Bob Baker's Artist Empowerment Blog

What's So Confusing About These 2 Words?

2009-04-21T14:32:00.002-05:00

There's a two-word phrase I've been using a lot in recent years. The words have a pretty profound meaning behind them -- and they have everything to do with achieving creative success and fulfillment.

But I've discovered a surprising thing about them: These words are often misunderstood by many people.

Here they are: "serve others."

And here's an example of I how used them in a recent ezine:

"There's no better way to create your own prosperity than to engage yourself in something you are passionate about -- and that serves others in the process."

Sounds simple enough. But the disconnect comes when people think about "service" in one of two ways:

1) They think that being of service to others only takes place when you are raising money for charity or working in a soup kitchen. Wrong. Doing charity work is certainly admirable and is one great example of serving. But it's only one aspect of a much larger picture.

2) Another misguided notion is that "serving others" means you are subservient -- meaning you have to be submissive, compliant and obedient to authority. Nope. Actually, quite the opposite is true. Being of service to others is often one of the most self-empowering things you can do.

The kind of service I talk about takes place when you focus on the benefit that your talents deliver to people who are attracted to it. It takes center stage when you are driven more by the need to make people feel good via your music and creativity than you are to gain fame and fortune.

Having this attitude turns marketing into a completely new endeavor. It's not just about you and your needs. It becomes more about your audience and how you can spread your feel-good vibe to more and more people.

Dexter Bryant Jr. gets this. Here's part of an email he sent me last week:

I couldn't agree with you more, Bob!

The first time I read a Jay Conrad Levinson's Guerrilla Marketing book (about 10 months ago) my eyes were opened to new possibilities. My research since then, including reading your excellent Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook, teaches me time and time again the value of engaging oneself with one's passions while also serving others.

It is the best life mantra I could ever want. I can't think of a better way to live a happy and fulfilling life than this. The gratification received from serving others is an unbelievable feeling in and of itself, but to be able to do that while pursuing your passions is amazing.

The connection between these two things for me is the ingredient to happiness in life. I have always been the type of person who was unwilling to accept an average 9-to-5 life doing work I wasn't interested in.

Discovering guerrilla marketing has truly changed my life. I never have to worry about a 9-to-5 or about retirement because I'll never tire of helping others and engaging my deepest passions.

A big thanks to Dexter for reminding us all of the keys to success and fulfillment!

-Bob

If you don't own it yet, check out Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook, the classic guide to indie music promotion. Now revised and updated, with four new chapters on Internet and Web 2.0 music marketing.

Get 20% Off Any Title on My Web Site Now Thru April 20

2009-04-17T14:58:00.003-05:00

Before you head off into your weekend, I want to offer you a little stimulus package of my own ...

I'm calling it the 20/20/20 Sale.

Here's how it works:

Get 20% off any order of $20 or more, when you place any product order from my web site between now and midnight at the end of the day on Monday, April 20.

Just enter this special code at checkout: APRIL20

That's 20% off. A minimum order of $20. By the end of April 20. Cool beans, huh? 20/20/20

If you're an indie musician needing to boost your marketing and PR power, check out all the many resources at www.MusicMarketingBooks.com including the ...

Guerrilla Music Marketing Starter Package
Music Publicity Crash Course
Internet Music Marketing Crash Course
7 Secrets to Making Real Money with Your Music
Killer Music Press Kits
70 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Music on the Internet
Killer Music Web Sites
and more

If you're an aspiring or seasoned writer/author wanting to publish and promote your own book, be sure to look at the growing number of resources at www.FullTimeAuthor.com ...

55 Ways to Promote and Sell Your Book on the Internet
Self-Publishing Success Secrets 101
The Secret Guide to Amazon.com Book Sales & Promotion
How to Create a Major Book Buzz Online
Branding Yourself Online
and more

In these tough economic times, it pays to be self-reliant. And there's no better way to create your own prosperity plan than to engage yourself in something you are passionate about -- and that serves others in the process.

That's what music, books, and art can do for people -- for both the creators and the consumers who enjoy it.

I want you to enjoy the creative and meaningful life you deserve. So use this discount as an opportunity to invest in your true calling.

Remember, you'll save 20% on any order of $20 or more, when you make a purchase between now and midnight at the end of the day on Monday, April 20.

Just enter this coupon code at checkout: APRIL20

Note: The discount will not apply to my consulting services or membership to the Music Marketing Insiders Club. But you can use it on any of the dozens of books, ebooks, special reports, and audio programs I offer.

To your success -- both now and in the future!

-Bob

http://TheBuzzFactor.com/
http://MusicPromotionBlog.com/
http://FullTimeAuthor.com/
http://IndieBookPromotion.com/

Free Twitter Music Promotion Guide Just Launched

2009-03-04T14:04:00.001-06:00

Check out this new resource page that features everything you need to know about using Twitter to market your music, connect with fans, promote your live shows, and sell more music.

Twitter Music Promotion and Marketing Guide

It's an ever-expanding page of incredibly useful Twitter music resources.

Let me know what you think of it, and feel free to share the page link with anyone you want.

Also, please send suggestions for links I should add to the guide.

-Bob

Check out Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook, the classic guide to indie music promotion. Now revised and updated, with four new chapters on Internet and Web 2.0 music marketing.

Online Conversations: The TGIF Word Play Challenge

2009-02-27T10:07:00.000-06:00

Last Friday I posted this simple message to my Facebook and Twitter accounts:

Bob wants you to give him another meaning for TGIF. Like "Thirsty Goldfish Ingest Fervently." Your turn!

I received a LOT of creative and funny responses left as Facebook wall comments and Twitter replies. Here are some of the better ones (with a social networking lesson at the end):

Those Gams Invite Fondling
David

Today Gratitude Is Foremost
Margaret

Tempting Girlfriends Incite Foolishness
Deepak

The Gnome Is Frolicking
Cheri

Tomorrow Gets Interesting, Frodo
Kathy

Try Getting It Fried
Lisa

True Greatness Inspires Frivolity
David

Try Guinness, It's Fab
Though Guinness Increases Farting
John

Twitter Goes Idio-Fanatical
Arnold

That Guy Is F**ked
Macdara

Tweeple Gather Interesting Friends
Rocky

Time Grows Increasingly Fractal
David

This Genius Is Frisky
Matt

Why am I sharing this with you? Two reasons.

First, these responses are amusing. And if you want to add one of your own, I encourage you to leave one in the comments below.

Second, this is a good example of how to use social networking beyond pure self-promotion. Yes, I plug my books and other things on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. But I balance those promotional messages with conversations.

You should do the same thing.

Many people go too far one way or the other. No, I don't need to know every move you make on Twitter. But sharing some snippets of your personal life is fine, especially if it engages people and stirs some discussion.

Some "social networkers" do nothing but post sales messages. I don't know about you, but after a while I start tuning these people out and unsubscribe from their feeds.

Check out how John Mayer and Ryan Seacrest (and even MC Hammer) use Twitter to communicate. It's a mix of personal and promotional. And it works!

So, start using these sites to plug your new songs, books, artwork, live events, and media coverage -- while also asking questions, replying to other people's comments, linking to amazing sites and blog posts, sharing funny thoughts, etc.

Got it?

Great. Thank God It's Friday!

-Bob

NEW!

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How to promote and sell your book on the world's largest online bookseller

Learn More ...

Get your FREE copy of my Music Marketing Secrets special report. It shows you how to get more exposure, attract more fans, and sell more music! Go here to grab your copy now ...

Just Stop It Already!

2008-07-17T12:01:00.002-05:00

Are you feeling fearful about the state of the economy and sky-high gas prices, and how they are affecting your creative and artistic pursuits?

Here's an inspiring, in-your-face message from Joe Vitale that might shake some sense into you.

I first spoke with Joe in 1995 when we was a copywriter and marketing guy in Dallas (who also played a little music). Since then he's become an Internet marketing guru who now weaves a lot of spiritual and positive thinking messages into his work. He was one of the teachers featured in the book/movie The Secret.

Here's an email Joe sent out just today ...

Stop it!

Stop paying attention to the media.

Stop paying attention to the doom and gloom of anyone and everyone around. Stop getting sucked into being a victim.

STOP IT.

You won't go anywhere buying into the cultural trance that there isn't enough and times are tough.

You won't accomplish your big goals, or do anything of real greatness, as long as you give in to outer circumstances.

You have to take back your power.

You have to take back your control.

You have to "awaken."

Recently I told a woman who was interviewing me that I was homeless and in poverty only as long as I stayed stuck in survival "thinking."

As soon as I put my mind on what I "wanted" to have instead, I began to shift and get better results.

This can happen for you, too. It took me ten years. You can do it in one weekend.

But you have to stop listening to the media paint a picture of darkness.

The media paints it by finding something dark to report on, whether it's true or not. You and others listen to it, believe it, and before you know it, you have "created" what the media painted.

They predict a recession before there actually is one.

But people believe the media, fall into fear, stop spending, and suddenly a recession is here.

This has to stop. And it can stop right now.

Break free from money worries.

Break free from job worries.

Break free from health worries.

Break free from love worries.

Break free -- PERIOD.

This great message was admittedly sent to promote Joe's Miracles Weekend event in September. But even if you take the event completely out of the picture, there's still a lot of power in his words.

So ... are you ready to STOP IT?

-Bob

Ready to turbo-charge your music marketing campaign? Check out all the new Crash Course packages on Music Marketing, Music Publicity, and Internet Promotion at TheBuzzFactor.com.

Create a Major Book Buzz Online. Discover how to use the Internet to attract book buyers like a magnet. Learn more ...

Just getting started? Want to jump-start your career as an independent author? Check out Bob's Self-Publishing Success Secrets 101.

Bob Baker on NPR's 'Morning Edition' today

2007-06-21T10:25:00.000-05:00

Allow me to toot my own horn and share some good news. I was featured in a short radio piece today on Morning Edition, which is broadcast to more than 12 million people on 600 NPR stations across the U.S. and beyond.

You can listen to the three and a half minute segment here:
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11250011

It was about the recent FCC payola ruling (which I wrote about last week on my music promotion blog) and, more specifically, Clear Channel radio's new attempt to give more exposure to local and independent musicians. But the agreement they ask artists to make is raising a lot of questions.

Reporter Neda Ulaby used quotes from three people in this great piece, so she could only use sound bites from each of the interviews. While I take a "pro exposure" stance, don't think for a moment that I devalue the worth of an indie artist's music.

I don't think creative people should always give up everything or "play for free" just for the "exposure." You should read and be concerned about the legal agreements you enter into. But don't let these concerns scare you and keep you from taking advantage of true exposure opportunities.

I've found that a lot of artists are overly paranoid about people -- and corporations -- stealing their stuff. But in reality, their biggest problem isn't copyright infringement. It's obscurity.

If Clear Channel (or any commercial radio station) is willing to give you airplay in an attempt to improve its image as a do-gooder, I think you should strongly consider it. As I mention in the NPR piece, the worse case scenario isn't really all that bad, in my opinion.

-Bob

Are your press kits going straight into the trash? Make sure your PR materials are actually read ... and help lead you to more media exposure. Check out Killer Music Press Kits today!

Hilary Clinton, Celine Dion & The Sopranos

2007-06-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

Want a great lesson on how to use the Internet to create a viral buzz? Keep an eye on the U.S. presidential campaign over the next 18 months. During the 2004 campaign we discovered the power of bloggers. This time around it seems video content will be king.

In an effort to show her softer side, Hilary Clinton ran a lighthearted contest to pick a new campaign song. Check out this video from a couple of weeks ago (which has been viewed nearly 300,000 times).

Also take a look at the announcement video on Sen. Clinton's site, which spoofs The Sopranos finale and makes nice use of former pres Bill and Soprano Johnny Sack.

All of this lead to a big climax: the announcement of the winning song ... which turned out to be an upbeat anthem by, of all people, Canadian songstress Celine Dion.

Here's what was right with this song contest idea:

Hilary did indeed loosen up. In these clips she shows that she has a sense of humor and the ability to not take everything so seriously (something her campaign people have been desperately trying to convey).

Kudos to her for including some of the video submission clunkers and particularly the negative comments people made about the song contest -- important aspects of open and transparent, community-driven communication. Most politicians (and corporations) try too hard to control their intended message and suppress critical comments -- much to their chagrin.

The Sopranos spoof was clever, and the use of Bill, Chelsea and Johnny Sack added some smiles.

Now for the bad: Crowning Celine Dion, the queen of female power ballad sap, as the winner was a mismatch. When I think of web-savvy, forward-thinking voters ready for a change in the White House ... Celine doesn't immediately spring to mind.

Viral buzz is all about connecting with a group of people with a similar worldview. Trying to overlap Hilary-supporting Democrats with Sopranos devotees and Celine Dion fans was a stretch by anyone's imagination.

Another important aspect of today's viral buzz creation is community involvement. While I believe Hilary did welcome new song suggestions, the voting was mainly to choose an existing popular song. Had she opened it up to songwriters and solicited a brand-new campaign song, that would have added a lot more "community involvement."

So, when concocting your own online video buzz theme, make it interactive. And make sure your concept ties in directly to your identity AND the audience you're wanting to reach.

-Bob

Join the YouTube revolution. Read How to Use Video to Promote Your Music Online. Learn how to create, promote and profit from your own low-cost music videos.

How to Make a Name for Yourself as an Artist

2007-06-18T09:42:00.000-05:00

What can you learn about promotion from a guy who's been wearing a nametag 24/7 for more than 2,400 days straight? A lot when that guy is Scott Ginsberg (who just got some great national media exposure when he appeared on ABC's 20/20 last Friday night).

In this video clip (recorded a couple of weeks ago in New York at a trade show) Scott and I explore what it takes to stand out in a crowd:

If you like that, watch this other video clip I did with Scott at the same venue.

-Bob

Join the YouTube revolution. Read How to Use Video to Promote Your Music Online. Learn how to create, promote and profit from your own low-cost music videos.

48-Hour Film Project Rush

2007-06-13T12:15:00.000-05:00

For the third year in a row, I participated in the 48-Hour Film Project. It's an annual adrenaline rush where teams of filmmakers pull a genre out of a hat and are then given a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue they must incorporate into a short film. Then the clock starts and everyone has 48 hours to write, shoot and edit a 5- to 7-minute film.

