Bookshops and libraries tend to categorise their fiction books into sections, such as romance and SF. Where would you put the Fforde books?

Amazon and Heffers seem to file it under 'General Fiction', whereas Waterstones put it under 'Crime'. I'd be more likely to elbow it into the fantasy section along with Rankin, Pratchett and <name deleted to prevent riot>.

As for my local branch of Waterstones... After having a friend visit for the weekend and lose her to our copy of WoLP, we got dragged round the local shops in search of a hardback copy for her to take home. After *finally* finding them in the crime section, we had to ask an assistant where they had hidden WoLP, only to be told they are NOT stocking the paperback copy and have low hopes of getting in the hardback copies they ordered. Are they mad? Do they think there is no-one in Cambridge who wants to buy the thing? Have they caught bad-stockist-itis from Amazon?

We managed to buy the last two WoLP hardbacks Heffers had on the shelves, but while they stocked TEA (the small paperback being on a 3 for 2) there were no copies of LiaGB.

Our plans for world domination are being thwarted! Something must be done!

That's curious - Exeter Waterstone's tends to put them in General Fiction. I'd personally edge them towards SF & Fantasy, although I'm fairly sure Mr Ff wouldn't. And fair enuff, 'cos in all honesty he's likelier to sell better in mainstream fiction, if my Waterstone's insider is to be believed.



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&quot;Whisky-wa-wa,&quot; I breathed - she was dressed as Biffo the Bear.

1) In the fantasy section. My guess is most readers who like these books will like fantasy in general.

2) At the front of the shop / counter or wherever hot items are put for maximum attention, which solves the problem nicely.

There are plenty of reasons for anything being out of stock in a shop anywhere, one of the best being that a top selling item may be out because you simply cannot get it from the makers, who have prioritised their customers, and are very likely to have arranged sales to retailers months in advance and be unable to meet any unexpected demand. Can't say how that affects the book trade, but many of the manufacturers I deal with are thirty years out of date in their practises.

Possibly even in the literature section? That way you get the cross-over market between the classics and Mr ff. A not too subtle juxtaposition of TEA, Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea would certainly make me look, if I'd read any one of them and not the others...



_ _ _ _ _

If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.

Get a BIG table, lots of signs (those lovely unicorn in a car ones he had at the launch) and put the table right in the entrance way with lights, sirens, fireworks, exotic dancers and whatever else is needed to get people to buy it. because, as we all know, once they've read it, they'll be hooked.



TMH

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One golfer a year is hit by lightning. This may be the only evidence we have of god’s existence.

Bluebottle -- you're in Cambridge? Me too . . .

You're right, Waterstones and Heffers are a bit hopeless when it comes to Mr Ff's books (why on earth would you stcok TEA and neither of the sequels?) but they've got hundreds of copies of the trade paperback of WOLP in Borders, off Market Square, and they've even got some hardbacks hidden away somewhere.

(I usually prefer to buy books from Heffers or preferably an even smaller independent, but Borders was the only place I could find WOLP . . .



Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.

I have seen (and seen reports of) JFf's books being stocked in; Fiction; Literary Fiction; Crime; Fantasy; SF; and Romance (although that last one was down to a stockists momentary confusion of Ffordes).

One day, there will be a dedicated Fforde Bookcase in every shop (you know, like JRRT has now), but until then ... Park 'em in all of the categories and ring in the cash!



- - -
I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

You're telling me Jasper Fforde's books are FICTION??!?!?!

Waaaaaaaaaaaah!

WAsn't this once asked of Mr Ff himself by a prospective agent?

"On the 'bestseller' shelves", replied our hero.



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

At least Fforde is relatively easy to track down, once you are in the correct catagory. I know that Lois McMaster Bujold will be in sci-fi, but I never know whether to look under M or B to find her.

There now. Is everyone happy? You've really upset poor Ptomely. Next you'll be telling the poor bloke that Santa Claus dones't exist.

Wilfred the penguin is still trying to work out how he comes down our chimney. We don't have one, you see...



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That which does not kill us makes us stranger.
(Llewelyn the dragon, Ozy and Millie)

Sarah

Well, there's plenty of stuff about book categories here, but where's the stocking nonsense? I want suspender belts and lacy bits!



:--

Do something pretty while you can...

Kinky.....

Well, we do sell hosiery as well as lingerie, Dante - I'll give you one of my cards on Wednesday if you're interested! :-)



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That which does not kill us makes us stranger.
(Llewelyn the dragon, Ozy and Millie)

Sarah

So do I dante, so do I...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Well, PSD, if you wait for Saturday night you can dress up just the way you always do. :p

Who told you?



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

I'm psychic.

I'm just sick...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.