First, if you signed up for the blog newsletter, but aren’t receiving it, please check your spam folder. 90% of the time, you will find us there.
There is a bit of controversy and discussion happening right now about signings. Some stores require a purchase when hosting signings. The problem is, a lot of people now buy books in e format, so they have nothing to sign but they still want to meet the author. We’ve got a couple of emails asking about our view on it.
First, for the brick-and-mortar bookstores to survive, they must turn a profit. Requiring a purchase makes sense from the business standpoint. Obviously, the author benefits from this requirement. Authors tour to meet fans, but also to sell books, and books sold during the tour are counted toward bestseller lists such as NYT and USAT. However, what about those fans who have already purchased the book in other formats? Bookstores have no business interest in these readers, because they are not potential customers, but authors do. That’s why for a while we did meet and greets, but at first 15 people showed up, and now it’s more like 80-100. Unfortunately, that’s too many.
When you come to our signing, we will sign anything you put in front of us. Books, audio books, kindle covers, autograph notebooks, onesies – this comes up surprisingly more often than you would think, posters, etc. But when we visit the bookstore, we are bound by the rules of that bookstore. We are guests and we have to follow their policies. Please contact the store for signing policies. If you don’t want to purchase a book, but the store requires it, you can always come up to us before or after the signing and we will sign whatever you bring us.
There is really no etiquette as far as signings are concerned. Generally, we ask that people who have trouble walking or have small children get to the front of the line. We ask that those of you who bring more than five books, get your five signed and then wait until the end of the signing to get the additional books signed. And please don’t touch us without asking. We have no problem with friendly hugs and will hug you if you would like us to, but we had a couple of incidents that went too far. That’s pretty much it. Other authors might have their own takes on it, but most of it is usually common sense.
With this in mind, would you like us to do something for people who can’t attend signings? We can do a live Q&A, a Facebook Live event, or something similar for Hugh’s book, for example?
A FAQ recorded or live would be fun. I will watch!
+ 1 ( perhaps something matching Europe time?)
personally I am toho awed of prospect of meeting you even online to ask something. Saying hello would probably be top performance for me ?.
I second that!!!
A Facebook event would be awesome. I pre ordered mine from kindle and your signings are never near me.
I second the live as I buy everything on kindle and I don’t think you’re coming to Japan any time soon
The comment about getting too close reminds me of the soldiers advancing on Catatlina.
A live Q and A would be amazing!
Also, I so hope you’ll visit Europe soon 🙂
Your emails always end up in either my Junk or Quarantine folders, never my inbox. Each time I “Whitelist” the address, but the subsequent mail comes from a different address, so goes into Quarantine. Since the end of May, the mails I’ve caught and whitelisted have come from:
brandi.bolden202=gmail.com@mail152.sea71.mcsv.net
brandi.bolden202=gmail.com@mail68.atl51.rsgsv.net
brandi.bolden202=gmail.com@mail114.sea61.rsgv.net
brandi.bolden202=gmail.com@mail207.atl171.mcdlv.net
brandi.bolden202=gmail.com@mail33.suw91.mcdl.net
brandi.bolden202=gmail.com@mail183.atl161.mcsv.net
You get the picture? I’m giving up on trying to clear you for my inbox and just remembering to check junk and quarantine before I clear ’em.
Most mail apps have the ability to set up a filter. If you are using google mail, go to the little sprocket on the top right, click on it then on settings and on the top of that page will be a spot that says filters and blocked addresses. Click there and set up a new filter using brandibolden and place it in a folder or send it to inbox. I have literally set up 2 dozen filters and even more folders to sort my mail automatically. Other mail apps can do the same. Yahoo mail is a little harder to find, but also doable.
This is happening because you originally decided to trace the email to see if it’s spam. It’s not us, it’s your email server. It always comes from the same address on our end.
Here, if you click the link, it goes here: https://mailchimp.com/about/mcsv-static
Thank you for always thinking of all of us in the BDH!
As an Italy based fan, I’d prefer a youtube recording rather than a live on FB, but as long as I can see it later I don’t mind!
If it’s going to be a Q&A, can we have a blog post in which we can comment with our questions? A sort of collection you pick from, so who can’t attend the live could have a chance to ask something anyway.
Bookplates would be awesome. I don’t know the logistics or expenses of it but Anne Bishop sends them every year to local and international readers: maybe you could ask her (or her collaborator on the FB page)?
What are bookplates?
It’s a sticker-tag signed by the author and you can put it on your books (or wherever you want!)
Let’s see if I can attach a picture here…
2nd the bookplates.
One of my most treasured items is a bookplate signed by Anne McCaffery. She had issues with the mail delivery to her Ireland country home, Dragonhold – Underhill.
People were sending 1st additions to be signed and they were getting ruined on the way there. So she set up an email request system so that the bookplates could be personalized. Mine was for the first book I read my to daughter out loud – “No One Noticed the Cat”. Even more precious because my daughter is so profoundly dyslexic, she’s never been able to read to herself.
Ditto bookplates also get them from Anne bishop. And/or a printed book page from the new book signed with a msg is really cool I received that from April White and her descendants series, which I framed and adore!!
A live Q&A please. That would be awesome.
