She noticed they were all fantasy and detoured me to her book, handed it to me and said "You'll love this!". She very aggressively tried to get me to buy the book, and I was going to to be nice. But i turned it over and saw that it was $30!! Then I politely declined and told her maybe next time, she handed me (multiple) of her business cards and stopped helping me... it was just aggressive and awkward

[@ebnovels]

Oh my gosh, that sounds so uncomfortable! Sean and I did a video awhile back about awkward bookstore encounters, but none of them were like that 😱

[@tiffanyblue6894]

I dont buy books just because they're signed or even facing out. A lot of times I will pass right on by it especially if it isnt one I am interested in.

[@StudlyFudd13]

Even my anti social self would know to ask about these things haha. And I don't even call people because I hate talking to others.

[@TheReadingPuppet]

Lol 😂 people are weird. Although I did think of doing that... if and ever I ever finished my book. But I’m trying to go traditional... but yeah if they’re self published... uh it won’t ring up.

[@gracie9658]

Some people really do weird stuff huh. I wonder how they come up with these things. I've never even thought someone could be stupid enough to do that lmao.

[@mosespray4510]

I love the "reverse shoplifting" stories.

[@Meshuga63]

Industrious Author and her Nana dislike this video 😱

[@sarahjunker6584]

It seems to me that, no matter what kind of store you're in, you just don't mess with the displays. I'm baffled that people would do that!

[@evareads2817]

Wow, some of these things are just Wow:D:D

[@Marie45610]

Messing with the display in any store is kind of garbage move. Like those people who think they are *so* funny when they turn all the books in the mystery section backward so the pages are sticking out instead of the spines.

[@orpheos9]

I think the worst part of the author's high horse is when she says "just educate us". That's literally what the article is doing. You could have said all the stuff you said (whether it's true or not) regarding value of the author's promotion and stickers, as a collaborative "adding onto the article from an author perspective". Instead you chose to make it even more author vs bookstore.

[@tristaaaaaaaaa]

Hahaha I loved this!!!

[@WheelieToasted]

Books being face out just makes me think there’s wasted book space lol. I never really considered them being favorites or popular.

[@Nasser851000]

Elliot has some nice earrings :)

[@ebnovels]

Haha, they’re inexpensive clip ons! :D also, thank you 💁🏻‍♀️

[@SarahScharnweberAuthor]

I know Neil Gaiman has signed books in airports without telling anyone. but he's Neil FRIGGING GAIMAN!

[@chrisyoungberg3245]

I love the snark, don't change it because most of us do the same thing when we see dummies writing dumb things on the internet.

[@therenegadebard3971]

There is no trick or slight of hand that's going to sell your book.

[@IndustrialBonecraft]

Really...? Do people actually do this? C'mon...

[@spacecaptain9188]

It doesn't make sense to say it's not your job to educate authors, in the same vid that is designed to educate authors, in which you repeatedly tell authors to ask you questions. It sounds very much like the author's request for open instruction on accepted practices is reasonable and needed.

[@talkingqueen9587]

🙂😉🙂😊😀😁😂

[@LynxieDove]

Gods, that author comes across so conceited! I mean yes, it can be a long and difficult slog to get your books out there, and noticed, but stick to more positive ways to make a name for yourself.

[@hanniffydinn6019]

Wait! Wtf? People still buy books from bookstores? I haven’t for decades. They are cheap online. 🤯

[@ebnovels]

Haha, we love going to the bookstore, but the author in this acts like it’s the only means of books being sold 😆