Food writers, what's on your business card?

[TPO]

I'm finally at the point in my food writing where people ask for my business card. Other than contact information, I'm not sure what I should put on them. Just because I am a little new to this doesn't mean I want my business cards to scream, "Amateur..." so should I give myself the title of food writer? Recipe developer? Or no title at all?

Thanks.

[Chad]

David Leite and a couple of others could probably provide a more definitive answer, but my feeling is that unless you're affiliated with a publication, don't put anything other than contact info. Everything I've read and the editors I've worked with tell me that putting "writer" (in whatever form) on your card or letterhead simply comes across as amateurish.

Just my opinion.

Chad

[Chris Cognac]

I'm finally at the point in my food writing where people ask for my business card. Other than contact information, I'm not sure what I should put on them. Just because I am a little new to this doesn't mean I want my business cards to scream, "Amateur..." so should I give myself the title of food writer? Recipe developer? Or no title at all?

Thanks.

I was wondering the same thing!...I also do travel writing so I was thinking "food and travel writer", but who knows!...Also should I put the name of my regular column on the card?

[Fat Guy]

The best solution, I think, is to give yourself a brand name and use that. It avoids the neediness and wannabe aspect of saying "I'm a writer!" on your card, but it also provides information that will help people remember why they have your card (which doesn't happen if you just provide contact info).

Chris, your case is easy: you've already established a brand name "The Culinary Detective." Were I you, that's what I'd put on my card.

If you don't have a brand, at least create a Web site. For example, TPO, you might create a site called "tpowrites.com." If you put that prominently on your business card, people will understand that you're a writer but you won't have to say so explicitly.

More important than any of this, I think, is to have nice business cards. Saying "writer" on a piece of crap card your inkjet printer spit out on Avery perforated cards is one thing. Saying it on really nice engraved cards on beautiful cotton-rich stock is another thing altogether. And so is saying it on a two-color glossy card designed by someone who knows how to work well in that medium.

[Suzanne F]

Actually, Avery now has some decent-looking, heavier card stock: glossy (#8879) or matte (8876), with clean breaks instead of fuzzy perfs. When I needed some a couple of weeks ago for the WCR conference, that's what I used.

I did not put my business's name or website on the card, because they are meaningless in this context. Just my name; phone; e-mail; tiny pictures of a place setting and book, side by side; what I do in gerund form, one word per line; and "www.egullet.com" since I was talking up the site a lot.

Of course, I already knew most of the people I gave the cards to, but this defined a new potential relationship. I think that's important: the card should be complete in its definition of YOU as you wish people to remember you.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Without affiliation, I've been putting "Freelance Writer" which somewhat acts as advertising for me, letting contacts know that I am available for hire.

[Wolfert]

Until recently, I used "food journalist." This produced wonderful results outside of the States where food writer doesn't mean much, but the magic word "journalist" seems to work in every language!

Now that I have a website, I have the address neatly placed in the corner of the card as well.

[Fat Guy]

There's also a question of the audience. If you're giving your card to normal people -- for example if you want to go into a pizzeria and interview the owner, or you want to learn how to make apple pie from an old woman in a cabin somewhere who is famous for her apple pie -- you won't get any negative reaction to calling yourself a "writer" or "journalist" or anything else that sounds professional. And having such a card is clear and simple and helps you gain entree. At the same time, if you hand cards like that to editors and other non-normal people -- i.e., the people to whom you wish to sell your work -- you do run the risk of coming across as a wannabe assuming your name is not widely recognized in the business.

[Chris Cognac]

Steven, who did you get to do your logo..I am trying to get a cool "Culinary Detective" logo to use on the site, column and cable show but cant for the life of me find a person to do it.....also how much did it cost?

[Schneier]

Interesting thread. I think the less said, the better. If you have a brand--and a website--use it. Otherwise, just contact info.

