A low-cost way to promote your new book is with a business card. You can print them yourselves at home or professionally for as little as $10.00 for a hundred or more cards.
Most typical business cards are about two by three inches. These are small enough to slip a couple into a pocket, wallet, or bag. Because they’re so small it is easy to have one with you at all times whereas carrying a hard copy of your book is definitely not.
1. If your book is available digitally, you can share download information on your card. Include a sentence or two about the book, awards won and even a winning testimony about your book.
2. You can share your cards with family and friends and ask them to help you in getting the word out.
3. You can leave a business card in a magazine at the doctor’s office like a bookmark. Nothing like having a bored audience to give your little advertisement a quick look. Perhaps you can offer a free chapter or download on your card.
4. You can pin a card to bulletin boards in stores and other locations with community boards. Make sure your offer on your card is clearly visible and attractive.
5. Share a card with your barber or beautician. These people have lots of local contacts! Perhaps they know one or two of their customers who would be interested in your book.
6. Include a card with all print correspondence you send out. Some authors even include them in envelopes when paying bills.
7. Any public waiting room is a prime place for leaving a couple of cards. Bus stations, train, and even airline waiting areas. True, the chances your card will be picked up and trashed is high, but there is also a chance that someone will be intrigued to pick it up, read it, and carry it off with them.
8. Author cards are a “must have” for attending book events, expos, etc. Not only can you pass them out to other book attendees, you can use them to connect with publishers, book store vendors, and other authors and illustrators.
9. Leave your author card with bookstores that carry your book and ask if you can leave a few on the counter or with your book.
Unlike carrying around an actual physical book, it’s easy to give away author business cards whenever you start up a conversation with someone. You may strike up a conversation while waiting in line with other customers or talking to the retail clerk while he or she rings up your order. This works especially well if your book is relevant to the shopping outlet that matches your book’s audience.
At Wheatmark, our work with authors does not stop once their books are published. In fact that is just the beginning. That is why we place an emphasis on educating our authors about book marketing.
