I only got round too buying the book three weeks after the tour as I had some stuff on and I went round the entire store (in Manchester) and couldn’t find it with a friend that already had it. I went up to the counter and she went into a draw under the desk and took a copy out and said I was lucky since this was one of the last ten copies and that they weren’t getting any copies in and/or displaying them. Just thought I should say something.
Hayden Appleton i remember this and it greatly upset me i was expecting to see it and there just wasnt. its upsetting to know that a great book was taken off shelves like that
i personally never did find your book in a bookstore. i waited for months and months. though i could have ordered it online, i wanted to be able see your book on a shelf in person and just feel proud. of course i’m already extremely proud of everything you’ve done, being a long time fan, but i’m sure you get what i’m saying when i say that seeing the book written by someone i’ve been with since basically the beginning sitting on a shelf in a bookstore would make me feel so happy. after waiting and waiting and waiting it was still never out at any of my local bookstores. not a single one. so i finally ordered it on amazon and read the whole thing in one weekend. and can i just say, it was incredible. though it didn’t do as well as we all hoped, it was amazing and beautifully written and we’re all so proud of you for everything no matter what.
I just honestly want to say something; I went to a bookstore to buy this, and they said ‘sorry we won’t be restocking this book.’ and i got the same response everywhere. you would deserve it to get a positive response, and i think, now that i finally got the book (borrowed from my friend) i think it’s an amazing one. thanks for making this video and being real about this. ❤️
As someone who works in the publishing industry, thank you for the apology to your publisher. Many authors have egos, hey, everyone has an ego. But the publishing house bears the brunt of the repercussions. You learned. It's all going to be okay. On to the next.
but did she learn? It kept swinging throughout the video.... moments of introspection and understanding, and then swinging back to raging at the bookstore without remorse. I think a more interesting video would have been an actual interview with the parties so she can understand their perspectives, to gain a true insight and perhaps maturing a bit. Many people, even those who work in corporations such as the book store, are just people trying to survive and make their company a good one as well, and aren't some evil comic book villain rubbing their hands together wanting to screw over the little guy.
it takes a lot of growth and maturity to admit that you, as the author, added to the limited success of your own book. the way you can reflect on your anger and your choices and what could have gone better is very very admirable. you did have a lot to be angry and passionate about, there’s definitely something shitty going on with that bookstore for their own agenda yet the worst part for you is for your publishers which is so selfless. you’re a wonderful role model to whoever thinks to watch this video!
I was an employee of the book company I’m pretty sure you’re talking about and we have a company wide embargo list telling us what books absolutely cannot be put out until a certain date, and it’s a shockingly small list; unless it’s the next in a massive series or a celebrity biography, it won’t be on the list. However I was really surprised that your book wasn’t on there, because certain other YT books have been on there before... And as for why you won’t find it in this certain bookshop, every few months we get sent a return list of books to send back to our hub or publisher, and a couple of months ago I was shocked to see Feel Good 101 on the list 🤔 I was just a bookseller, so I can’t tell you WHY it was on that list, but I’m sorry that it was on there and just know that whoever makes these decisions up in head office does not speak for all of us.
Alex Everett-last Yes but I’m going to be biased as I wouldn’t advocate not using them as a bookshop. Yes, this was a shitty thing to do, but we have so much to give as booksellers; we love talking to people about books, if we don’t have a book in stock, you bet we’ll order it in for you. You want a recommendation? How much time have you got, because we’ll talk about books all day if given the chance. If people don’t use this bookshop, it will shut down, period. And while that might prove a point, it will be a massive loss in my opinion.
I’m glad you are telling the story of what happened so others can learn it’s very valuable for those coming after you and fans who are inspired by your actions will be safer from it so in a way thank you
Except for the fact that supermarkets discount their books so heavily, authors like Emma can hardly make a living from those sales, and authors make like 1p-2p per book after all their hard work :'(
I really don't think you appreciate how many, many books undersell in the book market. You got into charts! You got a signing tour and interviews! That's already incredible. You don't mention how many copies you sold, but many books sell in the hundreds or even less. I think you should expand your definition of success.
Agreed - but it would still be better if we didn't have to rely on one monopolist to mitigate the actions of another. That said, Thank you Emma for the insight into how this industry works.
Sophie Birch it's not every Waterstones booksellers fault we provide good service and 1 to 1 help Amazon can't "deliver" the leads of our company don't represent the normal bookseller and we work very hard
This is not the actual people who work in the shops that anyone is having an issue with. My experience of Waterstones has always been lovely. However, when a cooperate team pulls stunts like this (and yes Emma said she was as much to blame for it) that end up affecting authors who work very hard to get their work on the shelf, and from a business standpoint, it makes no sense. Essentially, in this case, the company practically handed any profits they would have gotten from Emma's book sales to Amazon.
Sophie Birch I understand but comments that degrade us by saying well Amazon and Tesco are better are upsetting because we provide service that these other company's cannot the situation was bad waterstones were in the wrong but also she could contact Waterstones and get it resolved. I think you will find that Waterstones competes with Amazon quite well especially in customer service.
I don't think you deserve shame for this. You stood up for what you believed in, maybe it wasn't a wise thing to do but that's a shitty thing to do to authors and someone should be talking about it
From a wannabe writer's point of view, it does make sense. The published authors I know who don't have a platform like you literally go round face to face with every Waterstones store, making friends, signing books, getting relationships with the booksellers. The booksellers in Waterstones - the staff - have a LOT of sway. They choose to face out certain books and even handwrite reviews on the shelves. If you tweeted against their company then they will not promote your book.
They have a contract that they didn't stick to. Was it justified that they didn't advertise the release? perhaps. I have seen Mein Kampf advertised in Waterstones, yet Emma's book wasn't. That speaks volumes.
Bobthemime book release dates aren't like music or films. Emma said herself there wasn't an embargo. They literally did nothing wrong. The staff may have (misguidedly) thought they were doing something nice to get the book to fans faster.
Emily Lowrey There was an embargo, at least that's what I'm getting. The bookseller just chose to ignore it and seeing the other comments on here, they seem to do that quite frequently, too.
i honestly am on the bookseller's side here. i would never promote an author that behaved so pettily, especially in a medium in which she's clearly not accustomed. the fact that this video ends with 'screw you bookseller' shows just how little emma learned from this experience. respect and communication can get you so much more than impulsive bad-mouthing. two or three tweets lost the bookseller's respect for the author. she was on the way to her publisher o.O and couldn't hold back for less than an hour and address the issues with them?
Just a quick note on the releasedate thing: I worked in bookstores (not in the UK tho, so maybe things are different) and it isn't possible to wait for the releaseday for most books due to logistics. Most bookstores doesn't have that much storage that's out of sight, and need to get the stock out asap before the next delivery comes in. Obviously that's not something somebody who haven't worked in a bookstore would've known, but it sounds like something your publisher should've prepared you for.
Oh Emma, I can completely understand how this must've slowly eaten you up from the inside. You're so amazing to have posted this self-tea, and I hope that everything trends upwards for you from now on. Also screw that book-seller. Love you, ~Cricket-eating pal
You seem really regretful but what I got from this video is you ruined a great opportunity for yourself and the people that made it happen for you. You could have privately contacted the book seller or spoke to your publishers before making any public announcements.
Sabah Abid I think she's aware of what she could have done differently. She just doesn't appreciate that the consequences were so serious after something small, like a negative tweet. It was almost a year ago, and they're still not selling the book.
amiablehacker yes she understands this that's why I said she sounds regretful. But my point still stands, she didn't handle it in a professional manner or obtained any advice beforehand.
Not sure about others but I personally loved your book, I've read it 4 times and got to meet you on the release day (I had my first solo flight that day and meeting you was the most nerve wracking part of the day). Because of your book I went and saw a counselor as I had been putting it off
Even if you were angry, talking about this issue on such a public platform is admittedly very unprofessional. Had you notified your publishers, they could have handled the issue themselves--even if it was by not taking any action. They're experts in the industry and are aware of what is allowed for bookstores to do and don't. Perhaps at this point, you could speak to your publishers about a paperback release that would give your book another chance. Talk to your manager/publisher about your concerns. If it were because of your tweets, see what you can do to salvage the situation. I think talking like this in a video is no help at all. In the end, it seems you don't regret what you did--only the "retaliation" of that bookstore (which is complete conjecture on your side). It would just dig the hole deeper IMO. Social media is a very powerful tool, so airing your complaints this way could be pushing the people you worked with into a corner. Good luck.
