My Reward for Being Proactive

Upon seeing Shriek on the new trade paperback table at a major chain store, prominently displayed, I walked up to the information desk and asked if I could sign the copies for them, to make them more attractive.Them: Sure. Go right ahead. We'll pull them off of the table.Me: Great. [signing away]Books remaining on the information desk counter, with autographed sticker on them. Me browsing. Books remaining on info desk counter. Me browsing. Books on info desk counter. Gap on new trade paperback table remaining.Me: They'll go back on the new trade paper table, right?Them: Oh, we have a more prominent place we can display them. Don't worry.Me: The new trade paperback table is fine, though. It's where they're supposed to go.Them: Oh, we have someplace better.Me: Okay, then...Next day, returning, they're spined in the SF/F section. I look at them with disbelief. They've got like 15 to 20 copies of it and it's buried in the SF/F section when it's supposed to be on the new paperback table all week. At least.I do something I've never done before. I grab five of them and nonchalantly walk up to the new paperback table and replace five copies of some travel guide with Shriek. Then walk away. I feel like a retard. But I also feel like I got shafted for doing the thing you're supposed to do: sign your books so readers are more likely to pick them up.Sure enough, too, while I'm still in the store some random browsing reader picks up Shriek and buys it. Never would've happened otherwise...because that guy might not even read SF/F and might never have gone to the SF/F section, scanned the whole section, and picked out my book. Ever.There's a larger point in here somewhere...Jeff