Sign My Book? · 20 July 2024
I am always surprised when people want me to sign my books.
I decided that I need to give away a few books. I figured maybe that will help with promoting them. Prime the pump so to speak. Maybe it will even generate a review or two. Even if they are not reviews from verified buyers. Or whatever they are called.
So far, I have only given my books to people I know. My friends and relatives. Not to all of them. I may not have that many friends, but way too many relatives to give everybody books. I would break the bank if I gave them each a copy of each of my books. But I have given a few copies of a few titles to a few people. And even though I have not given that many books away, I have been surprised when people ask me to sign them.
Now, most writers give drafts to people to read before they publish their books. They have readers give them input so they can make their books better. While I might do that in the future, I have not done that yet. At least not much. Instead, I just write and publish, write and publish. Now, I am seeing if anybody likes them. It is funny. I have only heard back from one person so far on this batch of books (one of my aunts said she likes my writing). Oh sure, it has not been very long since I gave out these latest books, but I do wonder if any of my friends or relatives have any thoughts about the books. In fact, I usually wonder how bad they think my stuff is. It is not insecurity or anything like that. (I actually like hearing the bad stuff.) I just wonder.
At any rate.
As much as I wonder what people think about my books, I also think it is curious that many of the people I have given books to want me to sign them. I do not think it is that they believe I will be famous one day and so they want to have a book that they can point to proving that they know me. I think it is just a thing you do when you have the author of the book right there.
Okay. One person I know wants my signature in case I get famous. He has a bookshelf with signed books. He said that he reads the books, but then they go on the hallowed shelf. Authors he knows. Or at least authors who have signed his books. He can point to the books and say that he knew the authors when they were not famous authors. Or he knew them well enough to get their signatures. Or something like that.
I suppose I understand that sentiment. Being able to point to a book that the author signed way back when said author was just an aspiring writer. Or at least a writer who was aspiring to have his or her books sell enough copies that people actually know the author’s name. I suppose it is a better story than saying you stood in line for three hours to get a famous author’s signature in a book that you love.
At any rate.
I am always taken aback when people want me to sign books I have written. Whether I gave them the book or they bought the book. I suppose it is just natural. We want to know that there is some connection between us and the author of any book. Even if that connection is just that we both relate to the story somehow. And the author’s signature is just another way to get that connection. At least that seems to make sense.
Still, until I have a book signing event, I will be surprised when people ask me to sign a book I wrote. I will still ask them, “You want me to sign my book?”
© 2024 Michael T. Miyoshi
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