This year I formed a team with my old pal Lee Mueller. We co-wrote the plot and script. He did all the camera work and editing, and I directed. We had a fabulous cast and crew. It screened last night in St. Louis and got a great response from the audience.

Check out the YouTube version below. And keep your ears peeled for a great original song written and sung by Matt Logan, who took our crazy plot line and crafted the perfect song for the soundtrack.

Here are the details we had to work with:

Genre: Road movie
Character: Ryan Coccinelle, entomologist (an insect expert)
Prop: A doll
Line of dialogue: "Don't look now, we may have trouble."

This was one of those awesome creative group efforts that everyone who participated will remember for years to come. Want to get involved? The 48-Hour Film Project takes place in cities across the U.S. and around the world. Check the web site for upcoming cities and dates.

-Bob

Do You Have a Book Inside of You?

2007-05-19T20:50:00.000-05:00

If you read this blog, you obviously have a song or a film or a play or some type of art inside of you. You have a need to share what you have to say through your talents and creativity. But a growing number of people also want to express themselves through a book -- and do so by publishing it themselves.

As you may know, I've been actively involved with writing and publishing for many years. And over the past four years in particular, I've made a good living exclusively from the sales of my self-published books, reports, audio programs, and more.

It's how I plan to spend the rest of my days, as I truly feel I've found my right livelihood.

I know first-hand the sense of personal satisfaction that comes from putting out your own book. I also understand the deep sense of purpose and meaning a book can give you when it touches people's lives in ways you never imagined.

I've benefited greatly from my pursuit of do-it-yourself book publishing, and now I'm on a mission to empower others to enjoy the same thrills as I have.

I've done that for the past three years serving as president of the St. Louis Publishers Association. I've been doing it through this blog and my FullTimeAuthor.com site. And now I'm taking things a step further with the release today of my new audio/ebook package called "Self-Publishing Success Secrets 101."

It's an ideal resource for first-time authors and other self-publishers wanting to kick-start their book publishing efforts.

What's different about this guide?

A lot of the popular publishing manuals out there are hefty and cover a lot of ground. But the sheer volume of technicalities causes confusion and information overload for many aspiring authors.

That's why I created this guide. To give you a quick crash course on the most important things you need to know to become a successful self-published author -- and to share some of the nontraditional methods that got me where I am today.

Anyway, take a closer look at
www.bob-baker.com/self-publish-book/ebook-audio.html

I'd love to hear what you think.

-Bob

P.S. Do you prefer to read, or listen to books on your iPod or CD? I love doing both. That's why "Self-Publishing Success Secrets 101" comes as a 25-page ebook AND 50 minutes of MP3 audio files. Print it and read it, or burn it and listen on the go. You'll have multiple ways to soak up these self-publishing tips and advice.

Earning Attention: It's All About Context

2007-05-16T13:49:00.000-05:00

For years I've been wanting to write about the role of context in artistic success and recognition. Example: Several years ago, Kelly Clarkson could have sung at a karaoke bar in Texas and few people would have noticed. Put her on an American Idol production stage, team her with pro songwriters and producers, get her some airplay and ... boom! She's a sought-after superstar.

She had loads of talent either way. But it wasn't recognized until she was presented in the optimum context. This idea was driven home recently when violinist Joshua Bell played in a Washington, D.C. subway.

Bell is an internationally renowned virtuoso, considered by many to be one of the most gifted musicians in the world. The Washington Post asked him to conduct an experiment. Writer Gene Weingarten was given the task of investigating what would happen if a gifted musician played in a D.C. subway during morning rush hour.

How would commuters respond? Leonard Slatkin, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, was asked to predict what would happen. He guessed that, over a 45-minute period, a small crowd would gather and that Bell would earn $150 in tips.

The results: Seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run -- for a total of $32 and change. That leaves the 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many only three feet away, few even turning to look.

Again, it's all about context. Here's Bell quoted in Weingarten's article:

"At a music hall, I'll get upset if someone coughs or if someone's cell phone goes off. But here, my expectations quickly diminished. I started to appreciate any acknowledgment, even a slight glance up. I was oddly grateful when someone threw in a dollar instead of change." This is from a man whose talents can command $1,000 a minute.

"When you play for ticket-holders," Bell explains, "you are already validated. I have no sense that I need to be accepted. I'm already accepted. Here, there was this thought: What if they don't like me? What if they resent my presence ..."

Context creates expectations in the audience, it can add or subtract confidence in the artist, it colors everything about the creative experience.

Read the entire article here. And remind yourself of this principle next time you have a less than stellar event or performance. Most importantly, do everything you can to create the context that's best for you and your audience.

-Bob

Catch Me Now on Twitter

2007-04-10T13:53:00.000-05:00

It's the latest social media craze: Twitter, a site that describes itself as "a global community of friends and strangers answering one simple question: What are you doing? Answer on your phone, IM, or right here on the web."

Crazy concept. But tons of people are talking about it and using it, including me now. Check out my new Twitter page at www.twitter.com/MrBuzzFactor. Become my friend, get my updates, do that Twitter thing that you do!

Not sure what it is yet? Check out this Wikipedia page and these Google News stories.

-Bob

The James Brown, Don Knotts Publicity Blitz

2007-03-22T11:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a great idea from Bill Stoller's Publicity Insider eZine:

In 1993, the citizens of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, held a vote and officially renamed a local bridge "The James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge." [The Godfather] himself showed up at the naming ceremony and a good time -- and lots of media coverage -- was enjoyed by all.

Try something similar. Run a campaign to name a local street or hill or park after a celebrity, a local notable, or even a fictional character.

Start a petition to rename something that will never really be renamed (the state capitol, Google, a major league ballpark) after, let's say, Don Knotts. I guarantee, if you can get 25,000 web visitors to sign a petition renaming Shea Stadium to Don Knotts Field, you'll get a news story out of it!

How could you use this to get exposure for your art? Hmm ... What about the Borat Museum of Modern Art?

-Bob

Do You Have a Book Inside You?

2007-03-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

I've been writing about music marketing and self-empowerment for a good 15 years now. First, it was through monthly columns I used to write for the local music magazine I published in the early 1990s. Later, those tips moved onto the Web through articles I distributed online and the ezine I've been publishing for more than 12 years now.

By acting on my passion, chipping away at success, and making smart use of the Internet, I've reached a point where I now make a nice living as a self-published author (or indie book publisher, as I also like to call it).

While I'm best known for "indie music marketing" (in fact, I come up #1 on Google for that search phrase), I find myself dishing out a lot of advice lately to aspiring authors. I'm serving my third term as president of the St. Louis Publishers Association and am speaking and writing more frequently on this topic.

If you feel you have a potential book inside of you too, I invite you to check out my new FullTimeAuthor.com web site. Everyone has a story to tell or a personal message they need to share with the world. You can do that through music or art or film. But you can also do it through your own book.

And you won't be surprised to learn that I embrace the same DIY attitude with publishing books as I do with pursuing a music career or any other creative endeavor.

Again, if this interests you, pay a visit to FullTimeAuthor.com.

-Bob

Do You Know 'The Secret'?

2007-02-09T10:02:00.000-06:00

Several months ago I watched an independently produced movie that few people had heard of at the time. The content of the film was amazingly powerful. But this wasn't an action-adventure, drama or comedy. It was a movie called The Secret, which revealed the secret to success and living a vibrant life.

The buzz about this movie has been building steadily, but it took a mammoth leap yesterday when Oprah Winfrey aired an entire one-hour show about it. The little movie that could is now the #1 DVD on Amazon.

The "secret" is not really a secret at all. It's wisdom that has been passed down through the ages based on a principle you've probably heard before. But most people spend their lives disconnected from the principle and, therefore, struggle. I've been aware of this secret (or law) for many years and regularly incorporate it into my writings (and my life).

But of all the books and resources that address this topic, The Secret DVD does perhaps the best job of presenting it and driving home the message.

What does this have to do with artist empowerment? Everything.

The reason so many creative people struggle and complain is because they don't understand the "secret" and the effect it has on their careers and lives. The most visible and successful writers, artists and perfomers have tapped into some aspect of this simple universal principle and apply it on a regular basis. In fact, this is exactly what I attribute my own publishing success and full-time author status to.

And here's the rub: This secret law directs the events and circumstances of your life ... whether you know about it or believe it or not.

I'll stop typing now and let you discover it on your own. There is a summary transcript of yesterday's show on the Oprah site here. Check out the movie on Amazon, where you can also watch a two-minute clip.

As Mike Dooley says, "Thoughts become things ... choose the good ones."

-Bob

14 Things I've Learned About Creative Success

2007-01-30T10:25:00.000-06:00

Turn your mistakes into a reference library, not a room to live in.
Do not take advice from people who are broke and struggling -- unless you want to end up like them.
Great marketing is falling in love with something, then selling your love for it -- not the product itself.
Realize the lifetime value of a fan: It's far more than a single sale.
Pick one aspect of your art or personality and make that the cornerstone of your public identity.
Conduct yourself as if you deliver great value to everyone you encounter -- even if you don't believe you actually do at the moment.
Be willing to take smart risks and overcome the fear of failure. Ask: "What's the worst thing that can happen?" Usually, not much.
Beware of the quick fix. The sure and steady marathon beats the sprint every time.
Ask: "How did you hear about me/us/the event?" It's one of the best, low-cost research tools you can use.
Ask: "What will it take to get from 'Here's what I dream about' to 'Here's what I did'?"
No one will manage you until you can manage yourself.
Be proactive instead of reactive. In other words, create the circumstances you want, don't merely respond to what's handed to you.
Stagnation occurs when your fear of the unknown is greater than your desire for a better life.
What you do today sets the stage for the success you will enjoy tomorrow. Don't squander today.

-Bob

Giving Away Your Art: The Surprising Truth

2007-01-25T15:19:00.000-06:00

Cory Doctorow is a successful science fiction author and co-editor of the popular Boing Boing blog. In his online bio, he may be writing about books, but his perspective provides food for thought for artists, musicians, and other creative types:

I write science fiction novels -- three published to date ... These novels sell well, win awards, and are published by Tor Books (novels) and Avalon Books (collection). They're also given away for free on the Internet as Creative Commons-licensed downloads. They can be freely shared, and in some cases, remixed or translated and sold in developing countries.

I believe that we live in an era where anything that can be expressed as bits will be. I believe that bits exist to be copied. Therefore, I believe that any business-model that depends on your bits not being copied is just dumb, and that lawmakers who try to prop these up are like governments that sink fortunes into protecting people who insist on living on the sides of active volcanoes.

Me, I'm looking to find ways to use copying to make more money and it's working: enlisting my readers as evangelists for my work and giving them free ebooks to distribute sells more books. As Tim O'Reilly says, my problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity. Best of all, giving away ebooks gives me lots of key insights into how to make money without restricting the copying of bits. It's a win-win situation.

The quote I especially like is: "My problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity." In fact, that whole third paragraph holds a lot of wisdom. In so many ways, you have to give to get.

What do you think?

-Bob

Manhatten Marketing Ideas

2007-01-20T23:13:00.000-06:00

On this recent video short, I highlight some of the great marketing ideas I found on the streets of Manhattan during my holiday trip to NYC. Warning: You won't believe what I found in Times Square.

Watch Manhattan Marketing Ideas on YouTube here.

More NYC videos coming soon. See all my videos on my YouTube profile page.

-Bob

How to Rank Higher on Google

2007-01-15T15:04:00.000-06:00

In part 1 of this post, I detailed where my web pages rank on Google for keyword phrases related to my books and online identity: "music marketing" and "music promotion." Now I'll share a few simple tips you can use to rank better on search engines for your own keywords.

As an example, let's use a band that plays easy listening music. Here are the steps you would take:

1) Get Genre Specific

So you play "easy listening" music. Fine. But ask yourself, "Is there an even more specific way to describe what I play?" Easy listening music can be further defined as lounge, cabaret, love songs, mood music, soft rock, and more. What words best clarify your type of easy listening? And more importantly, what words might fans of your music search for online?

2) Title Tag, You're It

Be sure to include your chosen keywords in the Title tags of your pages' HTML code -- especially your home page -- with the most potent words first. Example: "Soft rock love songs from The Smooth Tones." For my purposes, I called my blog "Bob Baker's Indie Music Promotion Blog," which appears in the Title tags of every page. Google loves it when pages specifically reference what they're about.

3) Use a Keyword-Rich Domain Name or Subdirectory

The easy listening band might register SmoothTonesLoveSongs.com or SoftRockLoveSongs.com. I grabbed MusicPromotionBlog.com to reinforce what my blog was about. Again, search engines like to send people to sites that clearly communicate a specific topic, and a well-chosen domain name will help.

If you already have a domain name (such as SmoothTonesMusic.com), add a subdirectory and send people to SmoothTonesMusic.com/lovesongs/. While I own MusicPromotionBlog.com, my blog is actually hosted on my main site at bob-baker.com/musicpromotionblog. Therefore, my blog name, subdirectory name, and Title tags all reinforce the keywords I want to emphasize.

4) Link to Yourself

To show up on Google, you must have incoming links from web sites that are already indexed by Google. The more the merrier, and the higher profile the site, the more weight its link to you will carry.

In the old days of the Internet, you got incoming links by trying to get other sites to link to yours. You can still do that, but these days there are tons of options to create dozens of your own incoming links.

Examples: Include active links to your site (or your specific subdirectory) from your profile pages on MySpace, Flickr, YouTube, Blogger, Amazon, and tagging sites like Del.icio.us and Technorati. Links from these popular sites carry weight with Google.

5) Link Using Targeted Keyword Text

Whenever possible, use your exact keywords as the active link text. Don't just write, visit our "home page" for more info. Better: Check out samples of our "soft rock love songs here."

Use these five simple tips to improve your Google search engine rankings, whether you play "music for the glass armonica" or "Irish drinking songs for cat lovers."

-Bob

Improve Your Google Keyword Search Ranking

2007-01-12T12:13:00.000-06:00

Would you like to rank higher on Google and other search engines for your particular keywords? Let me show you the success I've had and share a few simple Google ranking tips.

First, let's take a look at how I'm doing when it comes to words related to my books. For years, I've been pounding away at the two-word phrase I want to be known for the most: "music marketing."

