{"id":150566,"date":"2022-12-07T08:01:57","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T08:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/join-the-club-stephen-king-margaret-atwood-and-more-reassure-debut-author-after-lonely-book-launch-books-2\/"},"modified":"2022-12-07T08:01:57","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T08:01:57","slug":"join-the-club-stephen-king-margaret-atwood-and-more-reassure-debut-author-after-lonely-book-launch-books-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/join-the-club-stephen-king-margaret-atwood-and-more-reassure-debut-author-after-lonely-book-launch-books-2\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Join the club’: Stephen King, Margaret Atwood and more reassure debut author after lonely book launch | Books"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When debut author Chelsea Banning vented on Twitter about no one showing up at her book signing, she didn’t expect that some of the world’s most famous authors, including Stephen King, Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman, would respond with tales of their own nightmare public appearances.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt my first Salem’s Lot signing, I had one customer. A fat kid who said, ‘Hey bud, do you know where there’s some Nazi books?’\u201d King wrote to each<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTerry Pratchett and I did a signing in Manhattan for Good Omens that nobody came to at all. So you are two up on us,\u201d Gaiman wrote.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u201cJoin the club,\u201d Atwood wrote.<\/a> \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<\/p>\n

Banning had arrived at Pretty Good Books in Ashtabula, Ohio, on the weekend for the event to launch her debut novel, Of Crowns and Legends. She was hoping that most of the 37 people who had RSVPed would show \u2013 but only two people turned up. They were both her friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cKind of upset, honestly,\u201d she tweeted afterwards,<\/a> \u201cand 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<\/div>\n

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Speaking to the Guardian a few days later, Banning said: \u201cI was pretty bummed, honestly. I was happy to see the two that did, as they are my friends, and we had a good time chatting for a bit, but it was disheartening after a while and realizing no one else was coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

But within hours of posting every tweet, bestselling authors were lining up to share similar stories.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have sat lonely at a signing table many times only to have someone approach \u2026 and ask me where the bathroom is,\u201d Jodi Picoult wrote.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cOnce sat out front of mall bookshop for a signing,\u201d bestselling crime author Linwood Barclay wrote<\/a>. \u201cNo one stopped, until the very end, when an old guy paused, looked at me, looked at the books, looked at me, approached and asked, ‘Do they sell flags here?’\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a book reading where only my husband’s cousin showed up. one person I’ll never forget that reading,\u201d Pachinko author Minjin Lee wrote.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\u201cOoh, boy, too many to share. The one where the bookshop staff kindly pretended to be customers so I wouldn’t feel too bad, that stays with me,\u201d One Day author David Nicholls wrote<\/a>. \u201cI should also add \u2013 don’t be downhearted, it’s a kind of rite of passage that happens to everyone, and congratulations on the book!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was once invited to a crime writers’ festival. Colin Dexter was on at the same time. Only one person showed up for me. We chatted for a while and I told him how glad I was that he’d come,\u201d wrote Jonathan Coe<\/a>. \u201cHe said, ‘Actually I’m Ian Rankin and I was supposed to be introducing you.’\u201d<\/p>\n

The thread began to spread even wider than names in literature. \u201cThat is the beginning,\u201d actor Henry Winkler wrote.<\/a> \u201cThen word gets out and they come!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYO,\u201d rapper Flavor Flav wrote to her. \u201cHere to hype up ya next signing!\u201d<\/p>\n

The warm response moved Banning to tears and completely changed how she feels about the lonely signing. \u201cI feel elated!\u201d she said. \u201cAnd excited and definitely reassured. I’m not even upset about no one coming \u2013 I heard back from a lot of them, and they or their families ended up getting sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has since had almost 500 orders placed for digital copies of her book, and it has shot up Amazon’s charts.<\/p>\n

Does she have any more signings planned? \u201cNot at the moment,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I am working on a few!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n