I did a book signing yesterday in Reading with my friend Tania Crosse – who writes fabulous historical novels.
I really enjoyed the day – and loved meeting the people who came along.
In between signing books, I started thinking…
As authors, we do bookshop signings to promote our work. To put our books in front of people who might buy them. But it’s not just about the money. I don’t believe a story has really come to life until it’s been read by someone. The more people who read it – the more life that story has.
But what about the readers… why do readers collect signed books?
This morning I went digging through my own bookshelves, where I have many, many signed books. I think the first signed book I owned was The Lost Continent by Terry Pratchett. I bought that in 1998, which seems just a short time ago when I consider that I have books in my collection that I’ve owned since I was a small child.
I didn’t go to Terry Pratchett’s signing. In fact, I don’t think I even knew he was in town. I found the signed copy on my next visit to the book shop. That started a bit of a ‘thing’… and I’ve been accumulating signed books ever since.
Many are signed by writers who are also friends… and those personal messages are very special. But many others are signed by authors whom I have never met, and am unlikely ever to meet. Writers far above me in the authorial firmament. Writers from other countries. Writers who are no longer with us.
As a reader I value those books because they give me some kind of extra connection to someone whose work I love. It is almost as if the authors were thinking of me when they wrote the book. Which, of course they were. Not me, specifically, but I believe all authors do think about their readers as they write.
Yesterday I realized that I like signing books for the very same reason. I get to meet someone who is going to read my book, and by signing the book I feel some extra connection to the reader. I hope they like the book, because I’d like them to buy more of my work – but mostly I just hope they like the book.
So thanks to everyone who came along… I hope you enjoy Girl Racers.
It really was written just for you!