Bookstamps

I've noticed that my giveaway postcards are traded by collectors and I have no problem with this, but I wanted to do something that was for readers alone, so devised this set of bookstamps which only go in dedicated books. If you don't want it signed to somebody, you don't get a stamp. (Big woe, right?) There is a new one each year, and they all relate in some way to the book. They are all listed on my giveaway page if you want more info. They are also listed below in the order in which they were released.

FG 648 "Utopia, Inc. For all our futures"

Designed for the 2024 launch of Red Side Story, this stamp is very much a foreshadowing stamp, and should probably be more closely related to Shades of Grey III.

FG 647 "Vermillion Jollity Fair, Admit One"

Designed for the 2024 launch of Red Side Story, this stamp was designed to be given out with dedicated copies on book tours.

FG 621 "Blue Rabbit Date of First Publication"

Designed for the USA launch of The Constant Rabbit, this stamp was appended to the freebie postcards which were this time posted instead of given out - readers were asked to submit their addresses to be sent a sort of 'first day cover'. It was also added to a limited number of US hardbacks.

FG 619 "Red Rabbit Date of First Publication"

Designed for the UK launch of The Constant Rabbit , this stamp was appended to the freebie poscrads which were this time posted instead of given out - readers were asked to submit their addresses to be sent a sort of 'first day cover' to be added to their purchased book. It was also added to all first editions signed at Bookish, and 42 others of mine, mostly gift books. The stamp has now been destroyed, so there are 432 UK Hardbacks with this stamp, and 500 postcards.

FG 618 "Green Rabbit"

This was designed by Lydia at Hodder, for the early promotional material - and reutilised here. The standard bookstamp, it goes in all signed books, plus the postcards mentioned above.

FG 589 "SkillZero"

Designed for the Launch of Early Riser. In a world where humans hibernate, death during the winter is high 'Wastage' as it is known. To ensure that all systems, both large and small can function from one season to the next with the minimum of disruption, the protocols ensure that everything from nuclear power stations can be run with a 'General Skills' certificate grade II or higher. It makes everything absurdly cumbersome, inefficient and expensive - but it ensures that everything will still function come the spring. First used July 2018.

FG 432 "Age-Fast"

Designed for the Launch of The Woman Who Died a Lot. it relates to a company run inside the book by the Manchild, who has found a way of using the now-defunct time engines to age things quickly - at huge personal cost to himself.

impressions are unnumbered, and without limit. First used July 2012.

FG 349 "Fiction Island Visa"

Designed for the Launch of One of our Thursdays is Missing. It's the sort of thing your ID would be stamped with upon entry to Fiction Island. Please note that this is a 'Reading' Visa only, and the holder may not seek or accept paid written employment.

impressions are unnumbered, and without limit. Date will show when your book was signed. It was first used in February 2011.

FG 276: "Civic Duty"

Designed for the Launch of Shades of Grey. The script is Berlin Sans Bold - the selected look of Chromatacia. impressions are unnumbered, and without limit. It was first used in December 2009.

FG 258 "Stamp Signature"

Designed for no other good reason than I thought it was funny, this is a stamp of my signature. But to avoid any misunderstanding or possibility of forgery, it is not official without my actual signature - to which it is always appended. First used in 2009.

FG 257: "First Signed Limited Edition".

Relatively unused, this stamp is used when I have multiple editions of books to give away, such as in competitions and stuff like that. It was intended to be used as a limited run of hardbacks, but I'm generally of the opinion that Booksellers can make a few bob on hardbacks, and I'll only stock paperbacks when they come out.

The impressions are unnumbered, and without limit. First used: 2009

FG 243: "Goliath Corporation Genuine Reproduction"

This is used for the Prints of Maggy Robert's Illustrations. The impressions are unnumbered, and without limit. It was first used in December 2007.

FG 235: "Library of Fforde - Not to be lent or sold"

For internal use only. No, I don't mean like suppositories or aspirin. For anything in my private collection. I sometimes auction things from said collection, and this might be on one of those. Otherwise, it's a secret what it looks like...

The impressions are unnumbered, and without limit. First used: June 2007.

FG 233: Only available from books purchased from Goliath, this cheery birthday stamp (don't ask why I do this; I'm clearly a frustrated librarian) is for people asking for birthday greetings in their book. The signature is the same one from the Thursday Next postcard

The impressions are unnumbered, and without limit. First used: September 2007.

FG 232: Only available from books purchased from Goliath, this non-denominational, non-specific, one-size-fits-all Global Standard Deity stamp is used on books at Christmas - or if asked, a religious festival of your choice. (please state)

The impressions are unnumbered, and without limit. First used: June 2007

FG 231: Designed to look as utilitarian as possible, the 'Acme Quality Service' stamp was used to stamp reader's books on the 2007 UK and USA tours. 'Acme', you will recall, was the generic company used to supply anvils, magnets and assorted sundries to Wily Coyote. It was a shortlisted name for 'The Goliath Corporation' along with 'Apogee' and 'Zenith'.

Incidentally, the change to 'FG' prefix from 'TNU' brings one code to everything. 'TNU' was 'The Nextian Universe', 'TEA' was 'The Eyre Affair', 'LGB' was 'Lost Good Book' and 'NC' was 'Nursery Crime'. 'FG' means, of course, 'Fforde Gizmos'. This is the two hundred and thirty first giveaway.

The impressions are unnumbered, and without limit. First used June 18th 2007

NC 16: 'Sommeworld Free Entry'. This was devised in April 2006 and accompanies signed and dedicated copies of The Fourth Bear, usually at events and appearances.

TNU 140: This was devised in December 2005 to coincide with the sale of paperbacks at Goliathcorp.com. Unusually for my stamps, this one does sometimes appear without a dedication, and accompanies every book supplied by Goliath Merchandising. To have a look at what amazing stuff is on offer, click HERE.

TNU 100: 'Danish Literature Warning'. Devised July 2004. Still used, usually with TN-4. At the time I wrote Something Rotten, I chose the Danish as the scapegoats for all sorts of nonsense as I thought they were the European nation that was the least likely to offend anyone. The events of late 2005 proved me wrong. It is getting harder and harder to write satire these days.