Unfortunately, the average author has to work hard to understand the industry. They need to learn tact and professional behavior. When you're a youtube celeb and are just handed a book deal, you don't learn the ropes or how to interact with people. You throw tantrums when things don't go your way and learn that "youtube clout" doesn't excuse bad behavior.
I saw your book in one of my local bookshops like a week aft release but didn't have enough money to get it so I went back a month later and it was already gone off of the shelves. I still got it from Amazon but I agree that it's a pretty petty thing to do to authors
This is just like the big corporations. Petty and controlling. Another option people should consider is buying the audio book from Audible, as I did. Worldwide availability and Ms. B's lovely voice reading it to you!
It was a bit more than that. The Bookseller caused the problem by disregarding the release date. Ms. Blackery could have handled the situation better, but the tweets were removed and that should have been it. Instead, the Bookseller went overboard and basically wanted to 'teach her and other authors a lesson' and deliberately handicapped sales to both Ms. Blackery AND their own detriment.
Jason Sender Really fucking petty though to refuse to wait 3 fucking days for the official release date because fuck you I'm rich and you don't matter to me.
But what if the contract didn't mention an embargo? And as she mentioned, that was the way this company handled publications. I don't see fault in the company for doing what they did. Emma should have handled it a lot more diplomatically. Because that's what it's like to work with companies in general. A lot of releases and a lot of dates. So quality control and guidelines for putting books on shelves could have slipped. But Emma defaming the company has lasting effects despite the tweets being taken down. Just like the lack of advertising hurt her book sales in the long run too.
I can’t see it being some massive secret that this bookseller don’t agree to embargoes. The publisher are at fault for not correctly passing on information to Emma, and Emma should have had more tact.
I was actually wondering why I couldn't find it anywhere when I went to London, I wanted to buy it when I was there to avoid shipping costs. This cleared it up
I worked for this company for five years and never thought I'd find myself defending them but here we are - the onus here should have been on your publisher to explain to you that there was no embargo, as you said embargoes are rare these days and I was personally relieved when that became the case, the books would show up as in stock on our system but couldn't be sold and customers found this extremely frustrating so it really didn't do anything for the bookseller/customer relationship (sidenote - the worst shop for violating embargoes was actually WHSmiths, even if it meant they'd get fined). The books come into the warehouse because the publisher/printer sent them early, and the staff in the shops put them out because they assume most authors would like their book out on display and being sold rather than stuck in boxes in the basement. I know you acknowledge your mistake but it really shows that in any situation like this your first reaction should be to contact your publisher and ask why the books are out, rather than posting on twitter for thousands of people to see. I've been in similar situations but have learned to sit on my hands and deal with it privately first. Regarding sale in the shops - the system may have changed since I left last year, but back then if enough people go in the shop and order the book in it will usually end up getting stock ordered for the whole shop once the numbers go up. Unless someone is sitting at head office stopping that from happening, I'm not sure how far they're willing to go to hold this grudge as you just told them to screw themselves so who knows!
This is why you don't go off on rants on social media. Yeah you can be so angry and I know that and things get frustrating but it just baffles me how you didn't think that it would go this way. That company is going to think well stuff you if you're going to bad mouth our company. At the end of the day, they're a bookseller.
// courtenay // Why shouldn't she believe the people she's working with that are trying to get her book to succeed. She didn't know. Besides, the video was more to spread awareness that this could happen to other authors. She understands that she should not have bashed them on Twitter.
amiablehacker Because misinformation spreads and people don't always have the correct information so always make sure that any information you receive is correct
// courtenay // Ok, that's fine. But people usually don't have time to confirm everything everyone has ever told them. I agree that Emma could have done her own research. But I can understand why she would assume that she was getting all the info she needed.
amiablehacker It's worth trying to find out though given it's your own book. Maybe I'm just an anxious person and like to find out for myself if the information I am receiving is correct. I've also just been taught to not believe everything you hear and do your own research.
This in no way is "hate" towards you, more so my thoughts. It seems as though from you saying you wouldn't apologise to the bookseller means you didn't actually learn anything. You aren't the one who is being punished, it was your publishers who had to get the lashing in the end I imagine. You saying you were sorry for not being sorry seemed a bit unneeded. Because that's how it ends up being if you don't self publish.
Exactly. She made all the mistakes but still holds the bookseller accountable because she still doesn't understand that she got the treatment most authors get. She wanted a special treatment, had a hissy fit, and now wants to "take responsibility" to play the victim card and..sell more books? No idea...but if the bookseller sees the video, they will probably feel completely satisfied that they made the right decision with her book. She's not someone I'd want to help make a success if I were a bookseller.
but this is how the book industry works. the authors GET this treatment because in most cases this is customary. just because we didn't know about this make it unfair. there are ways how things go and not knowing them and acting out will have consequences
It's the price you pay if you don't self publish or find a different market to sell your books with your publisher. She isn't naive because she's in the music industry, to a certain extent she knows the risks of going with big companies. Is it right? Course not. Does not justify going on a large platform and black listing yourself. She said she's sorry to her publisher but still made this video. I can't imagine the damage that will happen to them now as if what happened wasn't worse enough.
Did you really insult a company that distributes your book on Twitter? Are you serious? Lol why would they promote you when you did the opposite to them? Come on... business 101. When you have an issue with a partner, you talk to them through your agent/published and not on social media, that’s what children do.
so you acted unprofessionally and suffered the consequences ? twitter is not the place you go to when it comes to business . i really dont think that you're a victim here. the only victims are your publishers. Just finished the whole video and youre really digging yourself a deeper hole.I feel like you didnt learn from what you just talked about for 18 minutes.
I work in the bookseller you refer to, and this video made me so angry. Please remember Emma that we have no obligation to even stock your book in the first place, never mind actively promote it. Your book is one of many very samey books written by youtubers which at the end of the day, only really appeal to viewers/fans/followers. And if you are going to publicly bad mouth the company, why SHOULD we promote it for you? If I’m being honest, you have a sense of entitlement around this which doesn’t sit well with me. Yes you spent a year working on it and obviously worked hard on it, but so do all other authors. Writers spend years trying to get published and put their heart and soul into their work. TH-camrs get their books published so quickly purely because they’re a name and a face, while authors who have spent their lives writing and trying to get their work out there struggle. I get that you wanted your book to do well, but you should probably be more realistic given you’re a first time author - if you can even say author. As for it disappearing, that’s just not true. We have it in my store. I know this message is very negative but honestly I’m really disappointed in this video and your behaviour around the whole thing. As a bookseller and as writer myself who one day hopes to be published, it’s depressing to see you talk shit about a company which DOES care so much about authors and customers and everyone else in between. Something which 100% cannot be said about a certain online store.
I see three groups that have to take a share of blame for this. 1) Whoever told you there was an embargo. I'm assuming it was someone from the publishers but they should have known that the bookseller (we'll call them Wetrocks) don't follow publisher embargos. At the least they should have known it was a possibility. 2) You for the tweets. You were completely justified in what you were saying, given the info that you had, but from your own experience you should have known it could end bad before finding out all the details. That's not me having a go at you, I'm just pointing out what you now know yourself. :-) 3) Wetrocks for having complete disregard to an author just because they don't have clout. They were being and have been totally petty. Even if they weren't willing to apologise, because in their minds they dd nothing wrong, they could have handled it far better, especially as you removed the tweets pretty quickly. I feel for you Emma, having seen how much effort you put into your book. It's kind of a pity that you don't aim to be a well known author, then you could ban Wetrocks from ever selling your future books.
I work in a bookstore and I’m pretty sure we still have a copy of your book. However, we weren’t given a clear embargo for the release of your book, we would have been in huge trouble if we had sold it before its release date, and because of the rise more competitive markets, that often means that we have to put out stock as soon as we receive it. Within stores we try and maintain our own individuality, which can allow us to promote specific titles (such as your own), which we did. So whilst some stores may have ignored Feel Good 101, others made an effort sell it. But, it’s true that larger authors tend to have more clout. There’s much more buzz around their titles so tough embargoes are enforced, because of this we tend to hold their titles for longer as they continually sell, which is very helpful when competing with online retailers.
