My First Business Card
What do you think about having a business card? Useful or not?
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I now have a business card. Actually, I have about 250 of them. I think they should last me a good long time. I had thought about making a business card for a long time. Then that little voice would say, “What on earth would you do with them? That’s a waste of money. Who would you ever give them to?”
So, I would set the idea aside and go on about by life. But one day I was at JC Penny’s and I had on my NANOWRIMO t-shirt with a little crest on the side that says “Author” and the lady at the register asked me what I like to write and some other questions I awkwardly answered about myself.
When it was over and I thought about it later I realized that the exchange could have gone much more smoothly if I had only had a business card and I might have gained a reader. It still feels like a lost opportunity. But I don’t want to miss out again.
I’m also on a budget and until these cards prove to be very useful I don’t want to spend a lot of money on them. I chose to order my first cards from Vistaprint.The cards were free and I only had to pay for shipping. Shipping came to about $5. The back of the cards has a small line that reads “Business Cards are FREE at http://www.vistaprint.com/!” I can live with that.
I had to decide what to put on the cards. I don’t want to give out my phone number or my home address. So, I left those things off. But I did give my (pen)name, email, blog address, and what types of fiction I write.
I like the template and I think it’s attractive. Attractiveness is supposed to be important on a business card.
I hope they bring in more readers. They will certainly be helpful if a stranger ever asks me about my writing again. A lot of people give them out at writer cons; I might just have to go to one so I can hand some of these out.
I guess we’ll see.
I now have a business card. Actually, I have about 250 of them. I think they should last me a good long time. I had thought about making a business card for a long time. Then that little voice would say, “What on earth would you do with them? That’s a waste of money. Who would you ever give them to?”
So, I would set the idea aside and go on about by life. But one day I was at JC Penny’s and I had on my NANOWRIMO t-shirt with a little crest on the side that says “Author” and the lady at the register asked me what I like to write and some other questions I awkwardly answered about myself.
When it was over and I thought about it later I realized that the exchange could have gone much more smoothly if I had only had a business card and I might have gained a reader. It still feels like a lost opportunity. But I don’t want to miss out again.
I’m also on a budget and until these cards prove to be very useful I don’t want to spend a lot of money on them. I chose to order my first cards from Vistaprint.The cards were free and I only had to pay for shipping. Shipping came to about $5. The back of the cards has a small line that reads “Business Cards are FREE at http://www.vistaprint.com/!” I can live with that.
I had to decide what to put on the cards. I don’t want to give out my phone number or my home address. So, I left those things off. But I did give my (pen)name, email, blog address, and what types of fiction I write.
I like the template and I think it’s attractive. Attractiveness is supposed to be important on a business card.
I hope they bring in more readers. They will certainly be helpful if a stranger ever asks me about my writing again. A lot of people give them out at writer cons; I might just have to go to one so I can hand some of these out.
I guess we’ll see.
Thank for reading!
Kristine Duffey
I think it's a useful tool, not only for networking with others, but it also helps solidify in your own mind that you are, indeed, a writer. When Cindy and I were at The Jens house, they told me some stuff that I already knew, but that I still needed to hear. You don't always believe the things you tell yourself, and sometimes it helps hearing it from someone else. My problem, as they rightly pointed out, was that I need to really see myself as a writer. Not just when I'm around you guys, but to everyone, all the time. If someone asks me, what I do, I shouldn't say say I do whatever my day job is. I should say I'm a writer. Make that my identity.
ReplyDeleteI think having something tangible, even as simple as a card, goes a long way in helping you see yourself as a writer, while also getting others to see you that way as well.
I think I'll order some cards myself...as soon as I go 2 weeks in a row, writing 1000 words a days.
How cool is that?! I am excited for you. Good for you to own the title and put yourself out there as the writer you are!
ReplyDelete@Chris I think you are right about saying you are a writer when someone asks. I still have a hard time with that. I jump right to my day job.
ReplyDelete@May Thank you so much!
Thanks for commenting!
Kristine Duffey
Is this a Clear business cards?
ReplyDelete