Much to discuss in Post-Dallas ranting, it seems, and I’ve had a few moments of putting my feet up to enjoy that rare luxury – blog reading.
*ahhhhhhh* Air conditioning and high speed internet? There’s nothing better!
Most of my feedback about the conference so far that I’ve noted has been directed to the hotel and the manner in which the conference “fit” into the hotel, and what suggestions I’d have for future conference sites. But since this was my first national, I didn’t process and synthesize a lot of what I noticed until I started reading the feedback of experienced conference attendees.
Allison Brennan’s rant on RtB yesterday brought attention to something I’d noticed in the book signings – the mass acquisition of a LOT OF BOOKS.
This is one of the people I saw with a big ol’ cart full of books. Now, if you are this person, and you’re reading all those books, more power to you. I’m using the picture as a sample, since I saw several people with carts, boxes, and suitcases, filling up with books.
I myself took home a suitcase of books, half of which I plan to read and half of which we shall be giving away as bootylicious prizes on this here website. But if I did ask for a book signed as a prize for contests, I always asked the author if that was OK with them.
Brennan’s problem focuses on something I saw a few times – people skipping the line, grabbing two or three copies of a book at a signing, shoving them into their cart, and moving on. Seems these people make no secret of their intention: resell on eBay or in stores. Free books for reselling at entire profit?
Oh, my. Surely Miss Manners has something to say about that.
So here’s a question: what’s the best way to stop them? Marking the books “RWA Only” so anyone with a book marked as such is fingered as a book snatcher? Would a buyer even care?
In the comments to Brennan’s entry, Walt, master of the CuppaCafe, suggested RFID tags for entrants to control access, though that may drive up the cost of admission to the conference on the whole and create a logistical nightmare for everyone involved. Jane rightly pointed out that volunteers are already thrown into the deep end at times (I volunteered Saturday morning and had someone with me at the workshop booth who knew the answers – thank heaven because I knew none of them) and serving as tech police as to who gets in and who doesn’t would be far, far less than fun.
But even then, the folks I saw loading up the luggage looked like they were conference attendees, and I saw them every day, at every signing – taking one book or more than one without waiting in line to get them signed. So you can’t block attendees from attending, or even getting multiple copies – again, if the line was short and I wasn’t going to be robbing someone else of their copy, I’d ask for more than one for giveaways or for a friend.
So what’s the solution? Aside from tripping them and running off with their crate on wheels? I know a lot of Bitchery readers are professionals in other fields, and I know I’ve been to tech conferences back in the day where my access was controlled. Hell, try getting into the Democratic National Convention. I practically needed to give them a molar, and I was an intern with a fully-functional, holographed, laser-readable, and watermarked press pass, and that was over ten years ago. What options do you see as viable for discouraging the thievery of books from author tables?
This behavior is universal, in all situations were there are (and often AREN’T) freebies.
I’ve seen cans of baby formula and cases of Ensure being carted off, bags filled with pens, sticky notes, books, food samples…. you name it…. I’ve even seen tube feedings and tubes being grabbed (why, I don’t wanna think).
Anyhow, having the books under or behind the table in boxes, maybe with an assistant to ‘monitor’ the table and hand out the books. Signs with “one book only” etc.
Dunno….I’m still remembering the tubing I saw being carted off.
When I worked in retail we had the envelopes for the gift certificates behind the cash wrap where customers could reach them. It amazed me how many people would take the envelopes because they could. They weren’t fancy, just fairly nice maroon colored envelopes that held a gift certificate sized paper. More than once we ran out of envelopes but had plenty of gift certifcates left. When we moved them out of reach, problem solved.
An old co-worker of mine once suggested putting one of those little crappy luggage locks on my molded tire cover on the back of my Jeep “to keep honest people from stealing”. Some people’s mama’s didn’t pound the “be nice” or “be polite” mantra in their head like mine did. I’ve been to conferences (not a book one, so sad to say) but I always feel like I must talk to the person in the booth if I want their cool pen, post-its, toy car, etc. even if I don’t have anything to do with what the person is selling (software or plastic forming or whatever). Its only polite.
First Najida, I have to say I love the image of free tube feeding samples. Now, if I get 850 free books at RWA, I don’t even have to stop reading to eat.
Actually, I’d have taken one, if the opportunity came up, because I know of a medical mission in Haiti that would have been thrilled to get it. They have nothing, and we give stuff away for free.
But, I am a total Pollyanna, and like to think there’s a slim chance even crazy-ass behavior might not be hoarding.
Mollita:
“I’m someone who really wants to read the books but, unless I’m friends with the author, I don’t want their signature.
How do authors feel about that?”
Personally, it would be no skin off my nose. At this point in my career, I am the RWA signing equivalent of pushing drugs on a street corner. You want the book? I want to give it to you. The first hit is free. I will happily sign anything that’s not a blank check or a bar tab. Or I will not sign, if you prefer.
RWA was a dream come true, because I couldn’t afford to get clicky pens or bookmarks, and am too lazy to make candy bags and party favors. And my legs in thigh high stockings won’t sell diddly.
All I had was free books. And people took them from me. Some (but not all) will get read by people who might not have found me otherwise. It was good.
Although I also gave away the free pen I got at the literacy signing. A little girl with big, brown eyes thought it was cool. She asked politely if they were giving away pens. I said sure, and gave her mine.
