Any Plan Where You Lose Your Books...

[rolanni]

...is, by definition, a Bad Plan.

Folks, please don't just throw your books into the mail at media rates with an enclosed note asking us to sign them. We appreciate warning. More, we appreciate not having to fork over five small to redeem your package which was sent to the wrong address and had to be forwarded to the right one. An email asking us if we would mind signing your books and verifying the address is much more the thing.

Regarding the case at hand, the post office box to which the books were sent is closed. It happens that the postmaster at Unity is a Nice Guy, or these books could've gone beating around the postal system for months before they were returned to sender. If they ever actually got home.

To recap: Plan Ahead. Ask First. Verify your Information. Oh, and call your mother.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Live Journal.

Comments

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Ouch, that is silly. I've never even thought of sending books to an author for signing, the idea seems pretty odd to me anyway, but doing so without prior arrangement is rude as well as silly.

On the subject of signing: since you will be going to Anticipation, will you be doing signing there? If so, how many books would be reasonable per person? (You can tell I don't get many books signed!) Bringing my entire set including duplicates and chapbooks would obviously be way over the top, but what is regarded as reasonable? (This could be a FAQ...)

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Well, let's see. It's the convention's call whether we'll have an Official Signing, and it's early days for hearing about worldcon schedules.

We do try to be accommodating to people at conventions who need their books signed; we are, after all, at the con for you in a lot of ways. We've had people catch us after panels, or at the Liaden party, or at other times when we're clearly not immediately busy and we're glad to help out.

Last year in Denver, I think the con limited the number of books a fan could get signed at one time to six, which is respectful of other people in line, and Absolutely Necessary in the case of really popular writers. Nobody stops someone who has gotten six books signed from going to the end of the line and bringing up six more books.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Six is more than I vaguely expected, thanks, I was thinking on the order of three but I have heard of fans bringing a stack and expecting them to all be signed (and then complaining because the author wasn't very happy!).

I'm looking forward to the con (and since I will be flying Air Canada's executive class I'm even looking forward to the flight instead of dreading it)...