Books & Books Finds Rosie O'Donnell a Big Hit

On Monday, July 15, Rosie O'Donnell signed copies of her new book Find Me (Warner Books) at a hugely successful event at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. O'Donnell, who was scheduled to sign from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., pleased the big crowd by continuing to sign until almost 11:00 p.m. Owner Mitchell Kaplan estimated that Books & Books sold between 500 and 600 copies of Find Me for the event. He noted, too, that the store is donating a portion of the proceeds to the event co-sponsor, The Florida Center for the Literary Arts, a new organization established this year by Miami-Dade Community College, one of the founding organizations of the Miami Book Fair International.

Rosie O'Donnell greets fans at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida.

Of special note was O'Donnell’s extraordinary bond with her fans/readers. Kaplan said that one woman, after reading about the signing on O'Donnell’s Web site, had flown in from Phoenix, Arizona. "She [O'Donnell] was remarkable. This wasn’t just an autographing. She really spent time and really was getting to know her readers…. She showed she cares deeply about her readers, and it was very sincere."

Kaplan said that he had approached Warner Books months ago and had provided the publisher with a detailed proposal for a signing. About two weeks before the event, the store received a call from the publisher, informing Kaplan that a signing was possible. The event garnered extensive media coverage, including a live broadcast lead-in for the six o’clock news on the ABC local affiliate.

O'Donnell autographs Find Me under the watchful eyes of security and publicity personnel.	The waiting crowd extended down the street from the store.