#also me at the bookstore

[cozylittleartblog]

here comes the boy ~ hello boy ✨

cleaned up a couple of the vash doodles i did while learning to draw him :)

[jameskinniesrise]

@jegulus-microfic | april 29 | prompt: fixate | words: 237

Remus couldn't understand why James had suddenly become so fixated on books. He was in and out of the bookstore almost every day. It first started on Lily's birthday. James had forgotten to buy her a gift and just went to a random bookstore near her house. Since then, Remus has noticed James buying a new book every week. James hated reading, so why would he go to a bookstore so often?

James was late for his shift again, so Remus decided to text him. Then he realised he could see James' location on Snapchat. Sirius had forced Remus to download it, but it had one good use. He could track Sirius and James.

Upon checking James' location, he realised that James was at that bookstore. Again. Remus decided to go to this bookstore himself. What was so great about it?

Remus reached the bookstore and peeked through the window, and there was James, chatting with the cashier. The cashier had short black hair and grey eyes, kind of like Sirius'. He smirked at something James had said. Remus then realised what was going on. James fancied the cashier. No wonder he's been emptying his wallet on books for the last three weeks.

Just as Remus was about to leave, he noticed James lean in for a kiss. He sighed with a smile and walked back to his car. James probably wasn't going to make his shift that evening.

[geryone]

Fighting the urge to kill customers is so #retail

[zecoritheweirdone]

eyyyy,, guess who's been drawing more of that hc x msa au?

been making a lot of scene redraws/edits for the past few days,, buuut i'm not quite done with them yet,, so i'll prolly share them another time. until then- here's a lil pearl design! mostly made these to finalize her design,, since the next scene i'm doing involves lewis,, sksnsks.

[slicedblackolives]

in theory thrifting for books in delhi sounds fun in practice it is just perusing stacks and stacks of libertarian self help books, celebrity biographies, harry potter, tech ceo biographies, sarvakar for english speaking hindutvadis, ian mcewan, colleen hoover, john grisham, jeffery archer, sherlock holmes anthologies, chetan bhagat and his knock-offs, the shiva trilogy and its cringe ilk, and a couple of copies of the cromwell trilogy.

[brechtian]

(Mostly Signed!! YA + Sanderson) books I own and am extremely willing to sell for cheaper than average listings bc I don’t want them anymore. a lot are hardcovers (heads up most are signed but some include personalization with my name sorry. if ur name is Ella congrats tho). All are very very good quality or like new bc I was delicate with my books when I was younger (prices are for the lot of every book described in a listing and all are negotiable!)

Six of crows & crooked kingdom (1st/1st) both signed - $90 + shipping

Shadow & bone (hc) and siege & storm (pb) both signed and original covers - $75 + shipping

divergent books, all signed with inscriptions - $100 + shipping

mistborn second gen (wax and wayne), bands of mourning is a signed 1st/1st, alloy of law is a used 1st/1st, shadows of self is a used 1st/1st. $150 + shipping SOLD

Alloy of law 1st/1st former library copy - $45 + shipping

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson trilogy, firefight & calamity 1st eds hardcovers; steelheart just paperback. $35 + shipping SOLD

hardcover signed copies of first dragonsteel editions of legion and legion: skin deep by Sanderson, rare - $75 + shipping SOLD

Darkest minds trilogy + companion novel, first two books signed, all except first book hardcover - $80 + shipping

All of lunar chronicles and fairest signed; cress, winter, & fairest are hardcovers and 1st/1sts as well. Winter has an exclusive stamp. All include personalizations “To Ella” - $125 + shipping

heartless and renegades by meyer signed hardcover 1st/1sts with inscriptions - $50 + shipping

First five books & companion novel for throne of glass, all first ed hardbacks except the first one I believe. Queen of shadows is signed and has the empire of storms signature tour stamp, empire of storms is signed, and heir of fire has the empire of storms tour stamp. Lot is $500 + shipping, individual book prices vary. SOLD

First two acotar books with original covers, both hardbacks. Acotar is first printing. Acomaf is a special signed first edition/printing with a page insert declaring its special binding, first edition status, & signature. Together $250 + shipping SOLD

Literally the entire The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney none are signed but I own all fucking thirteen and the companion book in original covers, mix of paperback & hardback - $100 + shipping

Grave mercy (paperback) & mortal heart (hardcover) both signed - $45 + shipping

The Entire selection trilogy & sequel trilogy all signed. Sequel trilogy are all hardbacks, original trilogy paperbacks. - $185 + shipping

Boys I loved before trilogy + summer I turned pretty, all signed except for always and forever Lara Jean. Mix of hardcover and paperback. - $100 + shipping

