THE ZOOM WHERE IT HAPPENS
Samantha Verant (France), Nicole Meier (Oregon, The Second Chance Supper Club), yours truly (California), Bobbi Dumas (Wisconsin, moderator), Lauren Ho (Singapore, Last Tang Standing), Amy Reichert (Wisconsin, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake), Jessica Tom (New York, Food Whore), and Sajni Patel (Texas, The Trouble with Hating You) celebrating food and fiction and Samantha’s debut novel, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux.
I know many authors are crushed that the pandemic has prevented them from having in-person launch events and book readings, but I’m actually fine with it. You might even say I’m relieved.
I’ve been to enough sparsely attended book events to know that it’s tough to get people off the couch, out of the house, and into an uncomfortable folding chair in a quiet bookstore. A rite of passage for the debut author is the “no-show” book reading. Can you imagine? To quote Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride, “Humiliations galore!”
Although I was disappointed to cancel my in-person launch event — I bought a couple cases of sparkling wine in anticipation of celebrating with my friends (darn, I guess I’ll have to drink them by myself) — I’ve been thrilled by the number of people who attended my virtual launch events. Plus, given the wonders of technology, I’ve been able to do events with bookstores as far away as Omaha, Ann Arbor, and Alexandria (and soon Pittsburgh) without spending a penny on airfare or hotel.
My editor (who’s based in Toronto) said she doesn’t often get to attend her authors’ launch events, but thanks to Zoom, she could attend mine. My childhood best friend (who lives in Ohio) attended all of my launch events — not that I’m keeping track. I can’t tell you how heartwarming it is to see long-lost high school classmates, college acquaintances, co-workers from the law firm I left 23+ years ago, as well as work colleagues and dear friends among the Brady Bunch checkerboard of attendee faces.
The challenges of the pandemic have created opportunities for authors to connect with readers — and with fellow authors — in altogether fresh and exciting ways. Here are examples from just this past week:
Last Saturday, I read five minutes from A Good Family as part of the 2020 Debuts’ 5-Minute Reads. Helmed by the incomparable Pamela Skjolsvik (Texas, founder of the Quarantine Book Club and author of Forever 51), this event allowed me to share the screen with and hear the lovely voices of acclaimed authors Christi Clancy (Wisconsin, The Second Home), Jane Gilmartin (Massachusetts, The Mirror Man), and Megan Margulies (also Massachusetts, My Captain America).
On Wednesday, I had my first-ever book club event with the River Rats Book Club (named for their high school mascot - they’ve been friends since high school) with members Zooming in from Illinois, Michigan, Colorado, and Idaho. Would I have had the chance to talk with such an eclectic group of women under normal circumstances? I doubt it. Am I grateful that I did? Absolutely.
Yesterday, Samantha Verant (France, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux) assembled writers from all over the U.S. plus Singapore to talk about our shared love of food and the way that food conveys setting, character, class, relationships, and so much more. In less than 24 hours, our lively (and hunger-inducing) chat has already had 600 views!
Immediately after hopping off Samantha’s event, I jumped on a Zoom call with my fellow 2020 Debuts of Color (an informal sub-group of the 2020 Debuts) for our bi-weekly check-in at which we celebrated recent book launches by Suzanne Park (California, Loathe at First Sight), Leila Rafei (New York, The Spring), Elissa Sloan (Texas, The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes), Ehsaneh Sadr (California, A Door Between Us), and Eddy Boudel Tan (Vancouver, After Elias).
A worldwide pandemic isn’t the best setting in which to be a debut author. But for me, at least, I’m grateful for all the ways it’s allowed me to connect beyond my wildest expectations.
My first — and so far only — book club event with the River Rats Book Club.
The 2020 Debuts’ Five-Minute Reads from September 5 (top) and 2020 Debuts of Color check-in from September 12 (bottom). Our members hail from all over the U.S. as well as Canada, France, Germany, the UK, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, and elsewhere.