Business Card Resources

Now that we've finished our look at Headshots and Author Photos, the Look Like a Pro! series turns it's attention to business cards. Listed here (in no particular order) are a variety of helpful links to learn more about why you need a business card, and how to get one.

Marketing guru Scott Ginsburg on Business cards that suck

The other day I was sifting through about 1000 business cards I've collected over the years. I noticed a few things that frustrated me… (More)

More from Scott Ginsburg – “Here’s My Card – Oh wait, I don’t have one…”

Have you ever missed out on a business opportunity because you didn't have a business card? (More)

Freelancers on Business Cards

Absolute Write forum discussion about business cards:

Thread 1

Thread 2

'Renegade Writer' Linda Formichelli on business card options

A potential client asks for your card. What do you do?

A. Pretend to search through your pockets and tell the client you must have forgotten them.
B. Pull out a jazzy four-color illustrated card that unfolds and displays a pop-up image of your smiling face. Hey, it cost a bundle, but it takes money to make money, right?
C. Hand the client a homemade business card — dot matrix print on perforated white cardboard. Clients like thrifty freelancers!
D. Hand the client a tasteful business card that looks pricier than it was.

Read the correct answer and learn about affordable printing options here!

Dr. Ivan R. Misner, from the book “It’s in the Cards!”

Here’s the bottom line: this amazing little tool, this tiny advertisement that keeps working and working, is the most cost efficient promotional device you can own. A simple, elegant, classic business card can lend you and your business an air of quiet professionalism for only a few cents.

Free business cards, just pay shipping - Vista Print

Meme Break : My Favorite Type of Writing

After a crazy and hectic week between semesters (during which I got what I hope to be my last non-writing job) and a slight lag in posting, today's post actually isn't part of the Look Like a Pro! series. We'll return to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. The incomparable Susan Johnston over at The Urban Muse tagged me for the latest meme - "What's your favorite type of writing?"

What's my favorite type of writing? One might just as well ask, "What is your favorite writing to read?" In fact, I'll just address both questions, since the answers are the same.

I can claim no undying love for one specific style of writing. There is no genre that I attack with any more zeal than another. I do focus far more on light journalism and magazine writing, but that's more for practical purposes than anything else. If anything, I'd have to say that my favorite style of writing is high quality, regardless of the genre.

I've written absolute dreck in more than one style, and I've read even more. The sad fact is that writers are human, which means that at any given moment we may be lazy, frustrated, uninspired, untalented, or otherwise imperfect. Everyone has off days, even the best writers. For this reason, it is all the more magical to really be on, to deliver something great.

Great writing is far more than simple words. It has life to it, substance that extends beyond paper and ink. All writing communicates something, but the best of it has power. That's what I love, both to read and to write. Do I actually write that way? Probably not. I'm always learning more about the craft, improving my skills and as I do so, I look back at what I've done before and wonder "What was I thinking?"

And so, my own writing aspires to be my favorite writing. My favorite reading shows me just how marvelous my writing could be. The best stuff pops and sizzles, filling your mind with excitement the way a handful of Pop Rocks shows your mouth what it means to be alive. It's the mental equivalent of the tender steak, the hot shower, the runner's high or the first kiss. Great writing engages the reader and changes them forever.

Perhaps a piece will only allow the reader a few moments free of worry or stress, a brief escape from the dreary world. Perhaps the reader experiences the irreparable stretching of the mind that a powerful concept brings, forever changing how the world is seen. Either way, that single quality piece of writing is what all writing should be - a vibrant, expansive experience that goes far beyond the reading of words.

Tag, you're it!

The first three people to comment and post a link to their blog get the tag! Hurry! Comment now!

Photo resources

In the first post of the "Look Like a Pro!" series, I've rounded up some informative bits of advice from seasoned professionals, writers and non-writers alike. In addition to the talented and successful writers here, I've also found some useful information from real estate agents, publicists, entrepreneurs and web professionals. Enjoy!

