Liars claiming to have bought your book

[Zero Angel]

Hi guys,

I was curious if you had the issue that people tell you they are buying your book that night or the next day or even *have already bought it* when it is clear from your sales records that they have not bought it at all.

An extreme version of this happened with the Nook version of my book. For about the first month, I only had one sale on the Nook side and I actually saw this book on that person's Nook so I know they bought it. But I had another person that had claimed to purchase my book as soon as it had come out and kept with the claim for months!

(Aside: Thankfully Amazon outpaces Nook from anywhere from 10 to 1 to 20 to 1 depending on the month).

I was incredulous. Now, I didn't ever call the person out on it, because if people don't want to buy my book, then whatever, but why tell me they did? Why *seek me out* to tell me they bought it? Just ignore the existence of my book. I'm not rubbing it in your face, I don't even talk about it unless people ask me specifically about it or ask me what I do.

Similarly, people that I am not trying to get to buy my book come up to me and tell me they are getting it only to never follow through. I could understand if I was pushing it on them, but to come up and tell me they are purchasing it is nuts to me.

Have you guys had this happen to you? (or do you make so many sales that you can't tell? -_-)

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

Possibly; hard to be sure. I haven't sold all that many copies of QUEEN OF MAGES yet, but enough that when someone says "I'm gonna buy it soon"... a copy I see logged a day or two later might or might not be them.

 

[CupofJoe]

Hey - Wait until you get in to making music and then see sites trying to sell your own songs back to you...

 

[Philip Overby]

I have downloaded samples of several books with hopes to be able to buy them later. Usually if I say, "I'll buy this," that means I will. Just need to save up the funds. I'll download a sample of your novel now, Zero Angel.

 

[BWFoster78]

I was curious if you had the issue that people tell you they are buying your book that night or the next day

Your extreme case is obviously weird of the guy, but I'm not sure that I would call the above "lying." People get busy and procrastinate. I told Benjamin a couple of week's ago that I would buy his book. I just got around to it the other day and am currently reading it.

I wouldn't consider that a lie. I just got busy with other stuff and was delayed.

 

[Anders Ämting]

Hi guys,

I was curious if you had the issue that people tell you they are buying your book that night or the next day or even *have already bought it* when it is clear from your sales records that they have not bought it at all.

An extreme version of this happened with the Nook version of my book. For about the first month, I only had one sale on the Nook side and I actually saw this book on that person's Nook so I know they bought it. But I had another person that had claimed to purchase my book as soon as it had come out and kept with the claim for months!

If this happened to me, I would consider it an opportunity for some hilarious trolling.

"So I bought your book."
"Really? What did you think about the part with the mongoose?"
"Er... I haven't gotten that far yet."
"You're not even on the third chapter yet?"
"Well, I... started it yesterday, so I'm still not far into it."

*next day*

"Did you read the part about the mongoose yet?"
"Um, yeah. It was great. My favourite part."
"Yeah, I like it as well. Though my personal favourite is the part with the alligator."

Keep this up until your friend thinks the book is about a guy running a zoo or something.

 

[Christopher Wright]

It's harder to track on my end because I distribute the book under a creative commons license that makes it legal for someone to non-commercially distribute copies of the book. So someone could say "I bought your book" just because they want me to feel like I actually earned money from them, when all they did was (legally) get a copy from a friend.

 

[Zero Angel]

I have downloaded samples of several books with hopes to be able to buy them later. Usually if I say, "I'll buy this," that means I will. Just need to save up the funds. I'll download a sample of your novel now, Zero Angel.

Wow thanks for the sampling. I wasn't trying to complain, but I just couldn't believe I had someone telling me they bought my novel when they hadn't.

If this happened to me, I would consider it an opportunity for some hilarious trolling.

"So I bought your book."
"Really? What did you think about the part with the mongoose?"
"Er... I haven't gotten that far yet."
"You're not even on the third chapter yet?"
"Well, I... started it yesterday, so I'm still not far into it."

*next day*

"Did you read the part about the mongoose yet?"
"Um, yeah. It was great. My favourite part."
"Yeah, I like it as well. Though my personal favourite is the part with the alligator."

