Signing the Reader - Page 2

yvanleterrible · 02-09-2007, 05:22 PM

Hey guys! they now make transparent duct tape!

NatCh · 02-09-2007, 05:36 PM

Harrumph. Everyone knows that's meant for fixing glass.

bingle · 02-10-2007, 02:20 PM

A little late, but as promised, here's a pic of the signature. I think barring some cool digital signature method, this is the way to go.

But while thinking about those digital signatures, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't want one. It would technically be very cool, but the reason I wait in line for a signature at a book store is the rarity of it - once that signature could be applied to any book, and copied an infinite number of times, it ceases to have meaning. I'm not sure how to handle author signatures and ebooks. Perhaps the "signed copy" will be another accidental casualty of the era.

nekokami · 02-10-2007, 08:58 PM

Hey, you didn't say it was going to be Cory Doctorow!

Hard to think of any author more appropriate to spawn this discussion.

Since you had him write your name, it's a lot more personal than somebody else's digital signature, and I think it still would be, even if he had done it with a digitizer. A usb "chop" wouldn't be so cool, though. And the generic "signed copy" with no name is likely to be a casualty in the ebook era, yes. Which is fine by me. It always boggles my mind that people will wait in line to meet an author but then don't want the signature "addressed" to them because it won't increase the "value" of the book as much.

bingle · 02-11-2007, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

Hey, you didn't say it was going to be Cory Doctorow!

Hard to think of any author more appropriate to spawn this discussion.

Yeah, I figured if there were any author who wouldn't mind signing an ebook, it was him. :-)

It would be personal, no matter what... But the fact that I could then cut and paste his signature into all the Doctorow books I own plus, say, The Lord of the Rings seems to devalue the concept of the author signature. It's fallen prey to the lack of scarcity inherent in the digital world.

Alexander Turcic · 02-12-2007, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bingle

A little late, but as promised, here's a pic of the signature. I think barring some cool digital signature method, this is the way to go.

That's a neat signature!

Madam Broshkina · 02-16-2007, 04:55 AM

Here is a link from a Canadian Website that has a recent interview with Mr. Doctorow.

http://www.citynews.ca/blogs/blogs_4...logs/7397.aspx

yvanleterrible · 02-16-2007, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bingle

A little late, but as promised, here's a pic of the signature. I think barring some cool digital signature method, this is the way to go.

But while thinking about those digital signatures, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't want one. It would technically be very cool, but the reason I wait in line for a signature at a book store is the rarity of it - once that signature could be applied to any book, and copied an infinite number of times, it ceases to have meaning. I'm not sure how to handle author signatures and ebooks. Perhaps the "signed copy" will be another accidental casualty of the era.

Hey bingle! What will you do when you get to a book show and meet 50 authors? I guess that jacket will look like that picture we have in our minds of a well traveled suitcase. That would be cool!

I guess we'll have to train our authors to write smaller!

bingle · 02-16-2007, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

Hey bingle! What will you do when you get to a book show and meet 50 authors? I guess that jacket will look like that picture we have in our minds of a well traveled suitcase. That would be cool!

I guess we'll have to train our authors to write smaller!

Well... I'm not too sure how many authors I'd have sign an ebook. Although their publishers might publish their books in electronic format, I don't know how many are passionate about it. Cory Doctorow, for some reason, seems like he would be enthusiastic about it. And he was! Although he had a negative outlook on the future prospects of dedicated reader devices...

I'd also like to get Eric Flint and Charles Stross to sign it... And Douglas Adams, if he were still around :-(

NatCh · 02-16-2007, 03:18 PM

The next best thing for Mr. Adams might be to add large, friendly letters to the cover....

I have the occasional person 'get' mine and laugh.

02-10-2007, 02:20 PM	#18
bingle Addict Posts: 273 Karma: 499 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Francisco Device: Sony Reader	A little late, but as promised, here's a pic of the signature. I think barring some cool digital signature method, this is the way to go. But while thinking about those digital signatures, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't want one. It would technically be very cool, but the reason I wait in line for a signature at a book store is the rarity of it - once that signature could be applied to any book, and copied an infinite number of times, it ceases to have meaning. I'm not sure how to handle author signatures and ebooks. Perhaps the "signed copy" will be another accidental casualty of the era. Attached Thumbnails

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02-09-2007, 05:22 PM	#16
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	Hey guys! they now make transparent duct tape!

02-09-2007, 05:36 PM	#17
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Harrumph. Everyone knows that's meant for fixing glass.

02-10-2007, 08:58 PM	#19
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Hey, you didn't say it was going to be Cory Doctorow! Hard to think of any author more appropriate to spawn this discussion. Since you had him write your name, it's a lot more personal than somebody else's digital signature, and I think it still would be, even if he had done it with a digitizer. A usb "chop" wouldn't be so cool, though. And the generic "signed copy" with no name is likely to be a casualty in the ebook era, yes. Which is fine by me. It always boggles my mind that people will wait in line to meet an author but then don't want the signature "addressed" to them because it won't increase the "value" of the book as much.

02-16-2007, 04:55 AM	#22
Madam Broshkina Manic Do Fuse Posts: 2,312 Karma: 3325462 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Sony 500, 505, 350, Kindle 3, DXG, nook, Irex DR800SG, iPad	Here is a link from a Canadian Website that has a recent interview with Mr. Doctorow. http://www.citynews.ca/blogs/blogs_4...logs/7397.aspx

02-16-2007, 03:18 PM	#25
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	The next best thing for Mr. Adams might be to add large, friendly letters to the cover.... I have the occasional person 'get' mine and laugh.