Photo via Flickr
Inkthinker's Kristen King looks at the problem of unprofessional, overly glamorous head shots, and covers what a photo should say.

[Professional writers are] using their photos to further a point, to strengthen the message they're conveying with their site copy: "I'm classy." "I'm dependable." ... "I'm real." ...
They're all making writers in general look good by being professional and appropriate. So stop screwing it up! Take that glamour shot off your site and be a grown-up already.
You're better than that. We all are. (More)

Publicist Joan Stewart weighs in on the necessity of a professional photo, and gives a few simple tips.

If a newspaper or magazine … called you today … would you have a good-quality photo that you offer?

Most people don't.
…
Many of the bad-quality photos I see are too dark, out of focus, grainy, scanned incorrectly, or taken against a busy backdrop—often by amateur photographers... One writer gave me a photo that shows him with his eyes closed. A woman gave me a photo of her in a sleeveless blouse, with her bra strap showing... (More)

Longtime freelancer Patricia Fry gives the complete lowdown on using your photo for your website, published pieces and marketing materials.

Don't just ask a neighbor to take your picture while posing in the backyard. Put some thought into the image you want to portray and hire a professional to capture that image. Here are some guidelines to note when planning your photo shoot. (More)

Real Estate agents, like freelancers, also market and brand themselves. Real estate marketing consultant Jim Cronin chimes in on how your image impacts your professional pursuits.

If your headshot is unprofessional, then you look unprofessional. The world can be very superficial, and appearances do matter - people want to work with someone they feel looks "nice." (More)

Business columnist Penelope Trunk blogs about her own experience with a professional photographer.

I went without showering, I brought one, black, dirty shirt, and I had not slept well for weeks. I walked into the room and there were seven people there to take care of all the stuff I needed: hair, makeup, they brought clothes for me, they had a caterer, it was amazing. There was a person in charge of making wind blow my hair. And the photos were incredible. No one would ever know how crappy I looked. (More)

I recommend checking each post in full.

Dan Rather at SXSW

Dan Rather dropped by the new (and indie and web 2.0) media mega-conference known as South by Southwest (SXSW for those who have been confused by the omnipresence of this abbreviation). He was interviewed by Kate Weidaw, and there are both excerpts and video available online.

Rather said he views the Internet as an important part of journalism and chooses to get his day's news online, as well as from newspapers.

KXAN's Kate Weidaw sat down with Rather and asked what he thinks of today's journalists.

"To be a patriotic journalist is to ask tough questions and to follow up and dig because American journalism has an integral role to play, and over the last five or six years, I don't think we've been doing as good of a job as we could," said Rather.

What do Rather's comments mean for freelance writers and blogging citizen journalists? I think his best advice, from the video clip of his interview, was this.

"Do the hard, rugged investigative digging work that's so often required in all quarters."

While all writers can benefit from his views on integrity and ethics in journalism and writing, I think that his call for work is timely. Especially in this day and age of Internet research and desktop publishing, it's easy to stay in our comfort zones and pluck the low-hanging fruit. Perhaps we need to hustle a little more in the real world.

Clipless doesn't mean Hopeless

Every new writer faces the rookie dilemma. Without experience and clips, many editors won't hire you. If editors won't hire you, you'll get no clips. It's an infuriating problem in circular logic, and it's one faced by new writers every day.

How does one overcome this hurdle? What can the rookie do to land those first few assignments, the meager start of a truly professional portfolio?

Here are three articles to read that may help you out:
Build Your Clip File - Kathryn Lay
Clipless? Don't Worry! - Beth Ann Erickson
Five Tips to Getting Published ASAP! - Beth Ann Erickson

Blog turns to Book Deal!

Sometimes, I just love the Internet. (Actually, that's most of the time.) One of my favorite things to watch of late has been how the occasional "new media" player (be it a blogger, YouTuber, whatever) will occasionally show such creativity that "old media" picks it up.

