For those of you who read this blog on a regular basis, you will know that I live in coffee shops.I would say that 90% of my blogs are written [composed] in coffee shops.
My backpack is like a part of my actual body! I go nowhere without my Mac-laptop!
The Hunchblogger of Notre Dame!
Anyhoo... oftentimes I overhear other people's conversations, in these coffee shops.
Especially if I am a bit bored.
Sometimes, if the eavesdropped-upon blabbing is about books I will scribble my blog-address on a Starbucks napkin, or piece of paper, and hand it to the person[s] as I leave, and ask them to check out my site.
Is that self-aggrandizing or what?
Thing is, I have a real desire to expose myself....!
Well.. you know what I mean?
So.... last night I was on the phone with my friend, and I mentioned that I would like to have some more official way of dropping the bookpuddle hint to strangers!
Something like a business card that I can carry around.
That was all I said.
He ran with the idea!
Today, when I got home from work, he had sent me the image that you see above, and told me that he has already made a heap of [color] business cards, and is going to send them to me in the mail.
No more writing on scrap pieces of paper.
I thanked him profusiously.
OK, here is my question though!
Is this a weird thing to do?
Hand people cards, directing them to your blog?
I mean... no matter what you think about it, I am going to DO IT!
But.... would you do such a thing?
I want you to respond, picking one of the following options:
1) I would never do such a thing. Too presumptuous.
2) I can see why you would want to do such a thing, you arrogant beast!
3) I think it's a great idea, albeit a bit over-desperate and slightly retarded.
4) You are inspiring me to do the same thing. What is your friend's phone number?
**********
24 comments:
I think it's a cool idea (and a great looking card), but I would never have the nerve to hand it to people. I'd probably leave cards on the tables in the coffee shops and in the libraries.
I'm with Susan -- I'm too shy to hand a card to people, although having them would be kind of cool.
I have to agree with sfp and Dorothy, I simply wouldn't have the courage to approach a stranger in that way. On the other hand, if I were the recipient of such a card, I would likely hang on to it and later check out the site. If I was going to start advertising, I would likely make the investment (about $15 a year) in purchasing my own domain name. (I checked- bookpuddle.com or bookpuddle.net or .org are all available.) Next thing you know, advertisers will start calling, your blog becomes a profit center, and you retire to a life of reading, writing, and coffee. sigh
I love the image.
I'd never hand out a card but I'm pretty darn sure you'll get lots of hits by doing so.
(Are the Sens playing tonight? Boo...)
I think it's a great idea, particularly since you are a regular there.
Great idea. If no one has thought about it before, you're a genius. I agree on purchasing your own domain. If you stick to Blogger, I'd have "www" removed from "www.bookpuddle.blogspot.com". It looks nicer.
Thank you all, for the responses and ideas.
Yes, I do have a lot of "noive" just walking up to people and handing them the card... like one of those [and I am not making fun here] mute-sort of people that do the same thing but are asking for donations? Know what I'm saying?
These MUTE folks are NEVER advertising their blog though! It's always about money!
And the website idea... Brad and May and whatnot... I have been thinking the same thing. A real website is just the thing I need!
Brad... is it really that cheap to retain a name? $15.00 a year?
I thought it was more like at least a hundred!
At any rate, my OTHER big idea is to hire an airplane, fly over Parliament Hill on Canada Day, and dump out somewhere around three or four million official Bookpuddle© business cards on the unsuspecting revelers below!
Is that legal?
Plus, I will call Peter Mansbridge© once I am already in the air, and TELL him I am going to do this, so it's all on film.... before I am arrested, like.
I WANT TO EXPOSE MYSELF, DAMMIT!
If you really want to expose yourself, why don't you have your blog site tattooed on your butt and run around buck naked in the downtown core?
Failing that, I think the business cards are a great idea. Sometimes when I talk to people about my blog and they are interested, I will write down the address on the back of my illustration business card, so why not?
Grab Fate by the balls, kiddo! (Of course, this might be difficult since I have been told that Fate is actually a woman).
What a great idea...now, I don't think I'd have the nerve myself to hand out blog cards like that (yours really looks great) but I know that if someone handed me such a card that I would definitely keep it long enough to check out their blog site.
So I say go for it...and let the rest of us know how it goes.
