The Business Of Being A Writer

I have a notoriously faulty memory, to the point where I will call family members on their birthday, not to congratulate them but to talk about some mundane subject I had been meaning to call about. Diaries rarely work, normally they end in some hidey hole I don’t find until I move house. So I have taken to writing things on my hand with pen in a bid to appear organised, and on occasion, prompt my memory. Today’s reminder came in the form of BC.

After rejecting several meanings, both religious and otherwise, I finally remembered what it stood for: Business Card. Writers rarely think of what they do as a business, that every person they meet, from the pretty girl behind the counter of the cupcake store, to the editor who gives them 2 mins to pitch their novel, is a potential champion of their book, their information and a possible link to media coverage. For indie authors this can be vital, because most people will keep a business card over anything else given to them. They are terrific promotional tools because they are inexpensive. They are also terrific icebreakers and informational aids.

A business card has to have a specific purpose, and as a published/self-published writer I would recommend you have two. One specifically for your e-book or book, and the other for you as a writer and (if writing non-fiction) an expert. My business card’s purpose was to establish myself as an expert writer and e-book specialist and to recruit Joint Venture partners to help me sell my e-book. You will remember from my previous posts, that a Joint Venture partner is part of your army of promoters. They do not promote you to get that pleasant fuzzy feeling inside; they will promote you in exchange for you giving them part of the profits. If you give them money to help they will move heaven and earth to promote you through social media, on t-shirts, in song... You take advantage of the people they know, to become more widely read and recognised.

The result of my efforts is below:

On the front of the business card I have the cover of my e-book – simple and eye catching, done by a professional cover designer, not my next door neighbour’s two year old. I have the name of my e-book and a six word pitch or ‘silver-bullet’ that tells people exactly what the book is about. It is short and concise and does not include the entire storyline of my novel or dramatic and unnecessary words like ‘stupendous’ and ‘so funny it will make your socks fall off!’. It gives my name and expertise along with my phone number (more relevant if you are recruiting your promotion army in your own country), email, blog and the webpage where I currently sell my e-book. The colours of my information match the colours of my book cover.

On the back of the card I have my pitch once more, along with my websites and my social media information (Twitter, and when it’s up and running, Facebook will join the party). The most important feature of this whole card is the QR code. This code takes the scanner not to the ramblings of my blog but to my e-book page with my whole pitch including bonuses, extras and samples. At the bottom of the card it tells smart phone users where they can download a QR code reader if they don’t have one. If they don’t have a smart phone, they can manually look up the websites printed next to it.

A business card specifically for your book has just as much potential, with the QR code going to a Youtube video of your book trailer, or to three sample chapters of your novel. The best part is you can change which web address your QR code points to. So if you hand out a card and three months down the track you decide you may have been a little racist in your first trailer, you can direct the person to a different trailer with a couple of clicks in your QR code generator. On a business card for your book you want to have the name of your novel, the publisher’s name if you have one, your 6 or 7 word pitch, the cover image, your contact information and your book’s website. Have your own author website and pick only one of the websites that sells your novel, you don’t want your card crowded with the sites of all your sellers in letters no-one can read.

There are ads all the time on ebay promoting 250 free business cards and all you have to pay is postage. So no more excuses! While your e-book may be digital, your promotion should not be restricted to the screen. There are so many networking opportunities out there, conventions, festivals, talks and courses that you cannot afford to hand people your information on a piece of scrap paper.

My recent novel a comedy set in Facebook, The Grand Adventures of Madeline Cain, is available at http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/the-grand-adventures-of-madeline-cain. You can also purchase E-Book Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to E-Book Success at http://emilycraven.bkclb.co/e-book-revolution-the-ultimate-guide-to-e-book-success.