So yesterday I visited my publisher in New York City to sign copies of HOLD TIGHT for my wonderful sales force and for bookstores who special ordered them.
I walked into the room, pen akimbo– and the table of books you see here was what greeted me.
“Wow,” I said, taking the above photo with my phone.
“Oh that’s only about half of them.”
I sat down and got to work. As I came upon my second hour of signing, someone asked, as someone inevitably does, “Isn’t your hand getting sore?”
The honest answer: No.
My hand only gets sore when NO ONE wants me to sign a book. I still remember my early days, sitting in some Waldenbooks at a mall, no one approaching me, trying to look busy, playing with my pen, straightening out my untouched pile of bookmarks, feeling something like the authorial equivalent to a poster child (”You can buy his book…or you can turn the page…”).
Now I’m supposed to complain because too many people want me to sign their books???
Forget it.
I’m a lucky man. I get to write books and tell stories for a living. You the reader trust me enough to give me that opportunity. I can’t wait for you to get HOLD TIGHT. I can’t wait to receive those emails complaining that I kept you up too late or that you couldn’t put the book down or that maybe what happens to Mike and Tia and Adam and Betsy and Dante and Joe and all the rest moved you and made you think and stirred your heart.
And if I see you on the road – my full tour schedule is on the myspace page or harlancoben.com – I will be thrilled to sign your book. And when I do, you will know that my hand feels just fine.
Best,
Harlan Coben
Thank you for sharing your talent with the world, I have to pace myself when reading your books, because if I finish your latest book in an afternoon, I have to wait a whole year before the next one comes out…
Just wondering, is there any chance of you coming to Australia for book signings? Otherwise, when will you be going to Europe next (anywhere in the vicinity of Holland)? I go back to Holland every year as my (elderly) parents live there, but I could plan my trip to coincide with a book signing should you have plans.
Thanks, Marion
I decided to start reading “The Woods.” It’s my first Harlan Coben novel. However, upon reading the opening paragraph to Chapter 1, I was appalled at the run-on sentence that comprises the entire paragraph. I’m not an English teacher, but I do know that this is terribly poor writing.
I’ll continue for a bit, but this opening is a huge “turn-off!”
Al Powers, run on sentences can be used very effectively to set rhythm and pace. That particular sentence also ran long to avoid beginning a sentence with “but”, which is a preposition. It is usually considered clumsy grammar to begin a sentence with a preposition. But (heh heh) sometimes writers do it to set a tone.
Stories are not essays. They are not exercises in grammar. The words are always supported by tone, pace and rhythm. Writers play with traditional sentence structure for a reason. Keep reading. You will rarely find a more entertaining writer.
Mr Coben, keep up the great work! I travel for about three hours every day on public transport. I would have to quit my job if it wasn’t for writers like you!
Angel
Harlen: Your one of my favorite authors, I really enjoy your humor, and how you make reading fun, not just good guy and bad guy – same old thing. Thrillers are great, but that sense of humor you add is what makes you great compared to the others that just knock out books. I hope you take this as a compliment, but you and Nelson DeMille are the best authors of thrill and comment humor that write.
a real fan:
rich…
Dear Harlan
I have read all of your books, includingn Hold Tight – they are all ab fab and can’t do w/out!! When are you bringing Myron and the rest of the gang back????? Thanks
I’m another ardent fan. Have read all your books so far. (Still have to get Hold Tight).
Got tired of waiting for the film Tell No One to come to the cinemas and then bought the video instead – thoroughly enjoyable.
Keep writing – we’ll keep reading.
Regards.
Where have you been all my life? I just discovered your writing with Hold Tight and have been scouring the library shelves ever since for your books on CD to listen to on my commute to work. Every year I put together a “Dark And Stormy Night” basket for a nursing scholarship fund-raiser. This year I will be very pleased to add several of your books to my basket. And yes–I do buy books! I am a faithful library customer but I like support my favorite writers as well–and you are now one of them!
I have always been into fantasy into romantic mills n boons kind f stuff but after reading your no second chance, thriller has become my favourite genre really looking forward n waiting with anticipation to read hold tight
Hi Harlan,
I am from Malaysia. I have read all your books and “The Woods” is exceptionally. I am now three quarter through your latest “Hold Tight” and enjoying it. Only comment I like to made is that this book has too many characters and may be a little hitch for older readers like me having to flipped back occasionally to remember where a certain character has appeared before. Takes a little longer to read but still enjoy reading it!
Hi ya,
I’ve been addicted to all your books since the accidential read of ‘The Woods’…I was on my way back to China from Edinburgh and…I didn’t sleep for the whole journey reading this book!!!—English is not my first language so it certainly took me longer to read.
Anyway, great book, very insightful, very touching. Me is now enjoying ‘Tell no one’ and will rent the DVD…exciting, isn’t it?
Witam serdecznie.
Jakieś 3 miesiące temu,natknęłam się na Pańską powieść “Nie mów nikomu”. Do dziś przeczytałam już : “Bez skrupułów”, “Krótka piłka”, “Tylko jedno spojżenie”, “Obiecaj mi”. Obecnie czytam “Bez śladu”.
Pańskie książki są faccynujące!!!
Po prostu same się czytają
Wiem,że słyszy Pan to na codzień,ale pragnę przekazać ogromne wyrazy uznania dla Pańskiej twórczości.
Bardzo chciałabym otrzymać Pański autograf.
Byłby to dla mnie ogromny zaszczyt.
