I worked with a director years ago who directed an award winning film called Circus. He and I were in a video store at one point (remember those?) and they had the film. He asked if they wanted him to sign it, and the clerk was so floored she almost fell over. That was fun.
I've done that more than once---and most times the booksellers are ecstatic... but I've also had the, "Uh, I have to ask the manager because if you sign, we won't be able to send it back if it doesn't sell." Yay, Authorship!
I love this! I used to work in a bookshop and we loved authors coming by! Except for the ones that tried to rearrange their book. Trust me if you're cool and you signed, we're going to showcase that motherfucker
I don't wanna dox you but I'd totally adore a signed copy or two to share with others on campus (We be gettin' master's degrees in terrorism studies here)
However, few things make me as sad as going into a bookstore and seeing an author sitting at a table with their books and nobody paying any attention...
I always talk to them and buy a signed copy, even if I'm not really interested.
They said, 'Allah(God) has a son,' a claim far from the truth. In fact, everything in the heavens and on Earth belongs to Him, and all are His obedient servants.
Imagine if one were waiting to buy your book and you were there signing it at the shelf. That would be very cool.
I had a friend who carried books around to get them autographed by authors - I appreciated it but I was already at a point where I was trying to accumulate fewer things
I also got to see Kim Deal, Bob Pollard from Guided by Voices, the wrestler Al Snow, and the real Patch Adams, just there shopping for stuff. What a great job!
Not me with the comic I first put out with the name Nebula's Interstellar Pony Express to YouTube with a few slight introductions in like.. July of something and now giving up because of Mouthwash.
It's not sad to me. I asked because I wanted to understand your perspective. Apparently, your perspective is that questions deserve derision and dismissal. Now that I find sad.
Lucky! Not even my relatives, or boyfriend for that matter, would read my book. It is my life's work. Poured every bit of me into it. But for want of an editor, a good one I can afford nyway, I am going to my grave un-read. I feel it would be different if I were white or born & raised here. Oh well.
never had the chutzpah to do it! although I did once check with my local bookstore if they had one of my books, was transparent about why i asked, and was chuffed to pieces when they asked me to sign!
What's the movie where an author walks into a bookstore and finds their books on the discount table and starts singing them and staff gets upset because they say they can't return them if they're signed.
I had an author friend who always did this to prevent any unsold copies being returned to the publisher. Not sure if that’s how it works but seemed like a good strategy 😂
I used to work at a bookstore. We hated it when authors would come in expecting special treatment or praise just because you strung a few sentences together. To all you authors out there- what you do is not special, powerful, or important. It’s mildly distracting at best.
R. A. Salvatore used to (maybe still does) do something like this around where I (and he) grew up! He’d just walk in, go to his books, sign a few copies, and leave, never saying anything to anyone, and ppl wouldn’t even realize until they got home lol
Seeing it in Barnes & Noble was fun, but my favorite experience was walking into my local library, handing a somewhat puzzled librarian my book and then saying sure about 30 seconds later when they said "Would you like to give a talk?"
I once had to buy two copies of my own book at a bookstore (as rushed gifts, having not planned ahead) and I tried to get away with it quietly but my friend gave me away. (Then I tried to angle for a discount and failed 🫠)
The last time I did this the guy at the counter mansplained that the title of my book was misspelled. I was so shocked that I just walked away instead of embarrassing him as I should have
Comments
How fun!
"I am she." *da-da-dadaaa*
I always ask myself. What would Miyamoto Musashi do?
literally the opposite end of the country, lol.
I'll have to contend with unsigned copies to hurl at my classmates then :D
The cashier is always amazed.
It’s a real hoot.
The reply
They are behind you
😃😃
However, few things make me as sad as going into a bookstore and seeing an author sitting at a table with their books and nobody paying any attention...
I always talk to them and buy a signed copy, even if I'm not really interested.
But it makes me sad.
very unpleasant experience
(i'm not an author of any book btw)
some people are so judgemental
The first is exactly that.
The second is to have my collection of poetry banned by the Republicans. This will show I am on the correct path.
You’d probably have to be British to get that reference.
Such as holy Qur-an
I had a friend who carried books around to get them autographed by authors - I appreciated it but I was already at a point where I was trying to accumulate fewer things
.
I walked into mine and they'd had a flood, luckily no books were harmed.
Hopefully I'll be able to do this by 2026.
The opposite of stealing.