Autographed Copies Poll

[rolanni]

As some of you may know (we didn't, until it was pointed out to us by an Alert Reader), Baen has decided to release two editions of some top-line 2012 books: A regular, unsigned copy at The Usual Price Point ($22 - $24); and a limited-to-1000-copy signed edition for $30. These editions would be released simultaneously and be available equally through all vendors, including Amazon.com and BN. This would effect books by David Weber, John Ringo, Larry Correia, and Lee-and-Miller.

I'm curious how readers might feel about the price difference between the signed and unsigned editions. When we were signing hardcover preorders for Meisha Merlin, back in the day, there was no extra charge for our signatures, so personally I'm rather. . .non-plussed by this new scheme. I do know that Very Special Editions -- such as slip-cased editions, or illustrated editions -- command higher prices, and rightly so, but it just seems. . .wrong to charge people for ink.

So! What do you think?


[Poll #1793777]

Comments

[elektra.livejournal.com]

It doesn't seem right to charge more for a signed copy if there isn't something *special* about the edition: extra interior illustration, fancier titles, something. These aren't even personalized . . . I'll just chase down Lee-and-Miller (or Ringo or Weber) somewhere and have them sign my book. I do buy limited editions (many of which are signed) from Subterranean Press--they are true "limited" editions and have value as such.
JMO.

[berneynator.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that the time and effort the author(s) must expend on signing is not inconsiderable, given your mentions of progress on the Ghost Ship, Fledgling, and Saltation signed copies. In that light, I think charging a bit extra for a signed copy is reasonable; after all, there's still the option of an unsigned copy for those who disagree, and I presume you would not charge someone who requested your autograph at a convention (joke). All this is predicated on the author(s) receiving some increased monetary compensation for the signed books, since they have to do extra work.

In some ways there already is

[(Anonymous)]

purchased a signed hardcover by pre-order from Uncle Hugo at list price- which is more expensive than amazon, Rose, syacuse

Ellen says...

[(Anonymous)]

When you do a signing at a book store, are there extra signed but unclaimed copies left over? I have seen them in brick and mortar stores. When I worked for a publisher, often signed books were returned as remainders. How can the publisher promise that a signed book is true rather than some clerk?

Re: Ellen says...

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

When we do a signing at a bookstore, we typically sign stock, so, yes, there are books "left over" which go back on the shelves to be sold at...

...cover price.

[sickmomma.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on whether the author is getting extra money for it or if it's just another profit point for the publisher. (And I say that realizing that publishing seems to be having a tough time as an industry.)

I'd be more willing to pay extra for a book that was a special edition of some sort that also was signed by the authors. But most of the time, I think I'm doing well when I can actually BUY the book and feel like I'm financially supporting my favorite authors versus borrowing from the library.

My 2 cents, which are worth exactly what you paid for them. :)

[neonhummingbird.livejournal.com]

For me, the joy of having a signed edition is really as a memory of the time I met the author9s) and they signed it. A signature I wasn't present for is... you, know, cool. But it's not what gives me real joy. So I'm probably not going to pay extra for a signed copy; I'm going to track the author down at a con, so i can tell them how much they rock while I'm getting a signature. :)

[adriannem.livejournal.com]

There was a day when I would have eagerly spent $25 + shipping to have your signature. In those days, I would have been reluctant to pay $5 more for the signature itself. And while I still like the ability to talk to you, the ability to meet you, I'm divesting of paper. I've replaced all my Lee&Miller books with bits. So I'll buy the next book, but I won't be paying for ink.

[elbales]

If the editions are otherwise identical, I don't see that the publisher is really doing anything to justify my paying them extra money, especially if they're not compensating you and Steve for it. And frankly, I've never really cared about signed editions. The Theo books, which I donated for, were nice to receive signed, but that was a lovely gesture on your part to thank those of us who contributed to the upkeep of the Cat Farm during that period. You could have sent unsigned copies and I would have felt just as grateful and appreciated.

[redpimpernel.livejournal.com]

I'm decluttering so I currently prefer books on e-ink.
Autographs that I'd collected meant something when I was younger.
I see autographed books (with a special sticker) at local bookstores frequently, and it just doesn't mean anything to me. (Sometimes I'll look to see how far into straight-line land the poor author was when they did their signing.)

When you start paying extra for autographs, that implies the signature in and of itself has worth, and in that case, I'd want some proof of authenticity. (Think sports figures, famous actors and others that at a con, you'd have to pay an extra fee to get said personal scrawl.)