Bruce

[Fat Guy]

Chris, the same person who designed "Gully" (our dancing eGullet man logo) did my Fat-Guy.com logo (actually Fat-Guy came first). Her name is S. Fred Golden. She posts here very occasionally as Fredlet. As a friend of eGullet you'd get her best rate. Still, no matter how good a deal you get, a corporate identity is going to cost you a few hundred bucks -- there's more to it than just a logo. Here's Fred's Web site: http://www.fredlet.com/SFD/

[Chad]

"Corporate" identity is going to cost you between $4,500 and $10,000. At least that's the going rate at the ad agencies I've worked for. And in some cases that doesn't even include application to business cards, letterhead, etc. Sometimes you can find a solo designer who'll work for a couple hundred bucks. But make sure that they'll present at least three ideas, that the fee includes one round of minor revisions on the chosen logo, and that they'll do biz card & letterhead application as part of the deal.

A good compromise is to find a designer, usually a one-man shop, who has clients in need of competent writing. You can trade, say, the copy for a furniture brochure for logo design. Another idea is to find the winner of the "student portfolio" design competition at your local college or university. These folks are generally innovative, highly-creative designers in desperate need of real world work for their portfolios (books in trade parlance). They'll work for a hundred bucks or so, generate 5-10 designs, refine your chosen design to your liking and give you print-ready files. They'll just be happy to have paying professional work.

There are a lot of ways to get a good logo without spending a ton of money.

Chad

[pjs]

As someone who has been on the production end of printed promotional material for 20+ years I can offer some advice.

Lose all the damn halftone screens and drop-shadows that make your pride and joy logo hard to reproduce and look like shit when, for example, it is screen-printed.

Google Milt Glaser.

PJ

[Fat Guy]

"Corporate" identity is going to cost you between $4,500 and $10,000. At least that's the going rate at the ad agencies I've worked for.

Fred is a designer only -- when she says corporate identity she means a logo and basic design elements for an individual or small Web operation -- and her official rates are all on her Web site. Corporate identity is listed as $475, and that's defined as "your logo for your company, the color scheme for your company info and letterhead. Print ready files for your business cards and letterhead are included." (She can upload these directly to iPrint or VistaPrint, and will also set up a CafePress store for you.) Her fee for a basic 7-page corporate Web site is $320. However, I'm sure she'd offer a combo package to any friend of eGullet at a much more favorable rate. Give her a buzz. Jason and I, between us, have used Fred's services for 5 different Web sites and are very comfortable with the quality of her work, and all her project rates include a healthy amount of back-and-forth, follow-up, and tweaking. (Note, I think she has a day job so don't expect immediate turnaround or 24/7 responsiveness.)

Dave Scantland (aka Dave the Cook on eGullet) also does design work on the side, at least for eGullet he does. Everything you see on eGullet except the "Gully" logo is Dave's work, including all our new headers. I don't know whether he'll do work for individuals, and I don't know how much he charges (probably a lot), but you can always ask and hope. Certainly, he has a special understanding of the needs of food people.

[Chris Cognac]

I checked her web site and e mailed her. I just need a logo so she said she will work with me. I just have to figure out if its worth the expense. I figure that it will pay of in the end so I will most likely go for it....I would like to replace the current "logo" on my web site. Oh this is cool trivea.....which grammy winning 1970's celebrity is my web master (and uncle)....winner gets, nothing!

Hint, he is in a television ad running on the west coast at this very moment!

Edited December 1, 2003 by Chris Cognac (log)

[tanabutler]

TPO, why limit yourself with a title? I think if you have your name and proper contact information, including your website, you can adapt your identity depending on your audience.

I decided to simplify my business card: I didn't even put my phone number on it. For many reasons, I wanted the simplest card possible, but had to include three areas of my expertise. I didn't put my URL on—I figured that most anyone could deduce it from the back.

