Login
Forgot Password?

OR

Login with Google Login with Twitter Login with Facebook
  • Join
  • Profiles
  • Groups
  • SuicideGirls
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Shop
Vital Stats

wilwheaton

Los Angeles

Member Since 2005

Followers 4396 Following 803

  • Everything
  • Photos
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Groups
  • From Others

Friday Apr 28, 2006

Apr 28, 2006
0
  • Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Email
A couple of days ago, I worked on booking a venue for Boston. I have three solid recommendations for Boston, and I've made contact with two of them. One totally blew me off, which was insulting and lame, the other one was supposed to call yesterday but didn't, and it looks like I'll be going to the third place, who at least has treated me like a fucking human being.

Man, being blown off like that really galls me. I go out of my way to treat everyone I encounter with with dignity and respect, and I've foolishly come to expect the same from others. I guess bookstores are constantly contacted by authors about in-stores, but if someone is going to work in event planning, shouldn't that person be friendly and at least pretend to care? After I hung up with the first place (the one that blew me off) I felt like I was just another stupid author at the bottom of a list that they resent having to deal with. Whether that's true or not, it's pretty stupid to make an author feel that way, especially when you're an indie store. Someone is supposed to call me back next week. I can hardly wait.

This reminds me of one of the absolute worst things that happened when I was trying so hard to promote Just A Geek shortly after it was released. There's a store here in Pasadena called Vroman's. It's my absolute favorite bookstore in the world, an indie shop that has slowly grown over the years without ever feeling corporate or impersonal. I really wanted to do an in-store there, so I contacted their event coordinator myself, told her that I was a long time customer, a new author, a former actor, and how much I wanted to come to the store for one of my first signings. I figured it would be a no-brainer: I'm local, I'm a customer, what more could you ask for, right? Well, she totally blew me off, and made me feel like I was stupid for even asking, like I wasn't worth her time. Oh, did I mention she did this to me face to face in the store? Yeah, that was awesome. Humiliated, I walked out, and they permanently lost a life-long customer. When I hung up the phone this morning, I felt the same sense of defeat and sadness; it's the polar opposite of the excitement and enthusiasm I've felt between my blog and eventful. Two of my best experiences doing in-stores were both at Borders: in San Francisco, and in Arcadia, so large and corporate doesn't always equal lame, by the way.

I'm really sensitive to this sort of thing because it touches raw nerves left over from acting: we actors are constantly told by our employers that we're worthless and easily-replaced, and even though we all know it isn't true, hearing it enough can wear on you, you know?

The second place I talked to was much better; the woman I spoke with was friendly and enthusiastic when she took all my information, which she said she would pass along to the head of in-store events, who was supposed to call me yesterday. Why am I not surprised that my phone has sat silent?

Anyway, I was so disheartened, I didn't make efforts to find a place in Montreal; I'll get on that next week. If I recall correctly, one of the big Canadian chains, I think it was Chapters or Indigo (?) promoted Just A Geek very well, and sold an awful lot of them, so if I can't find an indie store (Booksense shows zero member stores in Montreal) I'll contact one of them, and hope that I get to encounter some of the legendary Canadian politeness.
VIEW 12 of 12 COMMENTS
moonrabbit:
Oh gee ya know eh? We're not that much different from americans, there's just fewer of us.

And B a friend of mine's family runs the last indie owned book store in Kingston (Between Montreal and Toronto.)
Just last month they had a signing with Lederhosen Lucil.

If you're gonna be in the area anyway would you interested? I might be able to pull some strings.
May 1, 2006
mat8drb:
Hat Tip? I wrote it!!! wink

Seriously, thanks for splitting it like that, it made sense.
May 1, 2006

More Blogs

  • 12.31.23
    2

    regarding the reading of rpg rule and sourcebooks purely for fun

    Someone on Reddit in r/rpg asked w…
  • 11.26.23
    3

    Gentle reminder that everyone is going through something, and we have…

  • 11.15.23
    5

    Just mind your business, and don't be a dick.

    Whenever I post pictures of me and my favorite human on a date, som…
  • 10.15.23
    5

    the one about assassin's creed and baldur's gate 3

    At the beginning of summer, as I was nearing the end of The Witcher…
  • 10.07.23
    3

    you are loved

    A little over a month ago, I was having a rough day with my brain …
  • 10.05.23
    5

    third eye

    Nerds! I have a project out today! …
  • 09.19.23
    1

    i was nine years old when i had my first crush

    I wrote a blog on my blog. Author’s note: these memories are ex…
  • 09.11.23
    7

    days of swine and roses

    I get a ton of junk email, like we all do. I have aggressive filte…
  • 08.01.23
    4

    She's wearing vintage Nieman-Marcus. I'm just Ken.

    Read More
  • 07.25.23
    5

    If not now, when?

    In 1960, SAG and WGA struck to force management to adapt to the ne…

We at SuicideGirls have been celebrating alternative pin-up girls for:

23
years
10
months
21
days
  • 5,509,826 fans
  • 41,393 fans
  • 10,327,617 followers
  • 4,600 SuicideGirls
  • 1,114,946 followers
  • 14,947,706 photos
  • 321,315 followers
  • 61,460,371 comments
  • Join
  • Profiles
  • Groups
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • Help
  • About
  • Press
  • LIVE

Legal/Tos | DMCA | Privacy Policy | 18 U.S.C. 2257 Record-Keeping Requirements Compliance Statement | Contact Us | Vendo Payment Support
©SuicideGirls 2001-2025

Press enter to search
Fast Hi-res

Click here to join & see it all...

Crop your photo