Fringe Fiction Unlimited discussion

Do you use business cards for promoting your book(s). If yes, what does the card say and look like? I've seen authors use postcards for promoting their book but I think business cards would be easier to carry around.

I've been thinking about this too. I think I would like a tie in theme with my web page. As far as contact information, I think I would put my web page, which also contains my blog. And maybe on the back, some excerpts from favorable reviews. I am on the fence about e-mail addresses, although I have one for my writing. I think I might also include a favorite quotation. Anyway, the more I think about it, the closer I am to doing it.

First off, great topic. I myself have made a topic just like this in other groups. My content for my cards and bookmarks are solid but the issue I have is where to leave the cards. Bookstores, coffee shops and libraries if they let you are obvious but after that where do you post them? I feel weird leaving them at laundromats or supermarkets or nail salons you know? I can never find legit places to leave them. I still have 100 left! :)

To answer the question, I put all the appropriate content on mine, name, site, links, books, excerpts stuff like that.

Conventions, book clubs, readings, festivals.

I live in the hood so I have to take the shotgun approach. Gas stations, supermarkets, the liquor store, the local hood mart, landromat, nail salon, the beauty supply store, the braid shop... I once made a sale after some basement rapper hit me up to buy his album I never heard of for $5 so I gave him my business card. He thought The Most Unlikely Beginningswas cool. XD

I had business cards printed for my first novel. On the front it had the title, my name, release date, where to buy, my website. The artwork was the novel cover. On the back I put my contact details and website, facebook and twitter accounts.

I hand them out to people, put them on pinboards in bookshops, libraries etc and also put them in with parcels when I sell stuff on ebay!

The business card promoting my novel features the publisher's logo and name at the top in red with its website and toll-free phone number in small print directly below.
The main body of the card contains a picture of the cover on the left and the title in large black print in the center.
My name is located in the bottom, right corner.

The business card, together with similarly customized book mark, promo card and thank-you card, is handed out to attendees at book signings and speaking engagements.

Glad this topic came up. Don't think I would have thought of business cards for my book. Thanks for bringing this up, M.D., and for everyone's helpful comments and suggestions.

I use bookmarks. On the front is the title. On the back is the blurb, my website, FB and twitter info. I used the same imagery from my book cover. They are a little difficult to carry around without warping them though.

C. wrote: "Glad this topic came up. Don't think I would have thought of business cards for my book. Thanks for bringing this up, M.D., and for everyone's helpful comments and suggestions."

I also have found everyone's comments helpful.

Last month I got 100 business cards and 25 magnets on Vistaprint for just $16! I haven't given many out but they look great and will come in quite handy. Vistaprint people, I'm tellin ya, you can't go wrong.

I've been doing that for a few years now Justin. What I do is create a card that matches my book cover, add a short blurb and away we go. I hand them out at libraries, book stores and whenever I see people using ereaders.
Yes, Vistaprint is a godsend!

Book Business Cards for networking and sales

http://www.indie-book-promo.com/marke...

I have a business card, but I also use bookmarks. I also used vistaprint for the business cards. The bookmarks I made myself and printed at a UPS store (also had them laminated so they hold up longer).

I use postcards with the front split between the book cover and the book information. That leaves me the back of the card for notes or comments. It's a little more expensive, but (regrettably) I don't go through enough of them for it to matter.

E.G. wrote: "I use postcards with the front split between the book cover and the book information."

If worst comes to worst you could put them through peoples doors?

Virginia wrote: "E.G. wrote: "I use postcards with the front split between the book cover and the book information."

If worst comes to worst you could put them through peoples doors?"

LOL

Although not far off. If I ever get a worthwhile mailing list, I could use them to advertise promos.

*grin*

Hello All:
I used VistaPrint to make business cards for my main character since I'm writing a series. Her title is protagonist. The cards are whimsical, have one line about the first book and I love them.
Una Tiers

Do you go through Smashwords Justin? If so, what I do is have a coupon on the back of my cards with a blank spot for the code. I have codes of 5%, 10%, 25% and 50% for my target book. Whenever I see someone with an eReader, I hand them a card and depending on the sincerity level I detect, I take it back and write in one of the codes so they feel like I gave them a deal.
I also hand them out at bookstores and libraries. I'll pin a few on community boards and even in the supermarket boards in front.

Howdy...

I use GotPrint.net for my promotional business cards. Costs me $24 (which includes shipping) for 500 high quality cards, full color on both sides. AND... they are FAST at shipping.

