Ask the Expert: Mail-In Signings

Have questions about mail-in signings? Let’s ask an expert.

Mail-in Signings

It’s been a tough year for convention-goers. Every major comic con was canceled in 2020, and the future going forward is uncertain. Sure, there are smaller conventions around the country that are taking the gamble, but the New York Comic-Cons of the world are not taking that chance.

One of the highlights of a big con is getting your comics and posters signed by your favorite creators and celebrities. Since in-person signings are on hold, the mail-in signings are gaining more traction.

But how does it all work? Luckily for us, Mike Haslem has answers to our pressing questions. When it comes to mail-in signings, Haslem knows his stuff.

He is the signature coordinator for Comic Sketch Art. If you aren’t familiar, CSA is leading the pack in the signature business, and the company represents some of the biggest names in the business, including Frank Miller, Donny Cates, and Scott Snyder, among many others. 

For a typical mail-in signing event, how many comics do you receive? What's the most you've gotten for a signing?

There is not really a "typical" signing as we have creators that work on a range of different books. Some of our recent signings have brought in more than 3k books for each of the creators that were advertised. 

How do you keep all the comics organized during mail-in signings? 

When the books are received, I confirm the creator's request(s) and process and invoice with all associated fees. I send that information to our accounting director (Mandy) and an invoice is issued. She really is the backbone of my process. She handles the payment, ensures that I have the invoice information to verify the payment, places the customer information on a database so that I can reference, and handles any changes of address or creator requests. On top of the fact that she is also our customer service director. I really couldn't do it without her. From my side, I have a specific short box, or boxes, that are labeled for each of the creator(s) that we are currently accepting submissions for and the books are filed there until signing.

How do mail-in signings work? Where are the signings conducted, how long do they generally take?

This really depends on a number of factors, how many books are there, will the creator travel, are there multiple creators that need to sign the books, what is the cost of mailing the books, etc. In the instances of the 3k+ books, shipping that many books would be more cost than flying the creator to us and putting them up in a hotel. If they can fly, then we do that and either sign in my home or their hotel. If not, I fly with a witness to the creator and we either rent a conference room, do the signing at their home, or in the hotel.

Some signings take multiple days. We just completed multiple signings with CGC that took two days each. This also depends on the number of books, the length of the creator's signature, and whether there are any specific requests (sketches, quotes, etc..). I would say that around 2k books in a single sitting for a day is a good pace.

Let's pretend you received a comic from me. Walk me through the steps from the time you get the comic to it being signed and submitted to a grading company.

Upon receiving your book(s) I would ensure that the books are properly prepared and verify the creators that you are looking to have signed (sometimes there are things written on the back of the books that we don't understand and clarification is sought). I would compile the fees for these requests and send an invoice request to our accounting director. She would then issue you an invoice, whether through Paypal, or other means. I would then file the items in the appropriate box to await singing.

The box(es) would then accompany me to the signing where I would facilitate the requests in the presence of a witness. The books would then be returned to my office, where they would have the CGC paperwork completed prior to dropping the items with CGC. In the instance that you are a USA-based customer, CGC would ship the book directly to you. If you are an international customer, I would pick the books up and ship it from our office. We can often ship international packages much cheaper.   

Who has been your favorite creator to work with as far as signings?

I know you will likely write it off as me avoiding the answer. But I honestly enjoy working with all of our clients. I am truly amazed at their creativity and perspectives on the world around us. They really are down to earth people that care tremendously for their fans. I have certainly had the privilege of spending more time with some of our creators than others. But cherish each opportunity to get to learn a little more about each. We are fortunate that the creators that we have the privilege to work with are all genuinely good people.