Monday, May 09, 2011

"Did You Write These Books?"

It's almost summer, which is my most active promotion time. Michigan gets lots of tourists from June to August, so bookstores and other venues are willing to give me a shot at selling my books. What I find funny is a question I get a lot. I'm standing behind a table. There's a sign that says, "Author Peg Herring: Book Signing Today". And about once an hour someone asks me, "Did you write these books?"
I know, I shouldn't snicker at people who might spend money to own my work. But I would like to ask them why I'd be standing behind a table of Peg Herring's books if I was not Peg Herring. (A rabid fan, determined to make Peg a best-selling author, maybe?)
Other great questions writers get include "Where are the bathrooms in this place?" "Will you sign this book if I buy it?" and, of course, "Where do they keep the James Patterson books?"
Still, it's fun to meet readers, talk about books, and maybe, just maybe, meet someone who says, "Oh, I heard about this book! Someone said it was really good!"
Yay! And the bathrooms are just down that hallway.

3 comments:

Eileen Schuh: said...

If I were to be the one asking that question, I'd be asking it out of awe...you mean YOU really wrote these books and I get to see YOU and talk to YOU--a real-live author? YOU are actually in the same room as ME? YOU--Peg Herring, are standing here before me? Really?

Cheryl Tardif said...

And don't forget to familiarize yourself with every section in the bookstore because you'll invariably get asked "Do you know where the geography/history/political/cooking/pickone section is?"

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

Yep, that question always makes me laugh.

In the bookstore you also need to know where the bathroom is because you'll always be asked the location.

Marilyn