selling out

When a book sells out, and it’s your book, which means they liked it, you may well want to punch the air, or kiss a policeman, or whatever. I think you are allowed. Just don’t kiss the air and punch a policeman, that’s all.

But then, when an ENTIRE COUNTRY sells out of your book, you may realise that while it’s great in its way, in another way it’s problematical.

America has sold out of Yashim Cooks Istanbul. Only last week we had a huge load, palletfuls of Yashim Cooks Istanbul, boxed and sitting cosily in the distributor’s warehouse in Chambersburg, PA. Then everyone ran out at once and went to buy a copy. Almost every American – well, they mostly didn’t run anywhere further than their mouse pad, where they feverishly clicked on the link – http://amzn.to/2gbTAz3, if you don’t believe me – and swept all available copies out of the online warehouse. Who instantly reordered, thus sweeping all available copies out of the Chambersburg warehouse and into the mailboxes of a few quick-thinking Yashim afficionados and leaving a note saying that the book was temporarily out of stock.

Which has its downside. One was that, at some expense, we have had to fly fresh copies to the US. They left London on Monday, reached Manchester on Wednesday (don’t ask: I could have pushed them there faster on a trolley), and were spirited across the Atlantic on one of those Fedex planes Tom Hanks rides in at the beginning of Castaway, before it drops him on an atoll in the middle of nowhere. According to my script, they should finally get unpacked in Pennsylvania on Tuesday next.

It’s all a bit like the Berlin airlift of 1948/49, but in reverse. And with Yashim Cooks Istanbul.

The upside is that we are also going to reprint. Because here in the UK numbers are very low. There is one, foolproof way of ALWAYS getting a copy. A signed copy, too. I am not suggesting anything, only saying. Saying that http://bit.ly/2c7fkIU would put you through to Argonaut Books, who can arrange anything.

From Delicious Magazine's Christmas Issue

From Delicious Magazine’s Christmas Issue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0 thoughts on “selling out

  1. Jean Stearns

    CONGRATULATIONS! RICHLY DESERVED CONGRATULATIONS!  I’m very pleased on your behalf.  May it continue in waves. The book is gorgeous.Fortunately I ordered my copy from Argonaut via your newsletter and have been deciding OK, which for tonight ? for over a week.  All possibly Turkish cooking related herbs and spices moved to front of lower shelf in spice cabinet. Ah, wonderful Yashim! Best Regards,  Jeanie Stearns   Tucson, Arizona Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad

    Reply
  2. Kerry Skiffington

    I am thrilled for you. What genre can’t you write, I ask. Anyway, I am probably the only American without a copy of Yashim Cooks as I can’t cook for squat, and thus don’t like to. My daughter is a gourmet chef but she’s away in college -France, actually, on a JYA. So I am feeling quite released from the obligation to purchase what is probably the most articulate cookbook on the planet! -at least for now. Be well,
    Kerry

    Reply
    1. jasongoodwin Post author

      Thank you, Kerry. I do worry for your daughter, coming back as the only other American without a copy of Yashim Cooks Istanbul – maybe you should get her one, just in case? Thanks for writing, and merry Christmas, Jason

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *