“Dad, you’re right,” said my 16-yesr-old son, painfully admitting I have a good idea. This is rare — not that I have a good idea, but that he acknowledges I am unequivocally right about something.
What was I correct about?
The fact that all authors need business cards -- and that he needs a business card to promote his burgeoning photography and web site design side hustle while he attends high school.
That’s right, as the world moves further and further into the digital arena, a few truisms in the paper and mortar world still hold true. You need to have a business card, it should look good, and you should always carry it with you.
Additionally, even as we enjoy a physical world to market an author’s brand, promote ideas, and sell books, all authors need a web site. My son, who designs them, would also agree with that.
Why does an author need a business card?
If you network in person, attend an event, speak somewhere, or just meet a stranger while on line at the supermarket, you never know whom you will meet. And when you meet someone who may be able to help you, buy a book, or forge a relationship with, all that you need to do is hand them your business card.
Not only will it easily and sufficiently supply the key information that you seek to share, it will sell for you. Its style and feel will speak volumes about you.
Author, you are a business. Create a business card.
You should include the following:
· Your full name
· Company name if you have one
· Email address
· Website address
· Phone number
· Social media handles
It is optional to include your physical street address.
This is what a business card does — it gives identifiable information for people to use to track you down and connect.
Consider including your:
·
Photo
(helps people remember you, feels personable)
·
Book
cover
(promote, promote, promote)
·
Tag
line or mantra
(state your brand essence)
You have two sides to a business card — use both. That is valuable real estate.
Factors that influence card recipients include:
· color: use it; black and white is so 1970s
· texture: let people feel something
· size: standard is fine; you can do slightly bigger or a square — just to be different
· stock: quality stock or thickness makes a statement
· font: make it readable — not too small, not all caps, no italics, in a color that doesn’t get lost in the card’s background
Go to Staples or VistaPrint.com and order your business cards. Now. No excuses, delays, or BS. Just do it. Did I stutter? It costs very little, but the pay-off potential has a huge upside.
Additionally, every author needs a web site. We live in a mobile, digital world as well as a physical one. Your website represents your storefront, and it is your main point of contact with the world.
Here is what a website offers you:
· A place to funnel book sales and transactions.
· It explains what you have to offer and showcases testimonials, reviews, excerpts, media coverage, speaking engagements, your blog, your podcast, your biography, descriptive text and images about your book, etc.
· Allows you to sell prior books, pre-sell a future book, services, other products, or even the stuff of others.
· A place to capture the emails of those just browsing and allows you to build up your mailing list for life.
Common excuses used by authors for not getting a site include these:
· Too cheap to hire someone to design the site.
· Too lazy to do it or learn how to launch a site.
· Don’t know what to put on it.
· Not sure how to promote it.
· Think something else will be sufficient — an amazon author page, one’s social media, their blog or podcast, or the publisher has a site that mentions the book. None of these replace what a site could and should do for you.
So, go design and print your business cards
and get your website up. Shelve the excuses, please.
Contact For Help
Brian
Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell
their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in helping
thousands of authors in all genres.
Catch Up With These Posts
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https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/why-are-only-some-authors-successful.html
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https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/are-poor-book-sales-preventable.html
Discover
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https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/discover-secrets-to-getting-published.html
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How
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https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/09/how-should-authors-answer-social-media.html
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-best-100-book-marketing-pr-blog.html
Great Book Marketing Podcast Interview With Savvy Book PR Pro
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https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/great-book-marketing-podcast-interview.html
About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This
is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2021. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he
now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab
rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s The Independent. This was named one of the best book
marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com
as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity
for Book Expo America. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.
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