What's that you wrote in my book?!?

Given my upbringing (my mother's family were religious patrons of the local library, and bibliophiles to a man), it took me quite a long time to get over my inhibitions about writing in books. However, people really did seem quite insistent about having me sign my name in their books, and after several thousand instances of such requests, I seem to have got used to the notion, and will now happily deface away, to say nothing of signing bookplates in their millions. I even have a special pen for the purpose, with a gold-plated nib, no less. (I don't know if it writes any better, but it makes me feel terribly deluxe. It does tend to cause comment when I sign bookplates in places like flute lessons, badminton matches, and orthodontist's offices, though this may have more to do with the activity than with the pen.)

When an author is presented with a book and a pen, the general assumption is that the book's owner wants you to sign your name, and even in moments of great stress, this is usually well within my capability. It is true that within a week of book-touring, I forget not only where I am, but who I am--but name-signing is now a matter of reflex, so as long as I recall that I begin with "D" (and I usually do), the rest of it is fairly automatic.

What else, though?

Well, some people only want a signature, and this is very kind and undemanding of them. I've been told, by book-collectors of my acquaintance, that for investment/collecting purposes, a book is more valuable if it has a signature alone, than if it is personalized or otherwise inscribed--unless it's inscribed to someone else who's famous in his or her own right, or has some historical association with the book or its author (a book inscribed by the author to the editor, for instance, has some historical value, whereas a book inscribed to Joe Blow doesn't). Or so they tell me. I just read books (and occasionally drop them in the sink while peeling cucumbers), I don't collect them.

Consequently, I was quite shocked to be told that a first-edition signed Outlander in hardcover--the publisher's edition, not the book-club edition--is now worth Actual Money. I couldn't say how much, but I've been given estimates of between $500-600. So when people bring me hardcover Outlander to sign these days, I always check, so I can tell them if they have a first edition. (In case you're wondering, you can tell by looking at the page in the front where it lists all the publisher/Library of Congress stuff in fine print. There's a line of numbers at the bottom of the page, running from 10 down to...well, if runs down to 1, you have a first edition. If the number farthest to the right is a 2, you have a second edition, and so on. And if you have a first edition and would like me to sign it for you, I'd be happy to.)

Still, many people want their books personalized, even if this makes the book less valuable (it is, after all, only valuable if you intend to sell it, and many people don't). I'm always happy to personalize books; the only time I can't is when doing an enormous public signing where the bookstore is worried that we won't be able to get all the customers through before midnight--in that case, sometimes they (or the publicist with me) will insist that I just sign the books, period. Usually I manage to personalize them, though.

If the crowds aren't too enormous and/or time isn't a factor (signings at Highland Games, for instance, where I'll pretty much be there all day, so who cares how long it takes?), I usually do write a brief inscription in each book, along with the personalization and my own name.

I'll write whatever anyone asks for, within reason (I did have a teenager once ask me to write "something profane" in a book, and I didn't)--happy birthday, happy anniversary, "Hope you find your own Jamie," "Have fun in Scotland," whatever. However, if no particular message is requested, I'm left to my own devices.

Now, as I tell people, I don't speak Gaelic. I do, however, happen to know three Gaelic phrases, suitable for signing in books:

•  "Le meas" - which is pronounced "Lay miss" and means "best wishes"
•  "Slainte mhath" - which is pronounced (roughly) "Slan cheVAR" (don't blame me, I didn't think up Gaelic spelling), and is a toast meaning "to your good health"
•  "Alba go bragh" - pronounced "Alba go bra" and means "Scotland forever!"

If I forget to tell people what these mean, though--and often I do, in the stress of signing--they tend to bring the books back, looking puzzled, saying, "What's this you wrote in my book, is it French?" {g}

Since I have four books published at the moment, clearly I needed another phrase of some kind, and so when I get all four books to sign at once, I usually put "Bonne chance!" (which in fact means "Good luck!" in French) in Dragonfly in Amber, since that book is set half in France.

So if I signed something strange in your book and you're wondering what it means...I hope this helps.