I came across today’s rather strange photo and thought it a good metaphor for the weird things that can and have happened at an author’s book-signing.
Over the years, I’ve either stood in line, organized, facilitated, or observed hundreds of author book-signings. Everything from popular celebrities to a local self-published author trying to make a mark.
Every once in a while, some fun things that have happened:
- Author was asked to sign a teenager’s model airplane … on the wing.
- Fan showed off a tattoo on their leg … of the author’s book-cover design.
- I stood in line for over two hours (in 1987) to have Edith Schaeffer sign her new book The Art of Life. I always wanted to meet her. It took two hours to get to the front of the line because Edith drew a full-page piece of art inside each book and talked with each person for at least five minutes. Suffice it to say, that was highly unusual!
- I watched a fan hand an author their Kindle and ask them to sign the back of the device.
- Author, sitting behind a table full of books, being asked, “Do you work here?” (or me being asked, sotto voce, “Are you the author’s handler?”).
- I was assigned to help the bestselling author Barbara Johnson with her book-signing at a major convention. When she and I got to the booth, I noticed the line of her fans went around the corner of the exhibit hall. She said, “Let’s go look and see how many are waiting.” We turned the corner, and the line extended the length of the building. At least 250 people. She gasped, turned to me, and said, “Let’s get busy.” She must have signed at least 300 books in that one hour.
I want to hear your stories. Without embarrassing anyone, tell us about your most unusual experience at a book-signing. It can be either as a fan standing in line, an author receiving an odd request, or an organizer.
Fun Fridays – May 31, 2024
Too ill at the moment to contribute a sonnet, but I also once signed a Kindle.
((hugs)) and prayers …
Pam, thanks. These are hard days, but at least I cannot speak, and the dogs get away with a lot!
Hope you feel better soon Andrew Budek-Schmeisser. You always entertain us.
I am yet to be published but I signed autographs at a few events as I was a cast member on a TV show. One of the fans followed me around for hours jeering at me and making aggressive gestures. I confronted him and he let me know that he was upset with me for something I did on the show. Although I explained to him that it was just a TV show he continued with his
pitiful shadowing of me the rest of the day.
A young woman handed me one of my books at a signing at a library. I had been very busy before signing books and taking money. I autographed the book and waited for payment. Her face dropped, and she said she bought it online. Needless to say, I was embarrassed and apologized profusely. We laughed, and now I’m good friends with her and her family. 🙂
I’ve only been the fan standing in line. I’ve never had any weird experiences, but my most prominent memories are:
* Getting the last book from the table at a discounted price– a sequel that almost everyone wanted to buy (it was Shadow, by Kara Swanson, and it was damaged but STILL)
* Me darting back and forth basically walking in circles trying to talk to author Millie Florence but far too nervous to do so (even though she’s closer in age to me than most of the authors I’ve talked with)
* Listening to a sweet older lady chat with Tim Shoemaker about how much her grandson loved his books.
* Watching the line of Bryan Davis fans and how many times he signed books and watching his exhaustion beginning to show on his face (he looked like he was getting a writer’s cramp).
* Admiring the stickers for the Extension Squad books so much that I forgot I was there to buy the books (what can I say? They were cute stickers)
* NOT buying Moonscript from H.S.J. Williams and coming back too late after they were all gone.
* Returning to the same booth three times because I kept wanting to buy more books
* Having an author interrogate me as to where I bought a book of his (I bought it at a used book stand across the room XD)
I sat there with a stack of books,
my name, book’s title on a sign,
and I got some funny looks,
but most were quite benign,
as if the gentry were amused
by my presence there,
and a hippie stopped and used
my pen to smooth his hair.
Then he asked, ‘Man, is that you?’,
pointing to back-cover pic.
I assured him it was true,
and he said, ‘Man, that’s slick!
I’d buy one but but I got no bread…
wanna share a joint instead?’
Yep. Happened.
BAHAHAHAHA!
Pam, the really funny thing is that though I have never smoked weed, Barb says I can do an Awesome Dude stoner imitation, and fit into that milieu perfectly.
