Signing AUTOGRAPHS??

Not every author loves book signings, but I really do.

I enjoy meeting people, and of course it’s nice when people enjoyed the talk and want to have book signed. (Who doesn’t like a little positive attention now and then?)

But that’s not why I stay as long as people want.

The thing that really energizes me about book signings is that that’s when people tell me their stories. It’s when the real stuff comes out, and we get to connect over the challenges and tribulations of anxiety.

Sometimes it’s a personal journey, sometimes it’s someone they love. Often, they’re just finding answers to questions that have troubled them for years, or even decades. Being there when that weight is lifted is a privilege and a blessing.

I also learn a lot in these conversations. I love learning, finding ways to improve things, and I’ve picked up some great tips in these moments. One attendee told me about Panic to Power, a great book on anxiety by Lucinda Bassett, who has a helpful perspective on techniques to calm your fears.

I gave my very first talk about anxiety at the launch of my first book, Scared to Death: Do it Anyway. I was extremely nervous (to say the least), and I rushed through my talk in about 20 minutes. But the line for the book signing went out the door and took a right, and I ended up talking with audience members for over an hour!

As a side note, the very first book I ever signed was by far the most important. It was for my wife, Robbie, without whom I couldn’t have done any of the things that have made my life rewarding and profitable, let alone written these books.