Forging a career as a writer is no easy feat, whether it's finding an agent, getting a publishing deal or trying to make a name for yourself as a new author.

The bad news is that all that can lead to plenty of rejection and, as debut novelist Chelsea Banning discovered recently, some pretty disappointing events.

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"Only 2 people came to my author signing yesterday, so I was pretty bummed about it," wrote Banning, who recently published Of Crowns and Legends. "Especially as 37 people responded 'going' to the event. Kind of upset, honestly, and a little embarrassed."

It wasn't long before the retweets, and the messages of support, began to pour in. And pretty soon something else became clear — every writer, including the most successful ones, had been through something similar when they were starting out.

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Margaret Atwood, Stephen King, and Neil Gaiman among literary legends who offered support

Here are just a few of the replies Banning's tweet received:

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While the responses might not completely take the edge of the book signing disappointment, they'll almost certainly have helped. Plus it's nice to know you're in good company.