And the kicker is that for me, ‘Stoner’ refers to the Stoner 63 (which see).
Oh, my goodness…I love it. Sending you [[prayers]]!
Funny! Welcome back.
I don’t have any weird book signing stories. When my picture books came out, I had some really fun ones! My main character is Willoughby, a friendly dragon, and a friend made me a knitted Willoughby. Kids love to hold him and get their picture taken with him!
But when my grandson was seven, he told me Willoughby was a wimp because he didn’t burn people up with his dragon fire. hahaha!
I don’t know how weird this is, but a nice older lady with a shopping bag came up to the table and took eleven books out of the bag. “Christmas presents for the family” she said. I was already pretty tired, and there were still lots of folks on the line. She had a list of names and suggestions for what I should write to each one (a sentence or two). I just couldn’t say no.
I annually sign books at the Island Bookstore on Mackinac Island, where my 5 novels are set. I’m there in the early spring when many school groups are taking their end of year field trips. My cozy mysteries are for adults, but perfectly fine for age 12 and up, depending on the person. One 8th grader had her Mom on the trip and saw my books. She looked at me, her mouth dropped, and she said very loudly: I have to get a book! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! It was so sweet. She found her Mom, and kept repeating, Mom, you have to get me a book! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I loved her enthusiasm…I also had fun at the signing, because when I signed I book, I had that person sign one of my books inside the cover for me to keep. I love my readers!
Mackinac or Mackinaw,
just what do the locals say?
Does our language have a flaw,
if a word that seems one way
to be pronounced has doppelganger
that demands a diff’rent sound?
We cannot subscribe to languour,
and thereby we must be bound
to the quest that will define
the correct pronunciation,
and in this way we refine
our lofty and exalted station,
writers giving custom due
to speech of which we have no clue.
No matter how it’s spelled
The word says Mack-i-naw
French or American,
Michiganders know it well.
One of your best, Andrew!
At my first book signing in my hometown, I had a couple of old boyfriends drop by. I found that funny since the book was for a distinctly female audience. But not as funny as when one “ex” asked if I had mentioned him in the book. Um, we only had a few dates early in my dating game. I guess he thought he’d made a bigger impact on my life than he really did. I decided to follow the title’s lead to grin with grace. Even though my answer was “no,” he still purchased a book!
Sadly, none of the authors I love have ever had a signing somewhere that I could attend. I did pass by an author signing once while visiting Williamsburg when I was a kid. It stayed in my mind despite not knowing the author because she’d written a mystery featuring a Papillion dog because she owned two herself and brought them to the signing. They were super well behaved and she had them sitting on her signing table for people to pet. Half the people in the bookstore were buying books and the other half (especially kids) were in line to pet the dogs. I don’t remember the name of the author or the title of the book, but I remember that a dog was on the cover of the book, and I remember petting the dogs, LOL.
I was at a book-signing with several NE authors at a large library. One woman looked at the photo on my book cover and compared it to my current style. “Oh, dear. I much prefer your highlights to this brown color you had on the cover.” Taken aback I replied, “Well, buy a book and I’ll be able to keep up the highlights.” Apparently, she takes hairstyling very seriously because immediately, she pulled out cash for the book saying, “I will certainly support the highlights. Never return to that mousy brown.” (Mousy brown? Sigh).
At the same event, another woman came through with a friend and pointed at my first book, Running from a Crazy Man. “Oh, definitely buy that one! It’s been in our bathroom for two years. It’s perfect. Not only are the chapters the ideal length for a visit but we enjoy hearing the laughter that comes from the bathroom as people read!” I was honestly torn about reminding her to be sure she left a review on Amazon.
Lori!
I think this is the first time I’ve laughed while reading the replies to this blog. Now I’ve got to buy, Running from a Crazy Man! I won’t be keeping it in my bathroom though…
Hi Steve, here’s two funny book-signing stories for you.
My first novel was set in a Czech immigrant neighborhood in the U.S. I invited my local Czech – American Society to come to the signing, and a little group showed up. Four sweet white haired gents spontaneously sang Czech songs in four-part harmony, barbershop style.