Actually, I'm probably most associated with the three-word term "indie music marketing." But I figured if I could fare well in the slightly more generic "music marketing," I'd be doing just fine.

The good news is, for some years now I've ranked very well for these word combos. Take a look right now at the Google results for music marketing.

As of this writing, I appear three times on the first page of results -- at the 4th and 5th spots for two pages on my own web site, and again in the 9th spot where my Guerrilla Music Marketing book's Amazon page appears.

That's pretty damn good. But a few years ago, I discovered that the term "music promotion" was searched for about five times more often than "music marketing." At the time, I was buried about three pages deep in the results for "music promotion."

This wasn't a good thing for reaching more people with my message. So what did I do?

One thing I did more than two years ago was start my Indie Music Promotion Blog. I purposely chose the word Promotion instead of Marketing in the name of the blog. For nearly 27 months now, I've been posting to the blog and getting the word out about its existence.

Today, if you search Google for music promotion, my blog pops up in the third spot on the first page of results. That's a big improvement! And it has a great impact on my ability to empower artists -- and on my bottom line.

I also discovered an unintended Google perk. If you simply search for "promotion blog" -- with no reference to music at all -- my blog is in the very top spot! Nice.

In my next post, I'll cover a few simple things I did -- and you can do -- to improve Google search engine rankings. Stay tuned.

-Bob

P.S. I touch on this topic and dozens of others in the special report 50 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Music on the Internet.

Creative Wondering 101

2007-01-11T15:37:00.000-06:00

Liz Strauss wonders about wondering on her blog. She writes:

Creative wondering is opening your brain to the kind of questions you used to have when you were much shorter than you are now. It's like brainstorming with questions. If you're looking to solve a problem, wondering is a painless way to get where you want to be. Point your brain in the right direction, and your wondering takes you to a variety of possible solutions.

The key to creative wondering is asking questions. Liz suggests these idea jolts as a warm-up:

What if?
How come?
What’s wrong with this picture?
Who died and made you king?
What would Brad and Angelina have to say about this?
Why him?
Why her?
Why it?
Why now?
Why bother?
WHY NOT?
What will I do when I win the lottery?

So ... what are you waiting for? Start wondering and begin generating some breakthrough creative ideas!

-Bob

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2007-01-10T09:46:00.000-06:00

Last year I blogged about some cool indie film projects I was involved in. Well, the most ambitious of them is slowly starting to take shape. Check out this page to watch a trailer for Heidi Meets Death. Yes, that's me in the blue shirt, and yes, I play "Death" -- but a kinder, quirkier version than you might think.

It's interesting how Erin, who plays Heidi and whose production company produced the film, created a MySpace page for her character.

MySpace now has separate sections for film, video and music videos. Have a look around and think about how you might tap into the buzz surrounding these visual forms of entertainment.

-Bob

Where in the World Is Bob Baker?

2007-01-09T11:22:00.000-06:00

I finally put up a live event schedule web page. It includes all of my public events: music marketing workshops, book publishing-related talks, even my live music performances (yes, I still actively play part-time).

Most of the events are in St. Louis, MO. But some are in Halifax, Nova Scotia and New York City, and I hope to add dates in Chicago and Nashville soon.

So check out the new Where in the World Is Bob Baker? page. Hope to see you at an event soon.

-Bob

Self Publishing Book Tips at FullTimeAuthor.com

2007-01-08T11:08:00.000-06:00

Ask any author. There's no feeling quite like the first time you tear open the carton that contains your first published book. The sight of the cover, the sound and feeling as you flip through the pages, even the smell of the paper ... it's a thrilling moment!

Whether it's your first or your fiftieth book, that thrill never subsides. It's the closest thing you can get to the birth of a child.

So, do you have a desire to experience that thrill yourself? And, to enjoy that moment with the knowledge that you have a plan in place to reach a lot of people with your book's message -- and make a profit while doing it?

If so, please visit my new FullTimeAuthor.com site and sign up to download four free self-publishing success tips reports. On top of that, I also just started a Full Time Author blog, where I will post regular tips on book marketing and making money as an author.

Here's hoping you get to rip open a carton of your new book soon!

-Bob

Turn Your Book Into a Full-Time Living

2006-12-18T10:33:00.000-06:00

If you're in the St. Louis area the week of Christmas, be sure to check out this great book publishing workshop by Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living.

Got a book in you (especially non-fiction) or one already out? Wondering if self-publishing makes sense? Struggling with how to best promote your masterpiece?

Join nationally renowned copywriting and self-publishing pro Peter Bowerman (in St. Louis for a few days visiting family for the holidays), author of the award-winning Well-Fed Writer titles, for an information-packed 90-minute mini-seminar, presented by the St. Louis Publishers Association.

You'll learn how to:

Create a book that turns heads and grabs eyeballs
Find tons of reviewers anxious to publicize your book
Get the bookstore chains to come looking for you
Minimize your dependence on fickle mainstream media
Parlay one book into multiple income streams

Most importantly, you'll learn a radical new approach to book promotion -- one that keeps you in control. The result: less anxiety, higher profits, and more fun!

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006

Time: 6:30 to 9:00 PM (talk runs from 7:00 to 8:30 PM)

Venue: The Heights (Richmond Heights Community Center); 8001 Dale Avenue, Richmond Heights, MO 63117 (south of I-64/40 and just east of Hanley Road).

Cost: $8 general admission; $5 for members of the St. Louis Publishers Association and the St. Louis Writers Guild.

Peter Bowerman, a freelance copywriter and business coach, is the author of the award-winning Well-Fed Writer titles -- how-to "standards" on writing freelance for businesses (www.wellfedwriter.com).

In 2006, leveraging the successful self-publishing of his first two books (50,000 copies in print, and a full-time living for five-plus years), he released The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living. (www.wellfedsp.com).

Why Am I Thanking You?

2006-11-24T11:13:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the U.S. While a lot of focus is put on tasty meals, parades and football ... it's also a great day to express gratitude for the people, things and events of our lives.

With that in mind, I would like to acknowledge the role YOU play in my life and thank you if you have ever ...

Taken the time to read this blog
Shared one of my articles with a friend
Subscribed to my ezine or podcast
Purchased one my books, reports or CDs
Attended any of my speaking events
Encouraged me to keep doing what I do
Sent me some honest feedback - good or bad

Without someone paying attention, I'd just be flinging words into the ether. The time and attention you give my work gives it meaning. And for that, I thank you!

-Bob

Hits and Misses vs Hits and Niches

2006-11-14T13:21:00.000-06:00

I've written about Chris Anderson and his Long Tail blog before. I finally got around to reading his new book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. It's a real eye-opener. Do yourself a favor and go to Amazon or wherever and get a copy, because in it he writes at length about the changing face of the entertainment industries.

Here's the Long Tail concept in a nutshell:

For decades, we lived in a scarcity economy. We got introduced to new music, books and films via retail outlets, radio, TV and print publications. But all of these avenues of exposure had physical limitations. There was only so much shelf space, air time and editorial pages to fill. So, in order to appeal to the widest audience and turn a profit, only those things that were determined to be most popular were stocked or covered.

This lead to a cultural mentality that a band, book or movie was either a big hit or a giant dud. There was little ground in between the two extremes of popularity. You were either part of the system ... or an outsider.

Then came online retailers such as Amazon and Netflix, which were not constrained by the physical space limitations of traditional sellers. For example, the average Borders bookstore carries about 100,000 titles, while Amazon offers nearly 4 million book titles. The average Blockbuster carries about 3,000 DVDs, while Netflix offers close to 60,000.

And guess what? About 25% of the total revenues on Amazon and Netflix come from products not available in retail stores. Yes, from titles outside the "hit list." Anderson's overwhelming research concludes that, when given unlimited choice (along with the ability to filter through the choices), people will stray from the hits and spend a considerable amount of money on non-mainstream products.

Unfortunately, the old scarcity business model is so ingrained in our culture, it has lead to many unfounded beliefs, such as:

If it isn't a hit, it's a miss
The only success is mass success
"Independent" = "They couldn't get a deal"
"Self-published" = bad
Low-selling = low-quality
If it were good, it would be popular

Luckily, a growing number of creative entrepreneurs are figuring out ways to make the most of this new "abundance economy" -- where practically everything is available to the public, where the cream rises to the top based on what consumers actually want, and where you can make an impact (and a living) without ever ranking on the Billboard Hot 100.

So, what kind of world do you want to live in? One of scarcity, hits and misses? Or one of abundance, hits and niches?

The choice is ultimately up to you.

-Bob

P.S. To make the most of the abundance economy, you simply must squeeze everything you can out of Internet promotions. I just completely revised and updated my popular special report 50 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Music on the Internet. Take a look at this guide and the free bonuses that come with it.

Grow Your Creative Business

2006-10-02T12:19:00.000-05:00

My Internet radio show blitz continues. A couple weeks ago I did a rollicking 40-minute phone interview with Fred Hueston and Lyna Farkas. I was a guest on their Growing Your Business show, which explores all aspects of running and marketing a small business.

The show featuring yours truly airs tonight at 8 PM Eastern / 7 PM Central U.S. time at AllTalkRadio.net

Tune in if you can.

Update: If you missed the live airing of the episode, you can still catch it on Fred and Lyna 's "Growing Your Business" audio archive page or download the MP3 directly using this link.

Enjoy!

-Bob

Can You Hear Me Now?

2006-09-26T12:25:00.000-05:00

Last week I had a great conversation with brothers Phil and Jason Montero, hosts of The Anywhere Office. The show covers work/life balance, virtual offices, mobile work technology, Internet marketing, and more.

Phil and Jason are musicians, so they asked me lots of questions about my background, the good and bad things artists do to promote themselves, and general online branding principles.

You can stream or download the show here.

-Bob

Artistic Success & Nerves

2006-09-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

Check out this video blog post on which I make a personal confession ... and transform it into a crucial marketing lesson that applies to music, art, literature and just about any creative pursuit.

-Bob

P.S. You can also watch a streaming version of this video at
www.audioacrobat.com/playv/W5dbh1cQ

To learn more about Bell's palsy, visit www.bellspalsy.ws

Book Publishing Secrets to Success

2006-09-08T09:10:00.000-05:00

If you’ve been reading my writings for very long, you may know that I’m a full-time author. To clarify, I sustain myself almost exclusively from sales of printed books, e-books and audio programs — mostly on the subject of music marketing. I run a one-man publishing operation from home.

I rarely supplement my income with speaking or consulting fees, like many other authors do. It would probably be smart if I did offer these services, but I get the most joy from writing and publishing information for my target audience.

It’s been brought to my attention that reaching this full-time author/publisher status is rare. Therefore, both aspiring and veteran authors approach me for advice. Often, they are looking for tips, tricks and shortcuts to success — the best media connection, the most effective marketing angle, or the best way to spend their money so they can reach their publishing goals.

So, how did I get to this supposedly enviable position? What are my publishing secrets to success? Here are some answers …

The Lowdown on Money

First off, the key for me had nothing to do with money. When I started on this journey more than 10 years ago, I had no cash to invest. So I made a decision to use the Internet as my primary marketing tool. For the first few years, I spent only $40 a month total for Internet access and web hosting.

So don’t let a shortage of money stop you from pursuing your goals. Just know that going the low-cost route will require creativity, persistence and passion.

The biggest secret to share with you is something I call “chipping away at success.” There was no one connection or review or sales promotion that put me over the top. It was an accumulation of little things — done consistently over weeks, months and years — that led to the positive word of mouth and recognition that I enjoy today.

So many authors and publishers focus on a big launch and media blitz with a new title. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’ve found the sure and steady, long-term approach to be most effective for me.

Your Promotional Canvas

Think of the way an artist paints a picture. First there’s a sketch of what the artist envisions. Then some broad strokes are put down as the background. As layers of color are added, a picture begins to emerge. Each new layer adds detail until a crystal clear image is formed.

My book promotion history has been a similar process. I put my focus on two topics I am passionate about: music and self-promotion. My vision was similar to the bare sketch an artist creates. Then I used whatever avenues were available at any given time to get my message out to the people who needed to hear it the most: musician readers with a do-it-yourself mindset.

I wrote dozens of articles and placed them on my own web site and made them available to countless others. I published an e-zine, contributed to news groups and online forums, posted press releases, gave away promotional e-books, and made lots of new friends via e-mail. More recently I’ve added a blog, a podcast, and am now embracing video content.

The Snowball Effect

All of these efforts act like layers of paint that build up over time. At first, the image is fuzzy and only a handful of people know who you are and what you do. As you continue to create content and leave these little promotional crumbs across the Internet, your notoriety slowly expands. Eventually, a multiplying effect takes hold and thousands of people are hearing about you and responding.

The thing is, no one e-mail or article or sample chapter or blog post makes a huge splash. It’s the combined effect of all your marketing efforts that builds over time. They are drops in a bucket that turn into a steady trickle and, before you know it, a full-blown waterfall that erupts into a tidal wave.

That’s my secret to success. Hopefully, it will help you reach your creative goals. Now get busy leaving your own promotional crumbs somewhere!

-Bob

Word-of-Mouth Sunshine

2006-08-30T16:51:00.000-05:00

The Los Angeles Times ran an article on the positive effect that word-of-mouth is playing in the success of the sleeper film Little Miss Sunshine.

It also points out how the major movie studio marketing game has changed. From the article:

Recommendations from friends and associates always have been a critical ingredient in building box-office momentum, just as negative word of mouth accelerates a middling movie's downfall. Yet the speed at which such assessments are transmitted has never been so fast, nor the effect — as Little Miss Sunshine is dramatizing — so profound.

Movie studios once felt confident they had at least two weekends to sell as many movie tickets as possible before toxic buzz would undermine their multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns. Hollywood executives now say that the proliferation of movie-related e-mail, Internet blogs and text messaging has reduced that window to mere hours, as the quick decline of last weekend's heavily promoted Snakes on a Plane proved.

It's a sad statement about the way things used to be, but uplifting to know that as consumers become more empowered communicators, quality movies, books, art and music have a better chance of rising to the top.

An executive from Fox Searchlight had this to say: "Instant communications technology has completely changed the role of word of mouth. Word of mouth used to be confined to cities. Now, thanks to e-mail, it crosses continents. It's revolutionized what word of mouth means."

Amen to that!

