Yes, I know this is a nice dilemma to have...

I've been signing various copies of my book for people recently and a few have said 'oh, put something clever in it, you know, anything you like. Surprise me.' And then they look all expectant.

Argh!! Has anyone else had this. I just sort of stand there feeling stupid and say, 'Um, well, any hints of what you might like it to say?'

I just don't know what they're expecting. Should I be trying to come up with some witty/insightful/poignant/alloftheabove little saying to scribble in their copies?!

Something personal to them is always good, I find - if you know them, or if they've told you something in brief conversation. Otherwise, have a standard few words that you always put in case of blankness. Enjoy!

A
xxx

Be lucky; stay cool; love, actually; anyway, enough.

I like two-word, slightly pithy phrases.

There's at least one book of mone in circulation with 'Kate Kong' scibbled inside it after a really long signing session. And once I wrote 'To Kevin' on the flyleaf only to have the guy say, 'Actually, it was for my mum.' Doh!

There's no easy answer to this one, Jess, though I often play on my book titles if they're appropriate. Not sure if this is applicable here?

The two-word thing is a good thought Sammy, I like that. I'll think some more.

The book is a non-fiction thing called Heroines: The Bold, The Bad & The Beautiful...

Yes, it's really hard. I must admit I just put 'best wishes' to most people, and 'love from' to friends, unless they actually say, 'it's for my aunt's birthday.' For friends I've occasionally written something a bit more specific, but it's always a bit awkward, with them hovering there. I suppose it's a very pale version of the situation when people go up to a comedian in the supermarket and say 'go on, say something funny!'

And people vary; I did some for my mother to give friends for Christmas, and said 'shall I write Happy Christmas?' thinking that would make it more special, and she said, 'but it's a long-term present, not a Christmas card.' Well, the sentiment was flattering, but it made it less personal.

I made a right mess of one bloke's book because I was too embarrassed to ask him to spell his after he'd said it three times. I do now absolutely automatically check the spelling of every name. 'Right, so it's J-o-h-n?' does sound daft, but at least they'll say if it's J-o-n...

Emma

Still, better than mis-spelling your own name.

I'm terrified I'll do that Kate, also I have to really concentrate if someone's talking to me at the same time so I don't write what they're sayin inside the book instead.

Don't worry, Kate! I signed one book for Ottakar's as "Alan Brooke". They didn't say anything ...

)

A
xxx

Yes, it's horribly easy to incorporate whatever's being said into the message. While I was signing stock we got chatting about surnames - changing them on marriage or not, and so on - and I damn nearly signed the names we were talking about instead of mine. And yet, at a reading, it seems rude to say 'shush a moment while I get this right!'

Emma

To my nearest and dearest, I signed Practical Devil Worship with dark Satanic love. Others were a bit more specific, thanks for support etc, but overall, I guess it must be hard to be original for every single one, especially if you happen to have a bestseller and the queues go round the block...ah, well, dream on...

JB

I just use 'Best Wishes' but recommend avoiding anything like felt tip pen which smudges or bleeds.

I've been going round some Waterstones these last few days re stocks of my book Pets in Prospect. Varying views as to whether they should be signed. Taunton, Yeovil, Brighton all keen and were then going to put a signed sticker on the book cover. Worthing said it didn't matter either way because if people were coming in to buy the book ( I hope ..I hope...) being signed was just going to be a bonus. Horsham and Chichester said they'd rather not....that was probably due to the fact that once signed there was no possiblity of returning unsold copies. But couldn't grumble. At least they were stocking the book.
And what to put in it? One has to play safe with something along the lines of 'With all best wishes...' I've got a horrible shaky scrawl, made worse when nervous and I'm never able to write in a straight line, the words drifting down to the right hand corner. Ends up as a write mess.

I signed quite a few copies at Goldsboro Books in London. They told me to write something from the book. If you can find a suitable quote, it's not a bad idea.

It's hard though. Just like when the leaving/birthday/getting marrried cards go round at work. Everyone expects 'the writer' to come up with something witty.

A quote from your book eh? A novel idea. One from mine might have to be 'Have you had him castrated?'