Debacle

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Debacle - when you realize just moments after you order 250 business cards that there was a typo; my Thursday last week.

One of my book distributors tipped me off to an interesting statistic not too long ago. He told me that indie book authors who offer at least one free title along side their paid titles see an increase in sales.

I thought, great, my mom has been telling me for such a long time to release this Christmas story, this will be easy. Then, I thought, wait, how will I let people know that I have a free book. About ten people read this blog, and they already know, so...I decided to order business cards.

I designed the front side of the card to have a picture of the book and a little blurb about it and in BIG PRINT it said “Get your FREE copy.” On the backside, I put a QR code to take my unsuspecting--I mean, prospective--reader instantly to the iBookstore to claim a copy.

I worked really hard on the design, making the background of the card look frosty to compliment the cover of the book. It looked pretty cool.

When it came time to order the cards online, I made sure to triple-check my work for typos. I didn’t see any so I clicked the box which said, “I verify that everything is spelled correctly and that after I place my order it cannot be changed.” No biggie, I thought. I’m a good speller.

And since I did such an amazing job on the design, I upgraded to glossy paper, because I wanted to look as professional as Stephen King (if Mr. King wrote Christmas stories...for free).

Not five seconds after I placed my order, I got word from a friend that the QR code I made was invalid. Instead of taking a prospective reader to the iBookstore they simply would have gotten an error message.

So that was fifty bucks down the drain.

I took a deep breath and walked away from my computer.

I reasoned I could still use the front of the cards and pass off the back like it wasn’t my fault or that it was a joke or maybe that I was technologically inept. But I would still feel foolish. If I had an agent or a manager they wouldn’t let this happen. They would order another batch and make sure they worked. I bet Stephen King never ordered business cards with a bad QR code.

So, after taking the night to relax and forget about my debacle, I generated another (working!) code, placed another order, very aware that I could not change one iota after I hit “print.”

During my debacle, I was reminded of my childhood favorite, Mr. Rodgers. I have several books about him on my shelves because of how highly I regard him. Mr. Rodgers never sought to be famous, he sought to make a great television program for kids. What made him famous was the fact that no one else was doing what he was doing and he was doing it with brio.

I don’t know if I should tell you this or not, but during my time of trial this week, I wondered if I was making these cards solely in order to become famous, or if I was making them because I wanted people to experience the catharsis I experienced when I wrote. I came to the conclusion that I won’t famous anytime soon, if ever, nor am I seeking fame. What I’m putting into these cards, I won’t see as a monetary return, I know that. But I will see an influence on my readers. And that’s what I’m striving for.

I’ve heard from several readers already, moved to tears by “Luminary.”

And if these business cards help me reach one more reader who needs my words, I’d gladly go through two debacles for them.