What is flat signing books by authors?

Answer 1

I believe this site will explain, here is an excerpt:

Much has been made in recent years about the comparative values of signature-only (or flat signed) books and inscribed books (books bearing both a signature and an inscription). Proponents of the signed-only school argue that "To Tim

Answer 2

Flat signing is when an author signs a book without adding a personalized message or dedication. This is a common practice at book events or signings where authors may not have time to write personal messages for each book.

Answer 3

The word FlatSigned, whether on books or any other item, means that the autograph is an original (no facsimile/photocopy, no machine/auto-pen written, no stamped or otherwise tooled), hand-signed example of the autograph which is not personalized (can have a date, additional words such as "Congratulations" or "Thanks for a wonderful evening", etc.), to an individual including the person obtaining the autograph.

Put more simply, FlatSigned means:

A hand-signed, original autograph which is not personalized such as:

"To Billy Bob, John Grisham."

FLATSIGNED EXAMPLE:"Thank you for a great evening, John Grisham May 30, 2010

NON-FLATSIGNED EXAMPLE: "To Billy, thank you for all! John Grisham May 30, 2010

Answer 4

I believe this site will explain, here is an excerpt:

Much has been made in recent years about the comparative values of signature-only (or flat signed) books and inscribed books (books bearing both a signature and an inscription). Proponents of the signed-only school argue that "To Tim …" is less collectible (read, less valuable), except perhaps to all the Tim's of the world. Sadly, many new collectors accept this reasoning and have ended up with sterile, generic signed books, sacrificing the personal connection an inscription can provide. This idea that a signed book is preferable to an inscribed one is a fairly recent affectation and runs counter to the well-established tradition in book collecting that "more is better" - that is, the more an author writes in the book, the better, simply because it's easier to forge a signature than an inscription plus a signature. For an excellent perspective on this issue, see Ken Lopez's article "Signed vs. Inscribed" at http://lopezbooks.com/articles/signed.html For my personal collection, I prefer inscribed because the books are for my enjoyment and satisfaction and ultimately to pass on to my children. For the books you intend to re-sell, a good compromise might be to request a non-personalized inscription (e.g., "Best wishes") plus the signature and date. In selling and buying signed books, provenance and authenticity are the key issues. For this reason alone, more really is better.

* http://www.bookthink.com/0002/02sign2.htm