-Bob

Sell Your Visual Art

2006-08-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

Are you a visual artist or photographer interested in selling your images? In case you didn't know, there are web sites that can easily put your artwork on T-shirts, mugs, posters and more for no upfront costs.

The most prominent of these sites is CafePress.com. In addition to clothing, stickers, magnets and housewares, Cafe Press has also gotten into producing books and audio CDs for its vendors.

Another site competing in this category is Zazzle.com, which also creates custom T-shirts, mugs, cards, prints, and even real U.S. postage with your image.

These sites offer a good way to get your feet wet selling your visual creations online. They make it easy to set up a sales page and process orders for you. However, note that if you seriously want to make decent money -- especially if you start to build a fan base and steady sales -- you will be better off producing your own products in bulk through a traditional printer and taking orders on your own site.

The profit you can make through Cafe Press and Zazzle is generally not enough to sustain a full-time artist -- unless you are really racking up huge sales numbers. But if you are a novice at online sales, they offer a no-cost, easy way to get started selling your art online.

Happy selling!

-Bob

Three Simple Marketing Words

2006-08-28T11:51:00.000-05:00

Here's a fresh idea that I think will give you a healthy perspective on your creative career and marketing activities.

While reading an article I came across a phrase that caused alarm bells to go off in my brain. I was so inspired, I wrote down these three simple words so I wouldn't forget them:

"Recognize your uniqueness."

In the article (sorry, but I forgot the original source), the phrase was meant to motivate people to take a look at their own talents and qualities. As I'm sure you're aware, people (perhaps you?) often don't give themselves the credit they deserve when it comes to their individual attributes and accomplishments.

But it also occurred to me that this is exactly what effective marketing is all about -- only you must shift the focus away from yourself. In other words, self-promotion is about inspiring other people to "recognize your uniqueness" as an artist. And it's the "uniqueness" aspect of that effort that makes all the difference.

Many creative people make the mistake of simply trying to get the general public to recognize them as a "writer" or a "musician" or an "artist." That's a start, but it doesn't complete your ultimate mission, which is to connect with the fans who are most likely to be blown away by the specific type of art you create.

So when you promote yourself, always ask if you are communicating who you are clearly enough that people will immediately "recognize your uniqueness."

However, there's another all-important side to this equation. For you to communicate your uniqueness, YOU must have a firm understanding of it yourself. If you are fuzzy about the kind of art you create, how can you ever convey the essence of who you are to others?

That's the problem with most of the shoddy marketing campaigns that litter the promotional roadway. Artists are sometimes too close to their own creations. They assume people will just "get it" on their own. But that's not always the case. Music fans, readers and art lovers need solid clues. More than clues, they need clear descriptions, obvious indications, and specific details about what you do and how they'll benefit from it.

So from now on, make sure you help both yourself and others "recognize your uniqueness."

-Bob

Not-So-Silent Bob's Indie Film Bonanza

2006-07-21T11:48:00.000-05:00

I don't know what's going on this year, but I seem to be attracting more opportunities in the film world. First there was my appearance in the Beatle Bob documentary trailer. Then a music video for my song "Sin Is On Your Face."

Now a QuickTime video of On the Road with Ian Jejune, a 48 Hour Film Project piece I co-wrote and acted in this year, was just posted. Watch it here. (Yes, I'm the nerd character ... and no, it's not type casting.) The guy playing Ian is Lee Mueller, who produced the "Sin" music video.

Coming soon is Heidi Meets Death, in which I play Death -- but not with the predictable Grim Reaper vibe. Heidi is played by my friend Erin Marie Hogan. Check out some early screen shots here.

Don't worry. I'm not going to trade being an author to pursue acting. After years of doing theatre as a hobby, I'm just exploring my creativity, feeding my soul, and having a blast doing it.

Hope you're doing the same thing -- in your own special way.

-Bob

Are You Certain? Or Not?

2006-06-29T13:38:00.000-05:00

Here's a thought to ponder that just might have a big impact on the way you approach creative success.

Life is filled with a combination of two things: certainty and uncertainty. Lucky for us, it is. If we were absolutely certain about everything, life would be routine and boring. If we were filled with uncertainty about everything, we'd constantly live in fear.

Having a balance between the two is healthy. The only thing is, most artists and writers (and creative people in general) have an unhealthy certainty and uncertainty balance.

Want some examples?

Common Topics Artists Are Often Certain About:

- Pursuing an independent creative career is a tough, uphill battle.
- It's not what you know, it's who you know.
- If I can't get widespread media exposure, I'm doomed.
- Without approval from an industry gatekeeper, I will wallow in obscurity for eternity.

Common Topics Artists Are Often Uncertain About:

- Do I really have what it takes to succeed as an artist?
- How can I possibly promote myself when I know very little about it?
- Do I even deserve to reach my artistic dreams?
- How can I compete with so many other talented artists?

Here's the thing, all of these thoughts of certainty and uncertainty are merely personal perceptions. In other words, they're choices that each person makes. So, if you get to choose, why not put a more empowering spin on your choices?

What if you were to reverse the categories above? What if you had a sense of certainty about your ability to promote yourself and find your unique place in the world of successful artists?

You might not know how you're going to get there, but you can still embrace a feeling of confident expectation that you will arrive. You do the same thing when you drive somewhere you've never been before. You may not be familiar with the route, but you "know" that you will get there.

And what if you cultivated a less certain attitude toward industry rules and traditions? What if you asked, "Do I really need widespread media exposure to reach my fans?" or "Might I enjoy an independent, do-it-yourself career more than the traditional path?" or "How can I make promotion fun instead of a hardship?"

Keep a watchful eye on the way you process your world. And when you find yourself latching on to a certainty or an uncertainty, ask that most powerful of questions ...

What if ...?

Doing so will greatly increase your odds of reaching your dreams. And that's one thing I am certain about!

-Bob

On George Carlin & Al Gore

2006-06-26T11:22:00.000-05:00

Pardon the off-topic post, but this is a topic I feel compelled to write about.

At first glance, George Carlin and Al Gore don't seem to have a lot in common, but I think they do. About 15 years ago, Carlin recorded a hilarious routine called "The Planet Is Fine." Go here to read the full text, but here's an excerpt:

We're so self-important. Everybody's going to save something now. "Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales, save those snails." And the greatest arrogance of all: save the planet. Save the planet, we don't even know how to take care of ourselves yet. Besides, there is nothing wrong with the planet. Compared to the people, the planet is doing great.

The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles ... hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages ... And we think some plastic bags and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet isn't going anywhere. WE ARE!

We're going away. Pack your shit, folks. We're going away. And we won't leave much of a trace, either. Maybe a little Styrofoam ... The planet'll be here and we'll be long gone. Just another failed mutation. Just another closed-end biological mistake. An evolutionary cul-de-sac. The planet'll shake us off like a bad case of fleas.

The planet will be here for a long, long, LONG time after we're gone, and it will heal itself, it will cleanse itself, 'cause that's what it does. It's a self-correcting system. The air and the water will recover, the earth will be renewed.

Carlin's point was that the environmentalist slogan should have been changed from "Save the Planet" to "Save Our Own Asses." Last week that idea was driven home a lot further when I saw the film "An Inconvenient Truth," the new documentary that chronicles Al Gore's mission to make people aware of the real consequences that humans are beginning to witness after decades of short-sighted treatment of the Earth's atmosphere.

There are no tree huggers, no pleas to be kind to Mother Nature. Gore simply shows -- using a nice blend of humor and facts -- how global warming, melting ice caps, and rising CO2 levels are having a real effect on people's lives -- and how things will only get worse for humans if we continue to ignore the changes taking place.

See "An Inconvenient Truth." Keep an open mind. Decide for yourself how important this issue is.

Or at least take 90 minutes to learn how a future generation may be shaken off the Earth like a bad case of fleas.

Here's a trailer for the movie at YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUiP6dqPynE

And here's Gore being interviewed by David Letterman:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf7s0kTlftg

Again, see the movie. Keep an open mind. And decide for yourself how important it is.

-Bob

I Want My Bob TV

2006-05-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

This just in ... My first-ever music video is available for your viewing and listening pleasure.

I say "viewing pleasure" with hesitation, because I cringe every time I see myself in this. Hopefully, your response won't be so unnerving :-)

My longtime pal Lee Mueller produced this video for a film editing class he took this past semester. It's to an original song I wrote and recorded last year called "Sin Is On Your Face." The girl in the video is our theatre friend Liz Landeau.

Enjoy. And thanks to Lee and Liz for their generous work on this!

You can also view the file at Google Video.

3 Step Success Formula Video

2006-05-01T22:57:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't heard, 2006 is the Year of Internet Video, a subject I covered in a recent post on my Music Promotion Blog.

The way I look at it, I am not simply an author. My mission in life is to empower musicians, writers, artists, and other creative people. Books are one vehicle I use to get that message out. But I also use whatever methods are available to communicate, including a web site, this blog, a podcast, public speaking, and now online video.

Want to see my first foray into using streaming video to educate and inspire creative people?

Just click the play button, give it a spin, and let me know what you think:

Feel free to share this video with your friends. You can send them to this page, of course, or go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG1N2wzsd2Y and see the many options you have to share the clip -- and even embed it into your own web site.

FYI ... online video doesn't have to be flashy or expensive. I used a cheap home karaoke machine-type microphone to record the audio portion, and Windows Movie Maker to edit the video. Movie Maker comes free with the XP operating system. I love technology!

How might you use online video to promote what you have to offer?

-Bob

Beatle Bob and Me - Caught on Film

2006-04-26T10:27:00.000-05:00

I'm famous. Sharing the screen with Jello Biafra, Mojo Nixon, and the legendary Beatle Bob!

A friend recently sent me a link to www.myspace.com/bb_rocks. That's the MySpace home of director Jenni Sterling and Arammana Productions, which is producing an indie documentary called "Superfan: The Lies, Life and Legend of Beatle Bob."

I clicked the play button on the embedded video player, and lo and behold, there I was -- talking about Beatle Bob. I'm the first voice you hear on the trailer.

(Not sure who Beatle Bob is? Click here to find out.)

I met Jenni and a camera guy at a local music store about a year ago and was interviewed for the documentary. Hadn't heard much about it since, until I was sent the link. Very cool.

Later in the clip, you hear former Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra, right before they return to a shot of me. Another classic scene is a rant by Mojo Nixon near the end.

Again, you can watch it at www.myspace.com/bb_rocks. Note: You may have to download the latest version of Flash to have the audio and video work together.

See you on the red carpet :-)

-Bob

New Full-Time Author Squidoo Lens

2006-04-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of Squidoo? It's a cool new site described as an "online platform that makes it easy for anyone to build lenses on any topic they are passionate about."

These "lenses" are basically single web pages, hosted on the Squidoo site, that offer a unique, human perspective on things that interest the Lensmaster -- the person who created the lens.

Becoming a Lensmaster can help you spread your ideas, get recognized for your expertise, and send more traffic to your web site or blog.

I'm no dummy, so I just set up two of my own lens:

Full-Time Author: How to Make a Living With Your Self-Published Book at www.squidoo.com/selfpublishingprofits
Indie Music Marketing & Promotion Tips at www.squidoo.com/indiemusicmarketing

Check them out. And consider creating your own Squidoo lens on your special area of creative expertise. Make it a useful resource, while also directing surfers to your other sites and places where they can sample your talents.

-Bob

P.S. Squidoo is one of the 33 social networking sites I list in a bonus section of my new MySpace Music Marketing ebook.

Viral Marketing, Doggie Style

2006-04-10T10:11:00.000-05:00

From Joe Vitale (www.MrFire.com):

Munrab Entertainment wants to hold the world's
first "Canine Concert," an event where the music
is played at a sound level only dogs can hear.

In order to find the right band for the canines,
Munrab is asking people to vote on what they
think their dogs want to hear. It's all explained at--

www.CanineConcert.com

This is how you start a viral marketing buzz.

You focus on fun and you hide the selling.
Then people will spread the news like a virus.

As always, think about how you can apply this concept to your own promotion activities.

-Bob

The Science of Exposure and Sales

2006-04-02T10:06:00.000-05:00

Recently I took my daughter to the St. Louis Science Center and unexpectedly came away with some valuable lessons that could help you promote and profit from your talents. Let me explain ...

You've no doubt been to these science center type of places. If not, similar principles apply to museums and other tourist attractions.

Much of the St. Louis Science Center is open to the public. If you don't mind walking a bit, you can park for free, bring the family, stroll around, and enjoy three floors of hands-on activities.

However, there are more things to do at the Science Center.

For $3, your child can spend an hour in the Discovery Room.
For $7, you can attend one of the Omnimax theater movies.
For $12, you can gain access to the main exhibit (currently featuring artifacts from the Titanic).
For $65, you can go on a "Glided Segway Tour" of Forest Park.
For $75, you can get a one-year family membership to the Science Center and get free parking in the lot right next to the center and free (or discounted) access to the activities listed above.
For $1,000 or more, you can join the Albert Einstein Society as a Science Center financial supporter.

So where's the marketing lesson here? All you have to do is examine what's really going on at the Science Center.

First, free access to many parts of the venue gets people in the door and interacting with what the Science Center offers.
Second, once it exposes guests to the environment (after creating an enjoyable free experience), the Center makes offers to "upgrade" people to its paid services.
Third, the Science Center offers a variety of entry points where patrons can spend money -- from as little as $3 to many thousands of dollars.

How can you apply these ideas to your creative product or service?

-Bob

Bob Heading to Austin for SXSW

2006-03-06T18:56:00.000-06:00

It's been several years since I attended the music and media fun-fest known as South By Southwest. But I'm returning to the wonderful city of Austin this year. So far, here are two cool public things I'm doing. (Don't ask about the private things :-)

Friday, March 17 - 1 to 2 PM or so
I'll be hanging out at the Music Manufacturing Services booth at the SXSW Trade Show. Stop by to say hi, get an autographed book, discuss the state of indie music in the modern era, or hear what I think about Ryan Seacrest's current hair style :-)

Saturday, March 18 - 1 to 2 PM
I will present a free one-hour workshop at an "Invasion of the GoGirls @ SXSW" event. My talk will be called "How to Promote Yourself, Make Money & Live Your Music Dreams." Held at Ruta Maya, 3601 South Congress, Austin 78704. Phone: 512-707-9637.

