Waterstones and JKR new book

[AllosaurusAlliteration]

An exciting day for fans of Strike & Robin!

Despite having a pre-ordered Kindle and Audible version auto sent to me today, I decided to pop into the large city centre Waterstones I was passing on my lunch break from work to see what they were doing for publication day of the Hall Marked Man.

There was nothing in the window, no posters, no signs, no copies displayed. So I popped inside.

There were tables out with "new fiction" hardbacks but it wasn't there, not on its own table like a few others, and not with others in a shared display. So I went to the "new fiction" section for the shelves and searched under G - nothing there either.

I wandered about a bit, assuming I'd made some sort of mistake, before asking a member of staff whether I had got the day wrong. I was assured they did have copies and they could get me one from behind the desk. I asked why they weren't out and was told that they were, so I explained that I couldn't see or find them, and the member of staff just sort of laughed in response.

It was seriously weird.

I have been left feeling really quite uneasy. Why does such a large bookseller want to make customers ask for a book? Seriously thought this shit was blowing over!

Has anyone had a better experience?

Twitter/X

To tweet about it tagging Waterstones/The Branch and JKR (is that even possible?- not on X personally, so don’t know )

Not really. It is normal to expect a bookshop to have a display of books written by a famous author on the day a book from a popular series is released. That’s the purpose of bookshops l

This is how things started in Ghiliad!

Yes, mit must be uneasy to realise that such an obvious book to be on display has beeen hidden. And leads to speculation as to what else is hidden due to wrongthink and who is making those decisions even at a local books hop level.

I live near a university town where most of the Waterstones staff are English Lit and creative writing students - I know this as I was on the MA with them and apparently Waterstones like students. They would totally do this (one had a breakdown over her HP tattoo and had to have it covered with a new tattoo during the course)... bunch of captured idiots with pronouns and leaving sessions on tears because they didn't feel safe if you even mentioned enjoying HP. Am not kidding. I buy on line now. A nuisance as I am a PhD creative writing students now and adore books but find the feeling of being judged or censored by these idiots tarnishes the book browsing experience. Do enjoy a good book/lit festival, though, as you know which authors will be presenting/pitching their books!

@watchingplanesicantaffordWtf is a dusty annul? Or even a non-dusty one?

@CautiousLurker01 is there a book festival you would recommend please, as Edinburgh's is run by Kool Aid Central.

I really wanted to go to the Persephone books events but it wasn't to be....

OP I couldn't find Graham Linehan's book in either central Manchester branch. IIRC it was released at the "pushing hardbacks in the run up to Christmas" period and there were piles and piles of the third installments of books by less accomplished celebrities who surely couldn't have much new to tell us. It was not on the shelf...I really wish I had contacted to ask why it wasn't out but I didn't, and I still can't articulate why. So I get what you mean. And no, it was nothing to do with having "am I the baddie?" doubts.

I’m not local anymore, but I love Waterstones in Cambridge. Took teen dd there on a recent visit and she was in paradise.

Waterstones Piccadilly Circus did this last time, for running grave. I went in on launch day and had to ask, and was give a copy from one of the (many!) unpacked boxes they’d been delivered in.

I was confused about why you were looking under G for a JKR book then the penny dropped!

Anyway I've never read the Cormorant Strike books but my best friend raves about them. I might have to visit Waterstones this weekend.

Pleasant and funny

win win

Definitely recommend, I have really enjoyed the series (except the silkworm which I found utterly weird).

@Bannedontherun 😂😂

What a waste of time. If Waterstone's minded people buying these things they wouldn't stock them, so they're probably delighted you'e sourcing it from them rather than Amazon. Spotty youth on the till has zero to do with stock decisions, is mostly wondering how long it is until their break, and couldn't give a fuck what anyone buys.

i’m guessing Waterstones has assigned a promotion agreement with the publisher , so this branch is possibly in breach?

I’d email Waterstones head office and cc JKR’s publisher.

But “seriously weird”? “Uneasy”?

Drama overdose.

Yeah you are guessing, cos that’s not how Waterstones works. They don’t form ‘promotion agreements’ anymore (with the exception of a recent Social Media autumn promotion which was a new initiative for them). So no breaches to speak of

Stocking decisions are first about discount, then what ‘type’ of store they are and how big an audience they serve (ie a central London Waterstones/ foyles will carry more stock variety than a teeny store in a town for example)

Also stock decisions are nothing at all to do with big eared students, all they’ll do is unpack the boxes.

I've just received this mail out from Waterstones(to my email). September's most antipated new books. JK's new book is half price, and there are only 10 in stock......unlike the rest of the selection:

https://www.waterstones.com/blog/the-waterstones-round-up-septembers-best-books-2025?utm_source=wsjonathanfreedland030925&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=single&utm_content=SecA2#crime-thrillers

It was a very odd social interaction and it left me with a distinct sense of unease.

You must live a very moderate life if you feel this is a drama overdose.

Feel free to rewrite the op in more temperate language and then engage with the substance of the post instead of tone policing.

How do you think my situation came about then? The people on the ground or higher up?

There's a few Waterstones around where I live and it's the small one which has a better children's book selection. Had a chat with the staff and they seem to have some control over the buying for the store which is why they have a slightly different feel.

I'd feel uncomfortable if I've gone to a bookstore and asked for a book and found for some reason they had hidden it under counter as well.

Let's hope we don't get given a picture. MN would surely refuse to post it.

Picked up my (half price) copy from a display right by the entrance in Waterstones Wimbledon yesterday. Managed to get a seat on the bus, so I could read whilst others had to stand Strikeless in the aisle.

It's good, but I'm really busy at the moment, and am already halfway through two other books....

@Scout2016 my research specialism is crime fiction - so not very literary - but most of the crime fiction festivals are largely uncaptured (ex Val McDermid of course). Crime fiction festivals are lots of fun, though, and lots of writers pitch up. None of them seem to have been targeted for boycotting campaigns… yet!