how did you autograph your book?

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acousticgroupie

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this may sound a little silly, but i am wondering how you autographed your books. i am getting so many requests and am wondering if it is OK to buy a label to go on one of the first inside pages. this will enable me to use pens i like without bleeding through. does the autograph have to be on the paper?

please share your advice!
 

patricer

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You can either autograph the actual first page of the book or sign a bookplate to paste inside the book. The first option works well if you're actually sending a copy of the physical book to a reader (they bought an autographed book off your website, for example) or are participating in a book signing. The latter works well if your reader already has a copy of the book and just wants an autograph. I've also directly autographed many books and have never had a problem with ink bleeding through.

I've found autographed books to be very popular. I was surprised at how many people wanted me to autograph their books. Any author who isn't autographing yet should really give it a try.

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Patrice-Anne Rutledge
Bestselling author (24 books) – Freelance Journalist – Online Book Promotion Expert
Author, The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion with a High-Tech Twist
http://www.websavvywriter.com (get my free special report on author websites)
 

benbradley

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this may sound a little silly, but i am wondering how you autographed your books. i am getting so many requests and am wondering if it is OK to buy a label to go on one of the first inside pages. this will enable me to use pens i like without bleeding through. does the autograph have to be on the paper?

please share your advice!
It doesn't HAVE to be on the actual paper of the book, but as a "collector" I would strongly suggest it to make buyers happy. "Flatsigned" books are more desirable than signatures on a bookplate stuck in the book, as it gives the (not always true!) impression that the author actually held the book in his/her hand when signing it. But I can see where signing a label would be a good alternative for someone in another country, where it would be prohibitive to mail the actual book back and forth.

I have Neal Boortz' "Somebody's Gotta Say It" I ordered from Premiere Collectibles:
http://premierecollectibles.us/
Boortz signed copies of the title page for this edition while the book was still being edited and such, about a month before publication. That page was then bound in when the rest of the book was printed, so he never actually held any of these copies. OTOH, this is one of the first 5,000 numbered "copies" of this book he signed, so it may be worth more than a "regular" signed book which is presumably what that website is selling now. I recall a story of an author who signed pre-printed title pages and then died before the actual book went on sale, leading some people to believe the signature had to be a forgery!

I at first thought your question was going to be "What does your autograph look like?" and I was going to suggest it be legible. When the Fair Tax book came out I stood in line to have it signed by both authors: Boortz' is a series of spirals he did in one or two seconds, whereas John Linder took at least five seconds and his signature is distinctive and clearly legible. Perhaps Linder learned to take his time doing things by being in Congress...
 
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veinglory

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I would very much prefer the signature on the book not a sticker. I would suggest a ballpoint rather than ink pen for that reason. If you prefer an ink pen I would suggest signing the inside cover instead :)
 

RJLeahy

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I sign on the title page, just below my printed name. I use a fountain pen and have never had a problem with bleed-through.
 

AnneWhitfield

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I think both ways are good. At booksignings I use a normal ball point pen to write on the page, but for overseas buyers, I sign bookplates and send them over, which works really well and saves sending books back and forth.
 

Ali B

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A note on being sloppy:
My grandmother brought over several copies of my book and I signed them all for her. Later she called me and said she was ordering some more books and said, "I want you to spell your name right this time." I told her I did the first time and she argued with me that I spelt my name wrong! I realized she must have been confused because for my "n" I just make a straight line. :Shrug:
 
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Inky

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I can relate to the letters in one's name looking rather..er..sloppy. I too simply make a straight line. Dunno how to explain it. Something just comes over me, following the 'r' in Brown...my hand has images of greatness and feels from the 'r' forward should be nothing more than a straight line rocketing out towards oblivion.

I've oft wondered if someone will frown, curl their lip, then rough me up and drag me to the cashier, demanding I buy them another book.
However...should he be dress in a kilt...and accoust me...well...may the scribbling of one's name commence!!!
 
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