kinzel | AKICIF --- attn: booksellers and book buyers

AKICIF --- attn: booksellers and book buyers

And so, as Carousel Tides comes to publication day we find it bouncing around at Amazon.com with sales rankings in the 3500-7500 range, and over at BN.com in the 50,000 range (whoa, that's a big difference!) ... but there's something odd going on elsewhere, namely at Borders.

There we get a message saying: Item releases on November 02, 2010 and Not available in stores.

So, does anyone know if that "Not available in stores" is because the Borders calendar doesn't recognize that today *is* November 2 or if that means that Borders is being really really silly and is not going to sell Carousel Tides except online?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I just called Borders in Fairfax, VA. I asked for them to look up the BINC: 3143153 (the Borders version of a control number) and let me know if it was available both there and at the Manassas, VA store. According to the computer system, the Fairfax store is supposed to have two copies; however, they cannot put their hands on either copy. The woman who answered the phone said that it did not have a hold/release date on it, so may have already been put out/put on hold. The Bailey's Crossroads store is supposed to have two. Springfield might have one copy, but that's always questionable with the Borders in-house tracking system. Manassas does not have any copies listed in the system.

FWIW, Amazon didn't hold it either. My hardcopy was delivered to my front door last Thursday.

Edited 2010-11-02 17:28 (UTC)

I haven't been able to find ANY Lee and Miller or Lee books in my local Borders for the past year. I live in a fairly large urban area (Denver) and have 3 Borders within an easy drive of my house. I can order them online, but they just don't show up in the stores. This is very frustrating for me, since I am doing my best to promote you.

According to the store I just called "The Buyer" didn't order the books and it's something between the "Thy Buyer" and the publisher. The managers sounded off-handedly apologetic and said it wasn't her department and she didn't sound at all interested in calling higher up on the foodchain for it. (She suggested I try the library!)

So the manager isn't interested in selling books? I'd report that to their head office, they'll probably be interested in a manager like that.

At Barnes and Noble, the chains it owns, and Borders, there is one central buyer who controls all orders; local bookstore owners have no discretion at all. They control a large fraction of the book market.

The Borders stores in the Nashville, TN area also do not carry any Lee/Miller titles. When you check the inventory in-store it says, 'please order online'.

I just called the only Boarders in Dayton, OH. Same story, none of the Lee/Miller catalog in store, nor any due in.

After posting the pervious comment I thought to myself – “Self, why not call the other big books stores?” So I did. Barns and Noble (North) did not have it and was not expecting it in store! She ask if I wanted to order it. I said yes even though I already have a copy. Hopefully, it will stay in store and not ship back. Then I called the Barns and Noble (South) – same story.
Both Books & Co at The Greene (formerly Books A Million) and Books and Co in Town and Country each got in one copy and sold them!

My experience with the Borders in suburban Harrisburg, PA, suggests that they may not have received "Carousel Tides" previous to the release date, so they could not put it out on the release date. Typically, at the Harrisburg store, I cannot find a new release of an SF/fantasy book, unless it is from an HUGELY POPULAR author, such as David Weber or Anne McCaffrey, until the weekend following the release date. THEN I may still not find it on the shelf, even though the computer will indicate that the book is "Likely in store", and I end up having to find a clerk and ask them to check the back of the store to see if any copies are there.
For this reason, whenever I want to have a copy of one of your books on the release date, I usually order it ahead of time at B & N. They are usually fairly good about getting new books into the mail in time for the book to be delivered by or on the release date.

M.C. Thomson, Harrisburg, PA 11/2/2010

Checked with my local Borders in Santa Rosa CA. They have Fledgling, Dragon Variation and Mouse and Dragon in the store, but Carosel Tides and all other Lee and/or Miller books are online or pre-order only. I do know that Borders has really shorted the inventory they used to carry on hand in the last year and a half. Fewer bookshelves are available there now, so I was happy to at least find 3 L&M books there. All part of the economy, I believe. Kathy F in CA

I've also has some success using the following strategy with Borders if I don't want to pull out the credit card and order a new book on-line. About a week before the release date of the new book I want, I go to the Borders website, and query on the title of the new book. Then, I check stores in my area code to see if it is in stock. Of course it won't be, since it is before the release date, but I think that my trigger something in their system to see that copies of the queried book are sent to your local Borders.

M.C. Thomson, Harrisburg, PA 11/2/2010

Found single copies only in both Borders and Barnes & Nobel (Roseville, Ca) Needless to say one of the stores was sold out after I left.

I must admit that one of my concerns was the phrase "not available in stores" which reminds me of all those TV offers -- and makes it sound like *no store anywhere* carries the title. This comes close to misinforming/misleading readers, and I really don't want new-to-us readers thinking that no stores carry our books...

I live in the Land of Borders (Detroit area, Borders originated in Ann Arbor, MI) and I happened to find a copy in the Birmingham store on October 29. They only had one copy, and now it's mine! I had to let mom read it first, though, so I haven't read it yet.

The website seems to have been recently redesigned and it won't let me check local availability like it used to, so I don't know if other stores have it. But there are many Borders in the area, so it's likely that they have more copies.

I have found in the past, though, that each store may only have one copy of any Lee & Miller books, which makes buying separate copies for mom and myself a bit of a pain.

The last time I asked our local clerk at B&N for your book, she had trouble spelling the last name "Stevillor", for the author Sharon Leeanne Stevillor. :-)

We have truly pathetic SF distribution, so don't receive new books until a week to a month after release date, unless the publisher paid for placement. This is why I had Amazon auto-ship my copy of Carousel Tides.

Hmn. Got several copies last Thursday, with Embargo Until 11/2/2010 on them. Put them out today and viola' one has Already Sold.

But then, I'm an Indie.
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks

PS I apologise for not reading here - I posted to Sharon's blog, assuming you were Recovering. Glad to see you back!

@constellation books ...

I am recovering, and trying to cover my various electronic bases as I can... thank you for the update.

My local Hastings doesn't have a copy and seemed unsure exactly when it would be released but were happy to order a copy for me. Good to see you are doing better. Don't overdo it.

FYI - two Borders stores in the Twin Cities area (MN) have a book each in stock.
So some stores are smarter than others. :)
Have a great day!

I did buy Carousel Tides at Borders, and on 11/2. So I'm not sure what the "not available" thing was about. I will note, however, that I took the only visible copy there was. There are, however, three Borders stores in the area, and I found it at the first one I went to.

Thoroughly enjoyed the book, as well, which is no surprise to me. Will there be others to follow?

Jennifer Wade

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

AKICIF --- attn: booksellers and book buyers

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Borders not having Carousel Tides out on release date

no subject

Borders not having Carousel Tides out on release date

Carousel Tides availability

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Borders - In stock

Borders