She's the reason I get books by my favorite author the first week they're released, I didn't know how important those numbers are, til she took the time to explain it on her LJ.
Also have to get Caitlin Kiernan's new novel that same day. Yay for new books.
I agree, and have boosted signal on my LJ and have asked my local bookstore to reserve a copy for me, and explained politely that it was very important to me to buy it between March 6 and March 13.
Far too often, people who are fans of an author or performer will begin to feel as if they have a personal relationship with the individual. If something happens that makes them feel as if the celebrity has somehow betrayed them, or not lived up to their expectations, the love can turn to hate in an eyeblink. (I saw something very similar happen here in New Jersey last week, regarding the funeral of Whitney Houston. Fans in the street were expressing anger that they were being deprived of the "right" to attend her funeral. They obviously felt that their fan status somehow entitled them to the same privileges at the poor woman's family.)
Sometimes it can be tough to draw the line. Fans may also be more forgiving of mistakes because it's easier to forgive friends. What's happening with Seanan definitely crosses the line. The fan-friend would say "oops, no big deal not your fault" but the fan-neutral could be more upset. (And as I understand this situation, Amazon did goof up so any resentment should be directed at them.)
I could also point out the obvious feelings people have for George Lucas as another extreme example of how the line is blurred. Someone (I forget who, maybe Wil Wheaton) wrote a list of "fan rights" and boundries with a "performer's/author's obligations". Things like "a performer is obligated to perform at the best of their ability regardless of audience size and not slack off because only a few people showed up" and "buying a CD does not mean you get to barge up to a performer when they're busy and demand an autograph".
We need to be reminded of that every now and then.
For what it's worth, I just came across this on the Amazon page for the physical book: "While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!)
We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible."
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Also have to get Caitlin Kiernan's new novel that same day. Yay for new books.
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What?!?
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I could also point out the obvious feelings people have for George Lucas as another extreme example of how the line is blurred. Someone (I forget who, maybe Wil Wheaton) wrote a list of "fan rights" and boundries with a "performer's/author's obligations". Things like "a performer is obligated to perform at the best of their ability regardless of audience size and not slack off because only a few people showed up" and "buying a CD does not mean you get to barge up to a performer when they're busy and demand an autograph".
We need to be reminded of that every now and then.
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"While this item is available from other marketplace sellers on this page, it is not currently offered by Amazon.com because customers have told us there may be something wrong with our inventory of the item, the way we are shipping it, or the way it's described here. (Thanks for the tip!)
We're working to fix the problem as quickly as possible."
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