“Are you watching I am on the screen over here? Now what is your name ?”
Next the pen writes and signs the book and your favourite author has saved themselves the journey and they haven't even left home!
This week comes the announcement that Dean Koontz is to perform his first ever UK book signing in Waterstones Piccadilly on 23rd June while he remains 6,000 miles away in his home in Los Angeles. Just think you will not only see the man but how he lives and his soft furnishings.
The LongPen technology was first unveiled at last year's LBF and again this year and is too be used by many at this week’s BEA. After all who wants to go to New York for a trade show?
So no more gruelling publicity schedules and environmentally unfriendly air miles or car journeys. But will it really be the same?
Even the rock stars turn up for the street promotions. Should authors alienate themselves from their fans or is this actually increasing their appeal? Will their be a two tier signing schedule – the virtual one for the famous and the physical one for the not so famous? Will the events be restricted to the chains and big stores who desperately need something to pay for the footage and not touch those smaller stores who make signings successful?
