How To Get Signed & Personalized Books From Me For the Holidays, 2021, or, The Supply Chain Is Messed Up Edition

Posted on October 18, 2021    Posted by John Scalzi      5 Comments

As you all know, every year around mid-November, I do a thing with Jay and Mary’s Book Center, my local bookseller, where I encourage people to buy my books there as holiday gifts, and when they do, I come down to the store to sign and personalize them and then send them off by mid-December, in time for Christmas (and depending on the calendar, Hanukkah). This year, however, two things are different: One, the overall supply chain is messed up, and publishing is no different, and two, the US Postal Service has intentionally slowed down mail service. Put it all together, it means that getting things in a timely manner for the holidays this year will be more of a challenge than it usually is.

Now, to be clear, I have no indication that there will be a shortage of any of my books — save for a new “Tor Essentials” edition of Redshirts, I didn’t publish a new novel this year, which means all my books are backlist; there’s a bunch of copies sitting in warehouses at the moment, waiting to be sold. But, it’s 2021, and you never know, and also, again, mail is slower this year than it’s been before.

So we’re doing something different this year: We’re opening up orders for signed/personalized Scalzi books for the holidays right now, and running it through December 5. Between now and December 5 I’ll come into Jay & Mary’s regularly to sign/personalize stuff that’s been ordered, and then they’ll ship it out when they can (United States only). And then you hide the books in the presents closets until December (or, in the case of Hanukkah this year, maybe late November). The idea here is to give you, the gift-buying public, as much of a margin as possible to get your gifts for the holidays.

Please note that the sooner you get in your order, the better chance of getting things in time for the holidays (that’s a general comment, not just relating to me and my books). The closer we get to December, the more challenges supply chains and slower mail provide everyone. So, really, don’t wait. Come order those books today.

And now, the usual details on how to order signed, personalized books from me for the holidays, at Jay & Mary’s:

1. Call Jay & Mary’s at their 800 number (800 842 1604) and let them know that you’d like to order signed copies of my books. Please call rather than send e-mail; they find it easier to keep track of things that way.

2. Tell them which books you would like (For example, The Last Emperox), and what, if any, names you would like the book signed to. If there’s something specific you’d like written in the books let them know but for their sake and mine, please keep it short. Also, if you’re ordering the book as a gift, make sure you’re clear about whose name the book is being signed to. If this is unclear, I will avoid using a specific name.

3. Order any other books you might think you’d like, written by other people, because hey, you’ve already called a bookstore for books, and helping local independent bookstores is a good thing. I won’t sign these, unless for some perverse reason you want me to, in which case, sure, why not.

4. Give them your mailing address and billing information, etc.

5. And that’s it! Shortly thereafter I will go to the store and sign your books for you.

Again, the deadline for signed/personalized books for 2021 is December 5. After December 5 all Scalzi stock will still be signed and available, but I will likely not be able to personalize.

Ordering early is strongly encouraged this year — See above for why.

Also, this is open to US residents only. Sorry, rest of the world. It’s a cost of shipping thing.

What books are available?

CURRENT HARDCOVER: The Last Emperox is still available in hardcover. The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means is also out this year in hardcover, but it’s a signed limited edition and the bookstore will have to special order, so if you want that from Jay & Mary’s, absolutely ask for that as early as possible. 2018’s hardcovers Head On and The Consuming Fire should also be available if you ask for them specifically. The mini-hardcover of Old Man’s War is also available and is a great format for that book.

CURRENT TRADE PAPERBACK: The Android’s Dream, Agent to the Stars and Fuzzy Nation, Redshirts (the 2013 Hugo Award winner), Twenty-First Century Science Fiction (which features a story of mine), Metatropolis (which I edited and contribute a novella to) are available in trade paperback format. There may be hardcovers of these still around if you ask. But each are definitely in trade paperback. There are also probably still trade paperback editions of Old Man’s War that can be ordered if you prefer that format. Also available: Robots Vs. Fairies, the anthology that features the story of mine that was adapted for the “Three Robots” episode of the Netflix animated series Love, Death and Robots.

CURRENT MASS MARKET PAPERBACK: The entire Interdependency series (The Collapsing Empire, The Consuming Fire and The Last Emperox) are available, both individually and as a boxed set. The Old Man’s War series of books (Old Man’s War, The Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony, Zoe’s Tale, The Human Division and The End of All Things) are available individually, and the first three of those books also come in their own boxed set. Lock In, Head On and Unlocked: An Oral History of the Haden Syndrome (novella) are individually available as well. Fuzzy Nation, Agent to the Stars and The Android’s Dream have recently been moved into trade paperback, but mass market editions are probably still available if that’s your preference. Please note: If you order the boxed sets, if you want those signed you’ll have to agree to let me take the shrinkwrap off. In return I’ll sign each of the books in the box.

CURRENT NON-FICTION: Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded (essay collection, Hugo winner), The Mallet of Loving Correction (also an essay collection, this will need to be special ordered as it is a signed limited), Virtue Signaling (a third essay collection, will also need special ordering) and Don’t Live For Your Obituary (a collection of essays about writing, will also need to be special ordered).

AUDIOBOOKS: The Consuming Fire, The Dispatcher, The End of All Things, Lock In, Head On, The Human Division, Redshirts, Fuzzy Nation, The God Engines, Metatropolis and Agent to the Stars are all available on CD and/or MP3 CD, and Jay & Mary’s should be able to special order them for you. Check with them about other titles, which may or may not be currently available on CD.

Two things regarding audiobooks: First, if you want these, you should probably call to order these ASAP, especially this year. Second, and this is important, because the audiobooks come shrinkwrapped, I will have to remove the shrinkwrap in order to sign the cover. You ordering a signed audiobook means you’re okay with me doing that and with Jay & Mary’s shipping it to you out of its shrinkwrap.

If you have any other questions, drop them in the comment thread and I’ll try to answer them!