Authors Misbehaving

​Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to sell my books at a bookstore run by the Wisconsin Writers Association in conjunction with the annual Lake Fly Writer’s Conference in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  It was a unique concept.  You paid a minimal table fee and were provided space created as a mock book store.  Staff were provided to sell books.  The author received all the proceeds of the sale.  Each author participating in the bookstore was asked to donate 30 minutes to help sell books.  Each author was also given 30 minutes to sign books and mingle with participants.  When registering for the bookstore authors were asked to select the time they would work and the time they would sign books.
The trouble began with registration.  The number of tables set up for the bookstore was based on the number of authors who registered in advance and paid their fees.  There were three authors assigned per table.  Three authors showed up Saturday morning, their books in tow, wanting space in the bookstore.  None of the authors registered in advance.  I’m not sure if they paid the table fee on Saturday, I doubt it.  The person running the bookstore couldn’t tell the authors “No” and ordered another table from the conference center.  The extra table was an additional, unexpected cost.  This is bad behavior from an author.
The bookstore manager asked for people to help volunteer to set up.  Lynette and I volunteered and one other author came for set up.    The other author did absolutely nothing to help with the set up.  Instead she staked out her location in the bookstore and took a full 30 minutes to set up a display of her three books.  This was bad behavior because it was self-serving.  After helping set up the bookstore I signed up for my time to sign books.  I chose 1:00 pm, immediately after lunch.  After I signed up the early bird author signed up for the same time.  The bookstore manager explained that two authors could share the same time, I didn’t argue.  When 1:00 pm rolled around I found the author had already set up her three books and a huge purse in the signing area.  I didn’t want to be confrontational so I didn’t say anything about no space being left for me.  Again, being territorial was bad author behavior.  As it turned out people streamed out of the room after lunch to attend 1:00 pm sessions and they ignored the bookstore.  Not one person stopped by the bookstore.  I just observed and laughed to myself.
Mid-morning another author came, set up and then also signed up to do book signing at 1:00 pm which would have made three authors at that time.  I pointed out to the bookstore manager that things were out of control and it was inappropriate for the author to sign up for 1:00 pm.  The bookstore manager confronted the author and had her change her time to 1:30 pm.  This was bad behavior by the author.  As it turned out, by 1:30 pm there wasn’t a single person in the room.  I chuckled to myself again.
The same author that horned in on my “signing time” decided she didn’t like the space assigned to her in the bookstore.  On her own she moved her items to another location.  When she moved her items she moved the items for another author to make room for her books.  This was bad behavior by the author.  As luck would have it the author who was imposed upon stopped by and challenged the offending author and re-arranged her own display.  As it turns out the misbehaving author didn’t sell a single book all day – seems right to me.
In every event I’ve attended I’ve found other authors friendly, helpful, willing to share tips and their experiences in selling our own books.  This was the first time in three years that I witnessed bad behavior from authors.  I’ve thought about it and I can’t figure out what was different about this event. 
For all other author events we sell our own books and often are also responsible for the financial transactions.  The bookstore format was different; maybe some people couldn’t adjust and felt a loss of control.  Whatever the reason, authors need to remember, we will all be successful if we help each other out.  We need to cooperate, not compete.