Criss Angel at Book Soup in West Hollywood

Tonight I tried to go see street magician Criss Angel at Book Soup in West Hollywood. I have never actually watched Angel’s TV show, Mindfreak, but I was curious to see how a professional showman handles an author appearance. I thought maybe I could pick up some pointers. For example, would my readings be more engaging if I read my stories while levitating? I imagined at least fifty people would show up, and since Book Soup in West Hollywood has room to seat about eight, I figured I’d better show up early. Alas, I dramatically underestimated Angel’s popularity. I got to the store an hour and a half early, but there were still about forty people ahead of me in line. I decided I wasn’t going to get a seat, and chose instead to stroll the Sunset Strip. When I came back two hours later, people (many of them wearing Mindfreak T-shirts) were still lined up around the block. This made me think of something I learned at the Literary Marketplace panel my program hosted last week. The literary agent guest talked about the importance, particularly if you want to write nonfiction, of having a “platform” — that is, a pre-existing audience for your book. She explained that if, for example, you have your own TV show, publishers are more likely to publish your book and readers are more likely to buy it. I thought that this was great, practical advice for someone like me. Now all I need is my own TV show.