Best yet, did I mention that it's free and open to the public!

The whole GoGirls "invasion" sounds pretty awesome. Madalyn Sklar and her crew will be showcasing the best emerging talent in seven "unofficial" SXSW showcases. Details at http://www.gogirlsmusic.com/sxsw/

Hope to see you there!

-Bob

Marketing That Persuades & Sells

2006-03-02T18:53:00.000-06:00

Want to boost the sales of your creative product? Then get a quick crash course on marketing at Bob Bly's free articles page.

Bly a master copywriter and the author of more than 50 books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Direct Marketing and The Copywriter's Handbook.

Some of my favorite Bly articles include:

The Fundamentals of Persuasive Writing

How to Write Catalog Copy That Sells

On Target Advertising - Ads That Sell

Practical Techniques for Producing Profitable Ideas

Read 'em and reap the benefits!

-Bob

Light Up, Everybody!

2006-02-10T12:16:00.000-06:00

I've been plunking around on the Internet for about 12 years now. My girlfriend recently pointed out that if you do a Google search on "bob baker" music marketing, you come up with more than 34,000 pages of results. Wow. Even I'm amazed at what can happen when you doggedly pursue a personal passion for years on end.

In the early days, I had no idea where my efforts would lead. It was often frustrating, but somewhere inside I was aware of an inner candle flame -- a vision of the life and circumstances I wanted to create. That inner vision, combined with real-world feedback from and interaction with the marketplace, led to where I am today: a music lover who makes a living as an author and publisher.

Three questions for you:

What inner vision do you have of yourself?
Can you sense your own internal candle flame?
Are you aware of its presence, or is it hidden in darkness?

To reach more tangible levels of success, you must tap into that inner drive -- especially in the early going, when your passion and persistence will be tested the most.

There's a reason that only a miniscule percentage of people reach a point where they make a comfortable living with their art. Most people simply give up too early, unable to find the personal fuel to weather the initial hurdles and apathy they encounter.

Where do you stand? How brightly does your inner candle burn? And what can you do to turn up the heat?

-Bob

Artist Empowerment Radio: What's New?

2006-02-07T12:28:00.000-06:00

In case you missed them, be sure to take a listen to the last two installments of my Artist Empowerment Radio Podcast.

With this episode, I give you "Marketing Lessons From an 8-Year-Old Girl" and one very important Do and Don't regarding self-promotion.

And go here to find out why you need to stop making excuses or waiting for your musical situation to be perfect. There's only one way and one right time to get busy pursuing your goals. Hint: It ain't tomorrow!

You can also listen using this nifty Flash player:

-Bob

The Essence of Ambition

2006-02-03T12:20:00.000-06:00

What does it really take to succeed? Do you ever wonder whether you've got the drive and thick skin to endure? This piece of insight might help soothe your doubts ...

Last fall, Laura Cantrell (a buzz-making country-folk artist signed to Matador Records) was interviewed by an unlikely media source: Psychology Today magazine.

Here's how she answered the question "What drives you to succeed?" ...

A few years ago, I remember playing music at home by myself on the weekend and thinking, "Why not try getting on Grand Ole Opry? How hard could it really be?" Maybe that's a blend of naivete and hopefulness and some faith in yourself. I feel that I haven't had any drive beyond the "it's worth a shot" impulse, but that impulse has been very strong for me, even when success seemed pretty unlikely.

There's a lesson for us all here. Success doesn't only come to those who doggedly pursue a creative career and bulldoze through every obstacle with the pit bull enthusiasm of an infomercial announcer.

Sometimes, all it takes is three simple qualities:

Naivete -- not being aware of all the hardships that others so easily buy into.
Hopefulness -- an optimistic attitude toward what's possible.
Some faith in yourself -- knowing that success does come to certain new artists; why not you?

-Bob

Your Search for Meaning - Part 2

2006-01-26T11:22:00.000-06:00

In part one of this post, I covered the importance of finding meaning and being aware of your true calling. Now let's examine the all-important role of artistic contribution.

Here are Brandon Iurato's thoughts on this topic:

"Your job is not to fully understand the world, but simply to enhance it. Make it better because you were here. Whether that be through an entertaining performance, a beautiful sculpture, a simpler solution, a kind gesture, or a global movement. Grow where you are planted and branch out to connect with and help others."

Brilliant. The most meaningful artistic accomplishments are created in the service of others. Sure, you can get personal satisfaction from writing a poem or painting a picture that you alone see. But your craft takes on much greater meaning when you share it and enrich the lives of others.

Another great concept from Iurato:

"The key to tapping your growth potential is beginning the process. Take the first steps; act on your impulses. Find ways to enhance the world through your actions. Don't start by looking at yourself, start by looking around you. What are you concerned about? How would you change the world if you could?"

Here lies one of the big keys to finding meaning in your creativity. If you're not happy with the current slew of murder mysteries being published, write and publish your own. Not thrilled with the state of rock music? Create your own brand of better rock and get it circulating. Does the artwork at local galleries bore you? Paint a better picture.

And, most importantly, get started doing it. Don't wait. Stop putting it off. Do something. Anything. And do it now!

-Bob

P.S. For more inspiration along these lines, read some free sample chapters from Unleash the Artist Within.

Your Search for Meaning

2006-01-20T09:49:00.000-06:00

I want to share some awesome and inspiring ideas I found in an article by Brandon Iurato called "What's Your Why?"

First off, he writes about the importance of finding meaning in our lives:

"Without meaning, there is no internal motivation or reason to take action, and depression sets in. Without meaning, we don't feel alive. That's why it is so valuable to set goals."

With a goal, a purpose, a reason to create ... you will gravitate toward taking the steps to transform your ideas into reality. That's exactly how all great music, art and literature come into being.

"Deep within you, you know what you are designed to do. There is a voice, a feeling, a sixth sense that tells you. We all have experienced the feeling that things would unfold in a particular direction, for a particular reason."

Call it destiny or fate or your true calling. Whatever name you give it, it's your job to pay attention and recognize your ideal creative path. Sadly, most people don't. Iurato also writes, "I believe that all of us 'know' our calling. We just fail to NOTICE."

How do you notice?

"Our interests and impulses are messages we should listen to. Follow your gut instinct. As Emerson said, 'Desire is possibility seeking expression.'"

Iurato suggests that, if something fascinates or fulfills you ... take notice. Continue to play with the activity and see how deep your natural interest and excitement about it is. This fascination just might be your natural purpose calling you.

Search for your meaning and uncover your Why. You'll be a lot more content and satisfied if you do.

-Bob

The Ugly Truth About Book Publishing in 2006

2006-01-16T16:29:00.000-06:00

Learning (and Unlearning) the State of the Book Industry

A lot has happened in the publishing industry over the past several years. And that's why both veteran and aspiring authors are eager to learn all they can about book creation, marketing and sales. But there's another aspect to this education process that I recommend you learn as well: To unlearn much of what you've come to accept as the book publishing gospel.

The things I'm about to suggest may ruffle a few feathers, but I feel they need to be said nonetheless …

The State of the Publishing Industry

The January 2006 issue of Writer's Digest magazine features an article called "The State of the Industry." Here are a few of the findings expressed by writer Tom Connor and some if his industry insider sources, along with my own comments:

Industry truth: One of the major obstacles these days is the sheer volume of books. In 2003 alone, more than 195,000 new titles were published.

My truth: Sure, that number represents a lot of new books. But why sweat it? The vast majority of those titles do not compete with yours. And because short-run digital printing is so accessible to amateurs, many new titles sadly reek of poor quality and will never be marketed aggressively by their authors. Which means there is still a place for good books from smart, self-promoting authors.

Industry truth: One industry pro said, "At the same time that publishers are chasing readers, the waves of new titles are chasing the same pool of consumer dollars."

My truth: Hogwash! This is simply old-school scarcity thinking. There's plenty of money being circulated by consumers -- billions and billions of dollars. If the benefit that your book delivers has value in the minds of readers, many will find a way to purchase it, regardless of what their previous book budget was. People spend their money on what's important to them, whether the purchase involves a music CD, computer game, magazine or movie ticket. Do all you can to position your book as an important resource to your target audience.

Industry truth: Another source remarked, "The biggest trend is that most titles are failures."

My truth: According to whom? For a major publisher, a book that sells 10,000 copies over its first two years may be considered a dismal failure. But to a self-published author, those same sales figures could supply a healthy income. One person's loser is another's bread and butter title. Create your own definition of success.

Industry truth: A publishing veteran asked, "How the hell does anyone who self-publishes get noticed among 195,000 new titles a year?"

My truth: By being concerned only with -- and promoting the heck out of -- your title (or titles). Who cares that there are 10,000 new mysteries or 6,000 titles on how to heal relationships? There's only one book on your topic written from your one-of-a-kind perspective. Exploit your uniqueness!

Industry truth: Bookstore returns of 30 to 50 percent and shrinking book coverage in the media are causing headaches for traditional publishing companies.

My truth: Let them stock up on pain reliever. You can rest easy and simply choose not to expend excess energy on retail distribution and book reviews in the mainstream press. Don't believe the doom and gloom, though. Authors are getting lots of media exposure -- just in areas other than book review pages. Experts and genre specialists will always find a home on talk shows, lifestyle pages and web sites of all stripes. And bookstores? Well, as Dan Poynter says, "Bookstores are lousy places to sell books." Find your own avenues to reach readers and book buyers.

It can't hurt to learn all you can about the publishing industry -- as long as you're willing to unlearn much of what you hear and then carve out your own version of the truth.

To your success!

-Bob

P.S. For more articles like this, visit my Self-Publishing Tips & Resources page.

Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun

2005-12-12T15:01:00.000-06:00

Wanna get a creative lift? Watch Michael Bungay Stanier's upbeat Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun video. It will definitely loosen you up and make you think.

Stanier is a success coach who "helps organizations, teams and individuals get unstuck and get going on the stuff that matters."

I found out about this via Joyce Wycoff's Good Morning Thinkers blog. Thanks, Joyce!

What's Your Purpose?

2005-12-08T10:46:00.000-06:00

I encourage you to do something right now (or at least some time today) that may not only give you something exciting to think about, but it could alter the course of your life -- if you truly took it to heart.

In my recent Let's Get Metaphysical post I mentioned Wayne Dyer, an author and speaker who has been a great inspiration to me and countless others. This morning I listened to a recent episode of his "The Power of Intention" show at HayhouseRadio.com.

If you haven't been exposed to many of his ideas, what he says about living a life on purpose could be incredibly eye-opening for you. And if you already do embrace his philosophy, treat yourself to another dose of this empowering message.

You can download the MP3 file. It's a one-hour show. At least listen to the first 15 or 20 minutes. The worst that could happen is that you'll be unimpressed. The best that could happen is that you'll have a new vision of how you can serve the world through your art and creativity.

Visit www.hayhouseradio.com to check out their lengthy list of quality online radio shows.

The 7 Attributes of Highly Successful Authors

2005-12-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

(This column first appeared in the St. Louis Publisher's Association newsletter.)

Are you a curious person? I am. Especially when it comes to people who have taken action to achieve worthy and creative goals. Whenever I meet a successful author, musician, artist, actor or whatever ... I try to find a way to pick his or her brain and discover what the person did to breathe life into their aspirations. I also pay attention to the qualities and traits that the most successful people seem to have in common.

Through the St. Louis Publisher's Association and other networking opportunities, I've been blessed to get to know several successful authors. I believe that taking what I've learned from them, and combining their strategies with my own views and methods, has greatly helped me to become a full-time, self-published author.

With that in mind, here is a list of what I consider to be the seven attributes demonstrated by the most successful authors:

They're on a mission (or at least feel they have something to say). Many prominent authors write because they have to. What drives them goes far beyond money and recognition. They write and share their words because they have a story that needs to be told, a point of view that needs to be communicated, a message they feel the world needs to hear. To be successful, you must become an evangelist for your topic.
Their vision is stronger than the rules and obstacles they encounter. I don't have to tell you that there are a ton of hurdles that aspiring authors run into. Many of them are tangible (such as editing, prepress and distribution matters) while others are mental barriers (like the fear of rejection, financial struggle and anticipated prohibitive costs to enter the field). What sets apart successful authors is their almost naive, child-like ability to not buy into common myths and let their greater vision guide them around any obstructions they encounter.
They understand the "self" of self-promotion. No matter what level of success you attain, you will always be intimately involved in the promotion of your books. Struggling writers wish they could hand off the marketing work to someone else so they can concentrate only on the writing. Sure, you can hire a publicist or assistant to help with some things, but no one will ever promote you as passionately as you can. To succeed, get on friendlier terms with promotion.
They make the best use of available tools. There are all sorts of ways to create, market and sell books these days. There are traditional methods such as sheet-fed printers, distributors, bookstores, trade magazine reviews, bulk sales to associations, etc. And there are relatively newer options at your disposal: print-on-demand, web sites, e-zines, Amazon's Advantage program, blogs, podcasts and more. You don't have to use every option (and probably shouldn't for sanity's sake). But you should at least be aware of what's available and choose the best new and old tools for your book topic and personality.
They put a focus on readers and fans. What's the number one factor that determines an author's material success? It isn't the size of his publisher or the reputation of his agent. It isn't the amount of her advance or the raving reviews she gets in the press. The only thing that matters is the number of people who purchase and read the book, and then rave about it to their friends. The most successful authors understand this and always put a priority on attracting and retaining readers ... and turning readers into fans.
They think of themselves as a personal brand with a clear identity. People may at first be attracted to the title and subject matter of your book, especially when you're a new author. But if they really enjoy what you've written, they will start to associate your name with the benefit you deliver through your books. Then, instead of looking for another book on your topic, your fans will seek out other books by you. Most of the top authors are known for a specific subject or genre, and once established, they crank out a series of similar books. You should consider doing the same.
They understand that being a solo author doesn't mean working alone. The author's life can be a solitary one -- particularly when immersed in writing a new book. But successful authors realize that writing alone doesn't mean they have to be lonely or feel like it's them against the cold, cruel world. Even solo self-published authors can (and should) share ideas with other writers and assemble a team that might include editors, graphic artists, web designers, print brokers and more.

There's my list of the seven success attributes. How does it compare with your list? If I missed anything, please click the Comments button below and add your thoughts. I may also include your comments in a future article or blog post.

