Maybe it’s because I’m actually signing some autographs now, but I’ve been thinking a lot about signatures lately.
Your signature is a pretty important part of your identity, wouldn’t you say? I mean, we all make jokes about people with illegible handwriting going on to become doctors or pharmacists (or the U.S. Treasury Secretary), but some people really believe that your signature tells a great deal more about you than just how many times Sister Mary Frances rapped on your knuckles with a ruler during cursive practice.
There’s even a whole field of study dedicated to handwriting, called graphology (although when Wikipedia calls a field of study “pseudoscientific,” it’s wise to take any findings with a grain of salt).
Still, it is amusing, at least, to imagine what people can read from your signature. I even went online and took a signature analysis quiz (fair warning: it was a lame one), just for fun. My results focused entirely on the way I dot my I’s. Apparently, although I’m restless and always in a hurry, the fact that I actually take time to dot them means I am attentive to even minute details. Hmm. Freakily accurate.
One other reason I’m looking at my signature is my involvement with Authorgraph.com (just another thing I have in common with E.L. James). It connects readers wanting autographs with writers and allows them to receive personalized digital autographs for their e-books from their favorite authors. For authors, it’s a great tool to connect with readers who can’t attend their events in person.
When I first joined the Authorgraph stable, I didn’t yet own a tablet, so I had to use a mouse (and apparently an angry one at that) to create my digital signature. Haha, if I’d taken the signature analysis quiz with that, my results would’ve shown me to be restless, in a hurry, and wearing a large, heavy cast on my hand. Plus someone you wouldn’t want to sit next to on any form of public transportation.
Happily, now I’ve got tablet access, so I spent a little time this morning playing around with the stylus and tablet to try to improve my Authorgraph. I think it’s better now (although maybe I should take another quiz to make sure my signature doesn’t scream “demented photo bomber in training.”)
Your sense of humor is so enjoyable!!! Luv it!
I enjoyed reading this post–very funny! It’s interesting to think about people getting autographs on ebooks, which we “own” differently from how we own paper books. I can’t really display an autographed ebook the way I can display my books “with soft pages” (to quote Harper Lee’s 2006 Letter to Oprah, available on Letters of Note). That’s not to say I wouldn’t want an e-autograph, though.
I agree, A.M.B; it’s an interesting concept. But I must confess, even I broke down and bought a hard cover copy to have signed at an Adam Johnson event last fall. I think the primary value is that even though it’s not “displayable,” per se, it’s still a personal inscription from the author, just as one would receive with a pen and paper at an event. For fans unable to travel the world and attend signings in person, it’s a great (and free!) alternative. Thanks for your comment!
J.