DUNE 7 BLOG

Saturday, April 29, 2006

10,000 Signatures

For each of our DUNE novels, Brian and I have gone on book-signing tours and done many promotional activities. We've visited the East Coast, West Coast, sometimes crossed the country; for HOUSE ATREIDES Kevin did a tour of England. No matter how many stops we make, however, we can't possibly reach all the fans who want an autographed book.

Tor Books is doing an unusual and extravagant thing for HUNTERS, a special event that will give everyone a chance to have a signed copy. Brian and I are signing and numbering 10,000 sheets to be incorporated into the hardcovers of HUNTERS. These signed and numbered copies will be distributed at random all across the country, available to everyone.

26 copies are lettered from A to Z, signed in red ink with a personalized message.

74 copies are signed in purple ink, with a personalized message.

2900 copies are signed in green ink.

7000 copies are signed in blue ink.

It took almost 40 hours just to hand-number all of the sheets! I have finished autographing all the pages, a thousand per night, then shipped each box to Brian, where he is working on signing them. The pages will be bound in at the bindery and sent out to bookstores. (There will be no extra charge for the signed copies.)

This might sound like a scene from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," so that readers can look through copies in their local bookstore, hoping to find the autograph equivalent of a Golden Ticket. If you find one of the copies, you'll know how rare the signature is from the list above.

Regardless, every numbered copy is unique.

Brian and I will still do a book-signing tour in person, hitting some of our most popular venues from previous tours, but this way everyone has a chance to get an autograph. In the meantime, my wrist is sore!

--KJA