Column: eBook Signings by Becky Clark

(Originally posted June 3, 2011 at Becky’s blog, I’m Just Sayin)

I have a huge problem. How can the massive legions of my fans get autographed copies of my books if I only write ebooks?

Ok. Fine. I don’t have massive legions of fans. But when I do, this is a problem I won’t have to worry about any longer. (Yes, thankyouverymuch, my rose-colored glasses are always at least half full. Often of sudsy brew.)

There has been much discussion in my ebook publishing circles about how to do book signings and in-person events for ebook authors.

Sharpie on the Kindle? Burn and sign CDs of the book? Sign postcards of the cover? Channel some WC Fields and snarl, “Get outta here kid, you bother me.” Keep a stack of some other author’s books handy to sign?

Funny story. I was at a large author event and someone handed me a book to sign. But it wasn’t one I had written. I laughed and pointed it out to them. They looked at the other author’s table which had a line, shrugged and told me to go ahead and sign it anyway. “It’s a gift. They’ll never know.”

But I digress … when you don’t have a paper book, how will you define ‘book signing’?

Enter Autography.com. They’ve created a method for virtual book signings. I’m not entirely sure how it all works, because their website is skimpy on the details. I’ve heard about them from several different trusted sources and I understand they made a big splash at BEA recently. You can bet I’ll be keeping an eye on them to see how I can take advantage of what they offer.

In the meantime, I think I’ll just keep signing other people’s books. For now it’s much easier. Besides, they’ll never know.

How will you handle virtual book signings? If someone handed you one of my books to sign, how would you inscribe it?

Becky Clark is a popular blogger, entrepreneur, speaker, and author of wildly divergent books — for example, An UnCivil War – The Boys Who Were Left Behind (middle-grade historical fiction); Reading Maniac — Fun Ways To Encourage Reading Success (a guide for parents of reluctant readers); and The Lazy Low Cal Lifestyle Cookbook. Her BeckyLand blog can be found at http:/beckyland.wordpress.com and her healthy living website/blog is www.LazyLowCalLifestyle.com. She is a highly functioning chocoholic.