Yesterday I had an experience that made me feel like I was gaining ground as an author. Kinokuniya is a large bookstore here in Japan. Their sixth floor Shibuya location in Tokyo has been the bookstore that I’ve gone to for English books since moving to Japan in 2004. Not only is my book, Deadly Troubadours, on their shelves but they also invited me to write a little blurb for the book to help it sell.
I am a small fry author but was still treated really well by the staff at Kinokuniya. I really am thankful for all the help they have given me and the space they are allowing my books to have in their store. Not only that, but they have told me that if the books sell they will continue to order not only Deadly Troubadours, but will also stock the sequel when I publish it later this spring.
But selling even the three copies Kinokuniya has on their shelves will be a bit of a challenge, after all I’ve already begged and pleaded my friends and relatives to by a copy (or even two or three). Having these books on a shelf in a real bookstore is a a great privilege, but it also comes with great responsibility.
For now all I can really do is ask that if anyone has yet to buy my book, please consider going to the Books Kinokuniya Tokyo branch and picking it up there. Sure, at a little over 2,000 yen it is more expensive than the ebook version, but it will really help me form a relationship with a major retailer.
It’s weird. It’s only three copies, and yet having it their does give me the feeling that making it as an independent author is possible. As long as I have a little help from my friends.
Deadly Troubadour 