A Very Minor Celebrity

So, I don’t wanna brag, but Larry Niven mispronounced my name.

To be fair, prior to that he shook my hand and personally congratulated me on winning a prestigious writing award. So that was pretty cool. But the point is, I’m kind of a big deal at this point. Emphasis on “kind of”.

It’s now been almost a month since my debut as a published author. As an aspiring writer, you have these wild dreams of how this moment will look. You picture yourself reading passages from your book to a decent crowd at a bookstore. People lining up to shake your hand and have you sign your book. Seeing your book on the shelves. Folks will stop you on the street, at the grocery store. You’ll be known. Recognized.

The reality, as it turns out, is something of a letdown.

I’ve yet to see my book on sale at a bookstore. My local library ordered it, but their orders are severely backlogged. I have at least one firm commitment from a major local bookstore to put Writers of the Future, Vol. 42 on their shelves. In a few weeks.

The sad truth is, a lot of books are being released at any given time. And bookstores can’t stock every single one, or even a significant number of them. So if you’re a debut author, with few if any publishing credits to your name, there’s a good chance they won’t just go ahead and order your book. Even if you ask them. And more than likely, you’ll have to.

As I mentioned to John Goodwin on an episode of the Writers of the Future podcast, when you’re a writer struggling to break into the publishing industry, it’s easy to feel pathetic. But when I said that, I had no idea just how pathetic it felt to have to persuade someone to sell your book. You plaster a smile on your face, tell them about your story, how you got to this point. And all the while in your mind you’re six years old again, showing your latest macaroni art to your mom.

But if there’s one major thing being a debut author has in common with being an aspiring writer, it’s that no matter how pathetic you feel, you have to keep at it. Project confidence. Look and act like you belong there; not a pitiful artist begging someone to appreciate their work, but a salesman who knows their product will sell. Fake it ’til you make it.

This past Saturday, I passed another major milestone: I had my first book signing event. I showed up early. Set up my books, my “shelf talker” (an informational card that hangs down beneath the book). My 2026 Golden Pen Award trophy, which is very impressive and very, very heavy. I pulled out my pen, got comfortable. Then I did something I’ve gotten very good at as a writer: sat, and waited to be judged.

I tried to stay level-headed on my way in, but it was hard to shake that fever dream of lines of people forming, eager to shake my hand and ask me about my “process”. Of course it wasn’t really like that. I was at a fairly small local bookstore. They had limited foot traffic. Half the time the store was mostly empty.

I’d probably have lost my shit had my illustrator, Nathan, not been there with me. Having someone to talk to, much less someone I knew fairly well and had plenty in common with, kept me level. Joy, the owner, helped too. She couldn’t have been a more appreciative host, providing bottles of water and making a point to let every person who walked in know that she had a local author and illustrator on hand.

But it was another of those sobering moments I’ve had so many of over the past month. A reminder that, while I may now be a professional author, I’m still on my very first book release. Fame doesn’t happen over night, especially in the publishing industry. Even well-established authors seldom become household names. Most people probably know the name “Stephen King”. Far fewer have probably heard of Adrian Tchaikovsky, or Hugh Howey. A lot of people probably know who Andy Weir is by now. But even after two movie adaptations of his novels, I’ll bet even sci-fi fans reading this post couldn’t draw a rough sketch of his face.

So yeah, I published a story. Go me. And I’ve got another one coming in the July/August issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Go me again. But I’ve still got a long way to go. Compared to most published authors, I’m still small potatoes. I’ve been interviewed on some great podcasts, most of which have fairly modest viewership. I was interviewed by the Cincinnati Enquirer, which was pretty cool. The life of a very minor celebrity.

And sitting at Joy and Matt’s on Saturday, that’s pretty much how I felt: like a very minor celebrity. The best published author you’ve never heard of. The conversation with Nathan was great, but as time ticked by I faced the grim reality that I might finish my first book signing without signing or selling a single copy. I started to wonder if I should stick around past my scheduled 4 PM cutoff, in hopes of netting at least one sale. Or if staying past time and still not selling a book would feel even worse.

Then, around 1:30 PM, Joy told a customer she had a local author and illustrator on hand.

And he approached our table.

The subsequent several minutes were as close as I’d come since one night in Hollywood to feeling like a big deal. He was very excited, especially when he found out my award-winning story was set right here in Cincinnati. He chatted with Nathan and I, asked questions about the story. And in the end, he walked away with his very own autographed copy of Writers of the Future, Vol. 42.

That was not the first copy of my debut anthology I’d sold. But it felt special, because it was the first one I’d sold to someone who hadn’t already known me. Who didn’t buy it because they care about me and want to support my work, or because they were a beta reader and saw my anthology (rightly) as their hard-earned reward for keeping me going. $23 for a signed, constant reminder that they were there on the ground floor.

I’m ashamed to admit that I can’t remember the name of my newest reader. But then, if I keep this up, pretty soon I won’t be able to keep track of all my readers’ names. As it is, I know there are plenty of people who’ve bought and read the anthology who’ve never met me, and probably never will. But, after reading my story, would probably like to.

As I said, I’ve got a long way to go. I have another signing event coming up this Saturday, at Tome Books and Novelteas in Anderson Township. If you live in Cincinnati, stop in and meet the best local author you haven’t heard of, and leave with your very own autographed copy of Writers of the Future, Vol. 42.

But as I’ve told everyone who’s asked what’s next for me, I am not done. Not even close. This is my first book release, so I’ve been learning a lot as I go. But it will not be my last. This Thursday I’ll have another auspicious milestone: I’ll be speaking to a group of local writers. I was just like them, not long ago. Struggling to find a way in. Wondering how long it would take. Dreaming of life as a celebrity author.

I’ll get there. I’m gonna fight my brains out to make a career out of this. But for now, I’m still the best published author you haven’t heard of.

Yet. – MK

Writers of the Future, Vol. 42 is now available, through Amazon and wherever fine literature is sold. If you’re in Cincinnati, don’t miss your chance to buy your very own copy, signed by your next favorite author. It’s way better than my macaroni art.