I never got around to buying your book because I could never find it anywhere in Australia. Bloody Target still sells Tyler Oakley’s book but I’ve never even see yours in an actual bookstore(no shade). I’ve been a viewer of yours for years and would love to support your book, so I’ll probably just order it online soon. Proud of you for speaking out, even if it was in a fit of anger. I hope you still cherish your book for what it is even if it did ‘flop’.
Shadow Heart no amazon down here and ebay usually doesn’t profit straight to the author. Even if the book isn’t in stores, bookstore websites usually might have copies so I’ll check there soon.
I did notice that I couldn’t find feel good 101 in any book stores and sadly never bought it despite wanting to which I guess is proof it could have done better. I think you deserved to know when your book was being released and it’s pretty shady to exclude you from the tour list etc.
I love you omg ive watched you since i was like 14 but then i slowly stopped watching over the years. Now at 19 ive started watching again bc you're so real and we really need that. All the best x
Current employee of said bookseller and if something is not on the embargo list that we are provided with then the standard procedure is to get the stock out onto the shop floor as soon as possible. We frequently receive stock of books prior to their advertised release dates and there simply isn’t the space back of house to store everything for multiple days. The embargo list is admittedly generally pretty short but is not limited to the J.K. Rowlings of the world and I can’t help but feel that some miscommunication happened along the way which led you to be under the impression that your book would be embargoed until it’s official release date. Us booksellers are some of the best people working on the high street, but at the end of the day we have to follow what information we are provided by head office. I’m sorry that you were treated unfairly, but I think in this instance mistakes were made on both sides and hopefully this can be a lesson to everyone involved 💛
Watching your videos recently has made me fall back in love with you. You're being real and raw and taking blame and responsibility for your maybe not so great actions but also reflecting on others actions. I recently went into one of these bookseller's stores that I think you're taking about looking for a specific book and, despite it being popular amongst the internet fandom, they mysteriously had no books in stock. The author is honest and outspoken like yourself so this makes me think this isn't the first time this has happened. I'm so proud of you for writing your book though, it's an amazing piece of work💖
I got your book late September in Manchester, and there was a table completely covered in your books with your signature. It was sign posted and everything
I’ll keep this in mind for sure when I get mine published. I’ve heard stories like this before and it sounds awful. I’m so sorry this happened to you, I hope it gets resolved or at least doesn’t happen to anyone else.
You said you heard from other people in the book industry about the term embargo. 3:43 Not from your publishers stating there was one on your book. someone else commented who worked for that company saying your book wasnt on the embargo list. So therefore the book store could realese it whenever and they didnt break the embargo. Correct me if im wrong, but it sounds like you heard information from someone and believed them without researching to find out if it was accurate and if your book was covered- then again shouldnt the publishers take care of all of this- i would argue they've let you down especially since they haven't even replied to you about paper back. 🤷♀️ then again- I'm not sure their going to be very happy about this video and I'm suprised its still up. Emma i like you, I do but I feel like you've made a few mistakes here- yes the book store shouldnt have hindered your book sales but if someone publicly blasted you on social media would you want to help them and advertise them when they haven't even apologised to you? I may be totally wrong but it reads to me that they werent under an embargo, and if not their actions do make more sense. Calling out your publishers-publically- for not contacting you again shows unprofessionalism and i dont think it will yield the positive results you want.
Skulls n Roses my point is the embargo system itself is flawed. All books, like albums, should be released on the intended release date, and stores that do it early to beat their competitors should be reprimanded for bad ethics. I say how this is my fault the entire way through the video, not sure what more you want
If publishers don’t want books to be sold until the scheduled pub date then they shouldn’t send them out to the company until just before. The only reason your book would have been put out on sale is because the warehouse received it early from the publisher, sent it stores and because there was no official embargo (which there isn’t on 99%) of books it was put on to shelves. It sucks but it stems from the publishers tbh
Emma Blackery Absolutely I agree with you, but It comes across that there wasn't an embargo on your book- thats the point I was making and if there wasn't then the book store didnt break that so i can understand them being pissed at being publically blasted on social media and therefore not promoting your book. It seems your stating there just should be an embargo on all books- well yes of course I agree but it seems there isn't. It's not about what more i want from you. I'm just trying to point a couple of things out. My other point is calling out your publishers again publically because they havnt been in contact with you doesnt come across as professional and is a bit like the status on Twitter at the book store but with less anger. It's not going to bring you anything good. This video may bring recognistion to your book and boost some sales but at the cost of saying fuck you book store that released your book early and closing any opportunities with them in the futute and blasting your publisher. It doesn't seem a good trade off. That's all I was trying to point out-not that you should be more sorry. Like I said I do like you emma, thats why I wrote the comment because although it isn't supportive in the sense of agreeing with you i feel like its not a great decision to have this video up. I could be wrong with some things I've said because i'm not in the book selling buisness or anything so if so, I do apologise i'm just saying how ive read things. If there was an embargo on your book and they broke it then i agree their douches, its not like I'm on their side, I guess I just think from a buisness standpoint this doesn't look great to future brands etc you may work with.
Honestly, why should the public hold you to a different standard? If anybody else pops off on twitter, they'd be "cancelled", they'd dragged, everyone would be up their arse giving them all this hate. Like I'm not saying that should receive all of this hate but come on, how did you think for a second that would fix things? Also, I'm so sick of these TH-camrs not reading contracts, or getting more involved, etc. God forbid you have to put in extra hours at your job 🙄 And as a 26 year old, seriously, you are a grown woman.
Sounds like you should learn to not vent to Twitter, like you said. Please just call a friend or post it on a personal account somewhere only for your friends to see. You're only ruining your career / projects this way and the short relief of getting it off your chest is not worth the consequences.
I've never known a book to not be available before publication date except for a certain few. They get sent our early by everyone including Amazon, Book Repository, WHSmith, and the bookseller who must not be named. As for the charts, all sales before the end of the first official week are counted, hence why pre-sales are counted in the first week.
Yeah, I've heard that the books sold early still count towards the week of release, but it's also just the practice of it that makes me angry. It's done to steal sales from other retailers.
I got your book a few days after I was released and it was SO hard to find. I'm genuinely upset that it didn't do better than it did because it was an awesome read!
I got your book for my birthday, last November after being so excited to read it! However, I’ve never seen it in any books stores!! I loved your book!!xxx
i only ever saw your book once in a local bookstore, just after the tour and then never saw it again. it made me so sad because there were all the other “youtube books” except yours. i love yours personally despite it being hard to get hold of in stores.
Your book is not selling well, that's why the bookseller is not buying it. Also, those tweets didn't help either. But, this conspiracy about the bookseller compromising their own sales figures ?? Sounds like a load of baloney. Obviously, you haven't learned your lesson - YOUR being petty. You don't even know, perhaps the earlier release date was better (so it wouldn't coincide with other book releases).
At the end of the day, even if her not tweeting could have helped her book sell, either waterstones or whoever didn't enforce the embargo is the one to blame. But I find it kind of weird that there werent any legal repercussions for breaking the embargo... Generally those are written into legally binding contracts, and there's a hefty fine for breaking it built in too.
Rafael Dos Santos So connect the dots then. It is unlikely that this embargo was legally binding if no legal action was taken, given that she would be assured a victory. It is, then, the publishers fault for not making this embargo binding and assuming that all sellers would stick to their wishes.
the other day i went into a known book store and in the 'feel good' section ( like about mental health and feeling better ) and yours was on display, standing in the middle of all the other books, so everyone could see it clearly. i felt proud.
Now I feel bad for buying your book before the official release... I was just really exited to suddenly see it up on the shelves and didn't know that it wasn't supposed to be sold yet :/
I only just came across your channel a few weeks ago - only because I don't spend a whole lot of time on TH-cam. In any case, about a week after I started watching some of your videos, I found one that mentioned your book - and immediately ordered it on Amazon (not even sure if it's in US bookstores). I'm really excited to read it when I get home from travelling. Additionally, I appreciate your honesty and openness in your videos!
"They compromised their sales figures" - why would such a huge business be that petty? Maybe they just decided as a business it wasn't a good book and worth promoting. It's still in print and on Amazon, it's not like they killed the book dead, it just hasn't sold well. Your publishers should be in charge of promoting it, getting you on TV and podcasts and radio to drive Amazon sales. They haven't done their part, but they probably hoped you'd work harder to drive sales at your end too.
