Author Suzanne Young had a book reading and signing for her brand new YA paranormal thriller, IN NIGHTFALL.
(Normally, a joyful occasion for any author!)
Instead, she posted this photo of a section in the bookstore full of empty chairs on Twitter and said:
“If you ever want to see a career low point, this is it. Crying my entire way home.”
That’s right. No one showed up.
FAILURE.
EMBARASSMENT.
Suzanne herself said she was, “so ashamed to post the picture.”
What she didn’t know was what would happen next.
Hundreds and thousands of people were taken by her vulnerability and willingness to post.
Her initial tweet now has almost 8 million views. (I’m sure it’s much higher now!)
Thousands of replies from authors and others. (Some with photos of their own empty rooms!)
She’s been flooded with people asking how to get a copy of the book (at one point her local B&N store was offering signed copies).
A few days after the initial tweet she appeared on NBC Nightly News to discuss this viral post experience.
We applaud Suzanne’s willingness to put her failure on display for all to see.
We all fail.
Pretending otherwise is what perpetuates the stigma.
We are never alone in failure, it just feels that way sometimes. What she got instead was compassion and relatability.
And now that failure has sprung like a flower in a garden of weeds, the most unexpected success.
(Photo from @Suzanne_Young on Twitter.)
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