NYC GRRM BOOK SIGNING July 14th Union Square B&N

[Xray the Enforcer]

GRRM will be at the Union Square Barnes & Noble on July 14, 2011, 7pm. As far as I understand it, this is a booksigning event ONLY. No Q&A, no readings, etc.

I am sure that many of the local-area BWB will be showing up. It would be awesome to see some of the old-school BWB and meet some of the NYC fl00b as well. We'll probably go out for a fortifying drink after the signing -- nothing fancy, just a beer or whatever.

Anyway, who is planning on going to the event?

Mr. X and I will be there at some point during the evening.

Xray

Mr. X

winterschild

Woodbyrne +1

Greatness

DrogEriGal

meglaurel +1

TC

Frisco

Lany

fiftheach +2

inkasrain

facelesswaterdancer

Relic

LadySansa

Kingkiller

Axon

Greyjoy Rebellion

Negator

Blue Winter Rose

[winterschild]

GRRM will be at the Union Square Barnes & Noble on July 14, 2011, 7pm. As far as I understand it, this is a booksigning event ONLY. No Q&A, no readings, etc.

I am sure that many of the local-area BWB will be showing up. It would be awesome to see some of the old-school BWB and meet some of the NYC fl00b as well. We'll probably go out for a fortifying drink after the signing -- nothing fancy, just a beer or whatever.

Anyway, who is planning on going to the event?

Mr. X and I will be there at some point during the evening.

I will be there :-)

[Parris]

GRRM will be at the Union Square Barnes & Noble on July 14, 2011, 7pm. As far as I understand it, this is a booksigning event ONLY. No Q&A, no readings, etc.

Yup, you're right on track X-Ray, the way things are shaping up for the tour, it's going to be 'just sigs, no posed pix, no readings, no Q & A' at virtually everywhere on the DANCE tour.

My best advice to everyone who is planning on attending a signing on George's tour - check the website of the venue you're planning on going to to see George.

Check it again in two weeks.

Check it a couple of days before you get on the train, fill up the gas tank, or take the bus to see if any of the details have changed. If you think you still have a question, call the store directly.

There could be slight changes to the time of the signing (Mysterious Galaxy has to change their start time from 2pm to 4pm because of other commitments George has at SDCC), there will definitely be limits to how many books any one person can get signed, and the stores may have rules unique to their event. Some may even use allotted time slots for groups of X people to be in line. Some may have a time when people are allowed to startstanding in line. Most will have a hard deadline either because George has to do another gig, or they have a specific time their store has to close. Plan to go as early as you can. Take along a friend, make new friends in the line and among the store employees who are doing a hard job running the signing. Bring some contact cards to give people, tell them about Westeros, or the local con you go to, or how to find if there's a BwB moot going on their town.

I know I'm sorta preaching to the choir here, most of you folks have been riding this wave with us for a long time. But I just want everyone, from the old hardened veterans like X-Ray and Stego and other long-time members of the BwB, to the newest reader who comes to the DANCE signings to be as well-informed and prepared on what to expect - these signings are NOT like a cozy weekend at a convention and it's past midnight in the Bros suite. These will be Events, with many readers who are not in touch or even aware of the larger fan communities on-line and RL.

If you have a friend who lives in another city on the tour, maybe somebody you started off with AGoT, but this is the first time they will going to a book signing, please give them a few links to the information on the Suduvu.com GRRM tour page, the website of the store they're going to, even to some of topics/posts/comments here at Westeros about what we know about the practical side of the tour, and how folks intend to gather, celebrate, hang out together.

Spread the word to the local fan groups, other folks who are going to one of George's signings. Let's all do that fannish thing of making our own fun, and being responsible for ourselves and one another so as many people as possible can have a good time. After all, a lot of folks are going to be spending a couple of hours standing in line with people they probably don't know, and get maybe 30 seconds to say "hi George!" while he signs your books and then :boom: the Magic Moment is over. Might as well have some fun before and after, ya know?

Hope you all have a great time, wish I could be there, sharing a slice and a few laughs in the city of my birth.

[Stark White Blk Untruth]

Most will have a hard deadline either because George has to do another gig, or they have a specific time their store has to close. Plan to go as early as you can. Take along a friend, make new friends in the line and among the store employees who are doing a hard job running the signing. Bring some contact cards to give people, tell them about Westeros, or the local con you go to, or how to find if there's a BwB moot going on their town.

...links to the information on the Suduvu.com GRRM tour page, the website of the store they're going to, even to some of topics/posts/comments here at Westeros about what we know about the practical side of the tour, and how folks intend to gather, celebrate, hang out together.

Spread the word to the local fan groups, other folks who are going to one of George's signings. Let's all do that fannish thing of making our own fun, and being responsible for ourselves and one another so as many people as possible can have a good time. After all, a lot of folks are going to be spending a couple of hours standing in line with people they probably don't know, and get maybe 30 seconds to say "hi George!" while he signs your books and then :boom: the Magic Moment is over. Might as well have some fun before and after, ya know?

Hope you all have a great time, wish I could be there, sharing a slice and a few laughs in the city of my birth.