I bought the book and I’m not a die hard fan. I occasionally tune in to your channel and social media pages as I enjoy the content you put out but my reasons for buying the book were purely because I was experiencing a period of severe depression and wanted to utilise every resource that could help me regain my strength and positivity and your book did just that! Thank you for writing such a great book and sharing your experiences with us all.
i’ve been watching you since 2013. it’s kind of weird, but i’m so proud of how much you’ve grown as a person. it’s so hard to admit that something failed because of your own behavior and it really shows maturity and a lot of respect.
well in Australia there is a paperback in Dymocks online (and in some stores as far as i can tell by searching the location thing on the website) The cover is just said "to be revealed". Angus & Robertson store have it online but I can't tell if it's in stores (to be fair most of their shop locations have been closing so i think they are mostly online these days anyway) Booktopia have it online (again unsure on physical stores) with a new one coming in September 2018 that says its the 6th release so maybe it has a different cover idk? im sure there are other retailers but those are the main ones i could think of. Most bookstores here are online with very few still around as physical shops so its hard to check in-store or some websites don't give you the ability to search for store location where it is in stock.
But who told you there would be an embargo ? If it was your publisher then they should've made it clear to you that the 'big' bookseller wouldn't honour that and then you wouldn't have been shocked and angered and you wouldn't have tweeted. So your publisher let you down too. Oh and your paperback is still on pre-order at Amazon for release September 6th 2018.
I agree I should have been forewarned and wasn't. Also, I've had no confirmation from my publishers that the paperback will be released. We've asked, but had no contact back at all confirming it.
So you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. Not saying what you said was right, but it was understandable. When you stress to a first time author how important an embargo is and they then see it being broken, you're going to get a reaction - that's just human nature, you can't switch that off. Nice though your publisher might be, they failed to do their job adequately on this occasion.
I was thinking this too! They would have known these shops don’t listen and release things early.. A simple warning probably would have stopped any of this from happening... hopefully they (like Emma) have also learned from their mistakes and will warn people about this next time..
the first place i saw the book was in tesco (i think it still sells it). it clicked with me that i only saw it on the shelf in the bookstores you're talking about (and not out in windows etc) during the month of the release. i got it during the book tour (in glasgow, woo!). honestly, i haven't really seen it since a week or two after the tour ended.
i’m so sorry it flopped :( i know you spent so so much time on that book and it sucks it didn’t do better. if it makes you feel any better, i loved your book. i loved it. it means a lot to me for many reasons - it helped me through some stuff i was going through at the time but it’s the book that got me back into reading. i stopped reading for about 5 years due to suffering depression and loss of motivation to read, but after reading your book i fell in love with reading all over again. so thanks i guess.
I generally can’t remember seeing your book in any shops but I managed to come across it at my local library :) I know this doesn’t help sales and stuff but it was nice to see a TH-camrs book in a place for everyone to enjoy x
i know i’m only one person in hundreds of thousands but i just wanna say your book helped me so much!! so thank you, i go back to it all the time, i love you💛💛
I’ve seen your book for about a week where I’m from in my local bookstore which is really sad cos your book is amazing and I can tell you spent your whole soul into it I wish you got more hype cos you are an amazing TH-camr/ musician/writer 💖
I bought the book on Amazon on pre-order, then bought another one for your signing, then bought another one for my best friend 1 week later, it's my favourite book, genuinely
If the seller was WH Smith or Waterstones.. I saw it one week, didnt have the money to buy it, and when i came back the next week, it wasn't there, asked about it and said it went into syndication and had to be pulped.
WH Smith. Waterstones acted like the book never existed. I'll get the book the next time i have a credit for Audible :P If you do not think so, your voice is great :P Audiobook bought :P glad that was available.. would never have known if it were not for this video
I bought your book as soon as it came out. I personally really love it. I saw it in the teen section in Waterstones; however I went back soon after and it wasn’t there as I wanted to get it for a friend but I just assumed that they had all sold out
You're right, I haven't actually seen your book at all. I tend to go to book shops every week and I don't think I have ever seen yours but of course I always see old books from other TH-camrs
I’m really sad that I only found your channel recently, which meant I couldn’t buy your book when it first came out, I’m still trying to find a copy! X
At least some of us loved it, me included :) It helped me through a lot last year in which both one of my brothers and best friends passed away. Worst year of my life and your book, along with Jack's PMA, as said helped me through a lot of it
I loved your book Emma! You wrote something from the heart and it was genuine! The people who read it wanted to and you should be super proud Emma. Well done xx
I was always able to find your book in bookstores in Dublin! And it was heartwarming to see your book although i was never able to get it, I’ve read bits of it tho and i loved it and absolutely will get it as soon as i can
as soon as u started talking about the book tour i KNEW who it was. i met you in glasgow and i’ll admit the atmosphere was quite...iffy. we were given the books in plastic bags and there weren’t copies on shelves or anything.
I worked for a short period of time as a bookseller and I hated having to put books out knowing it was before their release date. It's to do with space and I lost count of how many times it was a health and safety risk having to climb over books in the back of the shops just to go on break. It's strange because I often see your book in stores and i actually bought the audio a while back and loved it!
I really loved your book, I went to your tour and met you and you were really nice to me and my mum (who filmed me meeting you) and I’ve read your book so many times ❤️
Really sorry to hear this happened to you. I agree, something in the industry needs to change. Authors (especially newer authors) should be respected when it comes release dates. It isn't fair that book distributors can pick and choose what authors they can respect.
This was really brave of you to post! Thank you for calling out the book industry. I had no idea about the issues you discussed with booksellers releasing books early.
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I only got round too buying the book three weeks after the tour as I had some stuff on and I went round the entire store (in Manchester) and couldn’t find it with a friend that already had it. I went up to the counter and she went into a draw under the desk and took a copy out and said I was lucky since this was one of the last ten copies and that they weren’t getting any copies in and/or displaying them. Just thought I should say something.
this doesn't shock me AT ALL. this is astounding. the stores could still have them but just not out on shelves? wow.
Wow
Hayden Appleton i remember this and it greatly upset me i was expecting to see it and there just wasnt. its upsetting to know that a great book was taken off shelves like that
owen pulman ye I know it was fucking ridiculous wasn’t it
I hope you consider legal action, im sure some of us would set up a go fund me for the cort costs ;) you have a lot of people power behind you Emma
spilling tea on yourself is a whole new level
illmakeuhowell I always spill tea on myself 😂😂
I see you everywhere! Hi!!!
my level
i personally never did find your book in a bookstore. i waited for months and months. though i could have ordered it online, i wanted to be able see your book on a shelf in person and just feel proud. of course i’m already extremely proud of everything you’ve done, being a long time fan, but i’m sure you get what i’m saying when i say that seeing the book written by someone i’ve been with since basically the beginning sitting on a shelf in a bookstore would make me feel so happy. after waiting and waiting and waiting it was still never out at any of my local bookstores. not a single one. so i finally ordered it on amazon and read the whole thing in one weekend. and can i just say, it was incredible. though it didn’t do as well as we all hoped, it was amazing and beautifully written and we’re all so proud of you for everything no matter what.
I just honestly want to say something; I went to a bookstore to buy this, and they said ‘sorry we won’t be restocking this book.’ and i got the same response everywhere. you would deserve it to get a positive response, and i think, now that i finally got the book (borrowed from my friend) i think it’s an amazing one. thanks for making this video and being real about this. ❤️
As someone who works in the publishing industry, thank you for the apology to your publisher. Many authors have egos, hey, everyone has an ego. But the publishing house bears the brunt of the repercussions. You learned. It's all going to be okay. On to the next.
but did she learn? It kept swinging throughout the video.... moments of introspection and understanding, and then swinging back to raging at the bookstore without remorse. I think a more interesting video would have been an actual interview with the parties so she can understand their perspectives, to gain a true insight and perhaps maturing a bit. Many people, even those who work in corporations such as the book store, are just people trying to survive and make their company a good one as well, and aren't some evil comic book villain rubbing their hands together wanting to screw over the little guy.
it takes a lot of growth and maturity to admit that you, as the author, added to the limited success of your own book. the way you can reflect on your anger and your choices and what could have gone better is very very admirable. you did have a lot to be angry and passionate about, there’s definitely something shitty going on with that bookstore for their own agenda yet the worst part for you is for your publishers which is so selfless.
you’re a wonderful role model to whoever thinks to watch this video!
thank you!!
Well said, and so true!
I was an employee of the book company I’m pretty sure you’re talking about and we have a company wide embargo list telling us what books absolutely cannot be put out until a certain date, and it’s a shockingly small list; unless it’s the next in a massive series or a celebrity biography, it won’t be on the list. However I was really surprised that your book wasn’t on there, because certain other YT books have been on there before...
