Do I look like a book store?

I'm getting a bit paranoid.

In the past couple of weeks I have received several weird emails asking for information about book prices and shipping costs.

Here's one that arrived yesterday:

Dear Sales,
i will like to know the Unit price of the below medical book:
MARTINDALE  THIRTY-FIFTH EDITION VOL:1-2
Kindly let me know the total cost plus the shipping charges to one of our companys branch office in one of the west african side thank await your quick response soon.
Regards,
[name removed by kimbofo]

And another from last week:

Can you please let me know cost of Niall Williams Four Letters Of Love and what you charge to send to USA. Thank-you.

And, finally, another from a few weeks back:

Hello.

Do you have hard copies of the book  "Talk to The Hand" by Lynne Truss?

Thank you.

[Name removed by kimbofo]

My reply:

Dear [Name removed by kimbofo],

No I do not. Why do you ask?

Best,
Kim

The response:

I thought you were a bookstore. Sorry.

So now you see why I'm feeling a bit concerned. I know this blog features lots of book reviews and pictures of books, but does it really look like a book store?? Does anyone else get weird queries like this? Or is it just me? I'm seriously considering renaming this blog, in the best John Lydon/Public Image Limited tradition, THIS IS NOT A BOOK STORE.

Comments

[Rob]

You should be careful. Talking like that, you're liable to lose customers.

By the way, do you have that book that came out a couple of years ago? The cover had some blue on it, and it was by a man or a woman (I think). It may have been a DVD.

[Isabel]

I did a Yahoo search (I hate goggling.)

There are 4 Reading Matters, in order of apperance:

www.readingmatters.net
www.readingmatters.co.uk
www.readingmatters.org
and YOURS.

Perhaps you need to add to your Click to email kimbofo, in BOLD letters.

I am a bloggist, not the booksgore!

[Rob]

I fear the booksgore.

[kimbofo]

Rob, your comment brings back the full horror of working in book stores! You wouldn't believe the number of people who would ask stupid questions just like yours. I once had someone ask me for the book with the green cover -- no other info supplied. True story!

[Isabel]

Sorry about the typo on booksgore. My finger got lazy, I guess.

[Melody]

Now there's an idea....a bookstore....online...hmmm.... You're old hand at selling books aren't you? Give up your day job and sell books online.

[Rob]

Oh, I can believe it kimbofo! I too speak from experience. After a while it reaches the point where you can tell which book somebody's looking for, just from the expression on their faces before they ask. Well, almost ...

[Erin]

I don't have this happen, but then again I haven't put my email or contact on the site yet.

[Heather T.]

This just proves that some people pretend to read but are in too big a hurry to actually do that. Your blog definitely does not look like a bookstore.

[kimbofo]

Heather T, yes, I think you're right about people being in a hurry and not really taking notice. I don't list the prices of the books anywhere, so I really don't understand why anyone would think I was selling the things!

[Tiny Librarian]

I just finished 84 Charing Cross Road, in which a 20-year friendship develops over an inquiry about a book. Maybe that will happen to you! :) Of course, there is that nagging problem of you not actually being a bookstore...

[Kisane]

Too funny - and there are no prices listed with any of your books!! Maybe a subtitle in your blog header would help. :-)

[IndigoJane]

I know I'm a bit thick, but on the right hand side of your webpage, under the heading BOOST YOUR LIBRARY, there is a link to "Visit Reading Matters Bookstore". Now, my dull brain tells me I should be able to purchase books from you. To use Pauline Hanson's line,"Please explain".

[kimbofo]

Indigo Jane, if you click the link you'll discover it takes you to a different site altogether. If you go to that site, yes, you can buy books, but you can't buy book from this blog. It's a bit like this: the blog is editorial, the bookshop is commercial -- and never the twain shall meet.