I get a lot of questions from people interested in coming to one of our booksigning events.  I’ll try to answer the most common ones below, so you know what to expect if you attend a signing.

Yesterday I described the process of dropby signings, stopping in at area bookstores, signing the copies on the shelves, meeting bookstore staff.  A formal talk and booksigning is a much different event, open to the public, a chance for us to meet the fans, chat with them and answer questions, autograph their books.

Brian and I will give a brief talk about Hellhole, Dune, and some of our other projects, discuss our writing method, describe how the stories and characters develop.  (Some authors like to do a reading from their novels, but we’d rather have a chance to give the fans something fresh…and besides, author readings are often boring!) We’ll answer questions from the audience, then move on to signing books. Depending on the size of the crowd, some stores give out tickets or numbers; don’t worry, we will stay until everyone has all of their books autographed.

Here are some common questions we get:

Do you charge for your autographs?

No. You’ve already bought the book, and we hope you’ll enjoy it enough to try some of our other titles.

Do I have to buy the new book?

No. While this tour is to promote the release of Hellhole, we are in the business of developing a base of readers who will follow our work, not just to sell a few extra copies of one particular title. (We are, of course, very happy if you buy the new book!)

Will you sign your other books?

Yes, Brian and I will sign any of our Dune novels or any of our other titles (my Seven Suns, Terra Incognita, Star Wars, X-Files, etc.; Brian’s Timeweb series, Dreamer of Dune, etc.)

Can I bring my old books from home?

Yes. I’ve published over 100 novels over more than 20 years; you are welcome to bring in any copies you have on your shelves, no matter how battered they may be.

Please bear in mind, however, that the bookstore hosting the event is the one who sponsored the signing, so as a courtesy it would be polite if you patronized them and purchased some item from the store, even just a paperback.

Do you have a limit on how many you’ll sign?

No. We will stay until we’ve taken care of everyone. Out of consideration to other people in line, though, we limit the number to 4-5 at a time, and then you can go back through the line as many times as you like…or just wait until the crowd has died down and then come up.

We will personalize the books, if you wish. (This takes a lot longer, however, so try to limit to only a few personalizations, or wait until the end.)

Can I take a photo?

Yes, you are welcome to take photos of us, or with us.

The only thing we try to avoid is shaking hands—signing so many books, day after day, tends to make our wrists and hands sore, and shaking hands exacerbates that. We’ll probably do a “fist bump” instead.

Our first formal signing is tonight in downtown Seattle at University Books. Tomorrow night we’re in Portland, OR, at Powell’s Cedar Hills Crossing.  Click here for the full tour schedule.