For folks in the New York/Long Island area, I will be doing a store appearance tomorrow, Thursday, at Borders Books in Syosset, 425 Jericho Turnpike. It’s scheduled to start at 7:30 PM. I’m supposed to be doing a reading, a brief talk, answer questions, and sign stuff.
I don’t generally do a lot of book store appearances. Usually it consists of me sitting at a table while wary customers either keep their distance or come up to me and ask me where the self-help books are. I find that funny for some reason. Needing help to find the self-help books. It’s like needing to look in a dictionary to figure out how to spell a word, but you can’t find it because you don’t know how to spell it. The last time I did a book store appearance (it might even have been at this Borders), it was pouring rain and four people showed up.
At any rate, I’m planning to cut way back on store appearances in the future…like, to none, except where contractually obligated. So if you’re interested in getting books signed, now’s the time.
PAD
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before you retire from book signing, come to the barnes and noble in dayton, ohio! i can guarantee at least two people will be there! we’ll give you FIFTY dollars even!
*Checks pockets*
Too bad I can’t fly to Long Island on five bucks. I don’t suppose you have any contracts to sign in Colorado Springs, Colorado?
This is a mixed bag of news for me.
The Good – Mr. David is doing a signing at a book store that I go to all the time and is also next to a very good Chinese place that my feance and I love to eat at.
The Bad – No more signings, that is a sad thing.
John
I don’t go to signings. Or appearances or whatever they are called.
I frequent Midtown comics in NYC, and they have them quite often, and I generally make sure I don’t go on those days.
1) if it is a creator I don’t like (or more accurately don’t like the work of) I have to deal with the staff promoting a book that I am not interested in. Last signing I was at I was continously offred Cous Cous Express (which I have since read, and remain unimpressed with). It is annoying. And there is less space, and more people.
2) if it is a creator whose work I like (say Peter David), I am already going to buy his work. I don’t really collect signatures, as they don’t add any personal value to the item, and I am not interested in adding economic value to the books. And I don’t have anything to say to Peter. Except, I like you work. Which – while I am sure he loves to hear – isn’t really much of anything. I buy his work, that is likely more important (It is like saying, I like your work AND I will prove it).
3) If I ever found myself with a question to ask, or something I wanted to discuss with a creator I liked then I might go. But even then, if there is a line, I doubt I could get a chance to talk to him or her. I might go anyone for the chance. But that situation has yet to arrive.
So frankly Peter (this part being directed at you), I am just glad you post your thoughts on a website now, as I find that more fascinating then getting to tell you I like Young Justice, can you write your name on it?
But that is just me…
I once saw a great stand-up routine where the guy questioned why the word ‘dictionary’ is in the dictionary. Something to the effect of: ‘If you know what the word means, you won’t need to look it up and if you don’t know what it means, how would you know where to look?’
It was funny at the time, anyway ..
…and the sad thing is…I will never get to meet you at a book meeting :^(…if you are going to sit there all alone then I would gladly sit and chat…true, you might never want to talk to me…I’m a father of two – stephanie is 20, stephen is 17…I have family(kid) problems…I read comics…I read your blog…hëll, you might never want to meet me :^)…but can I take this chance to say – thank you…and if you ever go to a book signing in england/london I will try to be there…maybe not to have you sign a book (because I’ll buy your stuff anyhoo) but just to say hello and thank you :^)…and you made a difference….and isn’t that the important bit :^)..
billy
I don’t suppose one of the last book signings will be in Belfast, N.I.??
Worth a try.
Quick note: I have just bought SIR
APROPOS OF NOTHING and will read it shortly, after I get done with THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PSUEDO-SCIENCE.
I know, I know, and I’m sorry, but I’ve been burned before by ‘funny’ sf and fantasy books with cutesy-pun titles and was a little reluctant. Anyway, I will read it and come back and shower praise upon you and that will make you feel better. Unless, of course, I hate it, in which case I’ll keep it to myself. (Yeah, yeah, I could fib, but if I said that now, then I did really like the book, you’d think I was just saying that and it’d spoil the whole point.)
Yeah.
I’ll go away now.
Guess i’m gonna have to wait till a comic convention near me… in the great tampa bay area…
One of the reasons we are cutting down the signings has to do with the impending arrival in December.