I’ve been fortunate enough over the past month to visit two of the world’s great independent SF/F bookstores – Borderlands in San Francisco and Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego. And because I was in those particular neighborhoods, I signed some books.
Signing books, by the way, never gets old.
Now, I’m not in everybody’s neighborhood, so the chance of finding signed copies of my books at your local bookstore is pretty slim. Thankfully, these two bookstores do a brisk business in mail order and e-commerce, so if you’re inclined to give the gift of Daedalus and Enceladus this holiday season, you’re in luck. And I’d be mighty grateful and flattered.
Here’s the thing, though. Both stores have a limited supply. I signed probably a dozen of each at Mysterious Galaxy, but that was back in early November. And I signed roughly half that at Borderlands on Friday. So you can certainly take a chance and order online from either place, but there’s a risk you’ll end up with an unsigned copy.
So here’s what you do: Drop them an e-mail or give them a call. It’s that simple. Just click on their sites (linked above) for the contact info, and ask if they have any left. If they do, go ahead and pull the trigger on that purchase.
Yes, you’ll pay full price, as opposed to the B&N or Amazon discount. But they’re signed copies, which is cool, right? (I have a few signed copies of books I’ve liked, including a Gene Wolfe. They are cool to have.) Plus, you’re supporting local booksellers, who are huge advocates of genre fiction in their communities. That’s easily +50 Geek Karma points, which is a thing I just made up but is totally valid.
But wait…there’s more.
Both stores have signed copies of many other SF/F books. How do I know? Because I saw them at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, and I actually borrowed Seanan McGuire’s pen to sign my books at Borderlands. Yes, we just happened to be there at the same time, stopping in to sign books, which was a neat coincidence. We really hadn’t met before, but she’s super nice and lovely. To wit:
So order her books, too. From either of these local SF/F bookstores, or from your own local bookseller, of course. She also writes under Mira Grant, FYI. In fact, she writes a lot, and some high-quality, bestselling, award-winning stuff. Buy her books. And mine. From local booksellers.
While I’m at it, I have to say that Jude at Borderlands is absolutely wonderful. I wasn’t able to make my signing there in July, but I’m definitely planning a return to San Francisco in the summer, and we’re going to try to make it happen then. Jude is a great person with a great crew in a very nifty bookstore. If you’re in the area, check it out.
Also, Mysterious Galaxy is moving to new digs in the San Diego area, so keep an eye on their site, too. I’m hopeful that if my day-job bosses want me back in Southern California after The Venusian Gambit comes out (highly likely), I’ll be able to get down to San Diego again as well.
Long story short: Support local independent booksellers! And if you want signed copies of my work and/or others’ to give over the holidays, you now know where to get them.
#SFWApro
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Michael J. Martinez 