Something wasn’t right with Dylan’s signature on a new $600 limited-edition book. The publisher has said sorry

What is this book about?

The Philosophy of Modern Song is Dylan’s first book after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. Published on November 1, 2022, this book contains Dylan’s commentary on 66 songs by a wide range of artists, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Hank Williams, Cher, and Santana.

Simon and Schuster decided to release 900 copies of a limited edition, hand-signed version of the book. Ardent fans of the Bard quickly signed up for the chance to get their hands on a book touched by Dylan himself, only to be left disappointed.

What is a “penned replica” of a signature?

Justin Steffman, a professional authenticator who runs a Facebook group for collectors, told The New York Times that the autograph was most likely created by an autopen. Latest autopens are programmed with a signature which is then accurately recreated by a motorised mechanical arm holding a pen.

According to Steffman, “a pen machine, it goes from point to point” with each stroke beginning and ending with more pressure applied to the page. Hence, autopen signatures lack the flow of actual penmanship.

Was Bob Dylan involved in any of this?

In all probability, 81-year-old Bob Dylan was not directly involved in this whole fiasco. He has a long history of being decent to fans, keeping ticket prices reasonable and cordially interacting with them when the opportunity arose. He has also recently sold his entire music catalogue to Sony Music for approximately $200 million and had netted over $300 million with the sale of his songwriting rights in 2020. Trying to dupe fans would be uncharacteristic and, at this stage of his life, unnecessary, most people feel. His spokesperson has declined to comment, media reports said.