{"id":149766,"date":"2022-12-06T13:18:17","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T13:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/author-goes-viral-after-only-2-people-show-up-to-her-book-signing\/"},"modified":"2022-12-06T13:18:17","modified_gmt":"2022-12-06T13:18:17","slug":"author-goes-viral-after-only-2-people-show-up-to-her-book-signing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/author-goes-viral-after-only-2-people-show-up-to-her-book-signing\/","title":{"rendered":"Author goes viral after only 2 people show up to her book signing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An author went viral on Twitter after expressing how \u201cembarrassed\u201d she felt that only two people showed up at her book signing over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Chelsea Banning<\/a>whose book Of Crowns and Legends<\/em> debuted in August, got a taste of how close-knit the writer community really is after sharing her experience hosting her first book signing. <\/p>\n

\u201cOnly 2 people came to my author signing yesterday, so I was pretty bummed about it,\u201d she tweeted on Dec. 4. \u201cKind of upset, honestly, and a little embarrassed.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Only 2 people came to my author signing yesterday, so I was pretty bummed about it. Especially as 37 people responded “going” to the event. Kind of upset, honestly, and a little embarrassed.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Chelsea Banning Author (@chelseabwrites) December 4, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cI just needed to vent a little where I thought a lot of people wouldn’t see it and I wouldn’t come off as ungrateful,\u201d Banning explained to In The Know. \u201cMy Twitter is usually pretty quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within a few hours, Banning was overwhelmed with an outpouring of support from other writers and authors, including a few celebrity names she could not believe were actually interacting with her post.<\/p>\n

\u201cNeil Gaiman (who is my and my family’s favorite writer), Margaret Atwood, Jodi Picoult and Robin Hobb were the big names that popped out,\u201d Banning said. \u201cI’m such a big fan of all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

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While a lot of the writers responded with words of encouragement, some shared their own book-signing horror stories.<\/p>\n

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I did a book reading where only my husband’s cousin showed up. one person I’ll never forget that reading. \u270a<\/p>\n

\u2014 Min Jin Lee (@minjinlee11) December 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cI did a book reading where only my husband’s cousin showed up,\u201d Min Jin Lee, whose 2017 novel pachinko <\/em>was a finalist for the National Book Awards and has since been turned into an Apple TV+ series. \u201cOne person. I’ll never forget that reading.\u201d <\/p>\n

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Join the club. I did a signing to which Nobody came, except a guy who wanted to buy some Scotch tape and thought I was the help. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

\u2014 Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) December 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cI did a signing to which Nobody came, except a guy who wanted to buy some Scotch tape and thought I was the help,\u201d said novelist Margaret Atwood, who has so many awards and honorary degrees we can’t fit them all into the remainder of this sentence.<\/p>\n

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Also, was once signing books and a woman came up with a john Grisham novel. When i pointed out it wasn’t written by me she asked if i was signing books or not! So i signed it with love from me and John Grisham\u2026.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sheila O’Flanagan \ud83d\udcda\ud83d\udcda\ud83d\udcda (@sheilaoflanagan) December 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cWas once signing books and a woman came up with a john Grisham novel. When i pointed out it wasn’t written by me she asked if i was signing books or not! So i signed it with love from me and John Grisham,\u201d journalist and bestselling author Sheila O’Flanagan added.<\/p>\n

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Zero people came to my first reading (for The Girl in the Road, at Malaprops in Asheville). I ended up drinking a glass of wine with the events coordinator and trying not to cry. It’s a rite of passage many of us have been through \ud83d\ude05\u2764\ufe0f<\/p>\n

\u2014 Monica Byrne (@monicabyrne13) December 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cZero people came to my first reading (for The Girl in the Road, at Malaprops in Asheville). I ended up drinking a glass of wine with the events coordinator and trying not to cry. It’s a rite of passage many of us have been through,\u201d playwright Monica Byrne said. The Girl in the Road <\/em>would go on to win the 2015 James Tiptree Jr. Award.<\/p>\n

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1st reading, 1st book, a bookstore in Milwaukee. Maybe 15 people show up. I do my reading, answer some Qs. Then, the very nice bookstore clerk says, \u201cPeter’s book is available for purchase at the register.\u201d Guy sitting at the front yells, \u201cWell, how much does it cost?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Peter Sagal (@petersagal) December 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201c1st reading, 1st book, a bookstore in Milwaukee. Maybe 15 people show up. I do my reading, answer some Qs,\u201d NPR host Peter Sagal said. \u201cThen, the very nice bookstore clerk says, ‘Peter’s book is available for purchase at the register.’ Guy sitting at the front yells, ‘Well, how much does it cost?’\u201d<\/p>\n

Since she tweeted about her experience, Banning’s book has reached the top spot in the Arthurian Fantasy section on Amazon. Her Twitter following has also increased by the thousands, and she’s doing her part as an up-and-coming author to highlight other independently published books and writers.<\/p>\n

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YA’LL YOU DID THIS!!! \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d You made my lonely 14 year old day dreamer’s dream come true! I used to get a trouble in class for writing this story instead of paying attention and omg!! pic.twitter.com\/7JI1k5Ek1L<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chelsea Banning Author (@chelseabwrites) December 5, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cI keep telling my friends that I don’t know what to do with myself,\u201d she said. \u201cThe outpouring of encouragement and support has been amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for future writers who are afraid of venturing into the literary world, Banning highly recommends reaching out to the writing community. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey have been such a wonderful support. I’ve not had one bad interaction so far. It’s all been giving advice, support, encouragement, etc.\u201d she said. \u201cAnd just write!\u201d <\/p>\n

More from In The Know:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Listen to the latest episode of our pop culture podcast, We Should Talk:<\/h4>\n