Today, I’m talking about 5 ways to sign your author copies. Ever since I have started doing print books, I have realized there’s always a demand for signed author copies. The first copies always go out to people who contributed in some way to the book etc. but then there are giveaways, book signings, prizes, fairs, gifts and so you have tons of books to sign.
I actually didn’t quite know how to do so. Nobody teaches you this stuff. You just wing it. I even read what other authors did ( Caitlin Berve has some great tips). It helps to watch and learn. Some people have great ideas about defacing the front page and striking the author name. I don’t quite like that. So here are my top 5 ways to sign your author copies.
Practice First
I think you should first practice signing your author copy. And not just that, practice your signature, the message you will write and the date as well. It’s important to practice this before you finalize things on the book.
The last thing you want is to be stuck with a badly signed print copy. I actually do a few trial runs because I do tend to write cursive and on any given day, my cursive can be legible to completely artistic that no one can read. 😂
Personalize Your Message
I think as an author you should be able to write down something personal for the person who will receive your book. It just makes it so much nicer. I wrote this for my teacher, whom I dedicated the book for. And I really wanted to personalize the message. So I put in hearts and hugs and even a letter inside.
I probably wouldn’t put hearts on a book at a book signing event. That’s just me. The signature, well that’s up to you. I like to keep things simple with my name. That’s it.
Do Different but Do You
So when I’m signing, I like to use roman numerals in the date. It’s just something I like doing. I know folks who write poems, put inspirational messages, do little caricatures, cartoons, and stickers. I don’t know how to draw and when you have a ton of books to sign, it’s a bit hard to do for each book.
Also, for this book, I said thank you in Hindi since this book is based in India. As you can see my handwriting is a bit wobbly but I’ve written roman numerals. There are no rules for this. You just write something different but write what screams YOU.
Choose the right Pen
The right pen can make all the difference. I know some people use markers but they don’t work for me because I write cursive, they bleed onto the next page and they look very messy. I also don’t use a marker/calligraphy pen because of bleed reasons. I tend to stick to gel ink and ink pens because that’s what I’m comfortable using and my cursive handwriting is clearer with them.
Add Stationary
I always add stationary of my other books when I hand out signed print copies. They could be quote cards or bookmarks from my catalogue. It doesn’t matter which publisher. I just add in a nice bookmark. Like I added one from my book Find Me in The Snow with the copies of Where We Come From. They’re both form different publishing houses but it looks nice. I know for print books, bookmarks are always helpful while reading and I feel like it’s just an extra step that makes your signed books more memorable.
Where Do You Sign?
So you can write the message and sign the book on the title page or you could use the blank pages inside the book. I prefer to use the title page if I just have to put a name. The blank pages have a lot of real estate. So for longer messages I use this space to write out a few words and do stuff. It’s really up to you. I don’t strike out my name on the title page because I feel like it defaces the book. I don’t like books that are vandalized like that. 🤣
How do you sign?
How do you like to sign your author copies? And how do you like receiving your signed author copy. I’d like to know. If you want a signed copy of my latest book then sign up to my newsletter where I’m always giving away free stuff.