Keep this up until your friend thinks the book is about a guy running a zoo or something.

That would have been really funny. ~sigh~ @ lost chances!

@BWFoster78 I'm fine with procrastinating and can totally understand that...which is why I try to not state specific times when I will be doing something...but I just don't understand stating a specific time when you were not asked for one and I don't understand saying you bought it when it wasn't asked if you bought it either.

I've never had this occur with anything else in my life where people would come up to me unsolicited to tell me they did something nice to me or for me or will be doing it only to find out that they actually hadn't done so or don't do it for going on 2 months. I thought maybe it was something unique to publishing.

 

[BWFoster78]

I've never had this occur with anything else in my life where people would come up to me unsolicited to tell me they did something nice to me or for me or will be doing it only to find out that they actually hadn't done so or don't do it for going on 2 months. I thought maybe it was something unique to publishing.

I get them telling you they're going to do it and never getting around to it. I'm sure I've made statements like that and had it just slip my mind completely. If it were me having promised, I'd welcome the reminder "hey, did you ever get a chance to buy my book? What did you think?" At which point, I'd apologize for forgetting and probably buy it right away before I forgot again.

As to the second: I don't get it either.

 

[Zero Angel]

In anything I've read on writing, they always say one of the fastest ways to lose friends is to push your writing on them. Maybe I go too far in the other direction.

 

[BWFoster78]

I think you have to pick your spots. When I publish my first novel, I'll absolutely push it on them. I've supported enough of their projects and whathaveyou over the years.

After the first one, I'll make sure they know what I'm up to, but I definitely won't pursue their support.

 

[TWErvin2]

Nobody is as interested in a book's success as the author. Not the publisher, not the agent, not the spouse, brother, girlfriend, sister, grandma, daughter, pet cat. Nobody. Okay, maybe a fanitically crazed fan that needs meds and intense therapy, but otherwise, nobody.

I cannot track my works' sales as that goes through my publisher, but I can, if I desire, pay attention to Amazon rankings or B&N rankings. At book signings, I often have folks say they'll look at getting it on Kindle or Nook. I can safely say that only a small % that take a book mark or business card, saying they intend to look into it, actually purchase a copy. Maybe they looked at the sample and weren't impressed. Maybe they intended to, but don't really have the money. Maybe they said it just to be nice to me. Maybe they thought my books would be 99 cents instead of $2.99? There are so many maybe's that it's impossible to say.

Flank Hawk was released late in 2009. My sisters finally got around to reading it this summer, and complemented me on it, and promptly got a copy of the sequel (or so they said). One sister said basically I should've been more insistent in reminding her to read Flank Hawk, etc. I felt they knew it was out there, and it was their choice. One can turn off family and friends, I believe, by pushing one's works too hard.

If someone said they got your book but didn't, just let it go. What is there to gain from pushing the issue? Maybe they read the sample and didn't like it and don't want to tell you? Maybe they still intend to get it some day. Maybe they thought it was a free download and not $7.00 when they told you they'd get a copy. Maybe they never intended to, but wanted you to think better of them for getting a copy--or believing they did? Who knows, but the minor satisfaction gained in the short term by forcing the issue, what benefit will that have in the long run?

The goal is to get readers outside the circle of family and friends--out to those you've never really had much if any contact with--normally a result of word of mouth (sometimes online activity or even advertising, but word of mouth is best). That dishonest individual (that lied,) if confronted, what are the odds they'll have nice things to say even if they do obtain a copy, and if they do read it? Better to focus efforts and energy elsewhere.

Disappointing, to be certain. Part of being a writer.

 

[Black Dragon]

Is it possible that this individual isn't lying?

Very often family members in the same household share one e-reader account. If my wife is buying an ebook, for example, she always does so with the family account that is under my name.

Could that be what happened here?

 

[Zero Angel]

Is it possible that this individual isn't lying?

Very often family members in the same household share one e-reader account. If my wife is buying an ebook, for example, she always does so with the family account that is under my name.

Could that be what happened here?

It is not possible, but thanks for thinking of that possibility. I hadn't considered it previously.

It's to the point now where I don't even react when people say they bought my book =P unless they actually want to talk about it, I just say "thank you" and move on.