One day, I think I might write a book about all those funny experiences I have had in my writing journey. A good sense of humour is something every author needs to have, I’ve decided, so we can simply laugh and continue on our merry way, writing from a full and free heart.
I remember the first time someone told me they had found one of my novels in a second-hand bookshop. As a relatively new author, I was a little offended. How could someone throw away my precious book I had laboured long and hard to write? What an ignominious end for it! I remember too how I felt the first time I saw one of my early novels for sale on e-bay for some paltry amount. To rub it in, the accompanying description said: ‘First edition—signed by author!’
As I thought about it more, however, I realised there could be all manner of reasons why my books were being re-sold in these ways. With that inventive author’s mind, I could think up all sorts of interesting scenarios. Their owner had died and the relatives needed to clear out all those books so the family home could be sold. Someone had ended up with two copies. Someone had no more room on their bookshelves. Someone had loved it and just wanted to share it with others. Someone had hated it so decided at least to try to make a little money on a bad deal!
Last year, I received the following email via my website:
Just wanted to say I found ‘Jenna’ in a second-hand shop and have just finished it. Thoroughly enjoyed it—a ‘couldn’t put it down’ kind of book. I’ve mostly read Amish fiction for the last couple of years, and it was so nice to read an Aussie book. I live in the Barossa in SA and could identify with the towns you mentioned. That was fun. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful gift. I’m off to the library now to see if I can find any of your other books. Cheers and God bless
Now how did Jenna find her way into that second-hand shop in South Australia? I’ve no idea. And did poor Jenna get read before she ended up there? Who knows? Whatever her journey, I’m so glad my cyber friend found her and enjoyed her.
Then only last week, I received a lovely postcard from a lady in southern New South Wales, along with a cheque to purchase my second novel. She wrote:
Could you please send me a copy of ‘All the Days of My Life’, the sequel to ‘Heléna’, which I enjoyed very much. Bought it at our church’s book fair!’
How did my lovely Heléna find her way into those second-hand books at that book fair? Again, who knows? But how encouraging to receive that feedback—and make another sale!
You know, I don’t really mind whether my books are read first-hand or second-hand—or third-hand! Now I rejoice in it all, exercise that sense of humour and praise God that somehow my writing that has definitely come first-hand from my heart is reaching others and hopefully blessing them in the process.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Phil 4:4
Jo-Anne Berthelsen's Blog 
Hi Jo – Thanks for sharing that. I think it’s probably a compliment that they ended up at the second-hand bookstore or the book table, because it means they’re being shared. Hopefully the initial buyer read it and now it’s multiplying. But if the original buyer (or gift recipient) didn’t end up reading it, it’s nice to know that it’s having a second life (or third or fourth) where others can enjoy it. Thanks for your perspective.
Yes, much better to take it as a compliment anyway, for the sake of our wellbeing as authors! And I agree, it’s nice to know that book has another chance at being read. I have given books away to second-hand stores in the past but, if I didn’t think they were worth passing on, I would simply throw them in the bin! So hopefully someone thought my books were good enough to have another life.
Hi Jo-Anne,
That made me laugh. The exact same has happened to me. I’ve bought a few of my own titles from second hand shops, or ‘redeemed’ them, I should say, since I’m paying for them again. Sometimes I flip to the front to see if I’ve written inscriptions for anybody. One day, I was at a Goodwill shop and a customer dropped off a pile of books, including mine and Meredith Resce’s, while I was browsing. I didn’t see any more than the back of her skirt though.
I’ve only bought my out-of-print titles from second hand shops, thinking they may be good for my kids some day.
Good on you, Paula, for ‘redeeming’ those out of print books! That’s great that you thought ahead like that for your kids’ sake. What a funny experience though, actually to be in a shop when someone drops your books off–haven’t had that one yet! I think my only experience of buying a book of my own back happened one time when I was book signing in a well-known Christian bookstore that happened to have one of my earlier novels reduced to $5.00, for some odd reason. At the end of the day, I couldn’t resist buying one, since at that price, it was cheaper than buying them wholesale from my publisher at the time! Would have bought more, except that I had enough stock of them at home. Next time I went into the bookstore, however, they had jumped back up to their usual price.