July 16, 2018

Organization Tip: Business Cards #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop


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When you go to a book event, conference, or do any sort of networking, I bet you come away with a lot of business cards. Or…if you do it right you should. Why do I say that? Because networking is all about introducing yourself to other authors and industry professionals, giving your business card to them, and collecting their cards in return. You never know when you might need to recall a person’s name who you met at an event or if you may need to contact someone, so getting the cards of everyone you talk to is good practice.

But what do you do with them once you get them?

If you say throw them away, you haven’t been paying attention.

You could dump all of them in a shoe box or pile them in a drawer, but that’s not very organized, now is it?

I’ll tell you what I do.

I have baseball card holder sheets that I slip business cards into. Then I put those sheets in a binder. And voila! All of those little cards are safe and in an easily-accessible place that you can put in a filing cabinet.

It’s all about the neat little tricks when it comes to being organized.


QUESTION: Do you collect/keep business cards?


58 comments:

  1. I want to keep business cards since people think enough of me to share. I keep EVERYTHING in binders with the sleeves. Great post!!!

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  2. I create an email contact, noting when I met them. You never know when that connection might come in handy.

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  3. I usually hand out business cards (not very smoothly, but still) and I keep the ones I'm given, but not in a very organized way. Great idea, Chrys!

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    1. Hopefully this post will get you in the mood to organize them. :)

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  4. Love the mission words Chrys. Also some good tips you've shared thank you.

    Yvonne.

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  5. I wish I could go to book conferences and events! Someday I'd like to have the opportunity, if I lived in an area where those things took place. If I had business cards from other writers, I'd find a place to store them.

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    1. You could go to book events as a reader. Usually they are free. Then you can stop at every authors table, give them your card, and chat with them a bit. Many people do that. :)

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  6. Great tips! I currently have all the business cards I've collected in a pile on a shelf. *LOL* Not terribly organized, but they're in one place.

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  7. Hi Chrys - business cards can be so useful and knowing where to find them would be helpful - I'm mentally organised, practically half organised, but business wise not very sorted!! Good tips though ... cheers Hilary

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    1. When it comes to business, organization is important. I'm glad you liked my tip. :)

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  8. I love the baseball card holder idea. I'm currently like Christine. The cards I've collected have been sitting in a pile on my desk, which is currently buried underneath several other piles. I imagine they'd be much more useful if I put them in a folder of some kind... Thanks for the tip!

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    1. I'm too OCD to leave something piled up on my desk. Right now I'm looking at my desk with one notebook here, another there, and my headphones and I think it's too messy. lol

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  9. I have a bazillion. lol Sounds like a great way to organize them.
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. One day I'll probably have a bazillion, too. lol

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  10. Mine are sitting in a pile in a drawer. The baseball card sheet idea is a great one indeed. My OCD likes that.

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  11. Great tips. I have a box I store mine in but have been considering switching to a business card 3 ring binder.

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    1. I guess you could say my idea is a make-shirt business card 3-ring binder. lol

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  12. Good idea. I need to have new ones made. The ones I have are out of date. Thanks for the reminder.

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  13. And you should put a note on each as to where you met them and something specific about them so you can recall who is who. After a while, the names can start to run together.

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    1. That's a good idea. Right now the only cards I collect are from authors at one specific event each year, but if I meet others at other events, a note would be useful.

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  14. I've gotten business cards at craft shows. Usually, it's something that at the time I think I want to buy. Then I end up tossing them because I realize I'm not going to buy it.

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    1. Perhaps cards from authors or people in the publising industry will be the ones you'll keep? :)

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  15. I do give out business cards, and I do take them at writerly events, but I have to admit, I haven't been very good about following up on them. Perhaps some organization is in order! Great post!

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    1. Hopefully this post will get you in the mood to organize them. :)

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  16. I do keep a collection in a Rolodex. The question is, what should we do with them? Or is that your next post. hehehe

    Anna from elements of emaginette

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    1. HAHAHA!!! Well, you could contact authors in your same genre, let them know how you met them, and propose doing promo together, like on each other's blogs, etc. :)

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    2. Glad Anna asked that, because I was wondering, too! Not that I've been to many events where I might collect them. And I get all introverted and fail to follow up on stuff.

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  17. Good idea:) I usually make sure to email each person I've received a card from, that way I have a digital record in case I lose the physical copy.

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  18. Good idea! I recently went to my very first Book Con and came back with lots and lots of cards, which I do still need to organize, lol. One thing that made me sad was the business cards that didn't contain a clear, visible, easy way to contact/find the author. A few of them had book titles or quotes, or even just a picture of the book cover, but didn't tell you how or where to find the author of the book! Something to keep in mind for my own cards :)

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    1. A list of links for a website, blog, social media are a must for business cards. I forgot my email address, but my sites all have the email address on the About Me pages. And on the back with two ebook images and a short bio it says that my books can be found at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. You're right, This information is important.

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  19. That's a good idea! I have a business card holder, but I should probably keep a separate one for authors.

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    1. Keeping a separate one for authors would be an excellent idea. :)

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  20. I've collected a few that I was never sure what to do with afterward. Great ideas!

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  21. Everyone is right; this is a great idea what to do with those business cards. I also recommend alphabetizing them or putting them in Agent/Writer/Publisher groups or genre groups. Thanks, Chrys!

    http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com

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    1. I had organized them based on authors who I had similarities with and who I most likely would contact, but your idea is a great one. I may have to do that. It's certainly make it easier to find someone's card if it is alphabetized. Thanks!

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  22. I've never had business cards made for myself, partly because since I work in academia and am untenured, I typically have to change schools every couple years; thus, I'd have to keep changing business cards. But I like your idea of organizing all those cards because otherwise it would take a long time to sort through them. And I also like the idea of giving someone my card and saying, "Here's my card," like they do in the movies. :)

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    1. I would love to be so smooth to be in a conversation that allows me to to say, "Here's my card." lol

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    2. Make your own. You can buy the stock and run it through your printer; they aren't quite the same quality as purchased business cards, but you can do an affordable number at a time, and change info as needed. For writing, though, you should establish an email you use just for that, and keep it long-term, so you *could* get cards made up.

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  23. I like your idea of using a baseball card sheet. I used to pin mine up on an idea board but once I moved I think I misplaced some of them. I'm hoping to set up a creative space sometime soon. :) Great post today Chrys.

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    1. My bulletin board wouldn't hold all of the ones I have. lol

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  24. What a fantastic idea. I don't go to any writing functions. Maybe one of these days I will get the courage to get my face out there. Maybe. :)

    Elsie

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  25. I add the person to my contact list on my computer with all their details. I can't seem to keep track of physical cards.

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    1. That would be smart. I don't have a contact list on my computer. I'm not so good with spreadsheets and all that.

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  26. I use sleeves, too. But if it is someone I really want to keep up with, I will follow them on social media and put them into my contact list which has way too many contacts :).

    Mostly blogging these days at www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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    1. I also follow the ones I really want to keep up with.

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  27. I collect. But can't remember the last time I checked them. Lol

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    1. Maybe this post will have you checking them out now. :)

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  28. Yes, I collect business cards. I'm not quite as organized as you are, but I have gone back and used some of the contacts.

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