Friday, January 30, 2015

What Does a Card Say? Make Your Author Card Memorable

 By Janie Reinart

What does a card say? Here are four ideas for making your author/business card memorable. After all, the point of a card is to have people remember you and contact you with ease!



1. Make your card unique.  
Some of my picks from this article, 30 Unconventional Business Cards, include:

A pop-up picture.


 A toy.





Interactive Augmented Reality (hold card up to webcam).

2. Look at the card shape
This is my all time favorite business card from a writer. A bookmark business card (front and back) from our very own GROGer, Sherri Jones Rivers.
 A folded card.


 A square or round card.





3. Look at the size
This is a mini card from my accomplished friend, author, and blogger, Colleen Kessler. Look at Colleen's tag line-
                 Come explore, create, & learn with us



4. Contact info.
Your Name
Title(s) Writer/ Any specialties (blogger, ghostwriter, writing coach, editor etc.)
Website
Social media info- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest
Email
Your Photo
Tag line/slogan
Phone number

My adult children recommended using a Google voice mail phone number as a safety precaution. This is the card my publisher created for me several years ago. I am working on a new business card.




Our own Marcie Flinchum Atkins, a fellow GROGer, (check out her new book) uses a QR Code (Quick Response) for a free eBook.






Sylvia Liu,author and illustrator, at KIDLIT411 recommended these printers in this post.  Other printers to check out recommended by our GROGers include Vistaprints, Moo
and 123print.


Share your cards with us. Post the front and back of your cards in the comment line. What do you look for on a business card?

15 comments:

  1. Great post! Being out of country, I've not really seen anyone's personal author cards before. I like the variety of styles! Thanks, Janie!

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    1. You are welcome,Tina. I enjoy seeing the different types of business cards too!

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  2. Wow. What a variety of unique ideas. That should get folks thinking about how to make theirs stand out. Was honored that you used mine as an example.

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    1. Sherri I love yours! It was my pleasure to share your card.

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  3. Janie, A really fun post. You shared tons of great ideas of cards that stand out. I have a friend who needs to redo her card. Going to send her hear now!

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  4. How amazing that there are so many choices to create an author business card. I've noted magnetic business cards that catch the attention of recipients. My fellow GROGgers, Sherri, Marci and Jani: I love your special cards! I like Colleen's slogan. Thank you, Janie, for sharing so many ideas.

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    Replies
    1. You are welcome! Thanks for mentioning the magnetic cards! I'm excited to make new cards.

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  5. Wonderful tips! So many new and exciting styles and types of cards out there. I really love the writer's 'book mark' card. Terrific idea; just wish I had all those lauds and credits to put on mine. Thank you for this post; it is just what I needed to get myself a new card. One thing I've learned from my another life as a professional photographer is to order small batches and change it out often. I still have stacks of cards I never got to give out because I ordered way too many of one card. Thank you!
    TB

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  6. Todd great point about not ordering too many of the same kind of card.

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  7. Great tips, Janie! I need to revisit my card design sometime soon.

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  8. HI Patricia,
    Thanks! All the possibilities are mind boggling lol! It's fun to be creative.

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  9. Janie, Who is Hillary Franklin? I'm a sucker for typewriter images & her round card with a typewriter is a stunner. Thanks for presenting so many eyedeers.

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  10. Jan, don't know Hilary. Her card was an example on this site.

    https://www.etsy.com/listing/60077755/vintage-typewriter-50-custom-round?ref=sr_gallery_7&ga_search_query=round+business+cards&ga_page=3&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

    I liked it too.

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  11. Great post, Janie! Sorry I am late to the business card party. ;) You've given great examples...love the uniqueness of some of them.

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