And as for why you won’t find it in this certain bookshop, every few months we get sent a return list of books to send back to our hub or publisher, and a couple of months ago I was shocked to see Feel Good 101 on the list 🤔 I was just a bookseller, so I can’t tell you WHY it was on that list, but I’m sorry that it was on there and just know that whoever makes these decisions up in head office does not speak for all of us.
ha, knew it. basically returned to be pulped. because of a tweet.
Vloggery rip
I remember when Dan & Phi's book's came out they were released early & both times I had them spoiled for me it really sucks that book shops do that
It's Watersones right? Just wanna know so I can avoid them if possible...
Alex Everett-last Yes but I’m going to be biased as I wouldn’t advocate not using them as a bookshop. Yes, this was a shitty thing to do, but we have so much to give as booksellers; we love talking to people about books, if we don’t have a book in stock, you bet we’ll order it in for you. You want a recommendation? How much time have you got, because we’ll talk about books all day if given the chance. If people don’t use this bookshop, it will shut down, period. And while that might prove a point, it will be a massive loss in my opinion.
I’m glad you are telling the story of what happened so others can learn it’s very valuable for those coming after you and fans who are inspired by your actions will be safer from it so in a way thank you
*cough* Waterstones *cough*
I have one word to say: TESCO
Tesco stays loyal YAS.
Except for the fact that supermarkets discount their books so heavily, authors like Emma can hardly make a living from those sales, and authors make like 1p-2p per book after all their hard work :'(
BooksUnstitched oh :( I didn’t know this, that’s really sad to hear actually..
Bella yeah I agree, the publishing world in general needs a bit of reforming I think!
I really don't think you appreciate how many, many books undersell in the book market. You got into charts! You got a signing tour and interviews! That's already incredible. You don't mention how many copies you sold, but many books sell in the hundreds or even less. I think you should expand your definition of success.
And people wonder why Amazon is the leading bookseller.
Agreed - but it would still be better if we didn't have to rely on one monopolist to mitigate the actions of another. That said, Thank you Emma for the insight into how this industry works.
YensR true. We should take advantage of charity and second hand booksellers as well.
Sophie Birch it's not every Waterstones booksellers fault we provide good service and 1 to 1 help Amazon can't "deliver" the leads of our company don't represent the normal bookseller and we work very hard
This is not the actual people who work in the shops that anyone is having an issue with. My experience of Waterstones has always been lovely. However, when a cooperate team pulls stunts like this (and yes Emma said she was as much to blame for it) that end up affecting authors who work very hard to get their work on the shelf, and from a business standpoint, it makes no sense.
Essentially, in this case, the company practically handed any profits they would have gotten from Emma's book sales to Amazon.
Sophie Birch I understand but comments that degrade us by saying well Amazon and Tesco are better are upsetting because we provide service that these other company's cannot the situation was bad waterstones were in the wrong but also she could contact Waterstones and get it resolved. I think you will find that Waterstones competes with Amazon quite well especially in customer service.
I don't think you deserve shame for this. You stood up for what you believed in, maybe it wasn't a wise thing to do but that's a shitty thing to do to authors and someone should be talking about it
From a wannabe writer's point of view, it does make sense. The published authors I know who don't have a platform like you literally go round face to face with every Waterstones store, making friends, signing books, getting relationships with the booksellers. The booksellers in Waterstones - the staff - have a LOT of sway. They choose to face out certain books and even handwrite reviews on the shelves. If you tweeted against their company then they will not promote your book.
They have a contract that they didn't stick to.
Was it justified that they didn't advertise the release? perhaps. I have seen Mein Kampf advertised in Waterstones, yet Emma's book wasn't. That speaks volumes.
Bobthemime book release dates aren't like music or films. Emma said herself there wasn't an embargo. They literally did nothing wrong. The staff may have (misguidedly) thought they were doing something nice to get the book to fans faster.
Emily Lowrey I don't think the staff have anything to do with it. They're just told to put books on shelves when the get to the store. Nothing more.
Emily Lowrey There was an embargo, at least that's what I'm getting. The bookseller just chose to ignore it and seeing the other comments on here, they seem to do that quite frequently, too.
i honestly am on the bookseller's side here. i would never promote an author that behaved so pettily, especially in a medium in which she's clearly not accustomed. the fact that this video ends with 'screw you bookseller' shows just how little emma learned from this experience. respect and communication can get you so much more than impulsive bad-mouthing. two or three tweets lost the bookseller's respect for the author. she was on the way to her publisher o.O and couldn't hold back for less than an hour and address the issues with them?
Just a quick note on the releasedate thing: I worked in bookstores (not in the UK tho, so maybe things are different) and it isn't possible to wait for the releaseday for most books due to logistics. Most bookstores doesn't have that much storage that's out of sight, and need to get the stock out asap before the next delivery comes in. Obviously that's not something somebody who haven't worked in a bookstore would've known, but it sounds like something your publisher should've prepared you for.
Oh Emma, I can completely understand how this must've slowly eaten you up from the inside. You're so amazing to have posted this self-tea, and I hope that everything trends upwards for you from now on. Also screw that book-seller.
Love you,
~Cricket-eating pal
TheAMaazing yeah screw them! Also love you Aamazing
ek
You seem really regretful but what I got from this video is you ruined a great opportunity for yourself and the people that made it happen for you. You could have privately contacted the book seller or spoke to your publishers before making any public announcements.
Sabah Abid I think she's aware of what she could have done differently. She just doesn't appreciate that the consequences were so serious after something small, like a negative tweet. It was almost a year ago, and they're still not selling the book.
you said that like she doesn't know already...
amiablehacker yes she understands this that's why I said she sounds regretful. But my point still stands, she didn't handle it in a professional manner or obtained any advice beforehand.
Not sure about others but I personally loved your book, I've read it 4 times and got to meet you on the release day (I had my first solo flight that day and meeting you was the most nerve wracking part of the day). Because of your book I went and saw a counselor as I had been putting it off
Shay was it made available on Audible?
+Sheridan Yes it is on audible currently. You can get it for free if you get a free trial
Ryan True ayyyy flying pal
aw
Her book helped me take control of my life too I so agree with you
Even if you were angry, talking about this issue on such a public platform is admittedly very unprofessional. Had you notified your publishers, they could have handled the issue themselves--even if it was by not taking any action. They're experts in the industry and are aware of what is allowed for bookstores to do and don't.
Perhaps at this point, you could speak to your publishers about a paperback release that would give your book another chance. Talk to your manager/publisher about your concerns. If it were because of your tweets, see what you can do to salvage the situation. I think talking like this in a video is no help at all. In the end, it seems you don't regret what you did--only the "retaliation" of that bookstore (which is complete conjecture on your side). It would just dig the hole deeper IMO. Social media is a very powerful tool, so airing your complaints this way could be pushing the people you worked with into a corner. Good luck.
Unfortunately, the average author has to work hard to understand the industry. They need to learn tact and professional behavior. When you're a youtube celeb and are just handed a book deal, you don't learn the ropes or how to interact with people. You throw tantrums when things don't go your way and learn that "youtube clout" doesn't excuse bad behavior.
I saw your book in one of my local bookshops like a week aft release but didn't have enough money to get it so I went back a month later and it was already gone off of the shelves. I still got it from Amazon but I agree that it's a pretty petty thing to do to authors
This is just like the big corporations. Petty and controlling.
Another option people should consider is buying the audio book from Audible, as I did. Worldwide availability and Ms. B's lovely voice reading it to you!
Not really that petty to give someone low priority on shelves if they publicly insulted you is it?
It was a bit more than that. The Bookseller caused the problem by disregarding the release date. Ms. Blackery could have handled the situation better, but the tweets were removed and that should have been it. Instead, the Bookseller went overboard and basically wanted to 'teach her and other authors a lesson' and deliberately handicapped sales to both Ms. Blackery AND their own detriment.
Jason Sender
Really fucking petty though to refuse to wait 3 fucking days for the official release date because fuck you I'm rich and you don't matter to me.
But what if the contract didn't mention an embargo? And as she mentioned, that was the way this company handled publications. I don't see fault in the company for doing what they did. Emma should have handled it a lot more diplomatically. Because that's what it's like to work with companies in general. A lot of releases and a lot of dates. So quality control and guidelines for putting books on shelves could have slipped.
