Only Two People Showed Up to This Author’s Book Signing

Hey, Chelsea Banning, we’ve all been there.

Being a published author is wonderful. Partly because we are now just that: published.

But then come more steps in which to promote the book, including book signings. And they are nothing what we expect.

Only Two People Show Up

Last week, Chelsea Banning released her debut fantasy novel and had a book signing for it. But it wasn’t what she expected it to be. She said.

“Only 2 people came to my author signing, so I was pretty bummed about it,” she posted on Twitter. “Kind of upset, honestly, and a little embarrassed.”

Many authors responded to Banning that they had all once been in that same spot too.

“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.” — Margaret Atwood

“At 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?’” — Stephen King

At an early signing in New York with fellow writer Terry Pratchett that “nobody came to at all. So you are two up on us.” — Neil Gaiman

First book signings are hard. You never know what you’re going to expect.

Trust me, I’ve been here too.

I Held My First Book Signing This Year

I wrote my second book on Amazon in March titled “Dana and Me: A Memoir” that I thought would do fairly well. It did, but it didn’t.

The book’s subject, Dana, who became friends with me because of her bookshop, and I had a book signing this past summer. Here’s how it went down:

• Dana bought of few of the books herself.
• Only a handful of people showed up.

I wasn’t mad at all. I didn’t have any expectations going on, and I wasn’t disappointed.

It was my first time dipping my toes into the waters of the world in being a published author. I loved every minute of it.

Here were some cons though:

• Dana and I sat for customers for a long time.
• We didn’t have too much room as the bookshop isn’t very big to begin with.
• No one rushed the door down for the book.

Nevertheless, a few friends and family of mine showed up. That’s all that really matters.

Besides, I was able to do a book signing with the book’s subject at the location of her former shop. How cool is that?

Not many people can say they’ve done that.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re a published author or just getting started in this world, first book signings are going to be tough. But you have to do them anyway.

They will help you grow as a writer and person when overcoming adversity. Once people start knowing who you are and what your book is, everything will change.

Just ask J.K. Rowling. I remember her saying one time seeing the line outside Barnes and Noble for the second Harry Potter book. She asked her driver if there was a sale going on.

Patience is a virtue.

Our time will come.

Noah Nelson is a graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with minors in political science and history. He served as a senior columnist for The Daily Illini, serves as a writer on Medium and the host of his blog called Nothing But Noah. His books “Life: A Collection of Short Stories” and “Dana and Me: A Memoir” are both available now on Amazon. Like what you read? You can write for Medium too!