Parris, you are amazing; and great idea for a Kingsmoot in Union Square Park that night, just picture it :cheers:

I haven't been home to NY in a long time, but real pizza, Union Sq. Park, George, DwD and fan Kingsmoot...heaven!

[A Redeemed Hound]

My wife and I will be there. I checked the B&N Union Square Website and so far they say lines will begin at 5:00 and not earlier. Preferred seating will be for those buying ADWD at the store and if you are not purchasing a book there seating is assigned at the discretion of management. I assume more info will be posted as the event gets closer, as stated by Parris.

:grouphug:

[Blue Steel]

I will be there.

[DrogEriGalOn]

Hi, I'm new here, but I will be there. This is my first book signing as well...so, naturally, I have a question for all of you veterans out there.

On the B&N website it says that people who buy ADWD at the store will get "preferred" seating over others that do not buy the book there. I have already preordered the book from Amazon before I knew about this rule. Should I cancel my order from Amazon and wait until 2 days after it comes out in order to get preferred seating? I know that the stores need to make money off of these events, but that seems kind of weird that they would make people either wait to buy the book for 2 days or wait in line longer.

I know I could call the store for more info, but has anyone experienced having "non-preferred seating" at a signing, and do you think it will be a big deal (like waiting in line for a LOT longer)?

[naz]

If there's no reading and no Q&A, then what's so important about preferred seating? Unless it moves you farther up the line, I guess. But George has been pretty good about signing EVERYONE's book in the past, from what I understand.

I'm not going (boo! hiss!), but I was just curious. I'll be there in spirit though. Btw, if anyone wants to take me up on my offer to buy a book, get it signed for me and hold onto it for a while then I promise to buy them a round next time I'm in town.

[DrogEriGalOn]

True, I guess I was thinking that "seating" and "line position" were synonymous for some reason. Not that that is true, don't know why I thought that.

[Xray the Enforcer]

I'm not going (boo! hiss!), but I was just curious. I'll be there in spirit though. Btw, if anyone wants to take me up on my offer to buy a book, get it signed for me and hold onto it for a while then I promise to buy them a round next time I'm in town.

Hey Naz -- normally I'd be all over this, but I'm not sure that either Mr. X or I will be able to leave work in time to get in line, so I'm going to have to at least recuse myself. Knowing my job, those turkeys will keep me in the office until 9pm (July 14 is right before we go on press).

Also, re: seating. Not a clue. I guess maybe it means you'll be up towards the front of the line, and the rabble will have to spill out into the fiction section of the bookstore.

[Xray the Enforcer]

old hardened veterans like X-Ray

I like this descriptor! I'll start pretending I'm Croaker from the Black Company. :pirate:

[Stark White Blk Untruth]

NYC book signing is missing out on a golden opportunity, gold mine, motherload :idea:

the PR opportunity is a major powerball lotto ticket winner not being cashed since there are:

>over 9 million people w/in a short distance, on a summer Thursday in NYC the bridge and tunnel crowd, locals, visitors; imagine the exposure and the buzz domino effect blowing up the social media twitterverse fb etc. :grouphug:

>Union Sq. Park, perfect spot for a tasty Foods of Westeros event, could easily be pulled together, maybe a promo tie-in with Whole Foods which is right there, along with wine and beer vendors, though liquor may only be allowed in the Union Sq. Cafe, I don't recall clearly but pretty sure the Union Sq. farmers/holiday mkt. had beer vendors :drool:

>HBO promo for season 2 with contests for swag, banners, merchandise, season 1 dvd

>Publisher promo for Dance and highlight sell books 1-4 :read:

>NYWolf.org; the Wolf Conservation Center is approx. 45 mi. away, with Ambassador Wolves incredibly trained for public events, I mean how mind blowing would that be to have a Wolf with GRRM at the signing; maybe fans can choose 20 second signing or 10 second photo :wideeyed:

so why isn't any marketing brains at the Publisher/Barnes&Noble/HBO/Whole Foods igniting their little neurons; if not now then premiere of season 2 or release of season 1 dvd

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

If I sell my world con membership, I will be there. :)

[Parris]

If there's no reading and no Q&A, then what's so important about preferred seating? Unless it moves you farther up the line, I guess. But George has been pretty good about signing EVERYONE's book in the past, from what I understand.

I can't speak for B&N's plans for the Union Square signing directly. Ff people need clarification check the web site, call and ask what 'preferred seating' means for the GRRM signing. I suspect the copy just isn't clear, and that they mean 'a better chance to get a decent place in line'.

I can assure everyone that while George has been known to stay and sign books until there was no one left in line, that's NOT going to be the case for the DANCE tour. At some stores, the signing has to end because George has other things he has to do after the scheduled time for the signing is over. At other stores, they have a hard deadline because they can't keep the store open any later than their scheduled closing time.

The days of strolling into a bookstore where George was signing and one could expect to get as many books signed as they could carry, or that George would be able to stay late until all the people who got in line got his signature, even if they got in line 10 minutes before the signing was scheduled to end, are now pretty much a thing of the past.

