by Pamela Palmer #24, August 2, 2004

Summer is booksellers' quiet time - but that's only an illusion. Despite slower sales, there's plenty you can do now that will pay off later. Take an author's identity and signature for example. Who is he? Is this really her handwriting? Does it affect value? There's more to the topic that meets an uninitiated eye. And BookThinker articles can help you hone the salient skills.

Signed Books Measuring Their Value Let Tim Doyle help you get a start on handling authors' signatures with aplomb and learn the protocol of getting books signed.
	The Bad News About Signed Books A Visit with Old Tom the Orchid Man Craig Stark discusses the pros and neutrals of signed books with emphasis on signature realities.
Astronauts and Autopens Silver Threads and Golden Needles Tips to help you determine if a signature is real or sham give this article a practical edge.
	Is Your Signature Genuine? With the gamut of possibilities ranging from forged to real with more-or-less shady alternatives in between, knowing the markers is key.
What To Do If You Think Your Signature is Genuine Now that the signature is deemed genuine, what happens next?
	By Any Other Name How to Profit from Pseudonyms Tim Doyle dishes the scoop on pseudonyms and what they can mean for your bottom line.
FlatSigned or Inscribed The FlatSigned Side of the Story FlatSigned or inscribed - which is better? More valuable? More readily authenticated? Most booksellers, I'd guess, have formed clear opinions about this, and, since so much is at stake, most likely they're strongly held. Forgeries have proliferated since eBay opened its doors in the late 1990s, and establishing signature authenticity has become an especially demanding, sometimes impossible task for booksellers. Depending on how effectively we accomplish it, values can soar or plunge. Tim Miller of FlatSigned makes an appearance in today's BookThinker to argue in favor of FlatSigned books.
	FlatSigned or Inscribed The Inscribed Side of the Story In the interest of advancing the FlatSigned/inscribed debate, BookThink also presents Science Fiction Editor Tim Doyle's response to Miller's article.