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It's Not Easy Being Read 当个作家不容易 It is not as easy to sell a book as one might think. This is one day in the life of an author who will remain nameless1, and these ar e his notes2: 11:30 a.m. Arrive at bookstore. Books are on a table in the back of the store. A sked if they would move the table to the front. Manager says it' s never done, but he will make an exception.3 11:45 a.m. Sit at table with four pens. Ask manager if he read the book. He says , "No, I can' t read every book in the store." Noon. Told manager to have his security guard stand next to me when I sign books because my fans can get unruly.4 12:15 p.m. Awfully quiet in the store.5 One lady comes up to me and asks where the Martha Stewart6 books are. "I don' t know. Would you like to buy this book? It' s more sexy7 than Martha Stewart." She looks at me for a minute and moves on. 12:30 p.m. Asked manager if he was sure he advertised in the newspaper. He replies, "Of course I did. There is no sense having a book signing if no one hears about it.8" The manager tells the security guard he is no longer needed. 12:45 p.m. A man comes up to the table and picks up a book. He opens it and read s the jacket9, and then looks at me. I' m very excited ---I have a live one.10 Then he starts to read a chapter. Then he looks at me again. Then he puts the book down and walks away. 1 p.m. A lady comes by with her 10-year-old son. She says to him, "You see that man sitting there? He is a writer. Not like the Harry Potter books but still a wr iter.11" The son asks, "Can we buy his book?" The mother says, "It' s not for children. But you can get his autograph in case someday he becomes famous, like Dr. Seuss.12" 1:15 p.m. Man comes up to table and says, "Do you remember me?" I say, "I think so." He says, "Then what is my name?" "I' m thinking,'I say. "VMF-113.13 Marine Corps. World WarII. We slept in the same tent." "Of course. How could I forget? You're Drum." "No, I' m not. I' m Sullivan." "Right. How about buying a book?" "How about giving me a complimentary one for old times'sake?"14 The manager says, as he watches me sign it, "That will be charged to you.15 2 p.m. I say to manager, "I might as well sign the unsold copies."16 The manager says, "You can' t do that. If you sign them, we can' t send them back to your publisher."17 I say, "Thanks for asking me to the store." He says, "Thanks for coming. As we say
in the book business, you win some and yo u lose some."18
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