“Special Event Signings” Sell Far More Books Than Bookstore Signings! (Or “Why Should I Order Copies Of My Own Book?”)

I received the following question from an author last week:

Why would any author buy copies of their book instead of referring people to Amazon or another store?

His email went on to say that he knows we don’t usually recommend book signings at bookstores and he was curious why an author would need copies for any reason other than a bookstore signing.