But Emma defaming the company has lasting effects despite the tweets being taken down. Just like the lack of advertising hurt her book sales in the long run too.
I can’t see it being some massive secret that this bookseller don’t agree to embargoes. The publisher are at fault for not correctly passing on information to Emma, and Emma should have had more tact.
I was actually wondering why I couldn't find it anywhere when I went to London, I wanted to buy it when I was there to avoid shipping costs. This cleared it up
You can get it from bookdepository.com. They have free shipping.
@@Kaivijs thanks, ill check it out!!!
I worked for this company for five years and never thought I'd find myself defending them but here we are - the onus here should have been on your publisher to explain to you that there was no embargo, as you said embargoes are rare these days and I was personally relieved when that became the case, the books would show up as in stock on our system but couldn't be sold and customers found this extremely frustrating so it really didn't do anything for the bookseller/customer relationship (sidenote - the worst shop for violating embargoes was actually WHSmiths, even if it meant they'd get fined). The books come into the warehouse because the publisher/printer sent them early, and the staff in the shops put them out because they assume most authors would like their book out on display and being sold rather than stuck in boxes in the basement. I know you acknowledge your mistake but it really shows that in any situation like this your first reaction should be to contact your publisher and ask why the books are out, rather than posting on twitter for thousands of people to see. I've been in similar situations but have learned to sit on my hands and deal with it privately first.
Regarding sale in the shops - the system may have changed since I left last year, but back then if enough people go in the shop and order the book in it will usually end up getting stock ordered for the whole shop once the numbers go up. Unless someone is sitting at head office stopping that from happening, I'm not sure how far they're willing to go to hold this grudge as you just told them to screw themselves so who knows!
I love how human you are. I mean, stuff goes bad in your life, the things you try sometimes go to shit, and you are just so relatable. It's amazing.
This is why you don't go off on rants on social media. Yeah you can be so angry and I know that and things get frustrating but it just baffles me how you didn't think that it would go this way. That company is going to think well stuff you if you're going to bad mouth our company. At the end of the day, they're a bookseller.
Also, don't just believe something because somebody tells you. Do your own research and make sure that is the correct information.
// courtenay // Why shouldn't she believe the people she's working with that are trying to get her book to succeed. She didn't know. Besides, the video was more to spread awareness that this could happen to other authors. She understands that she should not have bashed them on Twitter.
amiablehacker Because misinformation spreads and people don't always have the correct information so always make sure that any information you receive is correct
// courtenay // Ok, that's fine. But people usually don't have time to confirm everything everyone has ever told them. I agree that Emma could have done her own research. But I can understand why she would assume that she was getting all the info she needed.
amiablehacker It's worth trying to find out though given it's your own book. Maybe I'm just an anxious person and like to find out for myself if the information I am receiving is correct. I've also just been taught to not believe everything you hear and do your own research.
I really appreciate this side of you. Listening to you being honest and opening up about your experiences is really refreshing.
This in no way is "hate" towards you, more so my thoughts.
It seems as though from you saying you wouldn't apologise to the bookseller means you didn't actually learn anything. You aren't the one who is being punished, it was your publishers who had to get the lashing in the end I imagine. You saying you were sorry for not being sorry seemed a bit unneeded. Because that's how it ends up being if you don't self publish.
Exactly. She made all the mistakes but still holds the bookseller accountable because she still doesn't understand that she got the treatment most authors get. She wanted a special treatment, had a hissy fit, and now wants to "take responsibility" to play the victim card and..sell more books? No idea...but if the bookseller sees the video, they will probably feel completely satisfied that they made the right decision with her book. She's not someone I'd want to help make a success if I were a bookseller.
No author should get this sort of treatment - it is completely unethical and should NOT be the norm.
but this is how the book industry works. the authors GET this treatment because in most cases this is customary. just because we didn't know about this make it unfair. there are ways how things go and not knowing them and acting out will have consequences
It's the price you pay if you don't self publish or find a different market to sell your books with your publisher.
She isn't naive because she's in the music industry, to a certain extent she knows the risks of going with big companies. Is it right? Course not. Does not justify going on a large platform and black listing yourself. She said she's sorry to her publisher but still made this video. I can't imagine the damage that will happen to them now as if what happened wasn't worse enough.
i finished reading it a couple of weeks ago and loved every page 💜 we're all so proud of you for writing a book in the first place
Did you really insult a company that distributes your book on Twitter? Are you serious? Lol why would they promote you when you did the opposite to them? Come on... business 101. When you have an issue with a partner, you talk to them through your agent/published and not on social media, that’s what children do.
You're so inspiring! It's awesome how you've spend so much time on your book! And don't regret it. I'm gonna buy your book soon! :)
so you acted unprofessionally and suffered the consequences ? twitter is not the place you go to when it comes to business . i really dont think that you're a victim here. the only victims are your publishers. Just finished the whole video and youre really digging yourself a deeper hole.I feel like you didnt learn from what you just talked about for 18 minutes.
I love how genuine you are. It is such a rarity on social media.
I work in the bookseller you refer to, and this video made me so angry. Please remember Emma that we have no obligation to even stock your book in the first place, never mind actively promote it. Your book is one of many very samey books written by youtubers which at the end of the day, only really appeal to viewers/fans/followers. And if you are going to publicly bad mouth the company, why SHOULD we promote it for you? If I’m being honest, you have a sense of entitlement around this which doesn’t sit well with me. Yes you spent a year working on it and obviously worked hard on it, but so do all other authors. Writers spend years trying to get published and put their heart and soul into their work. TH-camrs get their books published so quickly purely because they’re a name and a face, while authors who have spent their lives writing and trying to get their work out there struggle. I get that you wanted your book to do well, but you should probably be more realistic given you’re a first time author - if you can even say author. As for it disappearing, that’s just not true. We have it in my store.
I know this message is very negative but honestly I’m really disappointed in this video and your behaviour around the whole thing. As a bookseller and as writer myself who one day hopes to be published, it’s depressing to see you talk shit about a company which DOES care so much about authors and customers and everyone else in between. Something which 100% cannot be said about a certain online store.
Wren Woodard i’d rather be a “nobody” than an arrogant, entitled youtuber who thinks the world owes her something because she has some subscribers
I see three groups that have to take a share of blame for this.
1) Whoever told you there was an embargo. I'm assuming it was someone from the publishers but they should have known that the bookseller (we'll call them Wetrocks) don't follow publisher embargos. At the least they should have known it was a possibility.
2) You for the tweets. You were completely justified in what you were saying, given the info that you had, but from your own experience you should have known it could end bad before finding out all the details. That's not me having a go at you, I'm just pointing out what you now know yourself. :-)
3) Wetrocks for having complete disregard to an author just because they don't have clout. They were being and have been totally petty. Even if they weren't willing to apologise, because in their minds they dd nothing wrong, they could have handled it far better, especially as you removed the tweets pretty quickly.
I feel for you Emma, having seen how much effort you put into your book. It's kind of a pity that you don't aim to be a well known author, then you could ban Wetrocks from ever selling your future books.
lwaves wetrocks 😂
lwaves WETROCKS IM DEAD
w e t r o c k s 😂😂😂 i am wheezing 😂😂😂
So from WetRocks I’m guessing it’s Waterstones 😂
H2OPebbles?
I work in a bookstore and I’m pretty sure we still have a copy of your book. However, we weren’t given a clear embargo for the release of your book, we would have been in huge trouble if we had sold it before its release date, and because of the rise more competitive markets, that often means that we have to put out stock as soon as we receive it. Within stores we try and maintain our own individuality, which can allow us to promote specific titles (such as your own), which we did. So whilst some stores may have ignored Feel Good 101, others made an effort sell it.
But, it’s true that larger authors tend to have more clout. There’s much more buzz around their titles so tough embargoes are enforced, because of this we tend to hold their titles for longer as they continually sell, which is very helpful when competing with online retailers.
I never got around to buying your book because I could never find it anywhere in Australia. Bloody Target still sells Tyler Oakley’s book but I’ve never even see yours in an actual bookstore(no shade). I’ve been a viewer of yours for years and would love to support your book, so I’ll probably just order it online soon. Proud of you for speaking out, even if it was in a fit of anger. I hope you still cherish your book for what it is even if it did ‘flop’.
Have you tried amazon or ebay.
