Book Sales

Last week I was perusing the online catalogue at Readings bookstore at Carlton and couldn’t find a copy of my chapbook Original Skin listed as being in stock. It was odd, I put about ten copies in there at the end of last year. Original Skin is a slim poetry collection: 35 or so pages. Set you back about $6, depending on the mark-up. Surely no-one would actually bother with such a slip of a thing without hearing me perform to entice them. I cruised into the shop to scour the shelves. Nothing. I checked with the consignment guy. Sold out. Sold out last January. Auuuugh! Why didn’t you call me?!?... I guess the profit margin is so tiny that it wasn’t really worth the call: the payment so minute I never even noticed it hitting my account back in January.

I’m not sure how many copies of the chapbook I’ve sold in the eighteen months since it’s come out. Maybe several hundred, from holding them up after performances, hassling friends and colleagues, prowling open mic venues. I’ve learned not to be shy about spruiking my words: it is probably the only way I will ever sell enough poetry in Australia to make the vocation financially viable. It’s an odd feeling though, not knowing who bought those few copies: not physically handing the object over, thanking them for supporting me and watching people flick through it...but I hope I’m privileged enough to get used to this feeling.

Readings said they’d like to take a few more copies of Original Skin. They also said they’d be happy for me to launch my new, full poetry collection Gil Scott Heron is on Parole at the store in two months. The book will be launched by Jeff Sparrow and Pi.O, and believe me, I’ll be stocked to the fu*king rafters. Meanwhile, you can order Original Skin from the publisher here, if you're so inclined.