4 ms·

I gotta say... I would have quit writing the moment I became successful enough to be required to sit at book signings. I can't imagine sitting there all day lon

I gotta say... I would have quit writing the moment I became successful enough to be required to sit at book signings. I can't imagine sitting there all day long, bored out of my skull, faking like I care about these people. I got out of recruiting because of how utterly disingenuous the career is and how boring the work was, and the non-creative parts of being an author have zero appeal to me.

ghaff 2y ago
I never minded doing book signings at events but it usually only lasted 30 minutes or so. That said, I did one full-length book (and a second edition) with a publisher and would never do another full-length given it's not really a career benefit at this point.
rexpop 2y ago
> faking like I care about these people Would it surprise you to learn that many authors actually adore their readers, and are grateful for every single one who cares enough to read and appreciate their work? I, personally, enjoy greeting strangers for hours on end, especially when we've a niche interest in common. I don't think the author is "faking," only fatiguing.
- MisterBastahrd 2y ago
  I don't even for a second believe that most authors care to the degree that they feign for the purpose of keeping up their popularity. Book signings are about keeping up brand loyalty and ego stroking.
  - l0ng1nu5 2y ago
    You forgot to add "I have spoken" at the end.
- ghaff 2y ago
  It seems pretty natural to appreciate fans while it's something that can also get pretty tiring after a while--especially fans who are obsessive in various ways.
- watwut 2y ago
  Honestly, it would really surprise me. I would be willing to believe that someone gets kicks of signing those books. But that they actually "adore" people who came, every single one of them, no way. Also, neither author nor reader gets any real conversation about mutual interest in these. That is just not how they work.
rsynnott 2y ago
Book signings aren’t actually _mandatory_; there are successful authors who don’t do them. And then of course there is Margaret Atwood’s robot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LongPen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LongPen
pavel_lishin 2y ago
> I can't imagine sitting there all day long, bored out of my skull, faking like I care about these people. Perhaps some authors don't have to fake it.

ghaff 2y ago

I never minded doing book signings at events but it usually only lasted 30 minutes or so. That said, I did one full-length book (and a second edition) with a publisher and would never do another full-length given it's not really a career benefit at this point.

rexpop 2y ago

> faking like I care about these people Would it surprise you to learn that many authors actually adore their readers, and are grateful for every single one who cares enough to read and appreciate their work? I, personally, enjoy greeting strangers for hours on end, especially when we've a niche interest in common. I don't think the author is "faking," only fatiguing.

MisterBastahrd 2y ago
I don't even for a second believe that most authors care to the degree that they feign for the purpose of keeping up their popularity. Book signings are about keeping up brand loyalty and ego stroking.
- l0ng1nu5 2y ago
  You forgot to add "I have spoken" at the end.
ghaff 2y ago
It seems pretty natural to appreciate fans while it's something that can also get pretty tiring after a while--especially fans who are obsessive in various ways.
watwut 2y ago
Honestly, it would really surprise me. I would be willing to believe that someone gets kicks of signing those books. But that they actually "adore" people who came, every single one of them, no way. Also, neither author nor reader gets any real conversation about mutual interest in these. That is just not how they work.

rsynnott 2y ago

Book signings aren’t actually _mandatory_; there are successful authors who don’t do them. And then of course there is Margaret Atwood’s robot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LongPen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LongPen

pavel_lishin 2y ago

> I can't imagine sitting there all day long, bored out of my skull, faking like I care about these people. Perhaps some authors don't have to fake it.