Whose Panties on a Bestseller List

Being back at the TT office gets me into the news first hand.

Whose Panties Are These? was just ranked as #14 on the Southern California Booksellers Association’s Bestseller list for the week ending October 31, 2004. The SCBA represents a wide variety of independent booksellers including Distant Lands in Pasadena, California Map & Travel Center in Santa Monica, and Travelers’ Bookcase in Los Angeles. Here are two travel related bookstores I didn’t know about until I checked the SCBA list:

Compass Books & Cafe (Books Inc) in Anaheim
Latitude 33 in Laguna Beach (no website)

To jump on this, I’m sending a thank you mailer to 30 selected stores. Here’s what they’ll get:
– a copy of the bestseller list with a note
– a thank you card offering to stop by the store to sign books while I’m in So Cal
– a press release and post card of the book cover in case I reach a store that hadn’t helped with the sales
– a Travelers’ Tales catalog just in case they really don’t know who we were —or loved us so much they want to know what else they can get a hold of.

Three hours of grass roots marketing for only $18 in postage. Will it help sales? I don’t know, but it can’t hurt.

Considering all the new books across the different genres, #14 ain’t too shabby at all.