Shadow Heart no amazon down here and ebay usually doesn’t profit straight to the author. Even if the book isn’t in stores, bookstore websites usually might have copies so I’ll check there soon.
Go to Book Depository. It's about $20 on there at the moment and it's free shipping worldwide.
I got my copy from Dymocks. They advertised it in the magazine too i think so thats something
LucySavill yea I was going to suggest book depository too 😊 I use that site all the time, it’s very good!
I did notice that I couldn’t find feel good 101 in any book stores and sadly never bought it despite wanting to which I guess is proof it could have done better. I think you deserved to know when your book was being released and it’s pretty shady to exclude you from the tour list etc.
I love you omg ive watched you since i was like 14 but then i slowly stopped watching over the years. Now at 19 ive started watching again bc you're so real and we really need that. All the best x
Current employee of said bookseller and if something is not on the embargo list that we are provided with then the standard procedure is to get the stock out onto the shop floor as soon as possible. We frequently receive stock of books prior to their advertised release dates and there simply isn’t the space back of house to store everything for multiple days. The embargo list is admittedly generally pretty short but is not limited to the J.K. Rowlings of the world and I can’t help but feel that some miscommunication happened along the way which led you to be under the impression that your book would be embargoed until it’s official release date. Us booksellers are some of the best people working on the high street, but at the end of the day we have to follow what information we are provided by head office. I’m sorry that you were treated unfairly, but I think in this instance mistakes were made on both sides and hopefully this can be a lesson to everyone involved 💛
Imagine having a library full of TH-camr books!
That would be a special kind of hell lol
Watching your videos recently has made me fall back in love with you. You're being real and raw and taking blame and responsibility for your maybe not so great actions but also reflecting on others actions. I recently went into one of these bookseller's stores that I think you're taking about looking for a specific book and, despite it being popular amongst the internet fandom, they mysteriously had no books in stock. The author is honest and outspoken like yourself so this makes me think this isn't the first time this has happened. I'm so proud of you for writing your book though, it's an amazing piece of work💖
I bought your book as soon as it came out in Germany and I really loved it, you did an awesome job and you should be proud of yourself!
I got your book late September in Manchester, and there was a table completely covered in your books with your signature. It was sign posted and everything
I’ll keep this in mind for sure when I get mine published. I’ve heard stories like this before and it sounds awful. I’m so sorry this happened to you, I hope it gets resolved or at least doesn’t happen to anyone else.
You said you heard from other people in the book industry about the term embargo. 3:43 Not from your publishers stating there was one on your book. someone else commented who worked for that company saying your book wasnt on the embargo list. So therefore the book store could realese it whenever and they didnt break the embargo. Correct me if im wrong, but it sounds like you heard information from someone and believed them without researching to find out if it was accurate and if your book was covered- then again shouldnt the publishers take care of all of this- i would argue they've let you down especially since they haven't even replied to you about paper back. 🤷♀️ then again- I'm not sure their going to be very happy about this video and I'm suprised its still up. Emma i like you, I do but I feel like you've made a few mistakes here- yes the book store shouldnt have hindered your book sales but if someone publicly blasted you on social media would you want to help them and advertise them when they haven't even apologised to you? I may be totally wrong but it reads to me that they werent under an embargo, and if not their actions do make more sense. Calling out your publishers-publically- for not contacting you again shows unprofessionalism and i dont think it will yield the positive results you want.
Skulls n Roses my point is the embargo system itself is flawed. All books, like albums, should be released on the intended release date, and stores that do it early to beat their competitors should be reprimanded for bad ethics. I say how this is my fault the entire way through the video, not sure what more you want
If publishers don’t want books to be sold until the scheduled pub date then they shouldn’t send them out to the company until just before. The only reason your book would have been put out on sale is because the warehouse received it early from the publisher, sent it stores and because there was no official embargo (which there isn’t on 99%) of books it was put on to shelves. It sucks but it stems from the publishers tbh
Emma Blackery Absolutely I agree with you, but It comes across that there wasn't an embargo on your book- thats the point I was making and if there wasn't then the book store didnt break that so i can understand them being pissed at being publically blasted on social media and therefore not promoting your book. It seems your stating there just should be an embargo on all books- well yes of course I agree but it seems there isn't. It's not about what more i want from you. I'm just trying to point a couple of things out. My other point is calling out your publishers again publically because they havnt been in contact with you doesnt come across as professional and is a bit like the status on Twitter at the book store but with less anger. It's not going to bring you anything good. This video may bring recognistion to your book and boost some sales but at the cost of saying fuck you book store that released your book early and closing any opportunities with them in the futute and blasting your publisher. It doesn't seem a good trade off. That's all I was trying to point out-not that you should be more sorry. Like I said I do like you emma, thats why I wrote the comment because although it isn't supportive in the sense of agreeing with you i feel like its not a great decision to have this video up. I could be wrong with some things I've said because i'm not in the book selling buisness or anything so if so, I do apologise i'm just saying how ive read things. If there was an embargo on your book and they broke it then i agree their douches, its not like I'm on their side, I guess I just think from a buisness standpoint this doesn't look great to future brands etc you may work with.
Honestly, why should the public hold you to a different standard? If anybody else pops off on twitter, they'd be "cancelled", they'd dragged, everyone would be up their arse giving them all this hate. Like I'm not saying that should receive all of this hate but come on, how did you think for a second that would fix things? Also, I'm so sick of these TH-camrs not reading contracts, or getting more involved, etc. God forbid you have to put in extra hours at your job 🙄
And as a 26 year old, seriously, you are a grown woman.
Sounds like you should learn to not vent to Twitter, like you said. Please just call a friend or post it on a personal account somewhere only for your friends to see. You're only ruining your career / projects this way and the short relief of getting it off your chest is not worth the consequences.
I've never known a book to not be available before publication date except for a certain few. They get sent our early by everyone including Amazon, Book Repository, WHSmith, and the bookseller who must not be named. As for the charts, all sales before the end of the first official week are counted, hence why pre-sales are counted in the first week.
Yeah, I've heard that the books sold early still count towards the week of release, but it's also just the practice of it that makes me angry. It's done to steal sales from other retailers.
emma, your book is amazing i loved it and it helped me a lot.. I'm so happy that you took the time to write that and really thankful
'Would I have done anything differently? No. I stood up for what I believe in.' Ayyyyyy
I got your book a few days after I was released and it was SO hard to find. I'm genuinely upset that it didn't do better than it did because it was an awesome read!
I got your book for my birthday, last November after being so excited to read it! However, I’ve never seen it in any books stores!! I loved your book!!xxx
i only ever saw your book once in a local bookstore, just after the tour and then never saw it again. it made me so sad because there were all the other “youtube books” except yours. i love yours personally despite it being hard to get hold of in stores.
It sucks , i admire your honesty and i love you !!! Stay strong , you are the best ♥️ i feel so sorry for you ...
Your book is not selling well, that's why the bookseller is not buying it. Also, those tweets didn't help either. But, this conspiracy about the bookseller compromising their own sales figures ?? Sounds like a load of baloney. Obviously, you haven't learned your lesson - YOUR being petty. You don't even know, perhaps the earlier release date was better (so it wouldn't coincide with other book releases).
Feel impulsive 101
The Roar Within lmaoooo this is what happens when you can't maintain a professional manner
At the end of the day, even if her not tweeting could have helped her book sell, either waterstones or whoever didn't enforce the embargo is the one to blame. But I find it kind of weird that there werent any legal repercussions for breaking the embargo... Generally those are written into legally binding contracts, and there's a hefty fine for breaking it built in too.
Rafael Dos Santos So connect the dots then. It is unlikely that this embargo was legally binding if no legal action was taken, given that she would be assured a victory. It is, then, the publishers fault for not making this embargo binding and assuming that all sellers would stick to their wishes.
the other day i went into a known book store and in the 'feel good' section ( like about mental health and feeling better ) and yours was on display, standing in the middle of all the other books, so everyone could see it clearly. i felt proud.
Now I feel bad for buying your book before the official release...
I was just really exited to suddenly see it up on the shelves and didn't know that it wasn't supposed to be sold yet :/
Don't be, I think Emma is mad at the publisher, not the people who bought the book.
Don't feel bad. Especially if you didn't know.
Jadyn Quynn -- She is mad at the bookseller
Jadyn Quynn she's not mad at the publisher. She said that multiple times. She's mad at the bookseller.
Jam Brownies who was the bookseller?