Most of the stores are now planning on having an upper cap of how many 'tickets' they will issue in whatever manner they decide to distribute tickets. Depending on the venue and how much time is scheduled for any appearance, that number can be 300 - as Mysterious Galaxy has announced - to perhaps 700 - 750 at some of the larger venues where they've been able to plan for a longer session.

After these signings in Poland and Slovenia where more than 1k people turned up to get their books signed at one session, and that was the case at just about every signing we have numbers for, we have some better estimates of just how many books George can sign in one session.

From the health and safety issues that come up when you're trying to plan on how to deal with crowds to making sure George is not running himself into the ground, to planning the overall schedule which includes media interviews and time to eat meals at reasonable hours, to estimating how long it will take to travel from downtown to uptown, there's a lot of variables that have to balanced.

Sorry you won't be able to attend Naz, hope someone reaches out and does you the kindness of getting a signed copy of DANCE for you.

[Parris]

Hi, I'm new here, but I will be there. This is my first book signing as well...so, naturally, I have a question for all of you veterans out there.

On the B&N website it says that people who buy ADWD at the store will get "preferred" seating over others that do not buy the book there. I have already preordered the book from Amazon before I knew about this rule. Should I cancel my order from Amazon and wait until 2 days after it comes out in order to get preferred seating? I know that the stores need to make money off of these events, but that seems kind of weird that they would make people either wait to buy the book for 2 days or wait in line longer.

I know I could call the store for more info, but has anyone experienced having "non-preferred seating" at a signing, and do you think it will be a big deal (like waiting in line for a LOT longer)?

Please do read my multiple comments and post about the signings. Do take the initiative and call the store and ask them your question. All indications are that these signings will have a lot of people attending, and you'll enjoy yourself more knowing the rules before you go to the venue.

Even if there's no strict requirement about having to buy a copy of DANCE to attend the signing you are planning on going to, I can assure you that even at the longer sessions the people who buy their copy of DANCE at the store which is hosting the session will have a better chance of getting their books signed before that event is over.

Those who turn up with their already-purchased-from-elsewhere copies will probably have to wait until the people who did buy their copies at the store which is hosting the event get through the line, and if there's time still left, then the people who brought copies purchased elsewhere have a chance to get books signed, but there's no clear promise that those folks will be able to get their books signed before the event ends.

The smart thing to do is to decide what event you're going to, check with the bookstore what their requirements are to attend the GRRM session, online or by phone, and then choose your option; buy from an on-line or big box store and hope that the bookstore where George is signing will let you stand in line and that there will be time enough for George to sign books for those who didn't buy their copies at the store, or buy your copy from the store that is holding the event in whatever way they require, and expect that you'll have a better chance of saying hi to George while he signs the new and shiny copy you paid for at the store.

Hope you have fun at your first book-signing and you meet some new friends while standing in line.

[Mr. X]

After these signings in Poland and Slovenia where more than 1k people turned up to get their books signed at one session

:stunned: :shocked:

That's a whole lot of people. And a whole lot of books.

Sorry you won't be able to attend Naz, hope someone reaches out and does you the kindness of getting a signed copy of DANCE for you.

We'll try to make that happen. :)

[Xray the Enforcer]

After these signings in Poland and Slovenia where more than 1k people turned up to get their books signed at one session

Holy shit. :shocked:

[Turinqui-Calima]

I'll probably be going after work and hope for the best. This means I will get to B&N at around 6.30 or so.

[meglaurel]

I'll be there with a friend and we would love to join for post-signing drinks.

I went to the Union Square B&N for the Stephen Colbert signing a couple of years ago and seat position determined line position. The seated people went up row by row for their signatures and then everyone in the standing line had their turn. I'm not sure if it will be the same for this signing - Stephen Colbert did a reading so the seating and chairs made sense. I plan to call B&N tomorrow to see if they can provide more details.

Depending on the rules for the signing, I would be happy to assist people with getting a signed book.

[naz]

I can't speak for B&N's plans for the Union Square signing directly. Ff people need clarification check the web site, call and ask what 'preferred seating' means for the GRRM signing. I suspect the copy just isn't clear, and that they mean 'a better chance to get a decent place in line'.

I can assure everyone that while George has been known to stay and sign books until there was no one left in line, that's NOT going to be the case for the DANCE tour. At some stores, the signing has to end because George has other things he has to do after the scheduled time for the signing is over. At other stores, they have a hard deadline because they can't keep the store open any later than their scheduled closing time.

Understandable, considering that George's fanbase has probably gone up several orders of magnitude since the last book came out.

And for the record, at the NYC signing for Feast, those who sat up front were indeed placed at the front of the line. All the more important to keep in mind, given what you've said, Parris.

Sorry you won't be able to attend Naz, hope someone reaches out and does you the kindness of getting a signed copy of DANCE for you.

Thanks for the kind words. :) I wish I could be there, esp. since I'm here now, but have to leave in a few days. Alas, this is what I get for moving halfway across the world. Now, if there's any way I can get you and George to come to India... ;)

We'll try to make that happen. :)

Man, that would be great. But don't go to too much trouble over it. Only if it's convenient. I have a copy pre-ordered for my Kindle for reading purposes. The signed copy will just be for the collection, which I can always get some other time.