I don't know what other things have happened to you, but I think you can attribute this one to your youthful enthusiasm. That's not a bad thing.
Next time you have an impulse to do something "risky", it might help to force yourself to wait a few days while you talk about it with others and think about all the things that could wrong and how you could prevent them.
Easier said than done, though, I'm afaid, when you are young. 
But good planning on your part to not send the more expensive book!
It's interesting to see how these innocent situations can mushroom..
I would think that the publisher, however, would send a letter explaining that, alas, JKR couldn't sign books under these conditions and explain the options and costs if Alejandro wanted the book returned. That way, he wouldn't be under obligation. Then, if he didn't want to go thru the expense, I would think that they would donate the book to a library, school, etc, where it would do the most good. Of course, if they returned the book unsigned, which I'm afraid they would, I would think that he would be under no more obligation to pay any charges than the publisher would have been to accept delivery in the first place. But I doubt the publisher would do that; the British are known for their good manners.
Double "of course", if she did autograph it -- well, it would certainly be worth the expense!!!!
!!!!
Psychee, thanks for the info on how to handle sending materials overseas. I'm always suprised at what the Post Office can do.
Alejandro, e'thing will be cool. It's just that some simple things can get so complicated..I'm sure they get all sorts of requests from folks and yours wasn't the most unusual of them.
AlejandroOchoa wrote:
Thanks for that. I guess that the reason I prefer this book club rather than any other is because everyone is so helpful!
Aw. Amen to that, Alejandro! People in our Harry Potter Book Club are very helpful, indeed.
One thing you *could* have done is to enclose a self-addressed envelope big enough to hold the book (like a padded envelope) and enough IRCs (International Reply Coupons, as Psychee says) to cover the return shipping cost. Even then, though, I don't know that you would receive your book back signed. Popular authors aren't always able to do this simply because they receive so many requests. Authors/publishers of books for young people sometimes take the tender ages of their audience into account, though, and have some kind of accommodations made for the way you sent your request, so you never know. The letter you received was much easier for them. It probably was a form letter with a printed signature (sorry to say, but you mentioned that you surmised as much). Those are fairly easy for publishers to send back as replies from authors.
Do let us know what happens, A. It might take quite some time for you to get something back from the U.K., if you receive anything at all. I do hope you get something and have not lost your book!