??? my face when I read about the touching going too far. Bless you for allowing any touching at all after that.
Looking forward to the signing w y’all and Grace this fall!
I don’t understand people who don’t understand personal space… if ANYONE attempted to touch me or even hug me without my consent…. They’d be on the floor…. Do they not understand physical boundaries… especially when you are practically strangers. Honestly that blows my mind at the ignorance. Touching without permission is physical/sexual assault … And even if you have brought the e-book, and you go to a BOOKSTORE, common courtesy dictates you make a purchase, if you already have a copy of the authors book… buy another book its not rocket science…… RUDE.
Yes! I have a lot of e-books, but if I know I’m going to get a signature, I’ll buy a copy to go on my bookshelf.
+1
As an electronic version reader. Buying a book, then donating it to a library would have a dual success.
Excellent idea!
Some of us buy your books on line the second they come out (because there isn’t a bookstore in town) but when “we” drag our ass into Austin, then hit the B&N and buy a couple of the printed versions. One for ourselves and another for either a grandkid or probably a niece… ?
I went to an event for Charlaine Harris at a very small college in rural Pennsylvania, Shippensburg U., with a gorgeous new auditorium. There was no admission fee and parking was free. On stage, she read an essay she had written for the campus literary journal (funny, about vampires), then had twenty minutes of Q&A. This appearance was at the peak of the SVM popularity, and I was not sure why, of all the places she could go she chose Shippensburg, but, I was happy because it was a two-hour drive and I was able to go (and so were around 200 other fans). Your post made me think of her event, because the fans had a free, comfortable seat and no obligation to make an on-site purchase. Afterward she had a book signing in the lobby that her publisher must have arranged, the books were gorgeously stacked with book props and posters on a table. No one was buying them, the announcement did not mention a signing and everyone had brought their own copies just in case she might be signing them afterward. It was an excellent event for her fans. Another event that sounds great for authors is an invitation from JD Robb/Nora Roberts to stay for a weekend at her Inn Boonesboro in Boonesboro, MD with fans in the other 15 rooms, then have a signing at her bookstore down the street. The Inn is cozy and renovated to her high standards, and located near Antietam battlefield and lots of cornfields.
Local bookstore (tiny) had a signing for a popular essayist. They rented space for it and then offered tickets for $25 for the first 50 attendees, who had to purchase tickets 7 days in advance. Ticket holders got first 5 row seating, everyone else got general seating. If nobody bought the tickets, the event would be cancelled. There were about 150-200 people who came. The book store had tables in the back for people who wanted to buy the latest book or order older publications.
Please come to Scotland to do a signing and I will buy anything the shop wants me to ?
I’m yet another eBook person, and now that I have doctors orders to get all the paper out of my life, I’ve had to give away the Willa Cather & Owen Wister books inscribed to my grandmother. I prefer that you spend more time writing. That said, if you could do an online reading, I’d love that.
ICK…………….. The fact that you have to even post about touching is concerning. Again you guys are too nice. Thanks for the great stories sorry about all of the other junk you have to put up with.
I thought spam was supposed to be in a kitchen. But now we know it’s in the Inn kitchen. I wonder what kind od delicious meals that chef will make with them.
I’m still not receiving the news letter. I’ve checked my spam folder. Boy they’re some crazy stuff in my spam folder but no news letter. The website says I’m signed up. I’ll probably continue to stalk the website ?
I’d love to see a Facebook event. If you go for “live”, could you make sure it’s recorded as well? My timeslots might not fit yours!!!
I live in Germany and am soon moving to Thailand, so I’d prefer something I could have watch online without having to deal with timezones. My vote is for YouTube, etc. Regarding purchases at signings, I would always be happy to buy a paper copy to support brick and mortar stores. I usually buy the e-book when new releases are out, and the paper copy of books I love because I still would always rather read a real book. The smell of ink and paper, y’all. Can’t beat a mom and pop used bookstore.
Stupid typos.
I met you when you came to New York Comic Con. I forget what book you guys were promoting… I want to say it was Nevada’s first book. But you guys went out of your way to sign a book for my friend who was at the time stationed at an American military base in South Korea. She said your books were some of the only things that helped her morale while on base since as a woman it was pretty tough for her abroad. She’s now back in the USA working at the Pentagon in DC (yeah she’s a badass) but she was so touched by your generosity to sign a book for her when I asked.
A Facebook Live would be great in any kind of format. I might not be able to watch it Live but would definitely watch the recorded version!
A live facebook event would be so awesome! Please do it during weekends or non office hours.
I am a huge fan and listen to all your books via audio. So sadly if I go to a signing I don’t have an actual book. Cool giveaways for audio and kindle lovers like me would be signed posters, signed small stuffed toys, signed photo frames, signed ARCs, signed special print copies of your books. Thank you
Would you be willing to mail or give away or have available for purchase bookplates?
I’d love to see a Q&A — I know you get many of the same questions time and time again, and I’m sorry-not-sorry about that, but hopefully *some* of us come up with something new for you — but expect that I personally wouldn’t ever go on Facebook for it. Could you perhaps share the recorded video on YouTube or Vimeo or here after, if you do decide to do that?