Adventures in book signing!


This is a scene from a recent book signing: 

Lady buying my book for her daughter: Can you sign it with her nick name Julia Ghoulia?

Me: Sure, how do you spell Ghoulia?

Lady buying my book for her daughter: I thought you were a writer? You should know how to spell it?

Me: I am a writer, but it kinda seems like a made up name.

Lady buying my book for her daughter: It’s Ghoul with an ia on the end.

When I autograph my debut novel Dead Frog on the Porch I used the tag line: Hope you love dead frogs followed by a giant exclamation point and then my name.

Something like this:

Hope you love dead frogs! Jan Markley

That works because I’m really hoping you love the book Dead Frog on the Porch.

For the second in the Megabyte Mystery Series Dead Bird through the Cat Door I thought I would do something similar and write: Hope you love dead birds! Well, that doesn’t really work because it sounds like I hope you want birds to be dead and frankly no one wants that. No one wants that for frogs either, but it just seemed to work.  

Then someone suggested: Look what the cat dragged in! Which is good in theory until you write it.

Then it looks like this:

Look what the cat dragged in! Jan Markley

It kinda looks like the cat dragged me in.

So, I’m looking for a tag line to use when I autograph copies of Dead Bird through the Cat Door.

Need help from my bloggowers. Any suggestions will be given full consideration and will either be soundly rejected or I will use them and take full credit for coming up with them (no, I joke, I’m a joker!)

For the time being I’m using:

Tweet, tweet! Readers rock! Jan Markley 

I will be signing copies of both books Sunday November 21st at the Indigo(Chapters) store at Signal Hill in Calgary between noon and 4 pm. If you're in that hood driving around, come in out of the cold and have a chat and get a signed book! 


Comments

Anne R. Allen said…
You're a writer so you should know how to spell a made-up name? Amazing how hostile people can get with published writers, isn't it?

Answer: Writer, yes; Mind-reader, no. But of course you were polite and diplomatic. The customer is always right.

Like the Tweet, Tweet signature. Signature tags are an issue I don't see addressed much, but it's important, isn't it?
Jan Markley said…
Funny eh, Anne. I try to make double sure I get the name spelled right. Lots of grandmothers and aunts and uncles don't know how to spell the names of their young relatives. I want to get it right because no one wants a book with their name spelled wrong! So, one vote for Tweet, tweet!
Stina said…
That's my worse night. Trying to come up with something witty to write in a book when I sign it. Fortunately I still have a loooooong time before I worry about that. :)

Have fun tomorrow, Jan! Sorry I won't be able to make it.
Jan Markley said…
No problem Stina. Maybe I'll catch you at the book launch if you're able to make it or I'll catch you on the flip side!
Dawn Ius said…
Looks like you're mostly having fun :-)
I'm going to email you. I have an idea that was inspired after reading your Tweet signature!
Hope sales keep rocking. xo
Jan Markley said…
Yes, Dawn, still having fun! I look forward to your suggestions!

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