E-book Autographs: No Sharpie Needed
Autographing or Personalizing E-books
E-books offer readers many advantages over p-books, but one area in which p-books still have an advantage is book signings. E-books have an autographability problem. It's unlikely that there are many Kindle or nook owners who would appreciate an author's signature scrawled across their e-reader, but for many readers, an autographed copy of their favorite book is a treasure. Ah, what's an e-book author or reader to do?
Options for E-book Personalization
Thankfully, e-book readers and authors now have a couple of options. Open Road Integrated Media and Autography each have a clever work-around that allows authors to personalize a copy of their e-book for their readers.
Digital Publisher Experiments with Author Photos
Open Road, a digital publisher, is currently experimenting at book signings with taking photos of the author and reader and then providing the reader with the digital photo as a keepsake. You can read an article to see how Open Road author Mitchell Reiss used video and personlized digital photos at a recent book signing event.
Digital Signature Software
Autography is a computer application that allows an author to sign a blank digital page with a stylus. The signed page is then sent to the reader electronically and can be inserted behind the title page of most e-books. According to the Autography website, the application can be used for in-person book signings, remote signings after purchase and download, and sample chapter or promotional material signings. It can also be used for digital comic books, music, movies, and collectible cards.
Autography has multi-platform compatibility and plans to have a final version compatible with all devices and formats. Check out the Autography website for more information on digitally autographing e-books.
Future Developments
As e-books continue to gain in popularity, technology will likely offer more options for autograph hounds to collect signatures. As demand builds for this functionality, expect more suppliers to come to market with solutions. Consider the fact that Obama recently became the first US president to autograph an iPad. It won't be surprising to see additional applications developed, or even for future generations of e-readers to have autographability built in.
Follow Technorati