Anna and the French kiss trilogy, last two books are signed, all paperback and the colored cityscape covers - $50 + shipping

Everything everything by Nicola yoon signed paperback + sun is also a star signed hardcover - $95 + shipping

Unsigned lot of 5 rainbow Rowell books, four of which are hardbacks; carry on & landline are 1st/1sts - $95 + shipping

Ember in the ashes first three books by sabaa tahir, first two signed paperbacks; third one unsigned hardcover - $60 + shipping

Brandon Mull: signed hardcover holographic copy of the first beyonders book, all the fablehaven books (all paperback mix of new and old covers, but all are signed except book 5, and book 1 is double signed.), and signed hardcover first ed of dragonwatch - $110 + shipping

Not signed but I do own the entire Artemis fowl series minus the time paradox: $70 + shipping (mixed paper and hardback)

Daughter of smoke and bone trilogy by Laini Taylor all signed paperbacks in original covers - $125

Scythe & thunderhead, thunderhead is signed - $60 + shipping

Original pjo covers all paperback, the lightning thief and battle of the labyrinth are signed SOLD for $200

I also have pjo hardcover the ultimate guide with the holo cover and all of the trading cards like new and demigod diaries both 1st/1sts! - $60 + shipping

Heroes of Olympus series original covers, son of Neptune is signed. Last four books in the series are all hardcover 1st/1sts. - $125 + shipping SOLD

Pjo greek gods and Greek heroes hardcover. Heroes is signed by Rick and John Rocco, both first editions - $100 + shipping

Kane chronicle trilogy original covers, serpents shadow is 1st/1st hardcover, other 2 paperbacks - $40

Illuminae files trilogy first two books signed, all three books hardcover first editions - $200

Way of Kings signed hardback like new/unread - $100 + shipping

Hardcover signed copy of Oathbringer - $130 + shipping

Well of Ascension signed hardcover like new - $150 SOLD

Elantris signed no printing number - $150 SOLD

Warbreaker signed and inscribed w/ my name, former library copy - $95

Arcanum Unbounded signed hardcover first edition - $150 + shipping SOLD

Rhythm of War 1st/1st SOLD

Okay um there’s more but these r the main listings for now, see my reblog with the more comprehensive Sanderson listings if you are interested in his signed books (I have a lot!).

[diathadevil]

Do you ever think about how Fakir, after him and Ahiru finally broke everything that kept the town of Goldkröne in the ghostly hands of its writer, after they finally have some air of peace over the town finally being able to live in its intended early 2000s environment, that Fakir still feels at times like it's not real and that for a while he fears that if he closes his eyes it'll be back in Drosselmeyer's control. Like it just doesn't feel real to him during that first year of calm, until he feels the dull pain on his recovering hand injury and Ahiru who follows him without a pendant anywhere to be found.

He doesn't feel it's real, the calm finality of this town, but he makes sure to feel the scar on his hand. And he makes sure to hold the little duck and realize that she is who she has always been. Him and the town are finally living peacefully.

[cissa-calls]

Countdown to Coven of Chaos: Day 442

Wanda: “Alright, we can get ONE book each - are you listening Agatha?”

Agatha: “Hmmm?”

Wanda: “What did I just say?”

Agatha: “At least one book each?”

Wanda: “NO - where is…Y/N?!”

Y/N: *already several aisles over with a stack of books in their arms* “Yeah?”

Wanda: *sighs in resignation*

[xaemniax]

i am so normal about him

[chicago-geniza]

Cheers to the absolutely ancient man who called our bookstore zooted to hell and back on prescription painkillers, cheerfully informed me he had five "serious surgeries" on his back for hemiplegia, then became distraught when we could not send him a translation of Thomas Aquinas that has been out of print since 1948

[blakbonnet]

it's a truly shitty time to live in, tv is dead ✌️

[alethioschronicles]

just finished gideon the ninth tamsyn muir i'd like my heart and soul back pretty please

[sleepinglionhearts]

here, have some of the things that have been in my sketchbooks for a while

[syntax6]

Some Truest Truths about Publishing

Being a published author is a lifelong dream of mine, and many aspects of it are indeed awesome. I love telling stories and sharing them with the world. Seeing my books in a bookstore or a library will always be thrilling! Meeting new readers from all over the globe is huge fun. But there have been a bunch of “being a published author is bad for your mental health” threads lately, and I think part of why this is true is that people don’t understand how the industry works before they get into it. So, here are some things about how publishing functions that I did not know before I became part of the machine:

1. You can know your book’s likely trajectory at the time you sign the contract. The publisher decides how well your book will sell. Large publishers sell more books than mid-sized publishers, which sell more books than small- or micro-publishers. A large publisher doing minimal publicity for your book will probably still sell more copies of it than a small publisher, simply because they already have the machinery in place. But, if your large publisher does not offer you a large advance at the time of signing, they are not going to do much more than their basic-level publicity for your book. They are going to focus their efforts on books they paid a lot of money to acquire because they want to get that money back. So, if your large publisher is not offering you at least a quarter of a million dollars to acquire your book, they aren’t going to be gunning to make it a NY Times Bestseller.

