“Seven Reasons Writers and Illustrators Need Business Cards” by Joan Y. Edwards
1. It shows you that you believe in yourself as a writer or illustrator.
2. It shows other people that you believe in yourself as a writer or illustrator.
3. It advertises your books, illustrations, and services. Today writers and illustrators put images of books on the back.
4. It opens the door to more communication which widens your door of opportunities to make your platform bigger. It increases the number of people who could purchase your books, buy your services, and spread word about you and your services to others.
5. It gives people a way to remember you and what you can do to help them improve the quality of their lives.
6. It empowers you.
7. It fills you with pride.
Ken Erdman, founder of the Business Card Museum in Erenheim, Pa said, “The business card…is kind of an extension of yourself. It’s a little bit of giving yourself to someone else.”
In The Business Card Book Lynella Grant wrote, “Think of your business card as the handshake you leave behind.”
I’ve made my own business cards using my home computer.
I have used Vistaprint http://www.vistaprint.com. Home based in Massachusetts. They usually have a sale on their home page. Sign up for Vistaprint’s emails and they send you deals upon deals.
I have seen MOO. http://us.moo.com Home based in London; US in Rhode Island. What some illustrators might like there is a package with different images on each card. However, I know from listening to the art editors for different publishing houses that they prefer post cards. Post cards are larger. They tack them onto their bulletin board in front of their desks. When they are reading manuscripts, they’re looking at the wall and voila – there is the artist who would be good for this project.
So my advice is do it yourself, design it yourself and upload to one of the sites listed, choose one of the templates on the sites listed, or call Maggie Moe at Business Cards, Etc. Get Yourself a Business Card! It is a great gift to give yourself any time of year!
Amy Westfeldt. Free Lance Star (March 29, 1996) http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19960329&id=neoyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zQcGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4940,5587199
Lynella Grant. The Business Card Book: What Your Business Card Reveals about You…and How To Fix It Off the Page Press, 1998, $17.95.
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope it inspires you to take a step towards your dream, whatever it is. Each step you take will fill you with more confidence to take the next step. Getting a business card, if you don’t have one, might be your next step. Do it. It’s fun. It’s empowering. It will fill you with pride.
Do something today to celebrate your love of writing and/or illustrating
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
Copyright © 2012 Joan Y. Edwards