Wednesday 12 December 2007

Trouble with the book

I've had a few emails and comments about individuals having difficulty getting hold of the book. This shouldn't be happening to you and I am at loss to understand it. If you are having problems, click on the link to my publisher and order it directly from them. Otherwise, Waterstones, Play.com and Amazon, among many others are currently stocking it around the country.

Please give me feedback as soon as you receive your copy so that I can gauge how well (or not) deliveries are going. Remember, of course, that it is two months late (mostly due to me re-writing it from scratch) and that now the Christmas season is here, distribution and delivery may be slower than usual.

I will be placing a new link, with a picture of the book cover on this site soon so that you can buy direct from the publisher if you want one (or twenty).

Xf

14 comments:

Rich said...

Amazon don't sell it themselves, Monday Books say "this book will not be delivered until it is published", Waterstones list it as "Available for pre-order" and Play say "Due for release on 09/10/2007"

That'll probably explain the difficulty then.

Anonymous said...

http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Stuart-Gray-T-shirt/dp/B000Z0II6I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1197543314&sr=8-3

We'll get one of these instead :)

Anonymous said...

I ordered it on Amazon months ago and they keep sending emails with the expected delivery date (which has changed about 10 times!) it is now supposed to be sometime in January.

Xf said...

rich

I've seen all that and have spoken to the publisher - he is going to sort it out. I think, to be honest, that this is worst time of year for it to be released!

Xf said...

elmweb

Hilarious! It's probably for the famous basketball player in the States but I'm sure it can be adapted for a Scottish paramedic!

Thanks for that - it made me smile...

Xf said...

wiz

Go directly to the publisher. Amazon are probably finding it difficult coping with Christmas orders on millions of other things so I doubt my book will get special treatment, thus the delay in despatching it.

Your local Waterstones will have it in stock now.

Anonymous said...

Amazon is definitely having problems. I've had a number of books on order for six weeks or so, including Life & Death, but I get emails every few days putting the delivery date back for all of them. I think the earliest delivery for any of them is now predicted to be 22 December. So much for the "order now to have delivery in time for Christmas".

Anonymous said...

I've ordered from play.com but they are saying its not in stock just now - checked my local waterstones - two of them in Glasgow City Centre but no luck!
Will keep looking!!!

Xf said...

stonehead and laurenjayne

It's probably much easier to order direct from the publisher

News from Monday Books said...

Hi Stu (and readers)

We were late with the book for a variety of reasons. It happens, though it's irritating for customers and obviously I apologise to anyone who's been waiting.

Anyway, we have had copies for a few days now (very good it looks, too) and have been selling them to individual customers who go to our website or call us.

In terms of the trade - Waterstones, Amazon, play.com all other outlets - we have shipped something like 2,000 copies out in the last couple of days (I say 'we', I mean our distributors Turnaround Publisher Services who handle all trade enquiries).

Unfortunately, this doesn't mean they are available to buy immediately.

They spend time being shipped to central distribution points, then (in the case of stores) reshipped out in smaller loads to individual shops where they can sit in stockrooms for a further day or two before actually making it to the shelves.

It's the same with the online sites, too; obviously, though these are virtual shops they are selling real products which need taking in, accounting for, storing and then picking.

This is all exacerbated at Christmas, when all retailers naturally concentrate on major 'gift' titles. The trade is like a huge funnel, with around five million books in the top half. A relatively small (though excellent) title like 'A Paramedic's Diary' will necessarily take time to filter through.

If it's any consolation, my own book ('In Foreign Fields', plug) was showing as 'not in stock' on Amazon when I knew they had stock because we had delivered hundreds of copies to them. This isn't anyone's fault at Amazon; it's just a fact of life.

But your book should be appearing on shelves around now - where it's been ordered.

Of course, not every bookshop in the land has ordered 'Diary' (though many have) so you can either order it instore and wait for it to arrive or get it from us direct: go to our website (www.mondaybooks.com) or call with a card on 01455 221752 and we will send out, first class or by air mail worldwide, within 24 hours.

Hope this helps (and we'll try to get all online info updated by our distributors; this isn't as easy as it sounds, apparently!).

Dan Collins
Monday Books

PS I know I would, but I do strongly recommend Stu's book to you all, though you'll need a strong stomach, and you might shed a few tears; it's a visceral and unsparing insight into a very important and demanding job.

Anonymous said...

hey peeps
I def reccomend the publisher - ordered it last night and this morning i recieved an e-mail saying it has been sent first class - woop!!

Anonymous said...

I used amazon and it recieved the book just 2 days after. Cant wait to read it- saving it for christmas tho!

Anonymous said...

Yep, I ordered it via the publisher too, so hoping Postie will bring it tomorrow.

Dan, also git "In Foreign Fields" in Waterstones today for my dad - and I wouldn't have know about that if I hadn't of checked the website, so cheers!

Anonymous said...

Where can we get it in Australia?