Chelsea Banning’s Fateful Book Signing Event
On December 3, 2022, author Chelsea Banning hosted a book signing event at Pretty Good Books in Ashtabula, Ohio, for her debut novel, ‘Of Crowns and Legends.’
Although 37 people responded to the event, only two showed up, leading Banning to share her disappointment on Twitter. This fateful tweet rapidly kickstarted an outpouring of support from many people, including other authors.
Over the next few days, acclaimed authors such as Jodi Picoult, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, and Stephen King responded to Banning’s tweet sharing their own stories of book signing experiences.
“I have sat lonely at a signing table many times only to have someone approach…and ask me where the bathroom is,” Picoult tweeted.
“Terry Pratchett and I did a signing in Manhattan for Good Omens that nobody came to at all. So you are two up on us,” Gaiman shared.
“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. :)” Atwood empathized.
“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?” King replied.
From there, the thread grew as more people joined in support. At the time of writing this article in early January, the original tweet from December 4th stands at almost 4K replies, more than 7.7K retweets, and 80.2K likes.
Banning’s Experience After the Viral Tweet
When asked how she felt seeing her tweet go viral with support from other authors, Chelsea Banning said, “Pure shock.”
Even celebrities like Henry Winkler and Flavor Flav reached out, showing support, asking when the next book signing was, and boosting Banning’s book.
Major news outlets, including NPR, CNN, CBS, and The Guardian, also picked up the story. Sharing one of the coverages, Banning tweeted, “And now CBS. What is my life? Is this real? Am I dreaming??”
With the sudden overnight acclaim, Banning found herself having to juggle a flood of questions, requests for interviews, and everything else coming her way, on top of her family and a full-time job as a librarian.
Now that some time has passed since the initial roller coaster of emotions, she shared that the experience has been amazing and a lot of fun. And her most significant takeaway from everything was “that a little kindness really can go a long way.”
She also shared that through this experience, she learned “that sometimes, even though we can do it alone, we don’t need to. We all need a team cheering us on.”
Since the viral tweet, Banning has seen more than 7,000 sales of her book and continued growth in her following of fans.
On December 10th, Banning reported that her book was the most wished-for in Arthurian Fantasy on Amazon. “There are so many more King Arthur fans out there than I realized,” Banning later tweeted on December 15th.
Still holding strong, ‘Of Crowns and Legends’ currently holds the #2 spot in this category for the paperback and the #3 spot for the Kindle Edition.
The Next Book Signing
With many people asking when the next book signing would occur, Banning started arranging one with the bookstore where she held her previous signing – Pretty Good Books of Ashtabula, Ohio.
The next event is scheduled for January 28, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. PST/1 to 4 p.m. EST. Those wanting to attend may indicate interest on the Facebook event page. While registration is not required, responding to the event on Facebook helps the organizers gauge how many people to expect.
When asked how she feels about her next book signing, Banning said she’s “very excited and looking forward to it.”
In addition, the upcoming event has become more than a book signing. “We are showcasing other Ohio authors and artists as well, and other small businesses in the area,” she said.
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Background on Chelsea Banning and Her Novel
Chelsea Banning began writing at 15 when she initially started drafting ‘Of Crowns and Legends.’ After setting it aside while in college, she picked it up again in 2018 and published her book on August 22, 2022.
‘Of Crowns and Legends’ is a King Arthur reimagining that follows the children he was never supposed to have 20 years after his death.
When asked what inspired her book, Banning shared that a King Arthur project in high school set her on the course. This series will be a trilogy, of which she is currently working on book two.
While producing her novel, Banning spoke of the challenges she faced with self-publishing.
“It was a lot to research on how to self-publish. There are a lot of different platforms you can use, you have to find an editor, cover designer, pick the size of your book, [and] look into taxes,” she explained. “Essentially, it’s [like] owning/running a small business when you self-publish.”
Working as a librarian adds an extra layer of excitement for Banning by also being an author and seeing people check her book out at the library.
“The library actually ordered more copies, and I saw that other libraries around the area ordered it as well,” she said.
Get in Motion With Chelsea Banning
There are many ways to help support Chelsea Banning, from purchasing her book to joining her Patreon community and following her newsletter and social media platforms. All of these links and more are available on her website!
Using her recent experience, Banning also emphasized the importance of supporting people in our lives who are creating. On December 12, 2022, she tweeted: “This is a shining example of what a simple share, like, comment, etc. can do for your artist/small business friends and family. If you can’t support them with money, spread the word of their work!”
Lastly, in her advice to aspiring writers and creatives, Banning said, “Don’t give up, and don’t be afraid to put your story out into the world. Someone out there will need it and love it.”
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