My second novel was set in World War Two. I draped an authentic Nazi flag over my book table. Several members of the Greatest Generation came up and told me that I shouldn’t do such an un-American thing (God bless their beautiful hearts).
Thanks for inviting the stories! See you in Chicago,
Karen Roth
You never know! I think most readers enjoy it by their reading chair, bedside table, or under the covers with a flashlight.
I once attended a conference to hear Gary DeMar and brought a copy of one of his books to see if I could get his autograph on it. When I approached him during a break in the conference he was having a discussion on the relative merits of ebooks v. paper books. I joined the conversation, saying my preference had been ebooks for several years. Then I produced the copy of his book I had brought along and said, “On the other hand, you can’t have someone autograph your Kindle.”
I guess I stand corrected.
My first novel was set in a Czech immigrant neighborhood in the U.S. I invited my local Czech – American Society to come to the signing, and a little group showed up. Four sweet white haired gents spontaneously sang Czech songs in four-part harmony, barbershop style.
My second novel was set in World War Two. I draped an authentic Nazi flag over my book table. Several members of the Greatest Generation came up and told me that I shouldn’t do such an un-American thing (God bless their beautiful hearts).
Thanks for inviting the stories! See you in Chicago,
A dubious buyer picked up my book. “‘They couldn’t put your book down?’ So you’re going to keep me awake at night?” I replied, “yes.” “Good, I’ll take it!”
I was once asked to write a personal note in the front of Intimate Issues to the fictional character in a woman’s novel. Strange.
At one of my very first book signings early in my career, I was signing with an author friend when an avid fan of hers came in with her Bible in hand and asked my friend to sign it. “But—” my friend sputtered. “I didn’t WRITE that book!” If I remember correctly, she finally agreed to write a note in the back of the Bible on a study notes page, but stood firm that she couldn’t take credit for writing the Bible by autographing it. I’ve always admired her integrity in that moment. 😉
Such fun reading all these accounts!
I live in Montana where people, and bookstores, are often very spread out. I was invited to do a book signing on the lawn of a library about an hour away. I drove there filled with optimism and excited to meet new people. Only two people attended, however. One of whom was the librarian. Undeterred, I gave a little talk anyway. As I was speaking, a deer wandered onto the lawn, stood behind my two guests, and relieved himself.
Did you crack up in the middle of your talk? I certainly would have! 🙂
A Christian bookstore where I used to live had wonderful author events. Often they were panel discussions with five or six well-known Christian authors. Then the authors went to tables scattered throughout the store to sign books. I enjoyed listening to the panel but never got up enough courage to ask an author to sign a book, even though one of the authors was a favorite.
In later years, they had events with just one or two authors. I did ask an author to sign a book then–maybe the smaller crown made it easier.
Once I heard one of my heroes speak, Elisabeth Elliot. I already had most of her books and would not have been brave enough to ask her to sign one. But my pastor asked me to have her sign one of his. I waited in the long line, and when I finally got to this person whose words had moved me so much, all I could think of to say was, “How do you find time to write so many books?” (Duh!) She answered in her no-nonsense way, “You don’t find time. You make time.” Though I wish I had been a little more articulate, her response stuck with me.
I went to a Francine Rivers book signing once. She insisted she had met me somewhere before. Today we are good friends and she is one of my writing mentors.
Or no one turns up!!! [the picture] Or the feeling before the book signing!
Thanks Steve! Really enjoyed reading through this.
Blessings.
I did a signing in a local bookstore for my first novel, One Smooth Stone, part of which was set in the Yukon. A young woman came to the table, picked up the book and read the back cover. Then she snorted and said – “Have you ever even been to the Yukon?” When I told her I had lived there for 12 years her expression changed. When we discovered I had known her parents, and her, when she was about 5 years old, we chatted and she told me her older sister had been murdered and her mother was still trying to recover. We wept and prayed together before I gave her a book and we said good-bye. I had almost cancelled doing that book signing because often they seemed like a waste of time. From then on I have never said no and always look for those “divine appointments.”