Why I love publishing: Reason #42

The other day I got a big box dropped on my doorstep by FedEx. "Cool!" I thought to myself. "That's a lot of books!" I get books nearly every day, but I still enjoy the anticipation of seeing what each package will bring, especially when it's a such a large box. (There's got to be something good in there, I reckon.)

So I tear the box open to find... Thirty-four audiobooks! Unfortunately, they're all the same audiobook, I've never heard of it, it's not a crime novel, and it doesn't look like anything I'd be interested in.

Clearly, there's been some error. And not, unfortunately, an error that does me much good. What the hell am I going to do with all of these audiobooks?

So I find the shipping label and get the sender's name off of it (an employee of one of the big houses),  figure out her email address, and send her a message. You sent me these audiobooks by mistake, I write. I assume you want them back?

I hear back: Sorry! Don't know why those went to you. They were supposed to go to the surplus warehouse. You can throw them away.

Talk about a little perspective on the realities of this business. On the other hand, my Christmas shopping is all done, and it's only September!

Comments

[danielle]

You should donate them to an old folks home or see if a local library wants them.

[Bill Peschel]

I sense a lot of contests in our future ....

[spyscribbler]

I've gotten two audio books in the past month. I have no idea why. No explanation. Just a shipping label from Hachette something or other.

Turns out, they were a pleasant surprise. I ended up listening to and loving them. Strange, though.

[Deborah]

Maili will be set for Secret Santa at work for decades to come!

[Julie Hyzy]

I had a similar situation. At Bouchercon-Chicago, I agreed to collect all the excess and donated giveaway books to distribute to local libraries (a bigger job than I'd expected). When I finished unloading my van at home, I realized that I had a slew of unopened boxes of ARCs -- about 8 boxes that had been intended to woo Bouchercon-ers in a big-splash new release. Each box had at least 20 books, so this was a whole lotta ARCs.

Knowing how valuable these can be, I got in touch with the author via his website. His response? "Oh, yeah, send those to me."

Ummm... what? When I balked at the expense, he didn't e-mail back, but he must have gotten in touch with his publisher. She promptly sent me pre-paid shipping labels and a different author's paperback as a thank-you.

The author never got in touch with me again and never thanked me for my efforts.

I'd started reading one of the ARCs, and it was good, but I can guarantee I'll never buy any of this guy's books in the future.

Makes you wonder how much other stuff goes astray, doesn't it?

[Clea Simon]

Makes my heart go out to the poor author -- he thinks these audiobooks are out there being put to good use. At least they're not ARCs. (But then, Julie Hyzy's comment makes it clear how clueless some authors are.)