Due to circumstances beyond my control....

[Michael Hopcroft]

.... I might as well crawl into a hole and detonate the nearest hand-grenade.

I got home from origins (after three days on the bus in nightmaring conditions) only to discover that UPS had destroyed the printing proofs for my book. Luckily my printer was able to make new ones, but the printing won;t be finished until "the week of July 22". The practical implications is that the chances of any copies getting to GenCon are starting to look fairly remote.

If I don't make GenCon with my game, I might as well not go. And if I don;t go to genCon, I might as well give up on publishing, writing, and doing anything creative whatseoever. My shot will have been fired, and I'll have missed.

It's as if God hbimself has decided he doesn't want this book published.

I should go to prison.

[Clinton R. Nixon]

Michael,

Your self-deprecation is not welcome here. That sounds harsh - take it as it is, a non-value-judgment statement of fact.

Your other issue - the late printing of your game - does stink. I have to ask, though - why is it the end of the world for you? The way I see it, you could go to GenCon, promote your game, show off a pre-release copy, and run a lot of demos, getting a customer base ready for your late August release.

- Clinton

[Edit: changed "last printing" to "late printing."]

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Michael,

Welcome back, after your long Greyhound journey. Here are a couple of things to consider.

1) I don't believe I ever heard of UPS "destroying" materials before. What exactly does that mean? Wait, don't tell me now. Look into it first and see what your situation is, legally speaking. It doesn't sound like the kind of thing one just shrugs and accepts.

2) If you do attend GenCon, bring a copy of your game, just the same as the one you showed me. If you can, photocopy five or six copies and staple'em or put them in three-ring binders. Make one-page flyers that really sell the game (think of your conversation with C, Woody's partner at Tundra; she had some good points to make about the game's strengths).

Bring those and promote. And play, play, and play some more. At this point, it seems to me as if you're a bit hyped on selling the game, which is certainly important, but enthusiasm about play is actually one of the finest selling strategies, especially at the grassroots level that we are on.

Finally, Clinton is right. You're understandably upset, but this is no place to post self-destructive text.

Best,
Ron

[Mike Holmes]

Luckily my printer was able to make new ones, but the printing won;t be finished until "the week of July 22". The practical implications is that the chances of any copies getting to GenCon are starting to look fairly remote.

I'm a bit confused. GenCon starts Aug 8th. Even if "the week of July 22nd" means July 29th, that'll give you more than a week to get the copies to you.

That seems to be enough time. Or is there some other delay that you aren't mentioning? Where is the printer? Where are you?

Are you sure this isn't just the stress speaking?

Mike

[Clay]

Michael,

It sounds like your printer is willing to work with you, and like they're have the print run done before GenCon, if they can make their print date. While printers' completion dates are notoriously slippery, you should talk to them. They may be able to ship at least some printed product to a GenCon accessible address for you. Places like Mailboxes Etc. and others provide accomodation addresses that you can use, to have the materials waiting for you when you arrive.  It'll cost, yes.  That's the nature of the game. But it can be done.

Clay

[Jason L Blair]

I debuted Little Fears at Origins last year. I took 180 copies of the book with me. Why that number? Because that's all that had been printed. The rest was still cycling through the printer. Good printers will work with you. Even if that means shipping you what they can print in that time.

Put away the self-deprecation and do your job, Michael. I heard a lot of good buzz about HeartQuest at Origins, so don't let any set-back turn you into jelly. Face it, work around it, and get your book done.

[Mike Holmes]

Places like Mailboxes Etc. and others provide accomodation addresses that you can use, to have the materials waiting for you when you arrive.  It'll cost, yes.  

This is one reason I asked what I did. Mike, if you need an address to ship a box or two of copies to, I live in Milwaukee; you could send it to my place. I'd be happy to bring your game with me and meet you with it at the Indie booth. If it would help.

Mike

[Michael Hopcroft]

As I mentioned elsewhere, I have made other arrangements to get my books shipped.

I have now been reassured by my printer REPEATEDLY that my books will be there on time, come heck or waist-deep water. They say that even if shipping is delayed as late as July 31, I would still get my books on time for GenCon.

Once I figure out what's going to happen with my table, I'll know for sure exactly what my situation will be at genCon and I can concentrate on trying to a.) generate goodwill and b.) sell books. If I can do one, the other will follow, if not at the con then afterwards.