New to the Neighborhood by Deb Eileen

My book comes out in 81 days. Not that I am obsessing or anything. Mia’s fab book, Good Things, comes out on the same day. It is nice to know that when I go clinically insane from first book anxiety I’ll know someone else in the booby hatch. Plus we’ll each have something to read to pass the time.

I’ve always liked bookstores and libraries. The clean fallen leaf smell of books makes me relax. Running a finger over the book spines – like speed bumps on the shelves – each one saying “slow down- take a look at me.” I’ve found the shelf that will hold my future book. Due to alphabet destiny I’ll be shelved next to Robin Cook. I hope if I am next to the book Coma it doesn’t make future readers fear they’ll go in a coma if they read it. This is the level of things I worry about.

Now that I’ve joined the Debs I’ve checked out their future shelf real estate. I once found the M shelf – future home of Jennifer’s book, Promise Not to Tell, in a state of disregard. I got a few paper towels from the bathroom and dusted all the books on her future shelf. I can’t have my new friend moving into a dust zone, not with a book of such caliber. Mia and Kristy (Catching Genius) have Stephen King as a neighbor so they may want to leave on the lights if they scare easily. Poor Tish is putting her book, Town House, near both Robin Cook and me. I hope she doesn’t think I’m bringing the shelf values down. Anna and her novel, Party Girl are a shelf down under D – “HEY keep the noise down over there!”

Perhaps when my book comes out I’ll try and improve curb appeal by planting flowers near the C shelf or leave warm chocolate chip cookies or fresh baked bread near the area. Real estate agents say smell is a huge motivator for buying. I have this dream where I cry out “getting warmer, warmer, RED HOT!” as various patrons peruse the shelves and get closer to my book. It is possible – despite my great love for bookstores – I may be asked to leave.

14 Replies to “New to the Neighborhood by Deb Eileen”

  1. We’ll do a big “face the book out” campaign to help get people’s attentiong. I’ve got Tennessee covered. However, I think they’ll just naturally be drawn to it.

  2. Eileen, this is just the weird obsessive stuff I hope to be doing one day. I have to get an agent to sell my book first before I begin haunting local bookstores to see where my novel would sit. I hadn’t thought about baking cookies, but your idea is brilliant. Smell is the great motivator. As a further marketing ploy, why not dress up like a psychic and stand outside the book store to tell prospective buyer’s they will meet with dire fortune if they don’t buy your novel in aisle three? Sort of like a book tour/signing, but a little more inventive. Nothing you haven’t thought of already I presume!

  3. Got cut off, The comment meant to say was, ” Tish it sounds great!! My only question is what wine do you suggest with chocolate chip cookies?”

  4. I would suggest hiring someone to hand out fresh chocolate chip cookies in a chair at the C shelf saying, “Yes, these are the fresh cookies that Eileen wants you to have. And here, take a look at her wonderful new funny book while you’re enjoying your cookies”. This would create a subliminal association between chocolate, sugar and your book that could lead to the reader thinking, “Hmmmm, I have a craving for chocolate and sugar. I wonder if Eileen has a new book out?”

  5. I have always loved libraries and Secondhand Bookshops since I was a kid. I once skipped school for over 6 months and spent most of my time haunting one or the other. I still buy most of my books secondhand because I’m broke but need to read or I go mad.

    In your case I’ll make an exception as I don’t want to have to wait 2 or 3 years for it. I’ll let you know where to send the wine and cookies later. 🙂

    Have you sold the UK rights yet or am I stuck with Amazon?

  6. At the moment foreign rights have sold to Germany and Russian. How is your Russian? At the moment your options is Amazon, although my divine agent is doing what she can. Feel free to stage protests outside British publishing companies demanding the book.

    Seth- nice idea to make that connection between chocolate and the book. As I recall you make a good chocolate chip cookie. Hmmm- how busy will you be in February?

  7. Thank you for doing some housekeeping around my future home!

    I was thinking of sneaking into bookstores and leaving little trails of Hershey’s kisses leading up to our books.

  8. Let the countdowns begin…almost 80 days now! 🙂 I didn’t realize, Eileen, that you and Mia are literally “coming out” together, posing the dilemma of whose book do I read first?

  9. Yes, E and I will fly down the chute together on Feb 6 (that’s a Tuesday, by the way – we’ll definitely need to have special posts on release days, something along the lines of please by our books?!). Egads. And when you talk about the actually countdown (when it it go from three digits to two?!), it’s both stunning and amazing.

    Cookies are good, you know I’m down with chocolate, covers face out – but of course!, and whatever else needs to happen to get book lovers loose and happy, let me know and I’ll make room in my “marketing budget” (who needs shelter or housing in the month of February? It’s such a small price to pay!).

    Of course, being as brain-dead as I’ve been lately, I was like, “Eileen and Mia? Who’s Mia?” Doh!

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