2. Books are a hit-driven industry. Most books lose money so everyone is counting on the few bestsellers to finance the whole industry. This is why big names like Stephen King or Danielle Steele suck up huge amounts of the publicity budget. Publishers need their books to sell sell sell, which means reaching fans who only buy Stephen King and Danielle Steele books. These fans aren’t paying a lot of attention, so publishers need to get that “GO BUY NOW” bat signal into the sky to wake up these fans. They pull out all the advertising stops. This is why big-name authors eat up so much of the publicity budget despite being household names. Publishers need to reach those fans for each new book to ensure the book makes the $$$$ that the publishers are counting on.

3. Everyone who is in the industry is riding the same train. So when the large publishers decide which books to push (because they have paid a lot to acquire them and/or the author is already a household name), booksellers and librarians have to get on board too. Yes, librarians and independent booksellers can also promote smaller titles that they really love, and that’s GREAT, but they mostly have to march to the tune set by the large publishers. Bookstores are usually operating at razor-thin margins. They need to sell the books that people want to read. Which books do people want to read? The ones they have heard of! How did they hear about them? The big publishers spent the $ to advertise! See how it’s all connected? Libraries, too. They need to stock the titles that will rotate well; books people want to check out and read. Which ones will they stock? The ones that the large publishers are pushing, because these are the titles that people will ask for.

4. Almost nothing good happens to your book without your publisher paying for it. Often, even things that look like awards or editorial decisions involve money changing hands.

5. Because of points 1-4, the author can do very little to influence the sale of their book. Giants like Amazon or Barnes and Noble already know which books are going to be the lead titles because the publishers told them so. Outlets like the NYT know too. Libraries, indie bookstores...they all know the signs of big publisher investment. For example, if the publisher says they are going to print 250,000 copies of your book, then everyone knows the title is going to be pushed HARD. If they say they are publishing 10,000 copies, then the author has no hope of competing with the lead title. So, the author can’t, on their own, do anything to change the fate of their book. However, the author is held accountable when their book doesn’t sell, despite the fact that everyone in the industry does understand that publishers sell books, not authors.

6. Because of points 1-4, how well a book is written or how talented the author is has not much to do with how many copies the book sells. Often bestsellers are really great and the authors are extremely hardworking...but not always. And there are zillions of hugely talented, diligent authors whose books don’t sell well at all because a large publisher has never shone that kind of spotlight on them. To exist in an industry where talent and hard work don’t influence the results is maddening, and a big part of why authors go a little insane.

[harmonictechnicality]

a little follow-up to the steddie bookstore meet cute

Steve lets the storyteller finish reading the chapter before further investigation. He does this for three different reasons: 

The chapters aren’t outrageously lengthy.

Kids get extremely cranky if someone disrupts their story time.

Steve also gets extremely cranky if someone disrupts his unapologetic staring-at-cute-boys time.

He’s worked at this bookstore for 378 days. All walks of life come through this place and he’s seen them all.

Until today.

378 days and countless hours of people-watching, but Steve Harrington has never seen someone like him.

Loud clothes to match his loud voice. Knotted hair and one untied combat boot. Inked-up arms that look deceivingly like shirt sleeves.

Steve scans over his face, counting his piercings. One lip. One nose. One eyebrow. Three in each ear.

Nine piercings and that’s just the visible ones.

But before Steve starts visualizing (fantasizing) about how many more he might have, the kids start clapping. Cheering, even. The man gives a theatrical bow and sneaks past the crowd of children - making a beeline towards Steve.

“I can explain,” the man begins sputtering, hands up defensively. “I picked the wrong chair. Perceptibly cozy. Undoubtedly hard-work.”

Steve just smirks, nodding towards the novel in his ring-clad hand. “You gonna buy that?”

“Uh yeah. I mean, yes.”

Oh, Steve is making him nervous. Huh.

“Come, on.” Steve takes the book from his grasp and motions to the cash register. “You can explain further while I check you out over there.”

Which wasn’t meant to be a line, but he’s not exactly sorry that it came out that way.

