SELF PROMOTION and IF:RESOLVE

The SCBWI Florida Chapter is having a conference the middle of this month. I am so excited about this conference. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow illustrators and get a first look at the industry. In addition to attending a few workshops, I signed up for a portfolio critique and I am also exhibiting my portfolio. I was apprehensive about signing up for the exhibit without having the critique, but without exposure, there’s no way to know how good I am. So I will take my chances and have my work out for everyone to see!

The next two weeks are all about getting ready for the conference. It is my resolve to spend this first half of the month on fine tuning my portfolio and working on some self-promotion pieces. I have made some progress and the first piece of self-promotion I worked on is my business card. 

A few months ago I printed my first set of cards with Psprint.com, and I was very pleased with their quality, price and turn around time. I received great feedback on the cards and now I am running low and decided it was a good time to revamp what I already had.

New Front

I changed the spot illustration on the front for an image that was more dynamic and full of energy and representative of the style I wanted to be working with.I left my name on the front and what I do so that anyone looking at the front understands it.

I also think the boy shows determination and resolve to have fun on his scooter which fits IF's theme perfectly!

I left the back of the card untouched. I listed all of my contact information and repeated my name and what I do to make it simpler for people reading the card. Otherwise, they’d have to flip the card to be able to read my name (yes, I’m funny about things like that).

TIP: If you are designing your own business card, my recommendation is to keep it simple but include key information such as who you are (name/company/title), what you do and how to contact you. If you are an illustrator, definitely include an image of your work! This image needs to be simple since it will be rather small and it needs to have great impact. A character or a spot illustration would be a great start. A two-sided card would make it easier to fit all information and have your spot illustration stand out more. On the back list all contact information. Don’t forget your website and your e-commerce site if you have one!

I’ll be writing about post cards next week...