Thank you for your business.

So I got new business cards this week. I'm going to a conference near the end of this month, and as my academic admin job doesn't provide me with cards that say "lackey to an assortment of deans", I designed my own cards. One of my freelance jobs is as the production editor for an online journal, so I included that info, website, and my email on the business card.

The cards arrived on Wednesday in the mail and they looked pretty spiffy. I unwrapped them and the bug asked what they were. The conversation went something like this:

"What are those?"
"Business cards."
"Cards for playing?" (very hopeful)
"Cards for work."

Matt interrupted to say, "They're for your mama's other job."

"Not the job at school?"
"Nope. I also work as a writer and editor. These cards tell people about that job."
"You tell people stories?"
"Not quite. I give these cards to people who want to tell me stories. Then they use these cards to get in touch with me and send me what they write. Then I help them fix it up and make it better. And I put it on the computer so that lots of people can read it."
"Can I have one?"
"Sure."

She studies it very carefully. Long pause. Then, all at once:

"Thank you very much. This makes me feel better. I will tell you if I have a story to write." And she carried it off and put it in her stroller.

Apparently the new cards are already getting me high-quality submissions.