Embarrassed writer almost quit after no one showed up to her book signing — a single video changed her life

During our childhood, we were often taught by seniors to never lose patience in life. It’s a virtue that helps us navigate through tough times and often leads to joyful and unexpected outcomes. A similar thing happened to author Agnes Hyun-In Lee (@bookedwithoney), who poured her heart and soul into bringing her first book to life. Despite all her hard work, there was no audience at her promotional event in Corona, California. However, a bystander named Kawaii Filly (@user1642580753696478 on TikTok) noticed the author's disappointment and recorded a video, making Lee an overnight sensation.

The video, which garnered over 10 million views, showed Lee sitting alone during the event, waiting for people to buy her debut book titled “Who Took My Stuff.” Despite the event not going as expected, the 23-year-old remained hopeful. As she patiently waited for readers at her beautifully decorated stall, Filly passed by and recorded her vulnerable moment. The text overlay on the nearly 20-second clip read, "I literally hate this shift. We have an author today. It’s her first book, and nobody has gone up to her."

“I have to watch this for five hours. My heart is breaking,” the sole witness of the event shared, adding a link to purchase the book online. Their video went viral, drawing widespread attention on social media and garnering more than one million likes. After the video gained traction, Lee’s books quickly sold out. Reflecting on the moment, Lee later told Newsweek, “None of my friends and family showed up because they were at church, and I couldn’t even go on my phone because I was at 10 percent. I had to use it sparingly. So it was just me and my thoughts for hours, thinking, Why am I doing this? This is so embarrassing.”

The children’s book writer shared that she even dressed up for the event, only to face a poor turnout. During the critical moment, she felt nervous and couldn’t think clearly. Lee feared the employees at the event were probably “making fun” of her and felt like she was done. “It was so bad that that night, I was going to quit. I was talking to Jesus Christ, telling him: ‘I see no success. I’m quitting.’ But the next day, Jesus really told me, ‘Wait, give it another chance!’ as that video blew up,” she told the outlet.

Additionally, Lee’s social media following skyrocketed from just 22 to 32,000 in just three days. Among the countless reactions, @jessthompson302 remarked, “Agnes Lee, the internet supports you. And now, where can we find this book, or is there a way to get in touch for an autographed copy?” “When no one shows up for you, it’s important to show up for yourself, and that’s what she’s doing,” @miriamruiz9297 lauded. “This was me exactly seven years ago. I became a number Number 1 New York Times best-seller this year and book signings look very different now. Stick with it! Your people are waiting to find you,” @thespacegal shared, reflecting on her own journey.

You can follow Kawaii Filly (@user1642580753696478) on TikTok for more lifestyle content and Agnes Hyun-In Lee (@bookedwithoney) for updates on her book.