The best example, of late? One of my favorite blogs, Indexed, has been offered a book deal, with Penguin's Viking Studio. For about seven months, Jessica Hagy has been doodling absurd little diagrams that explore and explain the relationships between all sorts of things, like the correlation between money and nihilistic fashion trends, or the futility of New years resolutions. In a surprisingly insightful manner, these doodles on index cards poke fun at fashion, politics, television and every other area of culture and human nature.

This site is a hoot, and I'm looking forward to the book.

Letters to the Editor: Allison Winn Scotch

Allison Winn Scotch has answered a question of mine that's been bugging me for a while.

I've read (or think I've read) about new writers using letters to the
editor as published clips. What's your take on this? Is this a legitimate
practice, or one of those new writer pipe dreams?

Noooooo!!! Don't do this.

That's pretty much what I figured. It sounded fishy when I first heard of the idea, and because of said fishy-ness, I've never done it. However, she says something in her answer that rubs me the wrong way just a wee bit...

If LTTE counted as published clips, then everyone from my grandmother to a
second-grader could be considered a published author, and sorry, they're not.

Well, if their written words are published, then by definition, they are. They may not be a professional, but they most certainly are a published author. A published author of a letter to the editor, but a published author none the less.

Ubiquitous Thought Capture

One of the beauties of the Hipster PDA (which I've been using religiously for months now) is that it offers an extremely portable note taking system. For writers, especially those who are always on the look out for article ideas, this thought capture is essential.

Here's a wonderful video about a man who writes/designs crossword puzzles. I love everything he has to say, so just watch the clip.

Another thing I use, which I'll elaborate on later, is an "Open Jotter" document on my computer. It's an ongoing file of anything that floats into my mind. Whatever I'm doing, I can quickly jot it down, and get back to whatever I'm working on, secure in the fact that my brilliance (or lack thereof) is recorded to return to at a later time.

Writing Prompt Calendar: Toasted Cheese

You may want to check out Toasted Cheese, a website for writers that may just have the best name ever. More importantly, they have a calendar which includes a daily writing prompt - that's right, 365 days of writing prompts!

http://www.toasted-cheese.com/webcal/webcal.cgi

Matthew Stibbe: Freelance Journalism

Matthew Stibbe, over at the Bad Language Blog has posted a great essay explaining a few realities of the freelance writing world. I recommend reading the entire thing, but here's a favorite quote.

Most business professionals shouldn’t have a problem with this, but don’t be fooled into thinking that a freelance writer lives in a mound of creative chaos and thrives on late nights, whiskey and hand rolled cigarettes. Prussian efficiency is required to make the work of a freelancer pay.

Web 2.0 for Writers

Have you seen Go2Web2.0? It's an entire listing of high quality online sites, each featuring the stereo typical funky names, slick designs and handy buttons. Among this list (which includes more than 800 internet based products and companies) are some powerful online tools for writers. Here are just a few:

Calenders, like HipCal and 30Boxes

To Do Lists, like Nozbe and Vitalist

Online Word Processors, like Writely

Online Storage, like Box and FileLabs

This massive list is a collection of some of the coolest powertools on the web. I strongly suggest checking it out.

Huge deals on Amazon

Looking to save a ton of money on office supplies? Electronics? Magazine subscriptions? If you know how to look, you can find some incredible deals on the things you need every day.

60% off Office Products

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/?node=1064954&pct-off=60-

This includes things like ink cartridges, binders, office chairs, lamps and a whole slew of other items.

85% off Electronics

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/?node=172282&pct-off=85-

Cheap USB Flash drives, computer cables, software, keyboards and plenty of other electronic essentials.

75% off Camera and Photo

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/?node=502394&pct-off=75-

Cameras, scanners, memory cards, projectors, film, lenses, replacement batteries and more.