“Been looking for this specific copy for years.” The man starts fumbling through his jean pockets, while he continues to babble. “Was scouring second-hand bookstore reviews on Yelp one day and saw this place is a goldmine for rare books. Figured I’d venture out here and see for myself.”

“Glad you could find what you’re looking for,” Steve states smoothly.

“In more ways than one, I hope.” He says it under his breath and not directly to Steve, but it doesn’t matter. Steve is keyed in. He hears every word. Senses fully heightened.

“The little bookworms thought you were amazing.” Steve says while simultaneously thinking, I find you pretty amazing too.

“Yeah? Pretty cool to see kids geeking out over Bilbo Baggins.”

Despite his clumsy movements, he manages to thumb open his wallet and slides Steve a credit card. Steve takes the card and inspects the name: Eddie Munson. Lets the name resonate and marinate in his mind for a brief moment.

“So you’re just passing through then?” Which could be too forward. Steve can get away with Too Forward when picking up girls, but it’s definitely more of a gamble with guys.

“That depends.”

“Depends on what?” Steve swipes the card through, then offers it back to Eddie.

Their fingertips meet in the transfer, but Eddie’s coffee brown eyes stay fixed on Steve’s lips. 

“If there’s anything else worth exploring in this town.” 

Totally worth the gamble. 

Steve bites down on his lower lip, the one that’s become Eddie’s focal point of interest, and tosses the book into a paper bag - sliding it over the register counter.

“Thanks, Steve.” Eddie says causally. Like he’s known him personally for years.

Steve raises his eyebrows.

“Name tag! I saw your name tag.” Eddie’s expression is panicky, losing all remnants of his flirtatious tone. “Shit.”

This guy is a walking contradiction. Fully clothed like he’s preparing for an anarchist uprising, but is actually a blabbering mess. Steve Harrington is just some turtleneck wearing, floppy-haired, college dropout - yet somehow he is the one making the big bad wolf skittish.

It’s honestly adorable.

“Come back anytime, Eddie.” Steve says just as casually.

Now Eddie is the one raising his eyebrow.

“Credit card.” Steve responds. “I saw your credit card.”

“Right.”

“Right.”

There’s no reason that the conversation should continue. Steve shouldn’t waste his time pining after someone that’s just traveling through with low probability of sticking around. Hawkins is practically a ghost town at this point. Nobody ever stays, except for washed-up locals like Steve and Robin.

So he knows he shouldn’t pursue this. Steve knows better not to get involved with dead-end streets leading to eventual heartbreak. But he can’t stop himself from sneaking out his phone the second Eddie leaves the store. His thumb is hovering over the Search button when Robin snatches it from his hand.

“No cellphones during store hours.” She says, inspecting the phone screen. “Oh, come on- seriously?”

“What?” He groans.

She holds the screen in front of his face. “You’re googling him?”

“So?” Steve tries to grab the phone back, but Robin dodges his attempts.

“You’re hopeless, Harrington.” She creates a wide enough gap between them to avoid Steve from taking the phone. “But as your best friend, I am legally obligated to cyberstalk any of your potential love interests.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “And what law says that?”

“The law of every rom-com movie ever made, dingus.” 

Robin taps the screen and begins scrolling, examining the search results. After a few seconds, her mouth drops open.

“No way,” Robin squeals, scrolling faster now. “No fucking way.”

“What’d you find?” Steve rushes behind her, peering over Robin’s shoulder to get a better view. 

“Look.” Robin pinches the glass screen to enlarge the article she’s discovered.

Steve slides on his burgundy reading glasses, lets his eyes adjust to the phone’s brightness. 

And he sees it. The bold letters. The key word. “Eddie hosts a podcast?”

Robin nods. “Not just any podcast.” 

She flips to the bottom of the news article and there’s an image of Eddie. He’s standing in front of a Victorian-style mansion, which Steve recognizes immediately. The Winchester Mystery House. Maybe one of the most famous haunted houses in the United States.

“Holy shit,” Steve blurts out as it finally clicks in his brain. “Eddie hosts a ghost-hunting podcast?”

[natreads]

I don't think I've ever mentioned it here but I'm trying to move out of my parents' house lmao and it's BRUTAL out here, the rents are crazy. BUT I found one with an acceptable rent that I can afford if I make sure to finish my projects quicker (it's possible, I'm just very unmotivated) or, you know, get another job which I've been trying to do for the past year and a half. anyway. it's in a good location and partly furnished and the bedroom and kitchen are in alcoves which I prefer. also five minutes from my bookstore job. I sent a message about being interested so now we cross our fingers. I'd move in feb/march so I can prepare a bit too. aahhh I really want it