Do you care for a signed copy?

[Quoth]

Sometimes it's an advanced sort of rubber stamp
https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...rs-use-autopen

I think I've accidentally got one signed book, but I've no idea if it's a natural signature.

[ownedbycats]

Author Juno Dawson says she “wouldn’t dream of using a robot pen because I feel they’d make the signed editions less special”. She adds: “People treasure signed copies because they’ve been personally signed by the author and it’s a bond of trust between me and my readers.”

Laura Bates, who once signed around 1,000 books in one go, is equally against the autopen, stating that “signing books is the absolute cherry on the top of the luckiest job in the world”. Instead, she uses “hot sugary tea” as signing fuel.

Janice Hallett, who recently signed 9,000 books over the course of six days, said callouses, blisters and paper-cuts were par for the course. But while using an autopen would save her from injuries, she wouldn’t because “nothing beats knowing readers can have a book that’s signed”.

Enjoy the repetitive strain injury!

Though back when I still bought physical it was a nice surprise when I got a signed copy even though I hadn't explicitly ordered one.

[JSWolf]

There was one store I used to shop at that would have an author who was doing a promotion in store to sign some extra copies and those would be put up for sale. So even if you missed the event, you might be able to get a signed copy.

[Cactus Chef]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There was one store I used to shop at that would have an author who was doing a promotion in store to sign some extra copies and those would be put up for sale. So even if you missed the event, you might be able to get a signed copy.

The university bookstore I used to attend would often feature famous speakers, and they would often do book signings. They'd also usually sign some overstock copies, and those would find their way into the bookstore. That was nice, particularly for the scenario you mentioned.

I do feel like an autopen would cheapen the feeling of it, though. If the author did not personally sign it for you, then what's the point?

[BionicGecko]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

I do feel like an autopen would cheapen the feeling of it, though. If the author did not personally sign it for you, then what's the point?

I agree; the topic was actually in the news recently as Bob Dylan was caught using autopen on his recent book. People who paid $600 for their "hand-signed" copy were not amused

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...d-signed-books

[DNSB]

Hmmm.... I have signed copies of books from when I used to attend SF conventions. I have memories of literally bleeding for one autograph.

[DuskyRose]

Do I care about signed copies? Not when just picking up a book. I've never been drawn to collect signatures.

OTOH, I talked to a really nice author who was at an outdoor pet stall. She'd written a children's book about her dog, had it illustrated, and was selling them. Looked it over, read it, bought a copy for our grandkids. She was so tickled to sign it, I couldn't turn down the free offer.

Win/win situation in a face-to-face meeting. We both ended up happy, and the grandkids liked the book.

[ZodWallop]

I don't personally care about signed copies. I have been to author events for John Irving and Garrison Keillor. It was great to see and hear them. But I didn't especially care about getting a signed book.

I do remember a humorous story about Stephen King being mistaken for a vandal. He was in an Australian bookstore and being a nice guy he started just signing copies of his books on their shelves.

[Deskisamess]

I have a signed copy of "Big Chuck!: My Favorite Stories from 47 Years on Cleveland TV" that my husband bought for me. Somewhere there is a picture of hubby with Chuck, taken at the book signing. I wasn't able to go because I was sick. I grew up watching Hoolihan & Big Chuck, then Big Chuck & Little John, after Bob Wells moved on to other projects.

I'd watch it today if I could. Some of their skits were hysterical. I saw them all play a charity basketball game against a local parochial school back when I was 12-13. Just hearing the intro to their show gives me the warm fuzzies.

I always wanted a signed copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, but never got one. I've never thought much about getting signed copies, especially now. Anne Tyler would be cool, as would Amy Tan.

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I don't personally care about signed copies. I have been to author events for John Irving and Garrison Keillor. It was great to see and hear them. But I didn't especially care about getting a signed book.

I do remember a humorous story about Stephen King being mistaken for a vandal. He was in an Australian bookstore and being a nice guy he started just signing copies of his books on their shelves.

which somehow reminds me of https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoug...ng_are_just_a/

[WillAdams]

I like them, and collect them, but mostly as a way to support authors I really like.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

Do I care about signed copies? Not when just picking up a book. I've never been drawn to collect signatures.

OTOH, I talked to a really nice author who was at an outdoor pet stall. She'd written a children's book about her dog, had it illustrated, and was selling them. Looked it over, read it, bought a copy for our grandkids. She was so tickled to sign it, I couldn't turn down the free offer.

Win/win situation in a face-to-face meeting. We both ended up happy, and the grandkids liked the book.

This is the sort of situation that would be of interest to me, I think. Not a random signing event where all I'm doing is giving the author carpal tunnel syndrome, but a meaningful interaction. Since I don't read paper books anyway, the nearest analogy I have is of a book that was not available to me in digitall format on any of the platforms I have access to. The author kindly sent me the pre-release PDF of the print copy she'd received from the publishers.

[haertig]

I don't know how authors and other celebrities can sign book after book. When I have to sign a bunch of papers (like for a mortgage), my signature starts changing and deteriorating after about two signings. It's like my signature is an automated motion, but after two of so repetitions it's no longer automated and I have to think about it. And at that point I must forget how to do it or something, because I start to pause halfway through and don't remember how to continue, and things start to look really wild. This may be because I stopped writing in cursive when I entered college (long ago!) If someone says I have to sign my middle name, I really can't do that. That has never been part of my signature and I'm like a kindergartner trying to remember how to make the letters in cursive. I can read cursive just fine - I just can't write in it without looking like a very slow clown.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by haertig

I can read cursive just fine - I just can't write in it without looking like a very slow clown.

Same here.

Printed signatures are going to become more common now that schools no longer teach cursive. I often see documents that have one line for a signature and another for the printed name. I guess that will also be going away eventually. Or perhaps the next generation will be using emoji signatures.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I often see documents that have one line for a signature and another for the printed name.

That's a legal thing. Put your mark here. The printed text can be printed by anyone.
On important legal documents there is also name and probably address of one or two witnesses to the signature and printing.
Perhaps Signet rings and Seals will make a comeback. Seals and signet rings (existing since Sumer and a seal then was a carved cylinder rolled on the clay) have never quite died off.

Rubber stamp signatures are still used and are at least Victorian. Enid Blyton often had her signature printed on the book and a preface.

now that schools no longer teach cursive

Where? They still teach it here in Ireland. English and Irish.
AFAIK Hebrew and Arabic cursive are still taught. The printed and cursive Arabic are not so different, but printed and cursive Hebrew are far more different than Western Latin-Roman alphabet (Alef bet, Hebrew/Aramaic, not Greek is the origin of the name).
Cursive Irish and Printed Irish styles are dead over 100 years. Irish now uses the ordinary Roman-Latin styles like Spanish or French.