[zanzjan.livejournal.com]

This is probably a meaningless distinction, but it seems to me that if I have an author sign a book in person (say, at a convention) or an author is sending me a signed book, in some ways the author has signed that book for me even if it's nothing but their scrawled name. Whereas if I buy a signed book from a publisher, it's likely one of a gazillion they made the poor writer crank out before they tried to stab themselves through the brain with their pen, and it just doesn't seem to be particularly meaningful even if functionally they appear indistinguishable after the fact.

So in short, I might potentially pay more for a signed book from an author, but probably not from a publisher.

[zanzjan.livejournal.com]

..and following up on that, I'd be most likely to try to catch the author in person for an autograph if I wanted one, because that would give me an opportunity to say, yes, I love your book and that's why I'd like it signed, not because I want to up its value on eBay.

In some ways signing a book is a means of exchanging mutual recognition between author/fan.

[pmrabble.livejournal.com]

For a HC in this price range, I'd be willing to pay another $2 for a signature AND some other minor benefit (slightly different cover treatment for example.

[welhar.livejournal.com]

I think as a business model, Baen should give it a try. The books should be differentiated somehow from the regular edition to make them "special". Different things are important to different people. For some it might be a special edition with an signature. For others it might be an E-ARC well in advance of hard cover sales. Since I pay more for the E-ARC, I really can't say anything against someone paying more for an autographed hard copy. :)

[ellenru.livejournal.com]

I can answer this in respect of Ghost Ship as I did pay extra for the Uncle Hugo's edition (full cover plus shipping from the U.S. and a longer wait for delivery) as opposed to my other copy which I got faster and cheaper and had you sign at the Reno Worldcon. I think that if there were some distinguishing feature I'd been more inclined to fork out the money to the publisher, as opposed to say, Uncle Hugo's from whom I bought to support them and Lee and Miller. I too like the personalized signature and the opportunity to say thank you in person to writers whose works I've enjoyed. I have a lot of books (although not as many as I used to) but only for a few of those have I made the effort to get signatures.

[aspidites.livejournal.com]

I would probably be willing to spend the extra $6 for an autographed edition, as I don't get out to cons much to get books signed in person. Lord knows I've spent plenty more than cover-plus-six-bucks to purchase signed editions by authors who I'm unlikely to ever get to meet.

I'm curious, however, as to where the extra money goes... does the author get a cut, or does it all go to the publisher? And how different is the signed "edition" from the general-release edition? If the publisher perhaps adds a little extra something (essays or short stories, perhaps? tipped-in special illustrations?) to the Special Signed! edition, that's one thing, but if they are exactly the same but for the addition of a bit of ink in a decorative scrawl across the frontispiece, I might begin to feel that the publisher is taking advantage of the willing nature of the author and the obsessive-collector nature of the reader.

It depends.

[romsfuulynn.livejournal.com]

Signed and numbered limited editions weren't uncommon, I think. Often they were a different binding or something.

I do have a signed duplicate title page for a very late Heinlein - it was a special arrangement by the long lost Moonstone Bookcellars in DC. I didn't pay extra for it though.

Mostly my signed editions are more mementos of meeting the author. Dick Francis, Anne McCaffrey, etc.

value

[stick-breaker.livejournal.com]

the value of the signature is two fold; the book or plate was handled by the author, Only a limited number of books with signatures exist. If you value either reason, you show your value with money. Personally I like the Reading the stories. I do not brag about my acquisitions. I read at least a book a day, sometimes three. My problem is finding authors to read.

audiobooks

[maiaarts.livejournal.com]

This sounds like the time they may finally make some decent audiobooks of yours - I own the one that was made but it was not decent.

Do you know if they will? And do you have any say in the reader? If you could have any reader in the world, check out Kate Reading who read Paladin of Souls for Lois McMaster Bujold.

I always buy signed books, though I get them at the UW Bookestore, as I like to support them and they had all your stuff when I couldn't get it anywhere else. But you haven't been out here when I could see you, so I have yet to get a signed book with memory attached.

As my husband reads you too, I will be buying the hard copy, signed, then I will also buy any audiobooks available, because that is how I get most of my books - I get terrible migraines and audio is the be all for me.

But I am also turning my books into bits. I keep the real books of only some authors - you guys, Pratchett, Bujold. And I have them on Kindle. And I get them on audio if I can. I am disabled and books are my addiction.

So if you make more money for signing, then cool. If its a ripoff deal for your publishers with you getting nothing - then hell no.

Re: audiobooks

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Let's see...

I would expect that, no, we wouldn't have any choice of readers. Carousel Tides is in audiobook and I chatted with the reader, who wanted to check pronunciations of names and Weird Maine Places, but she was hired by Audible, not the publisher. Same as Michael Shanks was hired by Buzzy.

The problem with Baen doing Liaden Universe audiobooks is that there is a pre-existing contract.

And, as above, we get a set percentage of cover, so yeah, we'd made...fifty cents? (math before coffee!) more on the $30 edition.

