THE ALLOY OF LAW Release Events
This is going to be a long post. If you want to know how to get numbered copies of MISTBORN: THE ALLOY OF LAW, scroll down.
This year's tour will have two legs: A North American tour (for the first time it's not just a U.S. tour—there's a stop in Vancouver BC) and a UK tour. My North American signings are listed on my events page, so check out that page to see if I'm signing near you. I don't have locations and times for my UK tour yet (those will come in September), but I'll be there between November 18th and 26th.
If I'm not going to be appearing near you, there is still a way for you to get a signed book. Please scroll down to the section on Sam Weller's by mail. I am also going to Australia in April (see the events page)—in Perth, Melbourne, and Gold Coast on the weekends, probably with stops at the cities in between on weekdays (that schedule won't be worked out for quite a while). I'm also going to be somewhere in Asia in February, but that hasn't yet been announced.
The focus on my tour stops will be on getting everyone's books signed. I like to do a reading and answer questions at every stop, and I also try to pre-sign some stock so if you just want a signed book and don't want to stand in line for me to personalize it for you, you can just grab the book and go. However, I already know that there won't be a reading or a Q&A at the Brooklyn stop or the daytime UK stops (they won't have room for seating), so keep that in mind.
Some of the events might be ticketed (such as Murder By the Book in Houston), which means that the bookstore requires you to buy the book FROM THEM in order to get it signed. I've asked for this to happen at as few booksellers as possible, but each store has the final call. Why would they do this? Well, a lot of stores have to bring in extra staff (or even rent extra space) in order to handle an enormous event like this. In the past, they've spent this money and then had everyone bring in books they bought from Amazon to get signed. It makes them very bitter, as they lose money after all the work they put into holding an event. (In one famous case I heard of, a small bookstore held a signing where they spent hundreds on staff, promotion, and cookies, only to have over a hundred people, out of the hundred and twenty who came, bring in books they bought from Amazon.)
As I said, I've requested that the signings all be open to anyone. However, I can see the bookstores' point. Please be respectful and realize one of the reasons that places like Amazon can give you the books so cheaply is that they don't have to maintain or pay rent on expensive storefronts in retail areas. Support your local booksellers; it's because of them that we can have signing events. If possible, I'd ask that you go and buy the book from the store where you're planning to see me. You can buy it early and keep the receipt. If you bring the receipt with you to the signing, that's as good as buying the book at the signing. Generally, at ticketed events, as long as you buy any hardcover book, they will let you get your other books signed. So, for instance, you could buy THE ALLOY OF LAW and then get paperbacks of the Mistborn trilogy and THE WAY OF KINGS or my two Wheel of Time books signed. And even if you don't buy your copy of ALLOY at the signing, it's nice to support the store hosting me by buying at least one book (by any author) while you're there.
I don't know which events will be ticketed—other than Murder By the Book, which is confirmed. I'm slowly gathering information on this. There probably won't be many that are, but I wanted to lay the groundwork just in case. I'll add more information to the events page as it trickles in.
Finally, there may be a cap on the number of books I will personalize for you at a time. I'll sign all your books, but personalizations can take a while, so if there's a large crowd, to keep the line moving I may only personalize three books at a time. However, it's just fine if you want to go to the end of the line again and wait to get three more books personalized. I WILL sign paperbacks. I WILL NOT sign books I did not write—e.g. the Wheel of Time books before THE GATHERING STORM. Yes, people have asked; often about one per signing.
I will be doing two special signings in conjunction with the book's release on November 8th. Like with my previous books, I will be numbering copies in conjunction with these release events. The two events are: the BYU Bookstore midnight release and the Sam Weller's mail order event. (Details below.)
What does it mean to get a numbered copy? Well, just what it sounds like. If you get a book from one of the two release events, I'll number your copy. I intend to give out as many numbers as there are people who participate in those events (unless we run out of books). In a way, these numbers are less about being limited editions and more about getting a special add-on, an indication that you made it to one of the initial events. This is something I started doing for fun with my first book, and I had originally intended to limit the numbers to the first fifty people who got to me. However, I found that I felt bad stopping numbering if someone went to all the trouble to come to the release party, so I shifted to doing it this way.
I generally stagger my numbering so that lower numbers can be picked up from each signing. Each number is unique. I will rotate by 100s. (So, 1–100 are at BYU, 101–200 are at Sam Weller's, 201–300 are at BYU, etc.)
Each event will have its own rules regarding how you get your number and which number you get. Read on for info.
At 12:00 a.m. on November 8th, I will be doing the world's first signing for THE ALLOY OF LAW. Numbers 1–100 will be given out at this signing. (Though everyone who comes will get a numbered copy unless they run out of books.) Number twelve will be reserved for Dan Wells because of a funky thing he and I do. (He has number one of my first book, number two of my second, and so forth. I have number one of his first book and so forth.) Other than that, all numbers will be given out in the ORDER YOU ARRIVE TO WAIT IN LINE IN. Let me make this clear. It doesn't matter how early you preorder. Numbers will be given out based on line order. Details follow.
The line will start forming at the northwest entrance here:
In past years, people have started lining up even a few days ahead of time, so the BYU Bookstore is going to be handing out numbers to people in line to take some of the pressure off you. They will start doing this MONDAY MORNING at 8:00 a.m. Book #1 will be reserved for the first person in this line at eight. #2 to the second. And so forth. (With the exception listed above.) You can only buy ONE copy of the book in the low numbers per person waiting. (In other words, if you are there in line, you can't buy #1–10 by yourself. You have to have ten people if you want to do that.) If you need multiple copies but don't have multiple people, that's fine—we'll give you #1 and then some higher numbers. This restriction goes for anyone in the first hundred spots.
