The Human Element

The Famous Author did some childish things this week. It was sad. Begging, crying, cajoling, temper-tantrums, jumping up and down on his computer. But guess what? It worked. After five months, the cover of his book--I think it's more mine than his, but that's another subject--finally has been uploaded into the Amazon/Ingram system.

It was some tale of woe, let me tell you. In fact, the story is so complicated, I can't even describe it. Book errors. One big revision. Ingram and Amazon pulling the book from their system. Then failing to get it back up. The publisher blamed Amazon. Amazon blamed the publisher. TFA sent friendly emails to all kinds of people and nothing happened.

But that missing cover grew more and more irksome. When other bookstores list books on their websites, the stores often draw on the Amazon/Ingram system for info and the cover art. Almost everywhere TFA found his book for sale, the empty spot where the cover should have been said "No Image Available."

Last week, the book was recommended by Rediscovered Books in Boise, ID, and TFA was beside himself seeing that blank hole on Rediscovered's webpage. After another round of emails, TFA finally got hold of a tiny department in Amazon called "Image-fix," but they said call the publisher. TFA went nuts. Instead of anger, however, he showed those Amazon and Ingram people his weak side. He whimpered. He cried. He pounded the wall. He did the hoochie coo. He tried to make emotional contact with people named Poonjab and Anakya. He made himself human to them--a man with real problems.

And yesterday, when TFA got back from two hours on the beach, there it was. The cover of Big Numbers. Not a customer image this time on the main page. A real one. And, unlike before, the image also showed up everywhere in the Amazon system. By late in the afternoon, it was popping up on other online sites as well.

I guess it's kind of like selling stocks and bonds. Sometimes, you have to show them you're human. Beg.