Here's a whole massive list of links to huge discounts:

http://www.brand-name-coupons.com/how-to-search-amazon-for-deals/

Allison Winn Scotch gives some advice

Allison Winn Scotch has recently witten some great posts about freelance writing, touching on important aspects that we all deal with.

Learning to Let Go - When do you cut bait on a great article idea?

Blogging for Money - Does blogging ever really pay the bills?

A Total Noob Asks How To Break In - We all asked ourselves this question at some point.

Writer's Glossary: Masthead

Masthead (N)

A masthead is a list, usually found on the editorial page of a newspaper or magazine, of the members of the newspaper's editorial board. If no editorial board exists, the masthead will often feature a list of top news staff members. Some mastheads also include information such as the publication's founding date, slogan, logo and contact information.

Online publications often have what could be considered mastheads on the "about us" or "contact us" pages. However, some online publications still call such pages its "masthead," probably a homage to the newspaper industry.

Source: Wikipedia


1. (Also called flag.) A statement printed in all issues of a newspaper, magazine, or the like, usually on the editorial page, giving the publication's name, the names of the owner and staff, etc.

2. (Also called nameplate.) A line of type on the front page of a newspaper or the cover of a periodical giving the name of the publication.

Source: Dictionary.com

Writing Quote: Jenna Glatzer

“Write what you know” is a very good starting point. But that’s all it is. It’s a place for you to go to get your feet wet, and a place to come back to when the tide gets too high. But it’s not a place to stay for very long.

- Jenna Glatzer

Quote found at Absolute Write.

Writing Quote: Steven Pressfield

“The essence of professionalism is the focus upon the work and its demands, while we are doing it, to the exclusion of all else.”

...

“There’s no mystery to turning pro. It’s a decision brought about by an act of will. We make up our mind to view ourselves as pros and we do it. Simple as that.”

- Steven Pressfield

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles


Picked these up here: http://crawdaddycove.com/2006/12/18/the-war-of-art-turning-pro/

Writer's Glossary - Query

Query, Query Letter (N)

(1) a one page letter to an editor pitching a proposed non-fiction article.
(2) a pitch to a director for a screenplay.
(3) a letter to an editor for a novel usually accompanied with a synopsis and sample chapters.

Source: www.writefromhome.com

A query letter "pitches" an article or book idea to an editor to see if that editor might be interested in purchasing the proposed or completed manuscript.

Source: www.thescriptorium.net

An inquiry from a writer to an editor of a magazine, newspaper, etc., regarding the acceptability of or interest in an idea for an article, news story, or the like: usually presented in the form of a letter that outlines or describes the projected piece.

Source: dictionary.reference.com

Query (V)

The act of writing and submitting a query letter.

Source: Brian Westover

Power Tool: Mind Mapping

I've posted in the past about the joy of online mind mapping. The latest in this happy family is a site called bubbl.us.The beauty of those bubbliscious drag-and-drop boxes is fairly mesmerizing. I'm tempted to spend all day organizing thoughts, even those that didn't need organizing! Not only is this a handy tool for organizing information, I find it to be a fantastic brainstorming tool. In minutes I was able to generate a handful of excellent ideas, simply by sifting through what was already in my head.

Sadly, the site I posted on previously - Mayomi - is now gone. As I hold a personal moment of silence, I also say a tiny prayer that Bubbl.us finds more success. Because they actually have some kind of profit generating scheme in place (selling ad space in the side bar) it sounds much more feasible.

FYI: Thanks to Dumb Little Man for the heads up on this.

Avoiding Procrastination

Presenting the greatest idea ever. This may be the most perfect strategy for overcoming procrastination I've run across. It's a simple concept, based on the theory of positive reinforcement.

I picked this up here: http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=185

::inkthinker:: Query Challenge

Kristen King, over at ::inkthinker:: (a WriterSpot favorite) has posted a challenge to readers, inviting them to write 10 query letters a month. Sounds good to me! I particularly like the tagline she came up with.

12 months + 120 queries =

Imminent publishing
success