Terry Pratchett book signing

[I, Brian]

So Terry Pratchett came to Hull for a book-signing - yay!

At the other book signings by other authors, they have the upstairs of Waterstones to themselves, a little wine of offered, and the author does a Q & A with the few dozen people present, maybe reads a section, and general descirbes their writing and the process of it. I usually linger to the end and then ask aspiring author questions.

When I turned up for the Terry Pratchett book signing, he was at a desk in the bottom corner of the store downstairs, with a massive queue snaking all the way around to the back of Waterstones - and then back out onto the street and then trailing along for some while.

He was only supposed to be present for an hour, but I'd be darn surprised if he could have signed everything.

I simply turned and walked away - no chance I'd be able to ask him any meaningful questions.

It seemed somehow sad, though - Terry Pratchett sat in the corner, working through a queue as like he were working on a supermarket checkout of horror - so many people!! Must be quite stressful.

Has anyone ever been to a book signing with Terry Pratchett and stayed - and were you able to ask questions and converse a few words with him, or was it pretty much "scribble, done, out"?

[dwndrgn]

I've heard of many booksignings ending up like that. With extremely popular authors, I don't know why they don't have the author sign books beforehand and limit the number of people. I can't imagine something like that to be at all enjoyable for the author. Diana Gabaldon does something a little different. She (through her website) allows people to mail her one of her books, she'll sign it at her leisure and then send it back. She also does regular book signings like the one above but I bet they aren't as stressful, more of people just wanting to say hi and chat for a minute instead of robotically signing through a line as long as the equator.

[ste_dexter]

I was at a signing a few years back when i was at college. Skipped a lesson or 2 so i could wait. Happened to be front of the line and had chance to chat to Terry. He showed me a new model of Susan that he had just ecieved and asked if i could tell who it was. He also gave me a t-shirt which he signed and put a message in the latest 2 books. Hog Father and Jingo if i remember rightly. Really nice bloke, a pleasure to meet and i would defo say worth the wait.

[rogerrabit]

i went to one of his book signings in his home town it was great there was people running round dressed up in all the diferent characters, i even walked past the pub wen a pissed cohen stumbled out the door. i bought the thud game which i havent yet played and got terry to sign it, i spoke with him for a min or two aswell hes pretty funny in real life also.There wasnt many people qued up wen i met him.

[Green]

I've never been to a book signing, but I'd like to meet Terry Pratchett. He seems to be one of those people, you know?

I always saw book signings as more for the readers than the authors. Sure, the author gets the publicity and gets the chance to meet the people they're writing for, but the readers get a chance to meet their idol (or whatever)... and so with someone as famous as Pratchett, a book signing really isn't about them at all imo. Although in an ideal world, that wouldn't be the case