“Fairytales can come true,” Frank Sinatra croons, then promises, “it can happen to you,” but does it? An author sets up a table piled with copies of her latest novel and assembles rows of chairs for the scads of people surely lining up outside the bookstore to hear her read and get her well-practiced “scrawl” on crisp title pages. Mic check, then crickets, crickets, and more crickets. At the ninety-minute mark, the author packs up her books along with her pride, confidence, and broken heart.
It happens more than readers and writers realize. Authors commit to events that result in disappointing wastes of their time. What should be a shiny vehicle for a writer and an opportunity for readers to engage and connect turns into a big, fat pumpkin. Sometimes, though, an author’s fairytale denied becomes a fairytale deferred or at least a morale boost deferred. An established author like Suzanne Young may post a picture of empty chairs at her Barnes and Noble signing, and compassion and empathy go viral. Or an abashed newbie like Chelsea Banning tweets that only two fans showed up for her debut novel signing, and famous authors like Margaret Atwood and Stephen King tweet back with similarly disheartening stories from their in-person events. Support floods in but much differently than they imagined when staring at empty chairs.
As readers and writers, we can and might even be obligated to support authors we admire. Buying their books is important, but additional avenues exist to promote, encourage, and elevate them. A great way to start is by filling chairs at local author book signings, library events, and workshops. Listen to their voices in the words they wrote; ask them questions about their writing lives, craft, and inspirations; collect their well-practiced “scrawls;” and get to know them.
Recently, a mutual friend connected me to author Kristin Kisska, who lives near me. She graciously agreed to meet me for coffee, and we became fast friends. A few months later, I invited her to speak about her novel, The Hint of Light, at my book club. I might be biased because I hosted, but it was the best meeting we’ve had in the fifteen years our book club has been together. Having the warm and engaging Kristin present made the discussion extraordinary lively and compelling. The turnout, by the way, required pulling out extra chairs. Though my book club members all agree we got the better end of the deal, Kristin left happy, knowing her craft is both appreciated and loved.
Now, I’m determined to meet more local authors. A quick internet search of “author signings near me” and a visit to the county library’s website brought up several upcoming opportunities. If you want to support authors in your area, try the same or similar searches, visit local bookstores, follow authors you love on social media, and boldly ask them to grab a coffee or come to your book club. You may even need to pull out a few extra chairs. (In the meantime, if you need a good read, check out Kristin Kisska’s 2024 Agatha Award nominated novel, The Hint of Light, at https://www.amazon.com/Hint-Light-Novel-Kristin-Kisska-ebook/dp/B0BTJDC4WD/.)
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