Re: No.4. You wouldn’t happen to mean like a certain SA writer who is the recipient of many awards and who is acclaimed the world over as being a true genius and thus pens his most recent book without any punctuation whatsover and all of the sentences starting halfway through the sentence so no one, I stress NO ONE has any idea of what the book is about, but still insist on calling him a genius because it would seem uncouth not to?

God, I hate that crunt!

And yes, as a matter of fact, I am jealous.

Well, how to make a room full of authors and illustrators feel inadequate! While we were all being paid under the same ‘award rate’ (Australian Society of Author fees) and were being paid expenses and accommodation and travel, not a one of us would have ANY diva-like requests (so grateful were we to be asked to attend) and neither did we charge more than $1200 (Aus) for 3 sessions over 3 days!!!
There is a lot to be said for longevity in this industry!!
Suffice to say, I like others at the festival queued to have aftermentioned successful writer sign books!!
After all, a living icon, is a living icon and deserves all kudos.
Here’s something to aspire to!

He’d just come in and charged me for what should be warranty work on some paltry excuse and was nasty and rude to boot. So on the way out, he noticed my framed covers and asked “Are you a writer? I always considered writing. How does that pay?”

I thought about two seconds and said “Oh, lots. Totally out of proportion with the work, really. Permission to coin money.” (Look, if he asked me that when looking at the third hand sofas RIGHT THERE, he deserved it.) I cackle thinking of him in the hell of the first form of insanity.

I am a bad, bad woman.

On another note, @20 Nick: I worked at a B&N for a few years after college. As far as I know, the head office doesn’t specify which books should be “face out.” When shelving, we could do what we liked as long as it looked good. The contents of the tables and other display areas were dictated from on high, though.
So keep facing those books out. Can’t hurt, might help.

As a writer who has not yet enjoyed the well, joy, of being published, I get the desire and the yearning and the needing to validate your existence and all…but, seriously, if you have not yet had a book published, you are unpublished, not prepublished…sheesh, what’s next, pre-pregnant, pre-employed, pre-zombie…

Emily

Granted, that does rely on the library carrying your books.

Not a writer myself, but I work at a library. Anecdotally speaking, to take one example, our branch has issued “Old Man’s War” by John Scalzi twice as many times as the branch with the second highest number of issues, and I put that entirely down to my placing it on prominent display shelves every time it comes back in.

I don’t have any books of my own to face out yet, but I do regularly rearrange shelves for certain writers.

Or does it not count if I’m the only one in the category?

Good point. If you ain’t writing, you’re not a writer. No matter how you spin it. It’s a label predicated by doing, rather thank speaking.

Hi, my name is Ian, and I’m an Amazonomanic. The first time a friend told me he’d pre-ordered my book, I checked Amazon and was astounded to see a low-five digit sales number. Now, of course, I check back every day or two to see that number steadily increasing (it was over 1.5 million and soaring at last check). And even though I know that all it means is my friend has already pre-ordered, and everyone else recognizes that the book won’t be available for seven months anyway, it kinda bums me out.

Curse you, Amazon, and your meaningless sales ranking number!

I don’t see where keeping enough space would be a problem. I’m pretty sure the personality that wants to get their own book more ‘face time’ on the shelf will also have enough despised competitors who’s work needs to be turned spine out.