Bookselling is a lot like poker: it's all in the luck of the draw. Some seasons, publishers deal you a great hand, their books fly out the door, and you rake in the cash. Some seasons, you're stuck with books that just don't sell. And then there's the competition from chain stores, mass market retailers, and online retailers, all of them vying for that pot of book sales.
Speaking of luck of the draw, Medallion Press is going to deal booksellers a July publication that's certain to be a royal flush: All In by Jerry Yang.
In All In, Yang, the winner of an $8.25 million pot in the 2007 World Series of Poker, tells his incredible life story, from his childhood in a Thai refugee camp after his family fled Laos after the Vietnam War, to immigrating to America and living in poverty, to becoming world poker champ two years after he learned to play the game.
Since winning the $8.25 million four years ago, Yang has donated more than $800,000 to worthy causes, such as Ronald McDonald House and Feed the Children. Since then, he's continued to spread the wealth in other ways, by raising funds for charity.
Yang, who will be appearing in the autographing area today, 10:30–11:30 a.m., at Table 7, has some useful tips for poker players.
