Bookplates and author signings
Okay, I have a question. I've signed two or three books locally now (because no matter how well you know someone, you always want them to sign a book if they manage to come out with one), and each time it's taken me like a solid half hour to think of anything to say. I was shit at signing yearbooks, y'all. I know that Neil Gaiman signs in fun colors of ink and often doodles, because he signed American Gods for me with a sketch of Wednesday. And I know that David Sedaris has a number of pre-planned things he signs his books with, because I've gotten two signed by him.
(Funny story: the Lovely Emily and I basically stalked him at the Writing Today conference here in Birmingham a few years back, and by the time we'd gone to two of his presentations and were sitting in the front row of a special talk he gave just to the writing classes, we were all but on a first-name basis with him. He talked to me for a minute or so about the novel I was writing at the time, and wrote a really lovely paragraph of encouragement in the front of my copy of Naked. In Em's? "I know what you look like naked." Words cannot describe my jealousy.
A few years later he came back to town and we stalked him again. Of course he had no recollection of having met us at all. In Em's copy of Me Talk Pretty, he wrote, "I live in your shadow." I forget what he wrote in mine.)
So here's what I want to know from y'all: tell me about some of the great book signings in your experience, and the best things that authors wrote in your books. I'm not going to crib any of them exactly, but I do want to get a feel for what people write at signings. Because I'm already going to be slowed down by the fact that I'm not even signing my real name; God knows I'll be here all day if I can't start coming up with things any faster. I'm sure I'll develop my own style eventually, but I kind of need a jumpstart to begin.
Oh, and bookplates: I haven't actually designed them or acquired the labels yet, but while I'm mulling that over, go ahead and write to me if you want one. Here's what you need to do: enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Address it to... I dunno, let's tryBookplates
PO Box 59252
Homewood, AL 35209
I mean, that's my PO box, and it'd go to the same place if you addressed it to "Cleolinda Jones," but that way I'll know from the get-go what it's for and it'll get put into a priority stack on the dining room table, where my desk clutter won't eat it alive.
Theoretically, if you've got 1) the outer envelope that's been mailed to me and 2) the inner SASE addressed back to you, you don't really need anything else; I'll sign a bookplate and send it back. If you would like to enclose a note of some kind, or request some kind of personalization, feel free. You can request multiple bookplates, but let's say--a maximum of six; I saw another writer doing that, and it seems reasonable.
I have a feeling this question is going to come up, so I'll go ahead and answer it: yes, you can request bookplate(s) if you haven't been able to order the book yet. I don't really see any reason why not, as long as no one thinks of a way to abuse it.
ETA: From riverchild: "Oh, and for your international readers who would like bookplates, instead of a SASE, the easiest way is probably a SAE+IRC. :D That would be a self-addressed envelope + international reply coupon. IRCs are available from post offices the world over and can then be redeemed by you for postage of eqivalent value as a letter stamp at your local post office."