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?

I seriously hope that none of you have any gay or lesbian friends, family members or colleagues, as you pay for and enjoy work by “Robert Galbraith”. Don’t tell me an educated, intelligent woman with an editor, agent and publisher did not know what she was doing when she chase the name. It’s nonsense. It had to be an informed choice.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/the-man-who-fried-gay-people-s-brains-a7119181.html

JK Rowling has explained her reasons behind the first name and surname: Robert Galbraith: Why JK Rowling uses the pseudonym | The Standard

This was years ago, before we had to start pretending that lesbians have cocks.

My grip is fine thanks.

StMarie4me
Oh dear. Despite being told/explained time and time again about this name (with evidence) you still hide under the rock and spout lies.

You have zero evidence as usual.

I've got absolutely plenty of people very close to me who are not heterosexual. They are dearly loved, supported and valued and know far better than to make ridiculous assumptions. The lesbians I know are among the most unaccepting of the idea that men can be women too.

I don't vet the names, backgrounds, namesakes and connections to pen names of every author I read. I don't censor my reading materials or only read/watch/engage with ideas and views that entirely and utterly align with mine in every possible way.

I even actually read books by people whose views I find troubling, or objectionable, or books written by people who lived so long ago that I can be very sure that we would disagree very strongly on matters of human and civil rights.

I'm not sure any benefit at all comes from the endless push to cold shoulder and no-platform everyone in some sort of ceaseless purity spiral.

Better outcomes would actually come from everyone reading a whole lot more tbh.

I was there to be part of a bit of launch day fuss, wanted to see the display and cover and size of the book etc as I already had it pre-ordered on Kindle. I was open to the idea of buying it but it would be a luxury purchase and being made to feel persona non gratis, having to ask for it and then being gaslit about it not being out didn't persuade me to part with my cash, no.

I have all the others as hardbacks and would like this one to complete the set, but I am not minded to give my money to businesses who make me feel so uncomfortable.

Nice to have a hobby @Bannedontherun , I will check Oxford tomorrow when I go in. Both of their Shops; Waterstones and Blackwells.

Honestly you’re a publishers dream @AllosaurusAlliteration- buying in all those formats is always appreciated. If you ever want to go the extra mile, go and buy the print edition from the publisher direct. That way more money will go to the publisher and usually to the author too (contract dependent)

Am well into it. It is brilliant and these is a thing in there for us. No spoilers.

Must be a branch thing, because it was displayed very prominently in the window of the Waterstones I just went past.

Have a day off. This has been debunked several times now, to you. It’s getting boring now. Make something else up.

OP, I obviously have no idea as to the reason why this happened as I don't manage your local Waterstones.

However, a less uneasy explanation might be that the employee was supposed to have unloaded some of the boxes/sort a table display earlier in her shift, faffed about instead, and the weird laugh was actually a nervous one because she'd been busted?

I haven't looked at any Waterstones window displays this week, but hope to do so tomorrow or Friday. I haven't decided which format I'm getting (probably a downloadable one) but physical books are nicer to look at. Both my local branch and another I'm very fond of have The Hallmarked Man on their FB pages, so it's unlikely there are any conspiracies to keep the book out of readers' hands there.

One thing I would like to know...who decided to slap that abomination of a red sticker on the cover?

This poster, and a few other regular ploppers, are constantly posting debunked nonsense. They're on broadcast-only mode, no intention of reading or understanding anything that runs contrary to their desired narrative.

I'm not a fan of crime fiction these days but I must give the Strike novels a try as they are highly recommended.

Or not unpack the boxes, as the case may be.

What's the red sticker?

It's a half price sticker showing on the covers of the books on Waterstones FB pages. The artwork on the dust-jacket is beautiful, so it's to be hoped the sticker comes off without leaving a gluey mark.

I’m a big fan of the series and had no idea a new book was even coming out!! So thank you OP!! I’ve just ordered it. I might have just missed it but also it might not be getting the press it deserves…

Christ, how fucking ridiculous.

I thought they were all for expressing who you are and being able to be free - oh, silly me, that’s only if it’s something they agree with.

The world is filled with fucking idiots.

Hairdryer! Melt the glue, it won’t leave a mark

I got mine from Waterstones yesterday, they were on a table right by the door (and not many left, either).

But I was surprised at how little the book was promoted by their emails, it was almost a footnote rather than the new book from one of the most successful novelists in the world

I was in the Argyle Street Glasgow branch the other day and they had "real feminist" Nicola Sturgeon's book prominently on display. Lots of copies. Which seems fair as it's just out and we are in Scotland. I didn't see the new strike book anywhere and it definitely was published. I went to non-fiction out of curiosity and also couldn't find the women who wouldn't wheesht anywhere. I was greatly, greatly tempted to ask the studenty looking young man at the till but didn't fancy poking that particular bear. Instead I rolled my eyes at the Nicola sturgeon book as I walked past (is that LITERAL VIOLENCE???) and bought a notebook for my friend instead.

I tried to reserve it online from our local library today but it was showing unavailable everywhere. I am thinking maybe it takes a few days to get on the system, otherwise I may have to visit my local Waterstones

Off topic, but I use the sticker itself and a blotting motion to get rid of the residue. If that doesn't work I get a bit of duct tape. 😊

Do you have a bucket I could borrow?