An important factor in determining how much your signed book is worth is the rarity and desirability of both the book and accompanying signature. “A signature is only valuable if the writer is well-known, generally for their writing or some other talent. A first-time author’s signature is rarely worth anything, unless it is a Margaret Mitchel or Harper Lee,” says Morris.

Does an Author’s Signature Increase the Value?

There’s no rule. If a book is signed by the author, it may be worth more than an unsigned copy. The difference could be large, moderate, or negligible, depending upon the book in question. Again, supply & demand comes into play. If the author is very popular, but signatures are scarce, the signature will be in demand. Factors to consider are whether the author is living or dead (and thus not signing any more books!), if the author signed many books or few, and of course the desirability & collectability of the book in question.

Books signed by heavily-collected authors are much-desired. For example, every one of the thousands of collectors of Beat Generation literature would love to have a signed book by Jack Kerouac -one of the most influential & highly regarded writers of the 20th century – in their collection. Consequently, such books are in high demand and hard to find (Kerouac wasn’t a very prolific signer of his books anyway), and they fetch grand prices. For modern novels with authors still living, a signature will add somewhat to the price – perhaps ten to twenty-five percent. If the signature is very scarce, it may be worth more. The amount will vary depending upon the particular book & author and how easy that signed book is to find.

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