4
None of the answers hits home a hundred percent. I selected no. 4 (darn, where is the pound sign on a European keyboard?) because I am sure there are people out there who yould be happy to discover another book lover out there.
I rather not have other people around me know that I am having this little blog on the side. ;-)
Every now and then I have been asked by tourists to take a picture of them, and when they realize I am a local (well, I shall never be for the "real" Viennese, but I am no tourist, that's for sure *g*), a couple of them asked me why I am photographing then. Two of them were so sweet, I wrote my blog's url into their guide books. Would have been nice to have a "blogness card". ;)
Anyway, I came here to thank you for reminding me to finally buy and read "The Architecture of Happiness", I wanted to read it ever since Michael Dirda reviewed it in the Washington Post. And I am a W.G. Sebald lover, have read most, if not all unfortunately, that he has published. Your comment makes me want to read "Austerlitz" a third time (which I have read in the excellent English translation, and later in the original German, both utterly beautiful). I have read passages of "Vertigo" after my Venice trip, and want to read the Viennese walk he describes and try to follow in his steps one day in the near future.
Sorry for being so long-winded,
have a great weekend,
Merisi
It looks like you have to sign on for 10 years to get the $15.00 price. A year at a time will cost you $35
http://www.networksolutions.com/domain-name-registration/pricing-chart.jsp
Patricia, all of your ideas are great, and are currently being considered. Except the part where I touch someone's testicles!
Sam, you have the perfect name though, for a nice batch of cards! Do you know how many Superheroes would kill innocent people for the rights to your name?
Without even trying, you can be, like....
Sam Houston Intergalactic Thunderbird!
See?
Wait a minute though. If you are going to get that emblazoned on your spacesuit... umm.. make sure you use more than just the initials!
Merisi, isn't Sebald the greatest thing ever? Genius. A true loss that he is gone, to write no more!
You will love de Botton.
Brad, that sounds more like it. The ten-year deal!
I think I may go for that. Actually it is not a bad price at all!
It's a common practice at blogging conferences. Makes perfect sense to me.
I like the idea. I would be too shy to hand them out, too, but I might leave them on tables or slip them into library books that I have returned that other people would find later. Now, if some bookish person handed me a card I would very likely go home and check out the website. I like the design, too!
Sassy:
Is there really such a thing as Blog conferences?
Is this the thing where they wear the fez-hats with the tassels on them? I've always wondered what those guys were into!
Danielle:
See, I don't have a problem with obnoxiousizing myself upon someone. Really I don't. But again... only if my preliminary investigations [my obnoxious eavesdropping] has revealed to me that they have an interest in books and/or puddles.
Try www.godaddy.com. Both bookpuddle.com and .net are available and are available for 8.95/yr inluding hosting and email.
Hey, thank you Cleo.
Great info.
I shall seek out the possibilities.
I love it! I have toyed with the idea of cards, or even bookmarks with my web address and those of my favorite bookbloggers, but then I chicken out. If you have the noive (sorry, I just watched Wizard of Oz), I say go for it! The image is gorgeous.
#3 do it. you will either get
1. discovered by big publishing house
2. hate email
3. spammed to death.
I like the idea and would think it cool that someone come up to me with their blog address. Great idea!
Stephanie
www.thewrittenword.wordpress.com
Dear anonymous:
My Gawd. That's gotta be the worst way to die. Spammed to death.
No wait.
BEHEADED..... while being spammed.
[That's gonna bruise!]
Thank you Stephanie!
So, you wouldn't throw your coffee or tea in my face if I "carded" you at Starbucks?
Piksea:
DO IT!
You've got the noive! You can do it!
Whoa doggies! I am morphing into Norman Vincent Peale here. No worse.... Dr. Phil!
But seriously, I think everyone in the world should have business cards of themself, and not only this.... there should be a holiday.
Business Card Day.
Where we do not go to work but we go places and just totally exchange cards with everybody else.
See..... "if I WAS PRESIDENT........."
What a great idea! and the cards look great. I'm with those who would be too shy to hand them out, but I don't think you have a shy bone in your body :)
And you might want to check out yahoo for domain name registration too. I think they have some deal with Wordpress
Thanks for the website info Stefanie. I will check that out for sure.
Cheers!
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