Business Cards for the Aspiring Writer

I keep reading that aspiring writers need business cards.  It's all part of that thing called "Networking."  I have no idea how it works, but I do use business cards in my day job.  In fact, a couple of weeks ago I went to a day-job conference and I handed out at least twenty cards, and I got a lot of cards back.  That's what you do at day-job conferences.  So, writers do the same thing?

What would I put on the card?  The day-job business card is easy to put together.  In fact, I just went to my company's intranet, filled out a template: my number goes here, my email-address here, the company logo there, my official job title there.  It was that easy.  I didn't even have to pay for it!

But now, I want to put together a business card to hand out to people at a writer's conference (in three weeks).  I don't have a writer's job title.  Do I put "Aspiring Writer"?  I have no real writing credits to claim.  Where do I go to get business cards?  (I know my day-job wouldn't flip the bill.)  How much do they cost?  Would a cheap quality business card doom my chances of being networked into the system?  Do I go with a fancy design, or just a standard simple old-fashioned professional card?

Let's see: if I google "freelance writer business cards", here's a site that comes up:

http://www.zazzle.com/writer+businesscards

Those are some pretty fancy looking cards.  Let's see: here's one with a picture of a typewriter to the right, and stuff to the left.  It sells for $19.10 for a pack of 100 cards.  I can choose several background colors: white, cream, gold, etc.  Non-white colors cost extra.  I'd like to know how fast they can send the cards, but I can't go any further in the website without creating an account.  Maybe later, guys!

Let's see: here's an article on whether or not business cards are still worth it:

http://www.urbanmusewriter.com/2009/03/have-business-cards-become-passe.html

Well - the fact that the article mentions that they still pass cards to each other at conferences implies that if I don't have cards - I may stand out as being non-networky.  I guess I don't want that.

This other link has some interesting business cards.  I don't think I'll get this wacky!

http://www.quicksprout.com/2008/09/20/creative-business-cards-that-make-you-look-twice/

Okay - I finally found a website with advice on writer business cards.  They write that I should "look for sharp designs that reflect <my> genre and avoid busy graphics."  They also mention VistaPrint, Moo, and Zazzle.

http://inkyfreshpress.com/2010/03/business-cards-for-writers-part-i-why-writers-need-business-cards/

Or I could just go down to the Office Depot and have them whip together some business cards.  Yikes - so many decisions!  (And all I want to do is write and magically have everyone read my stuff!)

Well - I'll let you know how it goes.  I'll post a picture once I get a card put together.

Happy writing!
Mel