Busy as a bee

[ellen_datlow]

Too much socializing, not enough work, so that's what I'm doing now. Reading through some journals and anthos....

Just before I left for a xmas party this evening, I heard from my agent that we got an offer for Czech translation rights to The Dark--from Mlada, the publisher of Stephen Hawking and Douglas Clegg. This is the first foreign rights sale for The Dark so it's very nice news for the holidays. On the way to the party I stopped in the B. Dalton on 8th street and signed copies of Inferno that were out in front in the new fiction area.

Oh, and copies of Black Thorn, White Rose showed up at my po box but I couldn't carry the box--I'll pick it up tomorrow.

Comments

[cinriter.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the Czech sale! Although it's hard to believe that book hasn't been picked up everywhere by now...

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It's slow-going for anthologies in other countries right now, I suspect. ;-)

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Wow, very cool.

On the way to the party I stopped in the B. Dalton on 8th street and signed copies of Inferno that were out in front in the new fiction area.

This sentence gave me an image of you just striding into B. Dalton, opening books at random, and signing them, while the B. Dalton staff gathered 'round, horrified that someone was writing in all of their books! Of course, I'm sure that's not what happened. But wouldn't it be funny?

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I suspect the police would be called if that happened.:-)
Nah. What I do is first check that my books are on the shelves, then go up to one of the sales people and ask if I can sign my books. I have never been turned down except one time at the Coliseum Bookstore, where the clerk was rude. I didn't both looking for a manager, I just walked out. (the store moved to a different location a few years later, and has since gone out of biz).

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Wait, WHAT?

You offered to sign books and the clerk said no? That's so weird.

I'm not one of those people who is obsessed with autographs or anything, but I do like getting books signed on occasion if it's a favorite author or something. I thought it was neat when I bought a charity anthology from Davey at Capclave and then when I looked at it later he'd given me one that was signed by most of the authors. I think he actually told me that at the time but I wasn't paying attention. Heh.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yup. I was truly po'd so walked out. I should have asked someone else--the manager for example--but was too annoyed. I had just been passing by the store enroute elsewhere.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

You were totally justified. I would have done the same (er, if I had anything in a bookstore, that is).