Behind the counter

[andrewmck]

Just call me Manny.

I started my first shift at the Bookshop today. When Bernard in Black Books says that nobody buys books before 10.30am, he was wrong, especially at this time of year. There was someone waiting by the roller door before we'd even opened up!

From then on it was non-stop until I left to get the boys. There were deliveries from yesterday yet to be unpacked, priced and shelved. Many, many, many picking up pre-orders, plus the ones we had to phone to tell them their books were in. At least two of those pre-orders replied with 'Oh, sorry. I don't need that book anymore. Bought it cheaper at K-Mart". Grrr.

And then there were the browsers, and those needing to buy a book for someone but who knew nothing about books themselves. "Ummm, I need to buy a book for someone at work. For our Kris Kringle thingy. I don't know her too well, but she reads and I know she has a twin. Do you have any books called 'The Evil Twin'?" huh? Ummm, no sorry, we don't even have the Bobbsey Twins!

Or - "I wanted to buy a book for my son for christmas. He really wants this book. Can you get it in?" Okay, do you know what it is called? "No, sorry." Do you know the name of the author? "Umm, no sorry. I know it is about a Quest or something though."

What about - "Do you have a book on how to cook Kangaroo that I can send to my son and daughter-in-law in Norway?"

So, other booksellers out there. Is this the way it will be every day I'm there in the shop?

I don't mind if it is at all. It was kind of surreal, actually. Very strange to be out interacting with people again, just chatting and talking and smiling. And it is the surreal moments that really made me smile.

It has all left me quite energetic and bouncy though. Looking forward to getting dinner out of the way and the kids in bed so I can get into some writing.

'Daivadana' is currently sitting at 8,300 words and I'll definitely be finishing up within the next 1,000 words. Things are reaching a climax now and the sentences are becoming much shorter, snappier. Hopefully I can maintain the increased pace until the very end and offer up a really effective finalé. It has been a tough story - seeing as the tale is now so much different from the idea - but I've really enjoyed seeing the various ideas and plot points I'd subconsciously planted in the first few pages converge and grow into something much more complicated, and unified that I'd planned.

Comments

[ph8.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear it left you bouncy. Will it be like that every day? You betcha! Just wait until you get the customer who wants the book that was *over there somewhere* (wave towards the right side of the store) and red. But they can't remember what it's called, who it's by or what it's about :)

I firmly believe that the nuttiest consumers are readers... I'm told that other forms of retail aren't nearly as bad. And if you want the REALLY nutty ones, work in a secondhand bookshop -- my Collins customers had NUTHIN on my Book Collector ones!

Just as well there are so many fabulous people who love books mixed it -- almost makes it worth while ;)

[viciousdisorder.livejournal.com]

My experiences in the library (when i was working there) were like that.
"I'm looking for a book, that my lecturer recommended we track down in the library for our next assignment... Where do I find it?"

"Do you have the name of the book?" "no"
"Do you have the name of the author?" "no"
"What subject is this for?" "I don't know... but my lecturer is so and so"


It's not always so crazy - well the people may be, the workload I'd imagine mightn't always be so crazy - it's just that so called "silly season" where the worst of humanity comes out... even in the precious bookstore

[mikandra.livejournal.com]

Oh no, you wait until you get the customer who requires you to order 12-or-so books and then decides he doesn't want them. Or the customer who asks lots of questions, making you go out of your way to answer them, and then buys nothing. Or the customer who rings you up, and every time she does so, she proceeds to spend an hour telling you that Harry Potter was written by the devil, and because she usually buys quite a bit, you bite your tongue trying not to shout that if she thinks so, she can join him (the devil) for all you care. I'm not even talking about customers who use stolen credit cards, or customers who, after you've sent the books, maintain they never received them and go to their bank for a refund (and guess who draws the shortest straw in this case? Hint: it ain't the customer, and it ain't the bank).

OK, do you want me to get started on publishers and reps and distributors? Maybe not.

I do not want to shatter the illusion. For the most part, selling books is enjoyable. I say so even after 11 years.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

"Do you have a book on how to cook Kangaroo that I can send to my son and daughter-in-law in Norway

I have a Down Under cookbook that has Roo chili recpt, and they differ in red or gray roos.

..uh, is it cool that I snaffled your Kepher icon? it almost matches my tat.