Author Chelsea Banning sent a sad little tweet into the ether this week:

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.CHELSEABWRITES

And she received solidarity well wishes from a few well known names…

I once did an event for CHOCOLAT in Glasgow, where the only person who turned up was an old man who had come in out of the rain.JOANNE HARRIS 

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 

I 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. He said, “Actually I’m Ian Rankin and I was supposed to be introducing you.”JONATHAN COE 

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.NEIL GAIMAN 

I worked on my first book for 4 years. Six people came to the first reading. One person was someone I knew who foresaw the worst and brought 4 family members. The sixth person came in out of the rain. When you don’t know whether to laugh or cry, laugh. And congrats on your book.MIKE HARRIS 

I did a signing in Cambridge and only one person showed up. He didn’t buy a book; he just wanted to tell someone that he’d had a dream about being a wizard.GARETH L POWELL 

I have sat lonely at a signing table many times only to have someone approach…and ask me where the bathroom is.JODI PICOULT

I has to sit at a signing table once in Stansted Airport. For TWO HOURS. Nobody came to buy a book but a zillion people came to ask me their gate numbers. In the end I just memorised the gate numbers and helped them out. Do not be downhearted. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxJENNY COLGAN 

You can find the thread here:

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.

— Chelsea Banning Author (@chelseabwrites) December 4, 2022