Here are some more details from the bookstore:
- Numbered tickets will be given out on Monday, November 7th, beginning at 8:00 a.m.
- Numbered tickets will be given out in the ORDER YOU ARRIVE TO WAIT IN LINE.
- You may hold a place in line for NO MORE THAN ONE PERSON for NO MORE THAN ONE HOUR.
- Each person in line will only receive ONE ticket for ONE numbered book. ONE numbered book per ONE numbered ticket per person.
- The number on your ticket will be written on the back of your hand with a permanent marker.
- You will be asked to prepay for your book to receive a numbered ticket. If you have already prepaid, bring your receipt or confirmation number to claim your number, but that doesn't affect which number you receive. Please check in at the guest table to make sure your paperwork is in order for the book distribution.
- Once you have paid for your book and received your numbered ticket, you are free to leave until right before 11:30 p.m., BUT:
- The northwest entrance of the BYU Bookstore will be opened at 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. (exact time is yet to be determined) when the Alloy of Law of Midnight Release Party will begin.
- There may be games, a drawing for prizes, and treats!
- Beginning at 11:30 p.m., fans will be asked to line up, in order, according the numbered ticket that they received.
- If you are not in your numbered location by 11:45 p.m. you will be asked to get in the back of the line. You will still need to present the numbered ticket to get the correct numbered book.
- Once you have received your numbered book you are free to get into a separate line to have it personalized by Brandon.
- Brandon will personalize up to three books per trip through the line. If you would like to have him personalize more than three, you are free to get back in line.
The bookstore has asked me to get there a bit early so I can be finished signing and numbering all the books by 9:00 or so. Once I am done, they will let everyone in and we'll have a meet & greet where you can talk to me, ask me your burning questions, take pictures, etc. (The idea is that this will help the personalization line move more quickly after midnight.) There will also be things like trivia contests going on during this time.
Around 10:30 I will do a reading and/or a general Q&A, and at around 11:15 there may be a prize drawing. (At least judging by last year. I'm not totally sure what they have planned this year.) Then at 11:30 they want everyone to line up again in preparation for midnight, as explained above.
I will personalize as long as I can. The past couple of years' events have finished up by 3:00 a.m. Since all of the books will be pre-signed and numbered, everyone will get a numbered edition if they come. However, since I'm local, you can always just come, pick up a book, and leave—then get it personalized at some other signing when things aren't so crazy. This will probably be a busy event, but it should be very easy to just come, get a pre-signed/numbered book, then buy it and take off without waiting in line after midnight.
Now, here's the important part. It's hard for stores to judge how many copies to order for this sort of event, and I'm worried that BYU might not order enough. THEY MIGHT RUN OUT. Therefore, they are letting you preorder to be assured you get a book. If you don't preorder, it's first come first served. If a lot of people preorder, they will get in more books to make sure everyone who ordered early is covered.
So, for this event, I strongly encourage you to call and buy your book ahead of time. It will save you money and will make things easier for us. Let me say one more time, however, that you do not get your number based on when you preorder. You get it based on when you arrive in line, starting at 8:00 a.m. Preordering just guarantees that you get a copy, not that you get a low number. Still—please, please preorder soon so they can be sure to have enough books for the event.
Details:
BYU Bookstore, Provo, UT
12:00 a.m. November 8th (Monday night/Tuesday morning) (book released)
~9:00 p.m. November 7th (doors open)
8:00 a.m. November 7th (numbers distributed)
Preorder by calling (800) 253-2578. You'll need to bring your receipt or confirmation number to the midnight release and stand in line with everyone else.
I realize that not everyone can make it to one of these events. It's unfair if you live in Germany but want a numbered copy. Therefore, I've started doing virtual booksignings with Sam Weller's—a wonderful independent bookseller in Salt Lake City that has been a supporter of my books since I was a nobody—alongside the standard signings I do there.
I will be going in to Sam Weller's after the middle of October to sign, number, and personalize 500 copies. Sam Weller's will then ship them out; they will try to time the shipping so the book arrives at your door on the 8th. However, they're not allowed to deliver before that date, so they can't cut things too close and some books may arrive after the 8th. If that's the case, though, they'll try to keep the delay as short as possible. International orders will be shipped first, since those have the longest transit time. THE ALLOY OF LAW isn't as thick as last year's books, so that keeps the shipping price lower. The book itself will also be discounted to $19.99. Shipping will be $5.50 in-country, $12 to Mexico and Canada, and $13.75 to other international destinations. (Note that Sam Weller's cannot track packages internationally. They've tried.) If your order is shipped inside Utah, or if you pick it up in the store, there will also be sales tax.
SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT MULTIPLE BOOKS: When the book is released, Sam Weller's will be in the middle of moving to a new location. So for this year, they need to keep things as simple as possible. That means that they won't ship out any signed book other than THE ALLOY OF LAW, and you can get a maximum of three copies. (If you want another signed book of mine, you can always use my store.)
When you call Sam Weller's, please be certain to tell them (even if they don't ask) specifically how you want the book personalized. If you don't tell them specifically, they will have it signed but not personalized. Simply telling them your name is not enough. You have to tell them "I want it personalized to John" (for example). If you don't want it personalized, tell them "Signature Only" just in case.
Details:
Sam Weller's Bookstore
Order by phone or by email:
Phone: (801) 328-2586 or (800) 333-7269
Email: books@samwellers.com
Preorder deadline: October 14th
Note: You may pay by credit card (over the phone) or PayPal (via email) only.
Thank you all for reading, and I hope to sign a book for you at one of the tour events. Let me apologize in advance for how sloppy my signature is, though.
posted by Brandon Sanderson at 9:57 AM
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