The Book Signing No One Came To… Until One Girl Sparked a Movement

For many of us, writing a book is a dream. But it’s also a whole lot of hard work, dedication, and toil. So it’s nice to get some recognition at the end of that long process.

Sadly, this recognition doesn’t always come. This is what Jonathan Stanley discovered in March 2025, when he poured 20 years of professional experience – as well as his heart and soul – into the project, only to find it heartbreakingly ignored.

That is, until it caught the attention of a mother, her daughter, and their social media audience.

Jonathan’s Book-Signing

When Jonathan lost his job in marketing and strategic planning, he wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do next. After some consideration, he decided that he had enough knowledge and experience in his field to create a valuable book – something that would help young professionals looking to follow in his footsteps.

So he got to work, and he distilled all that expertise into something amazing. He’d achieved the dream of so many people – he’d written a book.

What’s more, he’d got it published. As part of the promotion of the book, he agreed to do a signing session at a Barnes & Noble bookstore. So he sat there in the store, at a desk with a pen in hand, next to a stack of his books. And he sat there… and he sat there…

No one came.

Taylor Mae Spots Jonathan

Jonathan did not go completely unnoticed. TikTok user Taylor Mae just happened to be passing by and made a video of Jon as he sat dejected at his booth in Barnes & Noble.

@taymaed

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After it had been uploaded, the TikTok went viral. Here’s what Taylor Mae said:

“This sweet man is sitting at B&N with a stack of books he wrote, and my heart is breaking every time someone passes him.”

It was the beginning of something very special indeed.

Leaping Into Action

For Taylor Mae, the scene was particularly personal. Her own daughter, Ella, has said she wants to be an author when she grows up, and so the anxieties and worries that Jon may have felt were all the closer to Taylor Mae’s heart.

She asked her daughter to go over to the stall and buy one of the books. She also chatted to Jon, offering encouragement and asking him to sign a copy.

However, this was just the beginning. As another TikTok user commented:

“Little did Jonathan know his life was about to change forever because now his book is on the best-sellers list in all categories on Amazon – that is amazing. The power of social media is actually beautiful.”

That’s right. That viral video picked up some serious traction on TikTok and ended up reaching fans right around the world. Many of them purchased a copy of the book themselves and ended up propelling Jonathan and his work right up the Amazon charts. The turnaround is really rather special, and something that is only possible in the digital age.

A Career, Changed in a Heartbeat

It’s really hard to write a book. It takes years of dedication and grind to complete a finished manuscript, and it takes a whole lot more work to get the thing published.

So it’s not surprising that Jonathan Stanley felt a bit dejected – to say the least – when all that hard work received basically no response.

But in a heartbeat, all that changed. Thanks to Taylor Mae and her daughter, Jonathan received the response his work deserved. In fact, he got more than he could ever have dreamed of when people all over the world bought and read his book and put his ideas into practice.

It’s a heartwarming tale, but we also need to remember how many other people find themselves in the same situation as Jon and don’t receive this kind of outpouring of support. Unfortunately, this is most authors – publishing a book is a dream, but actually getting people to read that book can feel like a struggle.

This is why it’s important for all of us book lovers to seek out ways to help authors in need. Whether it’s contributing to Kickstarters for new books, checking out the work of new authors, or leaving positive reviews online, each little effort helps authors who are trying to make it in the world of literature.

Remember, a book is such a personal thing that it becomes an extension of the writer themselves. Authors may feel a little uncertain when they finally come to release that beloved work out into the world, and it’s up to us to be kind and to offer support when they do.