Pre-Order - Strange Thought

[linda_mccabe <lmccabe@sonic.net>]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Heidi Tandy" <heidit at n...> 
wrote:
> Anne asked:
> **(does the NYTimes list count pre-orders too?? ;-)**
> 
> No, not until release. And remember, they created the infernally 
annoying children's book list the *week* GoF came out, so it 
couldn't be number one on the "main" list. 
> 
> Heidi Tandy
> Follow me to FictionAlley - Harry Potter fanfics of all shapes, 
sizes and ships - 7 sickles an ounce
> http://www.FictionAlley.org.

Well, actually Heidi, I beg to differ on this.  I used to work at a 
Barnes and Noble Superstore a few years back.  I did not know that 
they have what is referred to as "Out of the Box Bestsellers" but 
they do.  One would think that the first week you would sell the 
books and *then* it would make it to the best sellers list.  Nope.  
Some books are best sellers as soon as they arrive into the store.  

I felt stupid because I had just gotten off the phone with a 
customer who asked me if there was a discount on a Howard Stern book 
on the day of its release.  I told him the standard 20% off 
hardcovers (the discount at that time!) and said that it just came 
out so it wouldn't be on the best seller list.  Not two minutes 
later my manager came in the stock room and started slapping 
stickers on the books and wheeled them onto the floor and proved me 
wrong.

Oh and everyone, best sellers are not determined by how many books 
are actually sold to the public.  They are determined by how many 
copies are sold to the stores from the distributers such as Ingram 
and Baker & Taylor.  So you have many titles that are actually 
pushed into the Best Seller category by orders by stores but don't 
really sell as gonzo as one would think.  Later they are returned to 
the publisher and arrive in the remainder bin shortly afterwards.

It's what the publishers call gone today, here tomorrow.

Of course, I don't think any of JKR's books have ever been 
remaindered unless they were damaged.

And another thought, booksellers will often times tell you that 
they'll put your name on a copy for reserve.  It then depends on how 
many copies they actually get in stock.  I remember having Oprah 
books that had gathered dust all of a sudden fly off the shelves 
after she featured an author on her show.  We would get two dozen 
calls before the show was over asking for a copy to be reserved.  
Sometimes the booksellers would promise to do so without checking 
first to make sure there were enough copies to go around.  Talk 
about ticked off customers the next day.  When there weren't enough 
copies for all the phone calls and the distributors were all of a 
sudden sold out for at least a month.

Your local store might put your name on a list and they might not 
get all the copies to cover their waiting list.

I'm ordering mine from Amazon.  I don't want to take the chance.  
And last time they actually used overnight mail and did it free of 
charge.  I remember that trivia, even though it was before I started 
reading the HP series, merely because I was amazed at how JKR has 
changed publishing records.  

She is just soooo amazing.

Athena