To your success!

-Bob

For more book-related ideas like these, visit my Self-Publishing Tips & Resources page.

FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site or blog -- as long as the following author bio/blurb is included at the end:

Bob Baker is the author of "Unleash the Artist Within," "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook" and "Branding Yourself Online." Get a FREE subscription to Bob's newsletter, "Quick Tips for Creative People," featuring inspiration and low-cost self-promotion ideas for artists, writers, performers and more. Visit PromoteYourCreativity.com for details.

Let's Get Metaphysical

2005-11-29T10:25:00.000-06:00

"Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into." -Wayne Dyer

It was just several years ago when I apprehensively dipped my toe into the pool of writing about it. I tried to slip it into the conversation when readers were looking the other way.

I'm talking about the expanding core of what I write and speak about. It's evolved from talking about marketing tactics (such as press kits, cover letters and package design) to encouraging musicians and creative people of all stripes to embrace positive thinking. Now I also touch on concepts that border on being "metaphysical" or "spiritual" in nature.

Coming Out of the Touchy-Feely Closet

The good news is, I'm not alone in delving into these less tangible topics. Enlightened people have been talking about them for centuries. But only in recent years have I noticed authors and speakers more openly expressing the principles to artists, writers and performers.

Examples: Author Joe Taylor Jr wrote recently about Music Miracles and the Power of Intention, and soon after David Hooper responded with Manifesting Music Business Success on his blog.

What's most amusing to me is that three different people located in different parts of the country, who spend a lot of waking hours thinking about music career success, have come to similar conclusions: We live in an abundant world, and with the right mindset, we can tap into its many gifts and rewards -- while giving back at least as much as we take.

No Gurus Allowed

If you've seen the movie What the Bleep Do We Know? or read books by Wayne Dyer or Deepak Chopra, you know what I'm talking about. This isn't about promoting a religion. In fact, it's not about religion at all. I don't sit around and burn incense and meditate all day. I don't pretend to have all the answers to life's great mysteries.

I'm just a regular guy who has learned to open his mind to the possibilities that everyone has access to. And that's probably the biggest thing that has influenced my writing in recent years: understanding that answers, solutions and opportunities aren't "out there" somewhere. They reside within, and it's up to each one of us to stop searching high and low for the Holy Grail and look under our own noses for the real keys to success and happiness.

The DIY Mindset

This philosophy dovetails perfectly with the "do it yourself" movement that is sweeping the planet. People are learning that they no longer have to rely on gatekeepers or lucky breaks to influence their progress.

Hot tip: Want to connect with the most powerful person who can impact your career in the arts? Look in the mirror.

"All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination. Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth." -Napoleon Hill

The Psychology of Crowds

2005-11-25T12:11:00.000-06:00

It's the day after Thanksgiving -- widely known in the USA as one of the busiest shopping days of the year. And it's always amazed me. Why do people go out in droves to crowded malls and risk trampling just to save a few bucks on a DVD player or crock pot?

One answer has everything to do with crowd psychology.

I learned this lesson years ago as I watched people file out after comedy shows. (Yes, in a former life I performed stand-up comedy and music parodies regularly.) I sold my own comedy tapes and usually parked near the exit to catch anyone who wanted to buy the recording I had plugged onstage.

One show in particular stands out. The audience was about a hundred people strong. Nearly half of them marched right past me. Then one person stopped to buy a tape. Then another.

One of the buyers noticed I had a stack of promo photos and asked how much it would be for an autographed copy. No one had ever asked that before, so I said, "If you buy the tape, I'll give you an autographed picture free."

The other buyer overhead the conversation and said, "Then I'll take one too." By then, other patrons who were filing out had stopped to see what was going on. I heard a number of remarks along the lines of "What's going on? Oh, he's selling tapes. Let's stop and get one." Within minutes, there was a long and growing line. Each person saw that I was signing photos and wanted one too.

It was an eye-opening experience. What was so appealing to the second half of the audience that the first half couldn't care less about? You know the answer:

They were at first curious just to see what all the commotion was about, then interested in getting a piece of what so many other people were enjoying.

Stephen Bucaro writes about the importance of "consensus" when selling: "Consensus involves getting prospective customers to believe that 'everybody's doing it.' Everybody is just waiting in line to purchase your product. Everybody can't be wrong, so the product must be fantastic!"

And Mel Torment of Finger Records writes, "The packed house, frothing crowd mentality creates a sheep-like response, and when everyone suddenly thinks a band is cool, it is automatically assumed that so and so is the only band that matters ..."

This topic may be worth covering over a number of blog posts. So check back for more thoughts on the psychology of crowds. In the meantime, start thinking about ways you can stimulate curiosity and attract a crowd feeding frenzy with your music, art, craft, performance, books, etc.

Meet Obstacles (and Go Around Them)

2005-11-22T12:21:00.000-06:00

I'm a big fan of Curt Rosengren and his Occupational Adventure blog. A couple of months ago, he wrote two great posts on overcoming fear and steering around obstacles -- a topic that most creative people can learn from.

In Fearless choices, not fearful choices, he writes ...

It's so easy to stop with the assumption that it can't be done. Rather than assuming that [our goal] is forever out of our reach -- based on either past experience or beliefs we have absorbed along the way -- we can stop and ask ourselves, "OK, if it doesn't work this way, how else could it work?

And in a post titled Develop a 5 to 1 habit, Curt explains ...

When I talk to people about pursuing their passions, I often encounter an endless litany of "reasons why I can't." It seems to be wired into us to look for obstacles and declare them reality.

One of the ways to change that perspective is to develop a 5 to 1 habit. For every obstacle you recognize, commit to writing down five ideas for getting around that obstacle.

Great attitude. Roadblocks are rarely eternal or insurmountable. Most of what holds artists, writers and performers back comes from within -- a false perception, a weak belief, a negative expectation.

These disempowering ways of thinking can be deeply ingrained. So you may at first have to force yourself to think in more optimistic terms. Stick with it and you'll eventually think less fearful thoughts automatically.

Thought nugget: Don't buy into the so-called obstacles you encounter. Find another route. If you can't work your way through or over a speed bump, find a creative way to drive around it. And then keep going!

Readers and Buyers and Fans ... Oh My!

2005-11-04T09:10:00.000-06:00

Even though this was written for authors interested in my Self-Publishing Tips & Resources site, you should find some useful ideas here, no matter what area of creativity you indulge in.

The Three Most Important Types of People Who Can Make Your Book a Success

If you were to ask most authors and publishers to name three people who can most influence a book's success, you'd likely get responses such as, "a buyer at Borders or Barnes & Noble" or "the book editor at the New York Times" or "one of Oprah's TV show producers."

These are understandable answers. But I encourage you to consider three other types of people. And I'll even go out on a limb and suggest that they are the three kinds of folks who will most dramatically affect the notoriety and sales of your book.

They are readers and buyers and fans. They're so crucial to your success, I'll examine each one in detail.

Readers

As the name implies, readers are simply people who have read what you've written. I list them separately because not all readers are buyers or fans, although they certainly can be both. A reader can be someone who borrows your book from a friend, checks out your book from a library, or reads a sample of your work online. They may end up enjoying what you've written, or they may not.

Readers are all important. The more people who absorb your words, the more likely you are to generate positive word of mouth and sales -- that is, if what you've written connects with enough of the people who read your stuff.

That's the key thing to keep in mind here: Your primary goal isn't to make sales (in my opinion). It should be to get as many people as possible to read what you've written, by any means necessary. You can accomplish this by:

Making book excerpts available on your web site
Giving away short printed excerpts at your live appearances
Offering book excerpts to appropriate magazines and newspapers
Giving free review copies of your book to people who may influence others to read and purchase your title

Think about the many ways you can get people to read what you've written. If many of them like what they read, you'll soon have a lot more buyers and fans. Which brings us to ...

Buyers

This type of person is obviously someone who spends money to purchase your book. While buyers often consider themselves readers and fans, they don't always. For example, many children's books are bought by parents and given to the ultimate readers: their kids. Many other books -- such as Spencer Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese? and John C. Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership -- are purchased by parents, friends, employers and others as gifts given to people who they feel need them.

Therefore, it's important to know that not all buyers are readers. So when marketing your book, don't think only about the end user. Consider the various types of people who would want to purchase your book as a gift for the eventual reader. Then focus some of your promotion efforts on making these potential buyers aware of the great book you have for their favorite readers.

Fans

This type of book lover is most often a buyer and almost always a reader. But what sets this valuable individual apart is that they really, really like you. Or, to be more accurate, they really like the words you've written.

Fans are crucial to your success as an author. Critical acclaim and media exposure are great, but nothing beats having lots of regular people raving about your book and recommending it to friends.

Some of the best ways to cultivate fans include:

Using your web site to collect the names and addresses of people who enjoy what you've written (and following up with them on a regular basis)
Turning your live events into opportunities to personally connect with your readers
Encouraging group discussions of your topic and providing handouts to guide people who are interested
Thinking of every interaction you have with the public as a chance to start a relationship with a new fan

So, what are the three types of people that can most influence your book's success? You know who they are and why they're important. And, hopefully, now you have some ideas on how to grab their attention and attract more of them.

To your publishing success!

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

2005-10-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

It's the age-old question you've probably been asked repeatedly since you were old enough to recite the alphabet: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Comedian Paula Poundstone once quipped, "Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up because they're looking for ideas."

Joking aside, it's a reasonable question, but considering the context in which people ask it, it's not completely accurate. The real answer that most people are looking for is "what do you want to do" when you grow up -- meaning what job title you will carry, what type of company you will work for, what type of duties you will carry out in a career.

You've no doubt encountered this thinking when well-meaning friends and relatives try to steer you away from the arts and in the direction of a traditional day job.

Again, these are understandable questions. But they miss the real point of finding one's ideal vocation.

According to Sam Keen, "There is no easy formula for determining right and wrong livelihood, but it is essential to keep the question alive. We have to stop pretending that we can make a living at something that is trivial or destructive and still have a sense of legitimate self-worth. A society in which vocation and job are separated for most people gradually creates an economy that is often devoid of spirit, one that frequently fills our pocketbooks at the cost of emptying our souls."

So how do you determine the best way to fill your soul? Answer: Ask better questions. Instead of "What do you want to be or do?" ... answer these two questions:

- How do you want to feel most of the time?

- What type of person would you like to become?

Your emotions are a great indicator of when you're connected and in the flow, as opposed to when you're disconnected and frustrated. The key is to identify the feelings and states of being that make you feel the most purposeful and alive. Your ideal vocation will be directly linked to the activities that generate these positive feelings within you the most.

Tip: Although these states of mind make you feel good, they are rarely strictly self-serving. They almost always come from doing something that serves others -- such as creating music or art or literature that touches people in meaningful ways. But these feelings can just as easily come from teaching children, building furniture, volunteering for a charity, etc.

The second question above will also lead to a better understanding of your right livelihood. When pursuing a purpose and activities that are in line with who you truly are, you grow as a person -- far more than you would in a job you tolerate to pay the bills.

Who you become as you invest your time and energy into a worthy pursuit makes all the difference. Again, this is far more than a job title such as "musician," "author" or "artist." Who you become can also be described with such words as respected, trusted, creative, determined, passionate and happy.

What words describe who you want to become?

Let's examine one more quote, this time from poet Robert Frost: "The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning, and does not stop until you get into the office."

There are times when you have to take on a brain-dead "real job" to make ends meet. No doubt, you must take care of your basic needs in whatever way you can. But as you think about your life long term, focus on how you want to feel and who you want to become.

Because that's where you'll find the true path to what you should be when you grow up.

Creative Headaches: You Need the Eggs

2005-09-15T10:33:00.000-05:00

About this post: If you've been reading my stuff for very long, you know that I'm an optimist and a possibility thinker. I definitely feel that's the most empowering way to live your life. But as my "realist" friends often remind me, life isn't always a bowl of kiwi.

There can be a lot of heartaches and frustrations and disappointments along the way. I don't deny that. I just don't dwell on it, since there are so many other experts around who are eager to tell you how hard it can be to pursue a career in the arts.

I preach mostly about the good, but for a change of pace, let me take a stab at dealing with the bad and the ugly. Here goes ...

At the beginning of the movie "Annie Hall," Woody Allen's character, Alvy Singer, tells a joke about a guy who goes to a psychiatrist and says, "Doc, my brother's crazy. He thinks he's a chicken." The doctor says, "Well, why don't you turn him in?" And the guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs."

At the end of the film, the joke comes full circle when Alvy ties it into the roller coaster ride of a relationship he's had with Annie (played by Diane Keaton):

"I guess that's pretty much how I feel about relationships. You know, they're totally irrational and crazy and absurd, but I guess we keep going through it because ... most of us need the eggs."

Funny stuff -- and more true than many are willing to admit. The same sentiment can be applied to the business of music, writing, film, art, etc. Can you relate?

Have you ever been frustrated by the actions (or inaction) of an agent, editor or gallery owner? Ever felt like pulling out your hair over a stubborn director, publisher, singer or guitar player? Ever been disappointed by the amount of money you spent or made doing something arts-related?

Of course you have. And you probably wondered if it was all worth it. You may have even considered chucking the whole thing and accepting the idea that you're not cut out for this business.

Then what happened?

Most likely, you worked your way through it and found the ideal final member to round out the band. Or finally displayed your work at the big art exhibit you've been dreaming about. Or got the book written and published. Or landed the big article in the local newspaper.

And it was then that you felt fantastic and realized the journey was totally worth it. The ups and the downs. The joys and the frustrations. It's what you have to go through to reach meaningful goals and enjoy your passions.

And that's true whether we're talking about romantic relationships, creative success or just about anything else in life that's worth doing.

So get busy pursuing your goals and taking on the challenges. Because, admit it ... you need the eggs!

30 Minutes to Creative Success

2005-09-13T10:33:00.000-05:00

You have creative passions, right? Artistic urges that need to be acted upon. But it's possible that you're not nurturing your talents (and yourself) as much as you could be. Can you relate?

Here are some ideas to help you nourish your creative soul, taken from Roger Haeske's article "Technique to Unleash Creativity and Self-Discipline." I've been doing a similar practice off and on for many years and find it extremely helpful in the pursuit and achievement of my goals.

