Signed Book Website Service

After banging my head againt a wall with agents and publishers etc trying to find out the best way to get a signed copy of a book, preferabbly with a brief message, for my partner I am setting up a website do just that.

Not being in a position to attend a signing on the off chance that I happen to be in an area of the country at a particular time the process should work as follows:

• Customer purchases the book online from our website. (Don't worry about the purchasing of the book on our part, got that sorted)
  
• We despatch the book(s) via post to the authors (convenient) address with paid return postage and a printed note with the message requested.
  
• Author signs the book as requested with brief message.
  
• Places the book back in the original postage packing and attaches enclosed pre-paid label and address
  
• Then either returns via Post Office when convenient which comes back to us.
  
• We despatch to customer.
  

I am interested to gather the thoughts from a wide range of authors on their thoughts on the above idea, process, timescales etc.

I wanted to get a signed book for my partner and after contacting the publisher was told 'We sometimes get books sent in with requests and we do (sometimes) send them to the author but we never guarantee or know if the book will get back to you'

They pushed me towards the literary agent (if I can find them via the web) the agents (bar one) said they push requests back to the publishing companies.

So where would I go from there?

Any thoughts, feelings appreciated.

Thanks

Matt

Hi Matt, this is an interesting idea. I've got some questions, though. If a fan can't easily get this done alone, why do you think you'd have more luck? I'd think this kind of business would need connections in the literary world. Also, I assume you'd charge for it. Why would a fan pay you for results that he could obtain himself?

Hi LC, And therin lies the initial issue. I tried to establish how I could go about it on a one-off and went round in circles. So I thought if I could get authors on board directly, after all it would be their decision if they took part, and bypass the publisher and the agent that would be the first step. Not for the introduction perspective, as that would be rude. That said, publishers have got back to me and said that they 'have too many authors' and as such would not want to get involved.

They are missing the point, I do not want them to get involved.

One agent said that she would contact her authors and see if they would be interested however wanted to see the site up an running first. It's the chicken and egg thing. We will probably go live asking people which authors they would want be interested in and inviting authors to join up.

As for charging, TBD at this stage. It is more than likely that we will offer the book purchase at RRP and maybe a nominal charge on top of that.

To reiterate, the problem I encountered is initially getting hold of the author to arrange a signed copy. In instances where this is possible, the book may arrive in awful packaging with no return address or cost of postage.

We will make sure that this doesn't happen.

Really just looking for additional thoughts from authors, would they be interested and so on. I am not overly fussed about the quantities that they would expect, just really trying to see if there is interest on their part.

Otherwise it is non-starter I guess.

On an aside, there are a number of websites that sell signed copies for well above the RRP and they are just signed, we want to add the personal message touch.

Thanks, all contributions welcome.

Matt

Quote :

Really just looking for additional thoughts from authors, would they be interested and so on. I am not overly fussed about the quantities that they would expect, just really trying to see if there is interest on their part.

My guess is that the authors most readers would want wouldn't be interested, and the authors most readers don't care about would. lol.

I don't see that as an issue to be honest. My aim here is to see who is interested, the pitfalls on so on. I am not looking for the WHSmith top 10 here, anybody is welcome. In fact, I would rather have lots of authors than a handful of the more well known ones.

More comments please.

Anybody? I see it as a good way to promote your book.

How so?

My experience has been that purchasers don't care whether it's signed if they have not actually met the author. Authors may sell their own books, signed, at ebay or even Amazon.com and google - but takers don't seem to be standing in line.