My cards have the book cover on the front with the blurb and info on the back along with the Kindle Unlimited logo. I also make sure that by Amazon link is very readable. :-)

I have thought about making cards for offering my first book for free using a code when a reader emails me. Then I can send them a PDF version of the book. Haven't done this yet.

I give my cards out to people I meet randomly when the topic gets to "What do you do for a living." I also leave my cards everywhere I go... be it a coffee shop, grocery store, bookstore (on a table or the chair I was sitting on when reading other books), department store in the changing room, etc.

Not sure if it works or not since it is not measurable... hence the reason for the "Free Book when you email me the this code" idea.... I will let cha know how it works out :-)

Hope this helps.

Alora

I was just thinking of various items like business card. I found, locally, that Staples offers the best deal. I found Vistaprint online and actually found the prices were higher.

Lily wrote: "I was just thinking of various items like business card. I found, locally, that Staples offers the best deal. I found Vistaprint online and actually found the prices were higher."

I agree, Lily... Vistaprint has, over the years, become increasingly more and more expensive. I like the Staples suggestion... I will have to check it out. Nothing beats great service right in your backyard, you know?

Thanks for sharing!

Alora

I'm at that point where leaving my business cards around is crucial. I have a ton of cards but not a lot of options of where to leave them but seeing as I NEED to, I will buckle down and leave them wherever I can.

I have always found that creating them and buying them isn't an issue, it's where to leave them lol.

I was going to get business cards but ended up getting bookmarks instead. Put all the same info on it and hand it to people when they want a card and also leave in bookstores, etc.

Aside from bookstores and cafes I feel weird leaving them anywhere else...

I read somewhere that writers were having bookmarks printed with their covers and description. Another writer had business cards with his name and ‘author’ on it. Since I often use business cards as bookmarks, I decided to mix those two ideas and create a business card for my protagonist, freelance assassin Katla Sieltjes.

Now, something like ‘Katla Sieltjes, freelance assassin’ would be too obvious and too close to ‘Martyn V. Halm, author’. Katla hides behind Loki Enterprises. Loki also stands for ‘low key’ or unobtrusive, so I wanted the cards to be sober and professional, but still packing a punch. Katla refers to her work as ‘corporate troubleshooting’, since she often works for corporations by making obstacles disappear. She’s also an expert in disguising homicide, but that’s also not something you want to put on your business card. One of the ways Katla masks homicides is by giving her targets ‘accidents’, which tend to be fortunate for Katla’s clients.

That’s how I came up with the description. ‘experts in fortunate accidents’ and ‘corporate troubleshooting’. I added the links to my blog and my website and my author email address and presto.

I ordered the cards through Vistaprint and got myself a nice card holder engraved with Loki Enterprises. Now, I have a card to give to people who wonder what I’m writing, and I also leave them as bookmarks in library books.

You can see the business card on my blog: https://amsterdamassassin.wordpress.c...

Since I have an upcoming novel I feel like I should probably start handing out and leaving my business cards places..only issue is I'm not sure where I can leave them. I need ideas of where I can leave them but note I only have Dunkin Donuts around as the local coffee shop just closed and my library won't allow me to.

I've now decided to make distributing my business cards a end of the year goal. I will try to get them out in bulk within the next two months and hopefully it'll shape how I decide to distribute and even buy for next year.

It's a relief to know others are also struggling with business cards! I did a bookmark for my first book (A Year of Disney), which I've handed out to many people I've met on trips to Disney World. With my 2nd book published, it seems like a good time to go ahead and do some cards as well.

The design I'm considering has the covers for the first two books on the front, along with a logo for "now available on Amazon" and my webpage. The back has photos from the themeparks that are the subject of the books with the Q&A "Who Should Read These Books?"

Would this be the type of card that would get your attention?

It sounds like a good attention grabber to me! It also sounds like it's easier for you to distribute your cards and bookmarks since their Disney oriented and themed. Best of luck to you!

Thanks Justin! I really appreciate the feedback & encouragement.

I'm not shy about handing bookmarks out, much to my husband's chagrin. It's a nice little giveaway. I don't know that it has resulted in any sales, but I do see a few more people join my facebook page after each trip so it is having some impact.

As it might be helpful to someone else, a friend noticed a significant commission in the design I liked. I forgot to put my name on it! Yikes! That's an important mistake.

Here's a link to the image, which will hopefully be useful to others.

http://i1375.photobucket.com/albums/a...