Signing Books

Recently, I offered writers a free report on book signing. In it, I advise authors not to use a ballpoint pen. One reader wrote to ask:

This may appear to be a stupid question, but if one doesn't use a ball point pen, what DOES one use? I guess I'm not that familiar with different types of pens -- other than marking pens, and ball point pens.

A wide variety of pens exist from the original quills or pens with metal nibs that require a bottle of ink [see illustration] to fountain pens (now a sign of status) to newer "roller ball" (not ballpoint), to fine felt tips, to the latest, "gel". Just in case you're wondering, the ballpoint pen ink contains a lubricant that eventually bleeds into paper and smears, making an oily blotch on a page. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen for more penlightenment.

[writing]

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