Here are Haeske's core ideas mixed with some of my own thoughts:

Set aside a time each day for personal development. This can be difficult for many people with busy schedules, but if you can carve out a regular slot every day (preferable 30 minutes first thing in the morning), you will be rewarded immensely.

Make time to read or listen to motivating materials. Feed your mind with positive, empowering ideas. Listen to self-development CDs or tapes while you drive. If time is really tight, spend the first 10 minutes of your half hour personal development time to absorb this material.

Spend 10 minutes visualizing your goals. A clear picture of what you want in your mind is one of the most powerful tools you can use to reach goals. Visualization can set into motion a whole series of events that pull you toward your mental picture.

Write down your goals, dreams, desires and ideas. During your daily 30-minute sessions, put pen to paper and capture your thoughts. The act of writing adds a tangible reality to your intangible thoughts and aspirations.

Repeat present-tense affirmations of the goals you want to achieve. Act as if the things, people and states of being you desire already exist. The best affirmations also include a present-tense action verb, such as "I am enjoying my first gallery opening as a respected abstract artist."

Have a plan, but don't get too attached to the steps. It's important to be clear about what you want, but you won't always know exactly how you're going to get there. Yes, you should take action, but don't become so focused on the steps that you ignore other opportunities that might present themselves along the way. Be flexible with your action plans. Which leads to ...

Cultivate a mind that's open and prepared to receive. Opportunities and abundance abound. It's just that some people recognize that fact while others don't. Brush aside thoughts of scarcity and limitation. Operate from the assumption that good things are happening to you -- and all you have to do is take notice, accept life's gifts, and enjoy the ride.

Your mind and spirit are like the operating system of your life. Make sure you're using the most powerful, up-to-date, and virus-free system available.

Using Your Creativity in Meaningful Ways

2005-09-08T12:09:00.000-05:00

With this post I want to ask you to use your creativity in an important and meaningful way. You are certainly aware of the news coming from Louisiana and Mississippi regarding Hurricane Katrina. Of course, you can visit these pages at NetworkForGood.org and FEMA to learn about ways you can help alleviate the loss and suffering -- if you haven't done so already.

Things are improving, but there's a long road to recovery ahead. So think about how you can help further. Present a concert or art sale or other event to raise money. Consider ways you can donate or use your talents to make a difference.

Example: Anne Leighton is a writer, poet, animal lover and publicist who embodies this attitude. On her web site, she encourages support of Habitat for Humanity in Biloxi, Mississippi, and chapters of the Humane Society in the Gulf area. She is also the author of Using Your Art & the Media to Comfort People, a book that clearly speaks to the philosophy of using your talents for the good of all concerned.

So ... Write a song, poem or article. Host a displaced family. Travel to the affected areas and volunteer. Call someone you know in Louisiana and Mississippi and ask what they need. Be creative and make a difference!

The Brand Called You - part 3

2005-08-30T12:25:00.000-05:00

In the first and second parts of this series, I covered some basic branding concepts. Here I discuss the benefits of Internet branding.

Why should I bother branding myself online?

The Internet allows you to use a wide range of tools to reach people who are specifically interested in what you stand for. Not only web sites and e-mail newsletters (those produced by you and others), but blogs, podcasts, discussion forums, e-mail networking, online media coverage, e-books, free articles, digital file sharing and more.

Let's say you're a fitness trainer who specializes in creating customized workouts for men in their 40s. There are already thousands of web sites, e-zines and discussion lists dedicated to health and fitness. Plus, with a little research, you could easily uncover dozens of sites and online publications geared toward men in your target age range.

By offering free articles, downloadable resources and other valuable online content that focuses on workout routines for fortysomething males, you could slowly start getting exposure through these targeted outlets. Doing so will drive potential customers to your own web site and build a database of subscribers to your free fitness e-zine.

Using exactly this approach, I steadily built an online identity as a marketing resource for do-it-yourself musicians. I now make a nice living as an author as a result of my Internet branding and promotion efforts.

Personal branding online works. I hope you find a way to make it work for you, too!

The Brand Called You - part 2

2005-08-25T23:13:00.000-05:00

In the first part of this series of posts, I answered the question "What is the first thing someone should do to brand themselves?" Today, I continue the discussion by asking ...

What's the next step in branding?

One of the most important things a person can do to begin the branding process is to create what I call a Brand Identity Statement (BIS). Similar to a Unique Selling Proposition (USP), your BIS is a short motto that spells out exactly who you are and what you do.

The ideal BIS should be short and specific while indicating a clear benefit -- so that even someone who is not familiar with you will understand what you stand for within seconds. Vague phrases such as "art that defies definition" or "stories that make you think" won't cut it. Don't hide your identity in a mysterious motto.

Be very clear and specific. For instance, the BIS I use to promote my web site for aspiring musicians is "Music marketing tips and self-promotion ideas for indie songwriters, musicians and bands." It leaves little doubt regarding what I do.

How can you describe what you do in a way that people can understand quickly and enthusiastically?

The Brand Called You - part 1

2005-08-23T10:59:00.000-05:00

Who do you think you are? More importantly, who do your fans think you are?

Why am I asking? Let me explain ...

A few years ago I had a book published called Branding Yourself Online. It's never been my best-selling title, but I've noticed over the years that there's a consistent interest in this subject. I put a lot of effort into giving the book my personal spin on branding -- a topic that's since been covered to death from every conceivable angle by branding experts.

Last month I did 40-minute phone interview on branding, which you can listen to free. But I want to shed a little more light on this, because it's so crucial to your success as a writer, artist or performer. So over the next couple of posts I'm going to ask and answer some basic branding questions to get you thinking about who you are and how you communicate with your fans.

Sound fair? Let's jump in.

What is the first thing someone should do to brand themselves?

Before you get anywhere near broadcasting a personal brand image to the world, you should first turn inward and examine who you truly are as a creative person. What are your strengths and areas of expertise? What characteristics are you already known for? What are you passionate about?

Like most humans, you have many talents, interests and aspects to your personality. You're a fascinating, multi-layered artist. Right? And that makes you an amusing, well-rounded person. But when it comes to branding, you have to pull in the reins on your wide-ranging characteristics. You must focus on specific aspects of who you are and what you do -- the aspects that will clearly and quickly communicate your public identity to potential fans.

Your brand identity should be a true part of who you are. It isn't a manufactured identity based on a current trend or void in the market. Done right, you'll be promoting your brand for many years, so make sure you choose an identity you'll be able to live with and embrace for a long time to come.

Keep an eye out for part 2.

No Problem: Your #1 Source for Creative Solutions

2005-08-16T11:22:00.000-05:00

I'm flattered that Curt Rosengren referenced this Artist Empowerment Blog a couple of times in recent weeks. If you haven't paid a visit to his Occupational Adventure blog, do so right away. Curt's focus is all about turning your passions into a career that lights your fire.

Today Curt touches on the subject of creative problem solving and points to a post by Stephen Pierce on the Innovation Blog. (Are you keeping up with all this cross-referencing?)

Here's an excerpt:

So, you have a problem that you need to solve quick. You have agonized over this issue for hours, days, months, or even years and you still can't resolve it. Well, don't worry, my friend; the answer is already within you. You simply need to call forth your creative energy in order to bring the answer into your focused mind.

When I read that introduction, I immediately liked the philosophy. Too many people have no clue that the answers, ideas, inspiration and grand opportunities they seek reside within them. It's all part of that "empowerment" theme I frequently discuss which you may have picked up on :-)

Stephen recommends seven steps to finding creative solutions. Here are the first three:

1. Visualize ultimate success. Don't dwell on negative thinking, for doing so will block your creative energy. Instead, you should always revel in the fact that the answer is already within you. You simply have to pull it forward from your creative mind. Visualizing failure will block your creative energy while visualizing success will bring it forward.

2. Be still and know that the answer is within you. There is absolutely no need to fear that the problem can't be solved. The answer will come to you if you stop worrying and take a more relaxed approach. Be quiet and still and allow the creative ideas to come forth. In addition, always be willing to just sit still and let your thoughts wonder freely.

3. Be patient. Don't rush the creative problem solving process. It sometimes takes a while for your creativity to solve a problem, so don't become frustrated if the problem isn't resolved right away. Instead, enjoy the creative process for what it really is -- an internal process -- and be open and receptive to allowing those new solutions to come forward.

Read the final four steps to creative problem solving here.

And always remember that your most potent secrets to success lie within.

The Artist's Way to Self-Promotion

2005-08-11T15:43:00.000-05:00

Lee Silber knows a thing or two about creative people and how they think. He's the author of Self-Promotion for the Creative Person, as well as a number of other books on time management and getting organized for creative types.

"It's critical that you embrace the idea of self-promotion if you want to have a successful career," Silber writes in an article on CareerTrainer.com. "If you look at it as another way to express your creativity, it doesn't seem so intimidating. Many, many others have had fun (yes, fun) promoting themselves."

Here are some of the creative examples of self-promotion he lists in the article:

A couple of actors in an off-Broadway play got on the subway and performed part of the play. They left off with a cliff-hanger and then handed out flyers for the play.
One author includes recipes in her mysteries and was able to attract the attention of food editors who gave her books more attention than book reviewers.
One obscure sculptor started doing wood carvings with a chain saw to garner more attention from the media.
A band performed in the parking lots of large companies as workers got off and sold CDs and promoted their club dates.
A painter teamed up with a Realtor who buys her paintings for full price and then gives them as a gift to new home buyers.
One resourceful artist displayed her art in vacant storefronts along a busy street in a tourist town. She left brochures and directions in a display outside the windows.
An aspiring filmmaker showed his documentary about sharks at night in hotel pools. The media loved it.
A struggling sculptor working as a street sweeper made elaborate carvings on the handles on his brooms. A gallery owner noticed this and offered him a chance to show his art.
When this author visits bookstores he inserts postcards featuring his book into competing titles.

Lesson: Think outside of the you-know-what. Don't limit your creative abilties to your artistic craft only. Take Lee Silber's advice and put it to good use when marketing yourself too.

Rage Against the Publishing Machine: It's Like Complaining About Gravity

2005-08-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

Even if you're not a published or aspiring author, you should read this post. Why? Because it contains an important lesson that could alter the way you view your creative place in the world. This is a new article I will be adding soon to my Self-Publishing Tips & Resources page. It puts an added spin on a similar post I recently wrote for my Indie Music Promotion Blog. Please read it, absorb its message, and apply it to your own artistic situation.

Do you complain about gravity? If not, why not? I mean, it is the source of so many frustrations -- scraped knees when you trip and fall, body parts that sag as you age, trees that crash and damage property during thunderstorms. Not to mention more extreme gravity-related tragedies like airplanes that fall from the sky or asteroid collisions that could alter life as we know it on the planet.

With all these obvious negative aspects of gravity, why don't you hear more people griping and moaning about it? "I am so sick and tired of the damned gravity on this planet!"

I suppose you don't hear any complaints because gravity is a basic law of physics. Everyone accepts it as a natural way of life. And what good would it do anyway? No amount of complaining would change anything.

What does this have to do with your book publishing efforts? Hang in there with me and you'll see ...

Turning Lemons Into Lemonade

When it comes to gravity, human beings generally don't complain about it. In fact, we have learned to use the qualities of gravity to our benefit.

If we didn't have gravity, we wouldn't have exciting activities like parachuting, surfing, skateboarding and windsurfing. There would be no home runs or pinpoint quarterback passes or Olympic diving competitions. Instead of accepting that gravity will forever keep us on the ground, daring engineers like the Wright brothers figured out how to use gravity (and other natural factors) to create lift and powered flight.

Instead of fighting with gravity, we have learned to work with it and use it to our advantage.

You know where this leading. How much do you complain about the bewildering publishing industry or the impenetrable bookstore market or uncaring book review editors or the lack of support from ... whomever? And what good does all the moaning do?

The Weird Science of Book Publishing

I'm not suggesting that the state of the book business is somehow related to the laws of physics. But there are certain things that you can always count on: people who won't support you when you feel they should, distributors that won't carry your book, reviewers who won't write about you, and on and on. If you search for things to complain about, I guarantee you'll find plenty.

The trick is to treat these obstacles like gravity. They're always going to be there to some degree. But if you're smart, you'll find a way to use whatever you have to work with to your advantage.

If the book review section of the paper won't touch your book, try to find an angle that interests the editor of the lifestyle or travel or business section.
If Borders or Barnes & Noble won't carry your book, try your luck at an independent bookstore or don't pursue retail sales at all. Use the Internet and public speaking instead to reach your target audience.
If organizations you target won't book you to speak at their meetings, present your own workshop at a community center or specialty retail shop.
If a bookstore or a distributor or Amazon is asking for too much of a discount, then raise your cover price, find a way to lower your per-book costs, or just bite the bullet and deal with the discount. Or bypass the middlemen and sell direct to buyers so your profit margin is higher.

What Do You Want?

Don't waste your energy complaining about what you don't like about the business. Instead, pour your energy into what you want: more people who know about you and your book, and more book sales. Don't become a victim of the limitations that so many authors and publishers buy into. Keep your eye on the ultimate prize, so to speak, and figure out a way around whatever naturally formed book industry obstacles you encounter.

Think of publishing realities like gravity. Then make like an aerodynamic engineer or a parachutist or a major league slugger ... and make something exciting out of the perceived weaknesses.

Meet Bob in San Francisco Aug 20 & 22

2005-08-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

My upcoming (and first-time) trip to San Francisco is already proving to be fruitful. I'll be speaking at three diverse venues and events. I hope to meet you at one of them. Here they are:

Saturday, August 20, 8:30 pm
Epic Arts
www.epicarts.org
1923 Ashby Ave
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 644-2204

This will be a brief and intimate talk/audience Q&A about indie music promotion and artist empowerment. Immediately following, the spoken word/music ensemble COPUS will perform. The band is described as "classical with a beat, rap without violence, hip-hop with a degree, jazz with lyrics." Visit www.copus.net for details.

There will be a $5-10 donation request, all ages, doors open at 8 pm. I'll start talking around 8:30 pm. Special thanks to Royal Kent of Copus for giving up some of his band's performance time to allow me to speak.

Monday, August 22, 7-8 pm
The Canvas Gallery
www.thecanvasgallery.com
1200 9th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 504-0060
Inner Sunset Neighborhood, across the street from the Golden Gate Park near the Japanese and Botanical Gardens.