Pozdrawiam Ilona
Hi Harlan,
I’m a huge fan of yours! I’ve read every single one of your books, except for One False Move. Just can’t seem to find it anywhere. I live in Jakarta Indonesia and the older books tend not to be available here. I only find them when I travel abroad. I love your character Bolitar; he is so witty! Hm… wondering to what extend is he a reflection of your character? Are you planning to write anymore novels using Bolitar? Anyway, just finished reading Hold Tight, and I’m sorry to say that I’m a little disappointed this time. Usually your plots are so convoluted and intriguing and at the end you always seemed to piece everything together and explain the plots quite to my satisfaction. This time however, I feel that you haven’t really explained how the murder of Curtis could so easily have been dismissed to be caused by robbery gone wrong. The rapist’s testicles were twisted for goodness sake, there would have been the remnants of sexual activities, and wouldn’t the guy have been dead naked? For the 1st time I felt that you flimsily explained a situation and I’m disappointed. Or did I miss it somewhere?
Hi Mr. Coben,
This is the first time I have written to an author. I have read all you books and always looked forward to the next. “Hold Tight” has got to be the best one yet and I did not put it down literally. I fear you will not be able to top this one but I certainly hope you will try !!
I wish I could reply to the person just above me on this blog. (MKwik)He/she is “disappointed” about Curtis’ murder. For heaven’s sake, that was my favorite part of the book. You wrapped that one up brillantly! Susan did what she had to do.
Thank you for your wonderful books.
Linda
Quebec, Canada
Let me first say, you are one hellva writer. you have to be for me to read you. I always stirred away from mysterys. I read “Tell No One” and have been hooked every since. I am an African-American, and I must say I have never read any thing like your books. I felt like I was cheating on other black authors, but I a addit to your books. Every time I think I have figured it out, then you twist it up. And there is always a twist in the end, it gets me everytime. Like I said you are one hellva author
Hiya Harlan,
I just saw the movie, “Tell No One”. Did I see you in the movie?
Harlan,
My daughter gave me three of your books for my birthday earlier this month. I am now 100 pages from the end of “Promise Me” the first one I have read. I absolutely love your writing and just now visited your web site for the first time. There I found that Myron Bolitar has been in seven previous books and I can assure you I will be the owner of those books as soon as I can find them in used books stores or e-bay or whatever. I thank my daughter for introducing me to your books and thank you for the wonderful writing you do and the pleasure I will receive reading them.
Wow, just saw Tell No One, the direction really painted the picture! I loved the book as well, but the movie was superb. It must be very exciting to see a creation come to life like that. Hope it wins lots of awards. I’ve just read chapter 1 of Hold Tight, already hooked. Best of luck!
A friend of mine gave me “The Innocent” to read. This is the first book of yours that I have read. I started Sunday afternoon and I find it hard to put the book down. I love the twist and turns that are taking place. I look forward to reading your other books. Best of Luck.
Compare and contrast Harlan Coben’s story with the account of a spat between two authors over speed of signing taken from the Guardian in the UK. Never mind the quality, feel the width…
The bookshop trestle table clearly ain’t big enough for the both of them. Novelist Salman Rushdie yesterday claimed to have broken wine writer Malcolm Gluck’s record for book signings after adding his full name to 1,000 books on a tour to promote his latest novel.
“His record is toast,” Rushdie crowed, in a letter to the Guardian.
Gluck started the controversy, questioning whether Rushdie could possibly have signed as many books as he had claimed, or whether he had just scribbled his initials.
Gluck’s claimed record is 1,001 copies in 59 minutes, set at a wine warehouse in London in 1998. Gluck achieved this with the help of a team of three men, one fetching the copies, one opening them at the blank page, and another whisking the signed copies away.
Rushdie said he had signed 1,000 copies, on his most recent tour promoting the Enchantress of Florence, in a books warehouse in Nashville in 57 minutes.
Rushdie insisted: “Let me be clear: I did not initial the books, but signed my full name.” The Best of Booker winner agreed that a crack team of book-handlers is essential.
“I did have the support of experienced staff at Ingrams book distributors in Nashville, (and at many other US bookstores), who will confirm that among the fastest present-day signers of books are President Jimmy Carter, the novelist Amy Tan, and myself,” he said.
“Well, if that’s true, I’m humbled,” Gluck said yesterday. “I’m delighted to learn of Salman’s achievement. I think it’s very funny actually, it’s like men boasting about the size of their sexual equipment, it’s got nothing to do with any other aspect of their personality. I doubt there will be any women going for this record, this is just such a male thing.”
The children’s author Jacqueline Wilson is also touted as a record-holder, not just for quantity but for how long she keeps going: she is famous for signing for as long as the queue lasts. At her most recent Hay book festival signing her queue caused chaos, forming hours before she arrived and snaking in and around all the other tents and lines.
Wilson’s assistants bring her cups of tea, which grow cold untouched on the table. She had to be helped to stand up after one eight-hour session.
Clearly, the only way to settle the matter is a sign-off, possibly when Gluck’s new book, The Great Wine Swindle – which may be his last, he believes, as it will insult absolutely everyone in the wine trade – is published this autumn.
And there is another contender. Thriller writer Ken Follett signed 2,050 copies in three-and-a-half hours at a book fair in Madrid earlier this year, beating his own record of 1,600 last year at a fair in Italy.
Hi Harlan,
Previously, I was not an avid book reader. It used to take me two to three weeks to read a book. My neighbor and friend introduced me to your books and I have now become an avid book reader. I have read 5 of your books, Tell No One, Gone for Good, The Innocent, No Second Chance and The Woods in less than 4 weeks. I have already ordered more and cannot wait to start reading your other books. While I was on a cruise in May and reading your book by the pool someone approached me and asked me if I liked your book. Of course I said yes, I loved it. She said she was a friend of yours and that you are a sincere sweet person. I cannot wait until I can come to one of your book signings to meet you. I am now a dedicated fan. Thank you for your wonderful work.
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