At the very least, writers nowadays are expected to be active on social media in some way. Twitter is increasingly becoming a must-have and most writers now have their own blogs. Facebook pages, Goodreads accounts, and e-mail lists are also popular (have you subscribed to my e-mail list? You can, just over on the side bar, look!). But for me, I like to have something a bit more tangible as well - something real to hold. Enter the Business Card.
Business cards might be a bit old-fashioned, but I liked the idea of having something professional-looking for when people ask about my novel. Instead of getting tongue-tied and then apologetically scribbling something illegible on the back of a receipt, I could whip out a business card holder and look all suave and sophisticated. OK, so I haven't got the knack of taking out one card at a time, which means I whip out a card and then spend ages trying to get the second card I whipped out by mistake back in the holder. OK, so I've forgotten even to get the cards out on pretty much every appropriate occasion so far. But the point is... I have cards! And, courtesy of my husband, they match my website! What do you think?
It's been just over a month since my novel was published. Doing any sort of promotional work while looking after a baby who doesn't really like daytime naps has been a challenge, but I've been blessed with friends and family who have taken it upon themselves to spread the word as well. Be assured if this is you, I am so grateful! I've done a blog tour and a newspaper interview, a flyer for the local area and I'm about to do a Goodreads giveaway (so if you didn't think I was worth spending money on, your chance to read my book is coming!). What else have you seen authors do? Have you found anything particularly useful when promoting one of your own books?