[sraun]

I picked "some other figure" - the real answer is 'it depends on the author'. For some authors, it's not worth anything. For others, it's worth quite a bit.

As for the publisher - this is a 'what will the market pay for?' situation. If this keeps my favorite authors books being published, go for it! I am assuming the author gets a little bit for the signed book, since - as I understand it - the author gets a percentage of cover. And that's another bit of incentive - the authors I want to support potentially get more money. Maybe not much, but every bit counts.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to move more and more of my new book purchases to ebooks, so I can carry them on my tablet, rather than adding to the chaos that is our book library. Signed copies really haven't translated well to that. I have sprung the extra for the eARC of some books from Baen, though, which is the closest equivalent to this I can think of in the ebook world.

[saruby.livejournal.com]

I think (hope?) this idea is a nonstarter for Baen. I don't think it will help sell books. In fact, it may discourage some sales. The truth is that I am unlikely to pay more for a signed book unless I know the author or have a reason to specifically provide financial support to the author. But I rarely buy hardcover books. Only special books get that much money out of me and, unfortunately adding this much to a hardcover price, probably means I won't be getting the signed version. Yes, if you are paid a percentage of sales revenue, you will get more, but Baen will still realize a lot more than you do. I know the publishing industry is in trouble, but this seems like it will hasten the demise of print books, not increase sales.

Publishers charging extra...

[micheledear.livejournal.com]

... am I naive in thinking YOU get paid extra for those? Because that is primarily why I would pay extra. Although, in the case of youse guys, since I can, I would pay extra for PERSONALIZED signed copies, you know, direct to you, and stuff. If the author doesn't get any extra, then I retract my answers above, and say "No, I would not pay extra."

[thejunebug.livejournal.com]

If the author is getting something extra for the signing of the book, then I think it's fair, because it's extra time and physical effort on the part of the author (especially if they're someone like, say, Anne McCaffrey who has bad hands and limits her signings). If they aren't getting anything extra, then no. I think it's exploitation on the part of the publisher. A limited run, sure, but don't charge extra for it unless that $ is going to a charity or the author.

[drammar.livejournal.com]

I would pay extra for Lee-and-Miller signatures -- you folks are the only authors that I care enough to say that with. But that's because you work hard to maintain a relationship with your readers, and I feel connected.

The unfortunate thing about Baen's decision in this regard is that it takes the "specialness" out of it for me. If you pay extra, then it's a "service" not a "favor."

But, as long as the author gets some of the extra it doesn't bother me too much.

[otaku-tetsuko.livejournal.com]

This last time, I signed up for the signed copy but ended up bailing just to get one to, ya know, READ! So I'm now going to see if I can still buy one of Uncle Hugo's leftovers as gift.

But.

I am most pleased to have the signed copies of the various M&L publications that I have because, ya know? They often say, "For Sarge" on them. And that means to me that, for that moment in time, this person was thinking of me and how I might like the book and knowing that it was ME that was going to read it and... does that make any sense? Having to think about it like this has made me realize that no, I don't really want a signed copy anymore, unless the author knows they are signing it for me. So I'll join the ranks of those hoarding up stacks to take to signings when and if I can. Or, I'd happily pay postage plus a bit of nuisance money for a signed Tree and Dragon bookplate from the authors - see "For Sarge" reason above.
My two cents.

Similar thoughts to some others here

[mcfan02.livejournal.com]

My initial thought is that If I was sure the authors would benefit from the higher cost, and it only modestly benefits the publisher, then it would be ok to have a slight differential.

But at the same time, I remembered that I paid list at Hugo's and covered shipping, although no tax until I do my state income tax in April where my state (NJ) , not MN, will recoup (not sure if this is true of all states, or just high tax ones like mine). I usually get a discount from both Amazon and my local independent bookseller (10% for all books during months when a registered family member has a birthday and when it has an occasional coupon in the local flyer).

If the publisher were to have such a differential, would it preclude you from signing additional books - ie they said there are one thousand copies, so you can't sign more?

MIllie C

Re: Similar thoughts to some others here

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

If the publisher were to have such a differential, would it preclude you from signing additional books - ie they said there are one thousand copies, so you can't sign more?

I can't see how they could make that stick.

*Tries to visualize being behind a signing table and telling people, "Yes, I'll be happy to sign your copy of Ghost Ship, but I'm afraid I'm contractually restricted from signing Dragon Ship."*

Nah.

[joycependle.livejournal.com]

I'm not interested in having signed books myself, but other people are. If the authors can sell their signatures for a sum that makes the tedium of signing (and risk of RSI) worthwhile, that is fine with me. I hope that Baen are being canny in their choice of what to sell so that they can continue to publish good books for years to come.