Memorial Day Weekend is a major convention weekend, and while I’m not actually attending any this year, I have helpers who are at several of them doing me the great favor of putting out my new postcards on the respective conventions’ Freebie Tables.
On one side, the card displays the cover of my second novel, Buffalito Contingency, in all its glory. Nice.
But it’s on the other side where the novelty lives. The middle of the card has a reduced image of the book cover. Above it is a QR code that owners of smart devices (e.g., iPad2s, Droids, iPhones) can use to instantly order the book from Amazon. We’re talking immediate gratification! But wait, there’s more! The QR code at the bottom of the card will automagically download a complimentary epub of “Buffalo Dogs,” the very first story from the Amazing Conroy series. It’s yours, whether you buy the novel or not.
As the technology continues to proliferate, I think we’re going to see more and more of this kind of self-promotion. SF readers are among the earliest of adopters, and when we find a book we want, we want it right then and there. QR codes allow authors and publishers to feed that ID. It’s a nice example of a win-win situation (which is the only game I want to play nowadays).
If you’re at Batlicon, Wiscon, MarCon, CONduit, or ConQuesT this weekend, pick up a postcard and try it yourself.
Tags: Conventions, Writing