Of course, these look much better in print, as I got really nice, slightly glossy, beautifully white card stock (and a great price, too—$100 for 1000, two-sided, four-color.) People exclaim over their quality, and I definitely feel the investment was worth it. (Um, yes, I have a drop shadow, and no, it doesn't look like shit because I sprung for a quality print job...2400 dpi silkscreen, I think. Otherwise, I agree with PJS who said to lose the fancy effects that look like shit when printed poorly.)

As a web/graphic designer, I would recommend one little thing to boost your professional appearance, and that is to get your own web domain (ThePracticalPantry.com" or "PracticalPantry.com" instead of your present web address). The reasons are multiple, but basically URLs need to be simple and to the point. People can't remember complex URLs.

Bagging a domain name is painless. Let me know if you need help. I speak the language fluently, and can recommend reputable and not-expensive hosting.

[TPO]

Thanks for all the help. I went with contact info and web site on a card that has full-color food in the background. I think that's clear enough.

Tana and Steven, thanks for posting your cards. It helped a lot to see them.

Tana, I actually do own www.practicalpantry.com and if you type that in you get my web site -- which is on the free web space I get with my internet service. I do need to bite the bullet and pay for web hosting though so that visitors never see anything but www.practicalpantry.com in their browser. When I do, it will be a smooth transition.

I really appreciate all the advice given, and I have to say the card looks better without a title anyway.

-- Tammy

[Chris Cognac]

i am going to get the logo designed by fredlet on Stevens advice...now just what to make...I was thinking of including a few words like "following the clues that lead to great food" or "find it and grind it" or the follow your stomach, you might like where it takes you"....I am up for any other Culinary Detective type of sayings that would be cool in a logo!

Chris

Hey no guesses on the celeb web master?

Edited December 2, 2003 by Chris Cognac (log)

[Carolyn Tillie]

Hey no guesses on the celeb web master?

Are there clues other than he is your uncle, a 70s celeb, and on a TV commercial? Give us something else to go on...

[Fat Guy]

Chris Cognac

The Culinary Detective

If you can eat it, he can find it

Maybe a logo of a magnifying glass examining a hamburger.

[Chris Cognac]

Chris Cognac

The Culinary Detective

If you can eat it, he can find it

Maybe a logo of a magnifying glass examining a hamburger.

I was thinking of the looking glass thing, even the sherlock holmes hat....Also the badge thing would work.... I like the "if you can eat it he can find it".....or maybe if you want/will eat it,he can find it.

Next hint, he was once a member of the Beach Boys......next hint...Muskrat Susie, Muskrat Sam!

[TPO]

Is your uncle Daryl Dragon? Is he in that ad for Kohl's? If that's your uncle, that's cool!

Edited to add: I like the idea of a magnifying glass in your logo. Looking at a hamburger is good, or the magnifying glass in place of a plate at a setting, with the fork and knife around it. For a slogan, I was trying to think of a play on the old saying "Let your hunger be your guide" but I am drawing a blank right now.

Edited December 2, 2003 by TPO (log)

[David Leite]

David Leite and a couple of others could probably provide a more definitive answer, but my feeling is that unless you're affiliated with a publication, don't put anything other than contact info. Everything I've read and the editors I've worked with tell me that putting "writer" (in whatever form) on your card or letterhead simply comes across as amateurish.

Just my opinion.

Chad

I agree with Chad. My card has "Leite's Culinaria, Inc." on it, and the title is "food jounalist." I've had no problems or comments from editors. In fact, many of them have commented positively on it.

Edited December 2, 2003 by David Leite (log)

[tommy]

Is your uncle Daryl Dragon? Is he in that ad for Kohl's? If that's your uncle, that's cool!

totally cool.

[Chad]

Re: Muskrat Susie, Muskrat Sam -- Willis Allen Ramsey deeply regrets whatever he was toking that day. The man is a fucking genius and he gets saddled with notoriety for a song written while extremely high? Not fair at all.

By the way, if Daryl Dragon is your Uncle, that is just too cool. Can you supply us with a pickle joke of the day?

Chad