Books - Book Signings

girl in a cardigan · 10-01-2004, 07:15 AM

I have been to two book signings, both this year. The first I went to was for Jennifer Weiner and she signed my copy of Good In Bed. It was such an honor to meet her and I hope I get to again when she comes to the Bay Area later this month. The second was for Bill Clinton. I didn't actually get the book signed, but I did get to meet him and shake his hand which was more than enough excitement for me.

Has anyone else ever been to a book signing? Do you go for just your favorite authors or anyone that's at a book store you frequent? Do you collect autographed books? Do you take pictures with the author?

Soz · 10-01-2004, 08:49 AM

I've been to several signings because a local bookstore is very involved with the science fiction community and has authors in almost every month. I also try to go to the local science fiction convention. It's been a real honor to meet the authors. I've met all three of my favorite authors: Clive Barker, Catherine Asaro, and Lois McMaster Bujold. One author I was very honored to meet was Hal Clement. He was a super nice guy and a science fiction Grand Master. Sadly, he died several months ago and the SF convention will be having a tribute to him. I've only had one bad experience in which all the author did was badmouth other authors and complain all evening. I won't name names, but it really turned me off her books. The best experience was meeting Clive Barker because not only is he my idol, but he's so nice! I was almost struck dumb by meeting him and had to mentally kick myself to even manage to say hi at first.

Meeting Asaro was also very cool because we chatted for about an hour after a panel discussion.

Wow, you got to meet a former President.

That must have been so cool!

Crossbow · 10-01-2004, 02:47 PM

I used to work at a bookstore, so I saw lots of signings but I never really paid attention. Oh, and once when I worked there, this local author came in to see if we had her book, and we did, so she signed some copies and I made a little display out of them. That was neat. One of my nicer bookstore memories.

Neil Gaiman does signings at a bookstore, Dreamhaven, that's right on the block where I used to live, but I never went to any of his signings until after I moved away. It was a total mob scene. It seemed that most people brought something for him to sign, but then found other things they wanted in the store, and had him sign those too. A lot of people also brought paintings they'd done of the author and of some of his characters, which they gave him.

Oh, and I forgot - one of my friends had a couple of kids books published, and I went to her signing at a local bookstore, The Red Balloon. No one had heard of her book, so it was mostly people who happened to be in the store and stopped to see what was going on. That was pretty cool.

Carrie99 · 10-01-2004, 06:39 PM

Unfortunately I've never been to a book signing. It seems like all of the signings in the metro Atlant area are on the complete opposite side of town from me so I can never seem to get places in time.

dukesmom · 10-02-2004, 04:39 AM

I've been to several books signings, at both chain and locally-owned book stores. I've mostly met mystery writers: Sue Grafton (there was a peanut butter & pickle sandwich contest

), Susan Wittig Albert (she gave everyone a packet of dill herbs), Mary Willis Walker (okay, that was more a discussion/lecture than a book signing), Sharon Kahn, Charles Meyer and Lawrence Block. I've also attended a Tad Williams book signing (still haven't read the book he signed). I was in line once for Anne Rice, but ended up just leaving the book for her to sign later since she was exhausted and the line was HUGE!!! Regrettably, I had to ask a friend to get my copy of Big Bad Wolf signed by James Patterson because I had a previous commitment

.

Which reminds me, I need to see if there are any good book signings nearby anytime soon...

spikefan777 · 10-09-2004, 01:19 AM

I got to meet the author of those Nancy Drew mystery books when I was like 2..she was in the bay area and me and my family were visitng my cousins and so i got to go too...i dont remember it though lol

igloo155 · 10-10-2004, 07:44 PM

There are seriously no famous people that have come to do a book signing where I live. Most of the people that Barns and Noble has in to sign books are local authors who write a book on farming or Doctors who practice in the heartland.

**Quarterley** · 10-11-2004, 09:21 PM

I got a free book plus the signing at a book fair couple of weeks ago. It was some romantic comedy book but I didn't have the time to start on it yet. It was more of less a promotional event. I like it more when you've read the book and you like it a whole lot, then you get the chance to go to a book signing event to meet the author and tell him/her how much you liked it and get him/her to sign it.

alli balli · 10-11-2004, 10:29 PM

When I was like, 8, I went to a book signing for one of the American Girl doll book authors. The one who wrote the Addy books, I think. And then it turned out that you could only have books you bought there at the store signed, which, looking back, now seems like a totally awful thing to do, especially to little girls! I was with a friend and her mother and not my own parents so it wasn't like the woman was going to buy a book for me!

***~*Rach*~*** · 10-12-2004, 03:50 PM

I meant to go to the Darren Shan book signing in my area last week but I heard about it in July and *completely* forgot it was so early in October that it was happening! Hopefully he'll be back again sometime, when the last book is out...

I've also been to book signings by Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace. Well, technically I went to see Dave do a live show but he was signing afterwards. He signed my copy of Are You Dave Gorman? and I ordered a signed copy of his newer book, Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure when it was first released. He's a dude. I have photos. At the Danny Wallace thing, he signed my copy of his book Join Me and also he signed my Are You Dave Gorman?, which he co-wrote with Dave.

I have a lot of signed books, but there aren't many that I actually got signed myself.

Kimberly · 10-15-2004, 08:50 PM

When I moved to LA I started going to them all the time. They have a Book Fair in LA in the spring. Last year I got to meet Dean Koontz two times (I had met him one time prior at a smaller bookstore) I have also had books signed by Michael Crichton, Janet Evanovich, Nigella Lawson, Nicholas Sparks and others. All the authors have been so nice!

It is funny you run into the same people again and again at these events so I have made some good friends this way.

I would certainly recommend going to a book signing if you have the chance. It is great!

Another great idea is to go to lectures by authors. If you look up most authors they will have a schedule of when they are signing.

~Kim

dukesmom · 10-17-2004, 05:46 AM

On my post upthread, I forgot to mention the book signing my 4th or 5th grade English class attended way back when. It was for the book The Cay by Theodore Taylor. While my memories about meeting the author are vague, I’ve still got that book around here somewhere and look forward to passing it along to my niece (after I’ve read it again at least one more time).

***Yellow Mustang Girl*** · 10-24-2004, 01:02 AM

I had Jennifer Paddock sign my book last month.

Then Edward Albee will be at UA next month!

I'm so excited. I'll bring Who's Afraid of Virigina Wolf, The American Dream, and The Zoo Story with me!

girl in a cardigan · 11-26-2004, 02:15 AM

I'm totally psyched because I'm going to two book signings next month -- Carson Kressley and Jimmy Carter. Totally different men for totally different fangirlie parts of me, but I'm really excited

**BehrItAll** · 11-26-2004, 05:08 PM

I've never actually been to a book I signing I was interested in. Once when I was a young child my parents took me to a book signing at a book store run my Nuns. The author was a priest and he talked about his book and signed copies. I didn't know what was going on so I was sooo bored.
I would like to go to a book singing one day for a book I'm actually interested in.
I did go to a cd signing once for Michelle Branch. That was cool.