Have you ever messed up so badly that people assumed it had to be intentional?
Well, that’s apparently what I’ve done.
Lately, very observant readers have been sending emails, comments, and even polite, deeply concerned in-person whispers about a little something inside Fail-A-Bration.
A typo.
On page _____, to be exact. (I’ll let you see if you can find it.)
Some readers spot it immediately. Others need a second (or third) read. And almost every single one of them has asked the same question:
“Was this on purpose?”
And listen… I would love to say yes. I would love to tell you this was all part of a grand, artistic statement about embracing imperfection that was cleverly reverse-engineered from the start. That I sat at my desk, carefully crafting a mistake, nodding like a literary mastermind of chaos.
But the truth?
Well… I’ll never tell.
Instead of letting this remain a quiet in-joke, Kristi and I have decided to lean all the way in. Uncomfortably so. Since this little mystery has sparked so much curiosity (and a surprising number of very polite fact-checking emails), we figured, why stop the fun now?
Because if there’s one thing that truly brings people together… it’s shared confusion. So let’s make it official:
It’s time to FIX-A-FAIL
Does that tiny out-of-place word really bug you? Do you enjoy ridiculous solutions to non-urgent problems? Do you just want a free sticker in the mail from me? NOW IS YOUR MOMENT! Claim your FREE Fix-a-Fail Kit today!
You’ll get:
🌟 A sticker to “fix” the “typo”
🌟 A badge for your front cover that proudly declares “This copy has a corrected typo!”
🌟A signed bookplate by Kristi and myself.
Want one? This is real! Just go to FIXAFAIL.com and claim yours now!
And listen, I’m trusting you also have purchased a copy of the book from your favorite bookseller. You have, right? Of course.
And whether you choose to correct the typo or leave it untouched as a rare collector’s edition (which is how I will now be referring to it), here’s what I hope you take away from this:
Mistakes can be invitations.
To notice.
To play.
To connect.
A typo in a book might not totally disrupt the world, but embracing the messy, unexpected, wonderfully ridiculous nature of being human just might.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for noticing. Thanks for supporting my work. And thanks, most of all, for being the kind of people who catch the small details.
Honestly, we could use more folks like you in the world.
Fail-a-Bration is available anywhere great books are sold!
Fail-A-Bration resources for classrooms are available here.
Our art exhibit We hope you fail better is on display now! Find out more information here.
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