AUTHOR! AUTHOR!
THESE TRADING CARDS HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF

By Sam Schieber

In a recent internet card auction, a George Takei (Star Trek's Sulu) card was the subject of quite a bidding war -- a current bid of $27 and climbing. Why? Because it wasn't from any of the prolific Star Trek sets old or new, it was from . . . a bookstore!

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco's revitalized Haight-Ashbury district is one of the last of the great independent bookstores, The Booksmith, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in October 1996. Unlike the major book chains, independent bookstores must set themselves apart: some offer personalized service, some offer more invigorating stock. The Booksmith does both and offers Author Trading Cards, as well.

Rather than the "Authors" card game that some of us grew up with, in which cards of the deck showed portraits and listed major works of great writers of the past (Dickens, Shakespeare, Tennyson, Alcott), these cards honor current, working writers. The idea grew out of owner Gary Frank's longtime interest in baseball cards. "A couple of years before the author trading cards, I produced a set of trading cards for my wife's 40th birthday party. Each card pictured a different family member, including the family dog (Wrigley--named after Wrigley Field). The text on the back had kind thoughts and remembrances written by the pictured person." This creative gift turned out so well that, in an effort to boost the promotion of The Booksmith's author events, Gary began producing the author cards about three years ago.

Several times a month, The Booksmith hosts authors who come to read from their most recently published book, after which they sign autographs for the audience. Having the author cards available not only sparks conversation and interest, but creates a unique collectible. Many authors have called or written back after their appearances and asked for more cards to give to their friends and family. Some authors who are also teachers enjoy giving them to their students.

For each author event, Gary produces between 200 and 800 of each 2-1/2"x3-1/2" card, most falling toward the lower number. The cards are printed in blocks according to the signing schedule, so when fewer authors are scheduled for a particular month, there are a couple of extra print slots which can be filled by the most popular author of that group. The front of each card bears a black and white photo of the author or, in a very few instances, the cover art from a book, with the name of the author underneath. On the back is a short write-up about the author and his or her current book, plus the date and time of the author's in-store appearance. The only noticeable change in style over the course of three years is in the three different typefaces used for the names on the fronts of the cards. The set currently has 168 cards, but it will continue to grow.

The Booksmith is a busy store located in a unique shopping district, so it is hard to say if the cards have drawn more business to the store. But it is clear that the presence of the cards as giveaways on the check out counter have created a mini buzz in the book business among book publicists and other professionals. When Gary recently encountered a previously "carded" author and re-introduced himself as the owner of The Booksmith, the writer replied, "Oh, the store that does the author trading cards!" "The cards also create a sort of conversation piece among customers and staff," says Gary. "I think they provide an element that helps establish a positive, lasting identity for the store in the mind of the customer."

So far none of the authors have refused the honor of being included in this project--not a surprise considering the esteemed company in which they would be included. A random flip through the cards reveals the wide array of publishing categories covered by this set: to two Pulitzer Prize winners (Mr. Butler #32 and Art Spiegelman #78), best-selling fiction (Anne Rice #22, Martin Amis #94), photography (William Wegman #4, Richard Avedon #30), politics (Timothy Leary #67), humor (Fran Lebowitz #76, Scott "Dilbert" Adams #124), horror (Clive Barker #151), science fiction (Ray Bradbury #168), essays (Calvin Trillin #99), children's books (The Mr. Lunch series #166), self-help (Helen Palmer #83), religion (Jacob Needleman #149), local writers (San Francisco columnists Jon Carroll #2 and Adair Lara #92), and media stars (Marianne Faithful #64 and Ray Davies of the "Kinks" #108). Including current "Brat Pack"ers Bret Easton Ellis (#63), Jay McInerney (#144) and Tama Janowitz (#155), the cards provide a microcosm of late 20th century publishing, making this a set for future historians to contemplate.

There is also one very rare "chase" card. Although it looks just like the other cards, it is a one-card subset of "Publisher Trading Cards" featuring Peter Workman of Workman Publishing Company. Mr. Workman approached Gary shortly after the cards began being offered, saying he was interested in doing a book based on the cards. To move the project along, Gary had the special card printed. There is no word on the book yet, but it is an intriguing idea which would be of great interest.

Initially, the store published a monthly newsletter heralding the authors who would be appearing shortly. But the mailing list grew so large that the announcements now are made on The Booksmith's award-winning webpage (http://www.booksmith.com/). Hailed as "one of the strongest websites in the business" by Publisher's Weekly, The Booksmith's website was designed by Thomas Gladysz, who has been with The Booksmith since 1987 and is widely published as an art critic and freelance journalist. He has skillfully and cleverly integrated cyberspace with the actual bookstore experience. Here one can find an on-line catalog of 50,000 books, ordering information, announcements of interest, notices of special sales and a "meet the staff" page with photos and brief biographies of the store's employees. And, of course, there is a page dedicated to the author cards. One literally can spend hours on these beautifully laid out and informative pages. The store can be reach through the website or directly by email at: read@booksmith.com.

And it is not only customers who collect the cards and eagerly await the issuance of a new series. Pulitzer Prize Winner Robert Olen Butler is an avid collector of tobacco trading cards and other things, and was very excited to learn about The Booksmith's cards. Gary explains that when Mr. Butler first read at the store about a year and a half ago, "he told us that he decided to read here because he wanted his own trading card!" The store tries to keep him up to date--and just recently he stopped by when he was in town and left the store with a list of the cards he was missing.

It is believed that there are only three complete sets in existence: those of Mr. Butler, Thomas Gladysz, and Gary Frank. Each of Gary's cards is also autographed--except for the one author who didn't show up for his signing. Making this a tough set to complete for even the most industrious collector, some cards disappear immediately (Harlan Ellison, Mickey Dolenz); and with the cards held to a maximum of 200 sets, many card hunters simply have learned of the series too late to catch up.

While perhaps a half dozen authors have received two cards, only one has earned three: literary upstart William Vollman. And wildly popular local author Steve Silberman's Skeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads holds the distinction of being the only card with a reprint--Mr. Silberman can be found on identical cards #62 and #62.1. For collectors there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that, at present, there are no plans to reprint any of the other cards; but the good news is The Booksmith plans to continue producing the cards as long as the author events continue. And getting one's own author trading card might be just the right incentive to finish that book everyone has languishing in a file drawer!

This article originally appeared in the February - March 1997 issue of Non-Sport Update, and was accompanied by a checklist of cards. Thanks to author Sam Schieber - Booksmith customer, card collector and free-lance writer, who allowed us to reprint this article. For more about card collecting and Non-Sport Update magazine, check out their website at http://www.nonsportupdate.com.

Our Author cards are not currently for sale. We have plans to sell them in sets at a future date (this date has not been scheduled) if you wish you may add your name to the waiting list for notification please email us at and we can add you to the list.

Autographed cards appear courtesy of a private collector.

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