Your Author Business Card Guide

You should have a business card. 

Let me say that again. You should have a business card. It’s an essential tool for the professional writer, for a number of reasons:

• They’re a great way to casually bring your name and work to the attention of potential readers
• They make you look more professional to publishers, agents, and bookstore owners
• They’re fun to trade at writer’s conferences
• They’re incredibly cost-effective as publicity options go
• They make you feel like a real writer

“Authors should have a business card” is one of the few legitimate universal truths of our profession. Sadly, here’s another.

Most author business cards are terrible. 

That's because authors are writers. But not graphic designers, artists, marketing experts, or people in possession of any of the other skills necessary to design an excellent business card.  We don't expect you to go out and get a degree in marketing or graphic design to support your writing career. However, we can provide some basic advice on the best practices of making your business card stand out in the crowd at your next writer event.

What Should the Front Say?

Resist the temptation to get cute or fancy with the front of your business card. I get it; you're wordsmith and you really want to show off that wordsmithery on your business card. The problem is when you do that, most of the time you just end up confusing the person who's holding your business card.  You want the front matter to be clear, professional, and easy to understand.