I went to my first ever book signing tonight. Lindsay Cummings came to Barnes & Noble by my house and had a reading/signing for her book The Murder Complex. I am sooooooo excited to read it! It looks like The Hunger Games meets Battle Royale.
I have to say, I was pretty nervous about going tonight. I just saw The Fault In Our Stars a few days ago and Hazel and Gus’ traumatizing first meeting with Van Houten terrified me! It made me think authors MUST be that way right? Like Hollywood stars who get too big for their britches. But Lindsay was not like that at all. She was very laid back and down to earth. And she seemed really uncomfortable talking to everyone which made me feel better because I would be the same way. It made it easier to see her as a person, who is exactly my age and has the same passion that I do.
I asked Mrs. Lindsay Cummings if the initial rejection was hard to overcome. (She told the audience at the reading that she had a folder full of 120 or so rejection letters from agents and publishers.) She said it was very hard and that she spent some nights on her couch crying about it. Which is exactly how I would be. I mean , it’s your brainchild you’re putting out into the world knowing most people aren’t going to like it at first. Hell I am a big baby about it now and I haven’t even written anything to send to publishing companies! I really fear the rejection. I don’t think I am one of those people who handle it well. I take things too seriously and get my feelings hurt. But she made me feel better by telling me how everyone has different tastes in books and that you just have to find the right agent that has the same interest as you so that they are invested in what you are doing.
She will probably never read this and that’s okay. I just want to let my tiny slice of the blogging world know that she really inspired me to challenge myself and to not give up. I would just like to say thank you again to her for her advice and for signing my copy of The Murder Complex. I wish her all the luck in the world with her writing career and may she never have to suffer a day job. You go Lindsay!
Desabelle 