Finally, the real reason why Amazon is supersizing to the Kindle DX: Not for the graphic and advertising display possibilities on the 10-inch e-ink screen, but rather, for more room on the back of the device for author signatures.

[Author David] Sedaris wrote in a recent e-mail message that he has actually signed “at least five” Kindles, and “a fair number of iPods as well, these for audio book listeners.” A frequent chronicler of his own eccentricities, the author often encounters his readers’ quirks at the book-signing table.

Since an e-reader can hold something north of a thousand books, I’d say that the autograph space on the backside will run out pretty quick. Until it does, it’ll look like a literary yearbook. Writers will have to suffer having to share scribble space with others; and of course, if their work gets deleted off of that particular Kindle, then I assume the signing gets whited-out accordingly.

Seriously though, I wonder if Amazon’s not cooking up an electronic solution for this. I’d guess that future editions of e-books could include an e-page in the front with space specifically for an author signing. Probably have to revamp the hardware as well.