Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Don't look at the sales... here are the sales...



America Unchained was published on a Thursday. I'm not sure when the book industry collects its weekly sales figures but they reveal them on a Tuesday. Which is why my publishers called me during the week of publication and said, "By the way, don't be worrying about the sales figures when they come out... you won't be in the charts because you've only got two or three days of sales compared to everyone else."

I took them at their word. But then last Tuesday my editor called me.
"Do you want to know the sales figures?" he asked.
"Not really," I said, "You told me I shouldn't worry about them this week..."
"That was before we saw them," said he. "It's good news... you're in the top ten!"
"That's brilliant!" I said. "And we've only had two or three days of sales!"
"I know!" he squeaked. "You're in at number nine. But," he continued, "don't get too excited about next week..."
"But we'll have a full week of sales next week..."
"Yes... but you've done a lot of press and a lot of readings,"
came the reply, "you won't have the same exposure next week so things might tail off..."
"Okay," I said, "that makes a lot of sense... I won't go looking next week."
"Just celebrate this week... it's a real achievement... well done."


And so on. Cut to an hour ago when I received a phone call...
"Do you want to know the sales figures?"
"Not really," I said, "You told me I shouldn't worry about them this week..."
"That was before we saw them," said he. "It's good news... you've gone up to number six!"

In other news... this is what Mark. E. Smith would look like if he wore my glasses:




For the time being, I think signed copies of the book are still available from Play.com but if they run out, you can always get the book from here.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

how much to you actually get per book Dave? or is it none of my business
Congrats BTW

Suzie Barber

Dave Gorman said...

@Suzie. A) It doesn't really work like that. I don't actually get a royalty per book. B) Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Mark E Smith looks quite dapper in your spectacles.

Congrats on the book sales. Although I was in an art gallery book shop in Bristol at the weekend, and your book was there on a table labeled "New Fiction". Is that going to help or hinder?

Dave Gorman said...

Well that's typical of the shoddy independent bookshops... you should head to a big chain and buy it there instead. They know what they're doing.

Paul Capewell said...

That's great Dave, congratulations!

It's a fantastic book too. I've just got to Moab.

Andy D said...

I am gagging to buy the book. Its £5.99 in WHSmiths!! But.....I want a signed copy so I am waiting til I go to the reading in Waterstones Manchester.....where it isn't £5.99......

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed your "One Show" appearance yesterday Dave. I was a bit gutted you didn't get to share the sofa with the stunningly gorgeous Ellie Harrison - now I can't badger you for her phone number!!! I'll have to go back to plan A and wait for her to get back to me on my invitation to come and investigate beavers in my back garden.

My wife put it in her own inimitable style: "This is your perfect wet dream - Dave Gorman and that wildlife bird on the TV the same time"

Hmmm...you probably didn't want to hear that.....

Tim Cooper said...

Dave suggesting a big chain... Have you given up "not giving it to the man"?

Okay enough sarcasm, sorry.

Congratulations for the sales, now the student loan is in I will certainly be adding to them.

All the best.

Tim

p.s. I entered the hub cap competition to which my flat mate replied "You are NOT putting that thing in here!"

How rude.

Anonymous said...

Good job on The One Show yesterday. That Christine woman is gorgeous. I've seen your America Unchained TV show, is your book more detailed?

I'd love to hear more about the politics that inspired the road trip. I've read quite a few books about multinationals, and was particularly impressed with Rob Newman's "Fountain At The Centre of The Earth".

Dave Gorman said...

@andy carmen: a) of course the book is more detailed. The journey wasn't made in order to make a tv show and you can't film 24 hours a day. Nor can you film when someone points a gun at you. At least no sensible person would do so.

b) I wouldn't assume that the motivation is necessarily political. I understand why people think they understand how this project fits into some existing genre of politically motivated work... but it isn't necessarily so. Like everything I do, it is a personal tale first and foremost.

Anonymous said...

Dave, if you didn't know already, you're talked about quite a few times in the new Adam and Joe podcast, which you can find here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/adamandjoe/index.shtml

They're very complimentary.

Lucy.

Anonymous said...

Having completed as much of Route 66 as possible a year or so ago the book brought back many good (and some bad) memories of 'Real America'. East coast is just money, money, money (good title for a song methinks), West coast is just plain odd. (Mind you, the transvestite on Santa Monica Pier nearly had me fooled...). Wifey, frog and I are planning a US road trip for 2010 as part of a world trip so thanks for the inspiration.

Paul, Trish and Kerm
XXXX

Dktens said...

Haven't had a chance to get down town to grab a copy but. I've been an avid fan of your work since the very first time I saw you on Television.

Congratulations on your book doing so well and good luck in your future endeavours. Look forward to reading your book.

Anonymous said...

Dave - Why didn't you just release the book on the first day that sales counted?

Phil

Dave Gorman said...

I didn't release the book. My publishers did. You'd have to ask them.

Anonymous said...

Have you got their number?

Phil

Penny M said...

Your editor is definitely a glass-half-empty type of a guy!

Anonymous said...

Hi - did you see the very funny rant in the letters page of the most recent Viz about 'Unchained' - basically making the point that the book is published by a subsidiary of a very big company indeed, thus rendering the anti-chain thing a bit daft. "Way to stick it to the man, Dave" it ends with. Gotta love that Viz, their letters pages are usually always great.

Anonymous said...

A little late adding to the comments, but whatever. All I can say is forget sad sack Kerouac, yours is the ultimate road tripping book! The descriptions of the scenery, the people, the amount of times you broke down… legend! Was so inspired that I wanted to run out and drive across America, making totally unnecessary detours along the way. Then I remembered I’d to go to work in the morning and was totally deflated!