Book-Readings

It happens once in a while, when some author of repute visits the city. His visit is typically to publicize his recent work and to get people to buy them. His itinerary is supported by some bookstore-chain and others gambling on sales and publicity gains from his visit and event management teams take a dip at the prospective visit. The itinerary is an object worthy of note. It is a jam-packed plan. The author would have to hop cities hundreds of kilometers apart on flights every single day (the longer he stays, more money will need to be spent-and that would load the businesses involved with heavy losses, considering the 5-star accommodation and amenities that need to be provided to him and also that air travel is cheaper than lodging). And the author will have little personal time at his disposition for him to run some of his errands, touring the cities and some shopping. Once the itinerary is finalized and the author agrees to the demanding travel plan (the man has no say in it - the plan is to get the ball rolling so the co-conspirators can get their pockets lined, and any small changes he suggests will be considered only after a lot of thought and heavy petting), things get in motion. The hotel suites are booked and confirmed. The flights are booked and confirmed. All the treasure hunters on this mission set to work, assigning people to each spot on the itinerary. The spot person has several priority tasks at hand - identifying overlooked items that will need to be fixed, filling the gaps at each location and setting up teams and educating them to suit the master of the house, getting placards, advertisement boards and sponsor advertisements in place, notifying the local press about the visit and placing advertisements on every available inch on the daily media. The tasks intensify in the run up to the actual visit and everyone is on their toes through to the actual day of visit. And then, the day comes. The author would reach the airport after enduring hours of brut tiresome international air travel. The retinue would receive his at the airport, fuss over him and move him to his hotel suite. Once he checks in, things turn very intense - everyone is waiting for him so they can get on with the thing. The moment the guy steps out of his shower, he is rushed through to the venue. The poor man would be driven through rush hour traffic of the evening, so he could experience the high-adrenaline city life (no wonder many of them prefer the countryside) and his worn-out body taken to the venue of his bookreading, where there could be countless people waiting for him with copies of his works they had bought at the store (assured leap in profits). The man is put to his first ordeal. He starts by greeting the crowd and narrating to them some well-rehearsed lines, among them some real-life incidents and some reel-life incidents. The story-telling is in no way related to the book (except for the mere reading of the synopsis on the back of the book or the mere mention of it being there). It is done in 15 minutes at the most and later, the audience is given the opportunity to belittle the man or throw him a laurel wreath at will. It proceeds with the silliest of questions put forward by savants participating in the gathering, the counts of which are acutely limited (time is a key factor - the writer needs to survive past that and endure the inevitable ordeal of signing books). As soon as the session comes close to an end, people line up and form serpentine queues and every individual walks to the author with a bright face, handful of books in hand (one is never an option. Sometimes, an entire collection and at others, multiple copies of the same book). To keep the smiles in place and the excitement in the environment intact, the man who barely finished his toilet toils through the books signing a fancy name below names and keeping people happy. That is the toughest part - like tightrope walking on a silk thread. Once all this is done, the author is taken back to his hotel, provided with supper (not much eaten out of weariness - bills saved thereby), promised a number of better arrangements for the next place on the itinerary and left to himself. All that said - where is the book-reading in all this? So, dad/dude reads the book and tells me the story - so what am I doing with the copy I got? Time was wasted in going to the venue, hearing the people talk, waiting in line to get the book signed (really, what do people think getting so many book when there are hundreds behind them) and travelling back. Why don't eBooks sellers get a handwriting software at their source and thereby eliminate the wait like? That way, the status you are updaing is the writing secton againste people and their personal message and thereby customize the entire thing - no need for any book reading sessions. Looks like we may have some room to do that. 3