Suzanne Young, an acclaimed author of teenage fiction, meticulously planned the launch event of her 22nd novel at a local independent bookstore in Tempe, Arizona, following a year of hard work. Despite having numerous successful book signings and a New York Times bestseller under her belt, Young was still excited for this event. The bookstore had done an excellent job of promoting it through various channels, and people had even commented that they would attend. Young's latest book is titled "In Nightfall," a fantasy-mystery that has been compared to "'The Lost Boys' meets 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'" by its publisher, Penguin Random House. To make the event even more special, Young had purchased little treats for the visitors, including candy, postcards, and heart-shaped sunglasses resembling the cover of the book. The book signing was held on March 28.
When Young opened the doors to her book event, she was greeted with an empty room. She was first confused, then devastated as she wondered if she had posted the correct time and date. The disappointment led her to shed a few tears in the bathroom. Although the event went on without an audience, the store staff asked Young about her book and offered to share a photo online that didn't mention the absence of attendees. However, Young chose to tweet a picture of the 17 empty chairs, calling it the lowest point in her career and admitting to crying the entire way home.
As per the author, the morning after her event, she felt embarrassed and wanted to delete her tweet before it went viral or anyone saw it. However, to her surprise, other famous authors, musicians, and comedians shared their stories and pictures of similar incidents. The author of the Alex Rider novel series, Anthony Horowitz, called it a "rite of passage." Kari Byron, the host of "MythBusters," assured the author that such things happen to everyone. Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, said that every author faces such incidents. The author's tweet had been viewed nearly 8 million times on Twitter. Another New York Times best-selling author, Michael Northrop, shared a photo of his event from 2015, which was similar to the author's experience. Northrop noted that launch events in bookstores can be hit or miss, and one event is not make-or-break. He added that visiting a school where enthusiastic kids connected with his book was joyful and drove home the point that such events are situational and out of our control.
Signing 1200 copies of IN NIGHTFALL in 2.5 hours with @OUABookClub Can’t wait for the next book box! @GetUnderlined pic.twitter.com/bzGxHrEDeN
— Suzanne Young (@suzanne_young) April 8, 2023
In Nightfall author Young, who teaches English online part-time, revealed that she had poured all her spare time into writing the book. While book launches usually involve a series of events over a few days, Young chose to do only one event for her book due to the amount of marketing and promotion required. She emphasized the significance of the launch week for a book as it sets the tone for how well it will sell. Young acknowledged that she would approach event marketing differently in the future and that she might consider virtual events. Her tweet about the no-shows at her book launch has garnered attention and helped her book gain popularity. The incident made her grateful for the support of those who want to read more of her work, and she hopes it will inspire readers to support other authors as well.