Last night, a few hours after my Mom’s book was made available for pre-order on Amazon, it went to #1 on the “Sports and Outdoors List.” I shared this news with my mother, and we rejoiced.
“Oh my goodness, Michael. Does this mean my book is a bestseller?”
“Well Mom, it’s complicated. There are many Bestseller Lists out there, and I’m not sure what it means to have the number one book in a category called, “Sports and Outdoors.” But it certainly isn’t bad news.”
Shortly thereafter, Mom’s book went to #1 on a list called “Best Sellers in Rich and Famous Celebrities.” I shared this news with my mother, and she was horrified.
“Michael, are you sure that’s not a misprint? Your grandmother wasn’t rich, and neither am I! And while your little Facebook friends have certainly elevated my profile, I don’t see how anyone could confuse either one of us with a celebrity.”
(Elevated her profile!)
Several hours later, Mom’s book was at #24 on the overall list of Amazon Bestsellers. It was too late to call with that little piece of remarkable news, so I just went to bed, curious to see where the numbers would be this morning. What I found, was a message that read, “Currently Unavailable. We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.”
Mom had broken Amazon.
I called her right away with an update.
“Michael, how is that possible? How can a company as large as Amazon run out of a book that hasn’t even been printed yet? You better call Jeff Bezos and see what’s going on over there.”
“Yes, Mother. I’ll call Jeff Bezos right away. We usually catch up on the weekends anyway. I’ll let you know what he says.”
FYI, I haven’t heard back from Jeff, but I can the Kindle option is still working. Also, according to Simon and Schuster, #24 on Amazon’s Bestseller List is a very, very big deal – especially for a book that has yet to printed and won’t be shipped until mid-November. So, on behalf of my mother, thank you all so much for your support, sincerely. In the meantime, thank God for Barnes and Noble. Their site has not yet collapsed under the weight of my Mom’s Mighty Tome. Yet… https://bit.ly/2wT6ZCg
(PS. Word to the wise – Don’t call Mom a celebrity. Geez!)