Comments on: Networking for Authors: 5 Survival Tips

By: Great Stuff on the Writers’ Blogs, August 15, 2012 « cochisewriters

Great Stuff on the Writers’ Blogs, August 15, 2012 « cochisewriters — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:54:48 +0000

[…] zone, if that’s necessary, is also the theme behind Gabriela Pereira’s (@DIYMFA) Networking for Authors: 5 Survival Tips on DIY MFA. This time, though, the topic is doing that networking in person rather than from the […]

By: Gabriela

Gabriela — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 11:03:21 +0000

It depends. If you’re a graphic designer and you feel like you could put together a good logo, then sure it can help. But between clip art or a rough logo and going with no logo, I would go no logo. But that’s just my preference. Everyone has a different take. Also, It depends on whether you’re printing out hundreds of cards professionally or are just doing a dozen or so on your inkjet. If you do the latter, you can print out the cards in small batches and get feedback from friends and colleagues.

As for theme/niche my gut instinct is to avoid that, but that’s because of my own experience. If someone had told me five years ago that I’d be writing more how-to stuff than kidlit I’d have said they were crazy. You never know what direction your writing could go so why pigeon-hole yourself? Again, it depends on how many you’re printing. You could always do a batch on the home printer with niche/genre on it and see how it feels to hand them out and what the response is.

By: Amy Jane (UntanglingTales)

Amy Jane (UntanglingTales) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 03:21:51 +0000

So you don’t think an effort at any logo or something is worth the effort?
What about author theme/niche?

I just know I do better with some sort of visual flag versus a string of text.

By: Gabriela

Gabriela — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 01:36:28 +0000

In reply to Amy Jane (UntanglingTales).

Amy, I totally relate. Before starting DIY MFA, I felt much the same way. Here’s what I suggest for a pre-published author business card:

Name
Email
Twitter / Facebook / other social media (if you have them)
Phone (I use google voice so I’m not giving out my actual home or cell number)
Website or blog (if you have one)
I wouldn’t worry about an author pic on the card. Keep it nice and simple.

Here’s a trick, until you’re handing out so many cards that it’s worthwhile to get hundreds printed at a time, just set up a template on MSWord and print them yourself (just make sure to use an exacto knife to cut the cards or use pre-scored card stock). I print my cards in batches of 20-30 so if I decide I don’t like them, I just print out a new design. Now that I’m finally launching a DIY MFA logo that I love, I’m preparing to get cards professionally done but for years I’ve been getting by with ones printed on my trusty inkjet.

By: Amy Jane (UntanglingTales)

Amy Jane (UntanglingTales) — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 23:20:10 +0000

I’ve heard this bit about business cards, and I get it in theory, but every time I mock one up, well, it seems to mock me right back.

I’m not eager to put my home (mailing) address down, and that only leaves my email and my blogs– which aren’t my “disciplined” writing anyway– they’re my detox and pressure-release valve.

In that circumstance, other than a memorable graphic or (weird to me) a picture of me-the-author, I’m not sure what I’m handing them.

I have a sort of core ‘tagline’ (“Beyond the Rescue”) but I can’t see that meaning anything to someone.

Is that the sort of thing I’m supposed to create context for in my networking conversations? “Hi, I’m Amy Jane and my unpublished novels are all about…”?