I'm offended! I'm incensed!
     An author whom-I-won't-name contacted me to get an event order in the works, and the tone of the contact was just so intolerably derisive. The phrase "they are a large distributor and might set up an account for an independant bookstore such as yours" was used.
     Oh! Well! Your largesse is astounding! Goodness! For little old us? We're just a bunch of down-home nobodies, running the biggest goddamn bookstore in Texas. We're practically a lemonade shack compared to what you've been up to.
     Oh? You signed at Borders in Houston? THE Borders in Houston? Goodness. They must be, I don't know, world famous! I mean, the prestigious Houston Borders doesn't take just anybody, do they?
     Grrrrr.
     So, I called the publicist to whom I was recommended, only to find out the book is distributed through St. Martin's. The author didn't know this. The author was sending me through MacMillan, who are distributed through Pearson, although, the suggestion was made (kind of rightly) that the book was being distributed by Palgrave, which is true until you realize that Palgrave is just a subsidiary of St. Martin's. I found it puzzling that I'd have to go through all these hoops, but I've never dealt with a big-shot like this author.
     Oh, but wait! It gets better! I spoke to the publicist, who asked did we have an account with VHPS? The publicist corrected me when I suggested we'd just order them from the same person we order from for every other St. Martin's event.
     No no, said the publicist, this isn't through St. Martin's. It's through VHPS.
     Well, that's fine until you relize they're the same company. I don't expect the average person on the street to be able to say, "VHPS is the same company as St. Martin's. When you call one, you're calling the other," but then the average person on the street doesn't work for one of these companies.
     Anyway, back to the piddly-squat world that is my tiny sad little bookstore. I ordered the books. We're getting 40, but that's a huge order for a little place like us.
     
     Oh, and Brian Herbert and Neal Stephenson are signing near the same time. I hope they don't feel dwarfed by the titanic talent who bugged me today. Oh, wait, they won't.