Celebrating the Indies in San Diego
Showcase Talks to Mystery Author Daniel Stallings
San Diego’s Mysterious Galaxy and eight other area independent bookstores joined forces for a Bookstore Crawl as part of Independent Bookstore Day 2018. Participants picked up passports and had them stamped following purchases at the various locations on April 28, 29, or 30. Four stamps added up to a limited edition San Diego Bookstore Day Crawl tote and an entry in gift drawings. Mysterious Galaxy’s daylong event included refreshments and author events. One of the authors, CWC-South member and East Sierra Branch president Daniel Stallings participated for the first time, autographing his new novel Sunny Side Up. We asked him about his experiences and what tips he can share.
Showcase: You have written and produced interactive murder mysteries, but this was your first novel. You’ve met the public before, but what surprised you this time?
Stallings: On Independent Bookstore Day, it was less about my book and my presence and more about celebrating books and bookstores. I was pleasantly surprised at the warm reception and how delightful my event partner, Megan Lynch was.
Showcase: You had a Q&A and a reading at Mysterious Galaxy prior to your signing. What sort of questions did people have?
Stallings: Many questions dealt with my sleuth and the fact he is considered a millennial. It was great to reach out and get people’s take on my ideas. There was nice support for my young sleuth. Then others dealt with how I design a mystery.
Showcase: Big-name bestselling authors don’t have to worry about drawing crowds. What did you do to support your appearance?
Stallings: Facebook mostly. Mysterious Galaxy did a great job putting the whole event together and publicizing it.
Showcase: Did you use social media?
Stallings: Absolutely. I mostly use Facebook. The author I shared the time slot with, Megan Lynch, collaborated with me on a silly Facebook Live video about the “mystery of the missing mystery author” to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day.
Showcase: Favorite moment? Worst moment?
Stallings: Favorite moment would have to be the whole event from start to finish. What a lovely store and staff. And we were all celebrating books. Worst moment? Navigating San Diego streets.
Showcase: What did you learn for future use?
Stallings: I’m going to work on my online presence. It’s not terrible, but needs beefing up, especially as more people learn about me and my book.
Showcase: Anything we’ve left out?
Stallings: Make sure you go to your independent bookstore and buy books. We love these places and want to keep them alive. Need a book to buy? You can always ask to order a copy of Sunny Side Up.