I only just came across your channel a few weeks ago - only because I don't spend a whole lot of time on TH-cam. In any case, about a week after I started watching some of your videos, I found one that mentioned your book - and immediately ordered it on Amazon (not even sure if it's in US bookstores). I'm really excited to read it when I get home from travelling.
Additionally, I appreciate your honesty and openness in your videos!
I’ve just ordered one off of amazon to show my support for your hard work and dedication that you spent a year working on
"They compromised their sales figures" - why would such a huge business be that petty? Maybe they just decided as a business it wasn't a good book and worth promoting. It's still in print and on Amazon, it's not like they killed the book dead, it just hasn't sold well. Your publishers should be in charge of promoting it, getting you on TV and podcasts and radio to drive Amazon sales. They haven't done their part, but they probably hoped you'd work harder to drive sales at your end too.
I bought the book and I’m not a die hard fan. I occasionally tune in to your channel and social media pages as I enjoy the content you put out but my reasons for buying the book were purely because I was experiencing a period of severe depression and wanted to utilise every resource that could help me regain my strength and positivity and your book did just that!
Thank you for writing such a great book and sharing your experiences with us all.
her honest videos like this make me so anxious oml
Honestly, I loved your book so much. It’s such a shame that it’s ‘flopped’ because it’s such a good book, and I love it such a ton.
i’ve been watching you since 2013. it’s kind of weird, but i’m so proud of how much you’ve grown as a person. it’s so hard to admit that something failed because of your own behavior and it really shows maturity and a lot of respect.
well in Australia there is a paperback in Dymocks online (and in some stores as far as i can tell by searching the location thing on the website) The cover is just said "to be revealed".
Angus & Robertson store have it online but I can't tell if it's in stores (to be fair most of their shop locations have been closing so i think they are mostly online these days anyway)
Booktopia have it online (again unsure on physical stores) with a new one coming in September 2018 that says its the 6th release so maybe it has a different cover idk?
im sure there are other retailers but those are the main ones i could think of.
Most bookstores here are online with very few still around as physical shops so its hard to check in-store or some websites don't give you the ability to search for store location where it is in stock.
Oops, you did it again.....
Captain Spaulding I wonder when she will destroy her channel completely
I actually really loved your book! It helped me with dealing with school/anxiety
But who told you there would be an embargo ? If it was your publisher then they should've made it clear to you that the 'big' bookseller wouldn't honour that and then you wouldn't have been shocked and angered and you wouldn't have tweeted. So your publisher let you down too. Oh and your paperback is still on pre-order at Amazon for release September 6th 2018.
I agree I should have been forewarned and wasn't. Also, I've had no confirmation from my publishers that the paperback will be released. We've asked, but had no contact back at all confirming it.
So you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. Not saying what you said was right, but it was understandable. When you stress to a first time author how important an embargo is and they then see it being broken, you're going to get a reaction - that's just human nature, you can't switch that off. Nice though your publisher might be, they failed to do their job adequately on this occasion.
I was thinking this too! They would have known these shops don’t listen and release things early.. A simple warning probably would have stopped any of this from happening... hopefully they (like Emma) have also learned from their mistakes and will warn people about this next time..
the first place i saw the book was in tesco (i think it still sells it). it clicked with me that i only saw it on the shelf in the bookstores you're talking about (and not out in windows etc) during the month of the release. i got it during the book tour (in glasgow, woo!). honestly, i haven't really seen it since a week or two after the tour ended.
when you mentioned you were selling your book! i preordered it straight away! i love it and you did amazing x
hmmm sounds like water stones
yes it was just an opinion, i also know that water stones can be a bunch of ass's after i worked there
I was thinking of wh smith 👀
Definitely it's Waterstones
Daniela I’ve not seen many people do tours with them, Waterstones have had lots of youtubers tour with them
yeh it was waterstones if i remember correctly
I loved the book so much and I just want to thank you for how much the book and you have helped me. You're amazing, thank you so much
i’m so sorry it flopped :( i know you spent so so much time on that book and it sucks it didn’t do better.
if it makes you feel any better, i loved your book. i loved it. it means a lot to me for many reasons - it helped me through some stuff i was going through at the time but it’s the book that got me back into reading. i stopped reading for about 5 years due to suffering depression and loss of motivation to read, but after reading your book i fell in love with reading all over again. so thanks i guess.
I loved, and still love, the book. I pre-ordered it on amazon and downloaded it on audible. I still listen to it when I need motivation. Thank-you x
I absolutely loved your book, I was inspired and encouraged and interested and amazed
I generally can’t remember seeing your book in any shops but I managed to come across it at my local library :) I know this doesn’t help sales and stuff but it was nice to see a TH-camrs book in a place for everyone to enjoy x
i know i’m only one person in hundreds of thousands but i just wanna say your book helped me so much!! so thank you, i go back to it all the time, i love you💛💛
I preordered the book and got it as soon as it came out as audio and love it so much it seriously helps me so much and Emma we all love you so much 💛💛
Props to Emma for always being respectful while telling her side cause wow that’s a rare site amongst “story time” type videos 👏🏻💗
Just wanna say I really enjoyed your book. A lot. I pre-ordered it. I had seen it plenty in Ireland btw! You're fantastic! Keep doing what you do.
I’ve seen your book for about a week where I’m from in my local bookstore which is really sad cos your book is amazing and I can tell you spent your whole soul into it I wish you got more hype cos you are an amazing TH-camr/ musician/writer 💖
I bought the book on Amazon on pre-order, then bought another one for your signing, then bought another one for my best friend 1 week later, it's my favourite book, genuinely
I just finished reading Feel Good 101 on Friday. In my opinion it was a great read and I can relate to the topics pretty well. Thank you for it!
If the seller was WH Smith or Waterstones.. I saw it one week, didnt have the money to buy it, and when i came back the next week, it wasn't there, asked about it and said it went into syndication and had to be pulped.
WOW.
ye.. wasn't the best news.. have a link to a plce that sells it still?
there's an amazon link in my description, do you know which seller said that to you?
WH Smith. Waterstones acted like the book never existed.
I'll get the book the next time i have a credit for Audible :P If you do not think so, your voice is great :P
Audiobook bought :P glad that was available.. would never have known if it were not for this video
The book depository still has it on their site.
I bought your book as soon as it came out. I personally really love it. I saw it in the teen section in Waterstones; however I went back soon after and it wasn’t there as I wanted to get it for a friend but I just assumed that they had all sold out
You're right, I haven't actually seen your book at all. I tend to go to book shops every week and I don't think I have ever seen yours but of course I always see old books from other TH-camrs
I’m really sad that I only found your channel recently, which meant I couldn’t buy your book when it first came out, I’m still trying to find a copy! X
At least some of us loved it, me included :) It helped me through a lot last year in which both one of my brothers and best friends passed away. Worst year of my life and your book, along with Jack's PMA, as said helped me through a lot of it
I loved your book Emma! You wrote something from the heart and it was genuine! The people who read it wanted to and you should be super proud Emma. Well done xx
I was always able to find your book in bookstores in Dublin! And it was heartwarming to see your book although i was never able to get it, I’ve read bits of it tho and i loved it and absolutely will get it as soon as i can
I've been reading the book on audible for the past two weeks and I'm loving it. It's so honest and relatable.
as soon as u started talking about the book tour i KNEW who it was. i met you in glasgow and i’ll admit the atmosphere was quite...iffy. we were given the books in plastic bags and there weren’t copies on shelves or anything.
I live in Canada and I got a paperback cover with the same design as the hardback and I’m glad I got it ❤️
I worked for a short period of time as a bookseller and I hated having to put books out knowing it was before their release date. It's to do with space and I lost count of how many times it was a health and safety risk having to climb over books in the back of the shops just to go on break. It's strange because I often see your book in stores and i actually bought the audio a while back and loved it!
I really loved your book, I went to your tour and met you and you were really nice to me and my mum (who filmed me meeting you) and I’ve read your book so many times ❤️
Really sorry to hear this happened to you. I agree, something in the industry needs to change. Authors (especially newer authors) should be respected when it comes release dates. It isn't fair that book distributors can pick and choose what authors they can respect.
'I didn't want it to be a I'm a TH-camr and this is my hard life kind of book' Well it was hardly going to be the next Beowulf was it
This was really brave of you to post! Thank you for calling out the book industry. I had no idea about the issues you discussed with booksellers releasing books early.
Your book is amazing, it has helped me loads x