True Confession: I’ve Been Rejected by Powell’s Books in Portland

Yes. It’s true. My request to do an author event at Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon has been rejected. (They are carrying my book, though–at least, they are in their online bookstore.)

The terse email stated that they were concerned that the event would “not result in enough sales” to make it worth promoting.

This despite the fact that I have spent over thirty years of my life in the Portland area, have spent many hours and dollars at Powell’s, have many friends and family in the area (not to mention an email list of hundreds of Portland fans), have a scheduled appearance on the top morning show in the area (AM Northwest), have been featured numerous times in The Oregonian (and likely to be featured again in July), spent last summer living a few blocks from Powell’s so that I could attend as many author events as possible, and even mention Powell’s on the acknowledgments page of my book!

My agent and my publicist and sales/marketing team at Random House all tell me not to take it personally, that this is par for the course this year and many authors–even some bestselling ones–are finding it difficult to get booked by bookstores for signing events. Powell’s is an independent bookstore, but the same is true for the big-box stores: they are reducing the number of authors they bring in to do events. It seems the bookstores are ordering books in very low numbers this quarter, being very cautious and not taking risks. Well, I understand that this is not a surprising way to respond to an economic crisis, dramatic losses, and an uncertain future for the publishing/bookselling industry.

But still–Powell’s? I thought we were friends.

I’m not letting it get me down, though. In fact, I thank you, Powell’s. You see, you’ve inspired Tom (my husband) and me to try something new. While we are in the U.S. this summer to promote my book, The New Global Student, we will avoid standard book signings that require months of pleading and planning and instead engage in what we are calling “flashsignings”–spontaneous fifteen-minute appearances at bookstores publicized via Facebook, Twitter, text and email. Like flash mobs, but for the purpose of chatting with an author personally rather than, say, having an impromptu pillow fight or dressing up as zombies (though these are fun–zombie flashsignings? Hmmm…)

The bookstores should like this. After all, they don’t have to do anything and they can still get a dozen or so people coming in, meeting an author, and buying autographed copies of the book. Everybody wins!

We’re going to play with the flashsignings idea in New York, Boston, Washington, DC, Seattle and Portland (and probably other places in between). I think we’ll have a great time with it.

And who knows? Maybe this will become the new way to do author events. (We’re putting up a site at http://www.FlashSigning.com in the next few weeks, just for fun. If you’re an author and want to have your flashsignings posted, send a message to Tom at tom@boldschoolgroup.com)

I’m thinking of doing a flashsigning at Powell’s. You know, pick a Saturday afternoon when we’re there (in July), get the word out, and have a few dozen people show up spontaneously for an event. Not to be rebellious or anything–just to make it happen without any hassle for anyone. Then those who want to can join us for a beer afterward. Sounds like a perfect event to me!

If you’d like to join us for some flashsigning fun at bookstores, coffee shops, and cheap ethnic eateries (we’re looking forward to some great food on this trip!) please follow me on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/MayaFrost for the latest announcements!

I love you, Powell’s. I really do. I hope that someday my affection for you will be mutual. But even if it isn’t, I thank you, as always, for the inspiration.

Tagged as: AM Northwest, author, author event, author events, author signing, autographed books, autographs, book signing, booksellers, bookstore event, bookstore signing, bookstores, independent booksellers, independent bookstores, Maya Frost, Oregon, Portland, Powell's, Powell's Books, Powell's bookstore, publishing, publishing industry, Random House, The New Global Student, The Oregonian, writing