She probably sold it on EBay. I should have forced her mother to take my business card.
BookExpo sets up the authors signing at tables on the bottom floor in the back. When the author you want to meet is signing for their hour, you have to wait in line. They ask for a $1 donaiton and the books are ket at the small table where the author is. I couldn’t imagine someone taking more than 1 with the author right there!
Supoosedly, if you have medical issues, BEA will give you permission to have a cart inside Jacob Javits. I’ve a feeling that some people take advantage of that by getting letters sent without really needing to.
I knew I had to lug around anything I got at BookExpo and then ship it, so I was very, very good. The only time I got multiple copies of anything was from a graphic novel vendor – and that was after I told him I was about to do an anime day with my teens. Those went straight to them and they loved it.
I can’t imagine the gall people would need to have to snatch many copies and re-sell. It’s just not done as my Mum would say.
As someone who (1) had a cart—not that big, but still a cart, (2) took one book per author, and (3) doesn’t plan to sell the books I got, I don’t like the idea of banning all carts. I’ve attended book signings without them, and lugging more than five books around at once gets painful.
I throw my conference bag, water bottle, camera, etc. in the cart as well. I’ve attended two conferences and three literacy signings and am surprised more people don’t use carts.
I take the cart to the literacy signing, too, where I spend hundreds a year. Yes, I do read that fast.
I like the idea of having the books behind the table so people have to wait in line. That’s a good solution to start with.
First off, I have to say my eyes are crossing after reading through all of the responses to this and the other heavily commented topics 🙂 Beverley, in her oh-so-wonderful British accent said something along the lines of “The books are for these nice ladies who have been standing in line.” while placing her hand on the books so the person couldn’t walk off with them. Honestly, I think it’s the Brit accent that carries it.
Well, there’s a first for everything and this is my first post on this site! A friend passed on the link because you mentioned my article at RTB.
A few general comments:
I don’t care if someone has a wheelie cart or bags or take one of every book in the room. I don’t care if someone waits twice in line so they can get a second copy of a book for their daughter or best friend. I don’t care if they want me to sign the book or not. I know that for some people a signature is not important.
What I care most about is that because of a couple bad apples, some people didn’t get books that they wanted to read or pass on to a friend who wanted to read it. I greatly care that a couple bad apples are taking free books for the sole purpose of selling them to make 100% profit, cutting the publisher and the author completely out of the equation.
I’m very happy that my publisher donates to the literacy signing and the free giveaway. But for someone to sell those free books is just plain wrong. I can’t think of one good reason for that behavior.
A little off-topic, but I also read the other post about bloggers and reviewers at the conference. Why not? I met several at the Random House party, and it’s nice to put a face to a reviewer. And I brought my mom who is not a writer, simply because she loves romance books. I would hate to have an atmosphere where my mom wouldn’t be comfortable. Fortunately, everyone was kind to her and I appreciate that.
Are the carts used (sometimes) for fans who bring other books from their fav authors to be signed? My friend emailed her favorite author and brought in her hardcover copies to be autographed…. but maybe this was not at the same place as the free-book area? If the author wants/is willing to sign other books aside from the “give-away” is that what’s done?
I don’t know anything about the procedure since I’ve never been to a RWA and won’t go since I only want to read the book; the authors are (I’m absolutely POSITIVE) nice people but it’s their books I’m interested in, not standing in line.
Which brings me to loving the bloggers…for me it’s a nice way to see the sights without getting on a plane, and information from people who know what readers want to know AND a pic of the back of NR’s fabulous dress.
Yay, Allison’s here! Glad your mom had a good time.
I think the reason why people couldn’t have rolling bags/carts at BEA was because the place was so incredibly crowded. If everyone or even a quarter of the people had those things, fights would’ve broken out from the traffic jams (especially the first two days when the A/C wasn’t up to snuff). The setup at RWA (at least at the literacy signing) was much less cramped.
BEA also has a bag-check, so as soon as your load gets too heavy, you just drop it off, pick up another free tote bag, and start over. And you can bring rolling bags/carts into the convention center and bag-check them to make it easier to lug home. Some people (usually librarians, who need the free books like no one else) had rolling suitcases for this purpose.
Book Heaven, it was.
Joanne, yes, you can bring in your own books from home to be signed. At the literacy signing, I think they slap a sticky note on it when you walk in so you don’t get charged for it on the way out. The Bookfair at RT works the same way.
I honestly had no idea about all the free books when I headed to my first conference. It was like Christmas in July!
Sometimes when I was standing in line I would grab pick up the book or books the author was signing to check out which one I wanted. I hated to get to the front of the line and not at least know which book I wanted. A lot of the authors I had never heard of before and I guess that was the whole point of giving away the free books.
I didn’t see anyone snatching books and I was really surprised to see the large crates. It seemed crass. I just used my canvas bag and I collected more than enough books.
Sounds weird but what if authors only signed the covers and then people collected the middles at the front as they left?
See, that’s just wrong in my book! Yes, I took free books. Yes, I took free books to be given away at my group blog. However, I waited until the author was about ready to leave and IF they still had books, I asked if I could take them. Most often it was a “oh yeah sure!” and if someone came to the line late, I’d wait. Just to make sure the author would have enough books for that person.
As it was, I still managed to bring home an entire suitcase of books! Half to read for myself and half to give away as goodies. At least the authors KNEW my intentions with the books.