This is a very cool place with a creative environment. My topic will be "Unleash the Artist Within: The Self-Empowered Path to Becoming a Successful Artist, Writer or Performer." My presentation starts at 7 pm, followed by a casual discussion.

Free admission. You can just show up and most likely get in, but if you want to RSVP ahead of time and get on a list at the door, e-mail events@colbornestreetcreative.com.

A big thanks to Rachel Bates of Colborne Street Creative for setting this one up for me!

Saturday, August 20
San Francisco State University workshop
"Guerrilla Music Marketing: The Independent Path to a Successful Music Career."

UPDATE: Sorry, this event has been cancelled and will probably be rescheduled for spring 2006.

Thinking Bigger About Who You Are

2005-08-02T10:36:00.000-05:00

Tired of not giving yourself the credit you deserve? Do you suffer from thinking small? If so, you're not alone. Many creative people are plagued by this self-image. But it doesn't have to be that way.

A quick listen to Michael Port is bound to get you energized and thinking bigger about who you are and how your talents positively enrich the world. In a recent teleconference, Michael covered "8 Essential Strategies for Thinking Bigger About Who You Are and What You Offer the World." I listened to most of this 58-minute MP3 audio last night and must admit it got me fired up -- in a good, empowering way.

Take a listen yourself. You can either Stream It Now or Download It and listen later.

If you're more of a reader, or just want to get a taste of what he talks about, check out Michael's Think Big Manifesto, described as "10 ways to Think BIGGER about who you are and what you do in the world." (Scroll down a bit on the page to read it.)

Here are three samples from the manifesto:

Stop Seeking Validation From Others. Acknowledge your needs and desires, not your mother's, friends', co-workers', society's, etc. -- stop seeking validation from or comparing yourself to others.

Embrace the Power of Intention. Your present intentions create your present reality. If you want to change your reality, change and strengthen your intentions. And make sure you don't have any intentions that are in direct conflict.

Always Act on Your Intuition. I bet my bottom dollar that your intuition has never been wrong. Your intuition is the strongest muscle in your body. Listen to it. Work it out. Stop inappropriately over-relying on your intellect to make decisions.

Read all about it. Listen to Michael Port's audio. And start thinking bigger about who you are and what you offer the world!

Build Your Personal Brand Online

2005-07-28T10:14:00.000-05:00

Deborah Harper of Psychjourney.com interviewed me by phone yesterday on the topic of my book Branding Yourself Online. While her audience is primarily made up of therapists and mental health professionals, we had fun discussing a wide range of general self-promotion strategies that can also benefit musicians, writers, artists and more.

Click here to listen to the 40-minute interview. Also visit Deborah's Psychjourney Book Club to see and hear interviews she's done with several other cool authors and experts.

The Creative Pro-Am Revolution

2005-07-26T14:31:00.000-05:00

Are you part of the revolution, or are you just watching from (or oblivious on) the sidelines? What am I talking about? Read on ...

The U.K. think tank Demos published a free report last year called The Pro-Am Revolution, subtitled "How enthusiasts are changing our economy and society." It's described this way:

From astronomy to activism, from surfing to saving lives, Pro-Ams -- people pursuing amateur activities to professional standards -- are an increasingly important part of our society and economy.

Wikipedia.org chimes in with its own definition:

Pro-Am is a conceptual term to describe a blurring between the distinction of professional and amateur, within any endeavor that could be called professional, such as writing, sports, computer programming, music, film, etc.

In the introduction to Unleash the Artist Within, I describe the three basic modes that people engage their creativity:

Mode #1: Full-time -- they make a living doing music, books, art, etc.
Mode #2: Part-time and working toward full-time -- they may work a day job or do something else to make ends meet now, but they aspire to some day earn a living from their talents.
Mode #3: Part-time and satisfied -- they do not aspire (or don't think it's possible) to play music, write or create art full-time.

Generally speaking, people in Mode #1 are considered professional, those in Mode #2 are either semi-professional or amateur, and people in Mode #3 are amateur. (This definition has nothing to do with the quality of someone's work; I'm referring strictly to a person's money-making status.)

In the past, creative people in modes #2 and #3 often suffered from an inferiority complex. (Most still do, actually.) If a writer or musician wasn't making a living doing their thing, they felt they hadn't proved themselves yet -- that maybe they were kidding themselves in thinking they could do something meaningful with such a fanciful hobby.

Well, the Pro-Am Revolution is showing that you can create a quality creative product, reach thousands of people with it, and make an impact with your art, music, prose, film and more ... while working at your craft part-time, sometimes without even leaving the house. Advancing technology and the Internet are making this revolution possible. And it's only going to get stronger.

As Andrew Taylor says on his blog, "It's likely one of the fundamental dynamic shifts in the way creative work will be conceived, created, distributed, and received in the coming decade."

For more on this, check out the BBC story 'Amateur Culture' Set to Explode. The subhead says it all: "The 21st Century is seeing an explosion in the field of amateur culture and creativity."

So, regardless of your current mode or status, I ask you again ...

Are you part of the revolution?

The Need to Make Yourself Useful

2005-07-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

I've written about Jory Des Jardins and her Pause blog before. You can always count on her to produce a fun read that makes you think. In a post early this year she discussed The Need to Make Yourself Useful. Jory's insights hold particular value for us creative types. Here's a portion of it:

Sure, there are some of us who LOVE what we do, but sadly ... most people don't discover their life's work. Rather, they send resumes to companies for jobs that they can likely do blindfolded. Then they show up for the interview seeming as sane as possible and hopefully get hired.

Those who are "successful" show acumen at something, build a reputation, and are often recruited to fill a position. These people tend to make good money, which ... is often misinterpreted as a sign that their job is their purpose.

I can't imagine God, or some higher power with the grand plan that is YOUR PURPOSE, gluing together the molecules that are to be you and thinking to him/herself, "And this one shall hit home runs" or, "and this one shall close sales."

Rather, a larger purpose was generated that gave us talents and interests of very broad sorts -- the ability to analyze, to inspire, to communicate -- that somehow lend themselves to skill sets.

This discussion could easily move into that sticky fate vs. free will debate, so I won't go there -- except to say that I'm inclined to believe what Jory is suggesting: that we each have strong leanings, areas of interest, talents that come easier than others, etc. We have a personal (or spiritual) gravitational pull toward certain skills that, when put to good use, serve others and make the world a better place.

The trick is to find out what that inclination is for you and then figure out the best way (or ways) to act on it and make a contribution to the world.

In this other excerpt from Jory's blog, she talks about the importance of connecting with your purpose, especially if you're currently working a day job that isn't in line with it:

We working stiffs ... need to do it now. We need to find what we are happy doing, for pay or for free. If we can't make money doing it, we need to find ways to make money to support us doing it. We need to bring those worlds closer together -- those of inner desire and external necessity -- and see how much more the world can yield.

Can someone be the very best seller of widgets that the world has ever known? Sure. But why would you want to be other than for the money? The very best telemarketer for the United Way? Absolutely. Perhaps earning money for charity is a way that you can leverage your persuasive abilities for the greater good. It doesn't matter WHERE you put your talents. Just please, use them.

Wow. Think about that for a while.

What's On Your To-Be List?

2005-07-19T11:26:00.000-05:00

In a previous blog post I talked about the Be-Do-Have concept. It's often referred to as the best three-step process for reaching success with any worthy endeavor. Sadly, most creative people pursue the three steps in reverse.

For example, many musicians mistakenly think "If I could only HAVE a record deal (or a hit song or some other material symbol of achievement), then I could DO the things an accomplished musician does, which would then allow me to BE the successful person I want to be.

Again, this line of thinking is backwards.

First, you must BE a successful person (with your music, art, writing or film activities). From this inner sense of knowing and confidence, you begin DOing the things a successful person does. If you BE and DO long enough, eventually you will HAVE the material success that naturally comes from this three-step process.

It's best to work from the inside out, not the other way around. Doing things in reverse is like signing up for a class and saying, "Give me a good grade and then I'll become a smart student." It's like standing in front of an empty fireplace and insisting, "Give me some heat and then I'll throw in some wood." That's not how life works.

So I got to thinking about other success tools, such as the almighty To-Do List. Making a list of things to do is great. Giving yourself action steps allows you to focus your energy on the most important tasks -- the activities that will move you closer to your goals.

But there's a danger in becoming too obsessed with daily tasks. When you only focus on the tactics of your plans, it's easy to lose sight of the Big Picture. You must constantly ask yourself, "What is my ultimate goal? My primary outcome?"

Turning once again to the Be-Do-Have model, we know that one of the most important things you can do is BE the successful person you want to be. The real payoff of BEing successful (and of reaching goals in general) is the feeling you get. Therefore, in addition to a daily To-Do List, you should also use a To-Be List.

Make a list of words you'd use to finish the sentence "I want to be ..." Some possibilities are:

Happy
Creatively Satisfied
Appreciated
Confident
Prolific
Fun-loving
Passionate
Too Sexy for My Shirt

You get the idea. Who do you have to BE (and how do you have to feel) in order to DO and HAVE the things you want? Use your answers to make certain your daily To-Do List tasks are moving you closer to BEing who you want to be.

DIY Books (and Bob) in the News

2005-07-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

This just in from the Toot My Own Horn department ...

There's a fantastic article on self-publishing in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I feel blessed that the writer, Shera Dalin, felt the tips and advice I dished out for do-it-yourself authors was valuable enough to use liberally throughout the article.

I hope that my story serves as an example to others that it is quite possible to pursue a passion and purpose -- and find a way to make a living doing it.

If you're interested in publishing your own book some day, take a look at the new Self-Publishing Tips & Resources section I just set up online.

Whether you're doing books, music, art or film ... it's all about self-empowerment, baby!

Does Your Arts Scene Suck? Don't Complain, Do Something About It

2005-07-14T14:41:00.000-05:00

The headline reads "For Young Artists in Baltimore, It's a Do-It-Yourself Art World." And the introduction to Peter Walsh's Horizon Magazine article says it all:

As America continues its methodical defunding of the arts, putting one community arts institution after another into severe financial difficulty, young artists have been particularly hard hit. The traditional routes to public success and basic survival seem blocked; managers of alternative spaces and galleries schedule shows years in advance, and older artists, every bit as desperate as their youthful counterparts, are competing for the same shrinking piece of pie.

Not to worry.

In cities all around the United States, artists in their twenties are energetically tackling the challenge. Here are four examples of young artists in Baltimore, Md., and their unusual and gutsy solutions.

That's the whole idea behind a blog (and podcast) called "Artist Empowerment." It's not about waiting for someone or something to come along and rescue you, or to deliver an audience to you on a golden tray. It's ALL about creating your own lucky breaks and living up to the idea behind this well-known quote by George Bernard Shaw:

"I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them."

In his article, Walsh highlights the efforts of Logan Hicks and Todd Lesser, two young Baltimore arts entrepreneurs. He writes ...

Tired of seeing their friends shut out and ignored, and unswayed by the notion that good art made by young artists couldn't be sold, the two joined forces in 1997 to create Cones and Rods, a week-long arts festival in a loft space on Baltimore's Guilford Avenue -- a show that featured the work of more than 40 visual artists, more than a dozen rock bands, the Bindlestiff Family Circus, film screenings, and experimental music performed on handmade instruments.

The event was well attended and even did the unthinkable -- it helped sell art!

Most of the work was priced to sell to a young crowd, from $25 to $250 for individual pieces. And sell they did. Over 50 pieces of artwork were sold. The youth community rallied around the event; hundreds of people attended each night.

This quote from Hicks sums up the attitude that drives the artist empowerment philosophy:

"This whole show came out of the philosophy of, 'If you don't like it, change it.' Baltimore is a great place to live. Unfortunately, we cannot say much for its cultural events, though. There comes a point when you can only bitch so much about not having anything to do. Sooner or later you have to shut up or do something about it."

Peter Walsh is a founding editor of Link: A Critical Journal on the Arts.

Self-Promotion for Introverts

2005-07-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

According to Charles D. Hayes of Autodidactic Press, "The sad truth is not all of us are born promoters. I would even argue that the tendencies for introversion are more prevalent among writers than for most other occupations."

Many people would insist that the same thing applies to artists, musicians and more. Creative people are often at peace with the creation process, but when it comes to marketing, they feel as comfortable as Michael Moore at a Republican fundraiser.

Hayes has written a fantastic article on the Midwest Book Review site. Even though it's geared for authors, the principles he covers are useful for creative people of all kinds. Here are my favorite sections:

"In my view, the most important thing to remember is that you don't have to be naturally good at self-promotion in this business to succeed, but you do have to learn to 'value' the process with enough enthusiasm to see that it gets done."

Promotion usually takes artists outside their comfort zone. And like anything you engage in for the first time, you may feel awkward at first, as if you don't know exactly what you're doing. But Hayes learned an important lesson when he took a publishing course at Stanford University ...

"One of the most useful things I learned ... is that everyone is in the same boat in the promotion department. The folks at Random House and Simon & Schuster are feeling their way along just like the single book publisher, although they do have a decided advantage.

"I went to Stanford thinking that ... someone had the answers, and I was ... disappointed to find out most of the people there were just as confused as I was. But, in a way it's a relief to know that no one has all of the answers in this business and that everyone, including the seasoned veterans, are groping their way along to find something that works."

That's a great perspective. Which means trusting yourself and "knowing" that you have as much right as anyone to pursue exposure will make the self-promotion journey much easier.

Here's another great concept from the article:

"These are truly paradoxical times in publishing. It has never been harder to promote a book than it is today. But the opposite is also true: It's never been easier to promote a book than it is today. The reason it's so hard is that so many people are doing it. The reason it's so easy is that there has never been so much uncertainty about how to get people's attention and there's never been so many ways to go about it."

Again, this also applies to music, art, photography and more. Anyone with a computer and a bit of technical savvy can create something and attempt to reach the masses. That can be viewed as both a blessing and a curse. The thing is, much of what is being created is inferior and simply won't connect with an audience. That means if you have a quality creative offering and can find an audience of enthusiastic fans, the Internet allows you to make a much bigger impact than was ever possible in the past.

"Another benefit in book publishing for introverts is longevity. If you are in this business long enough, particularly on the web, you will leave a long trail of material. You will be easy to track for anyone interested in your subject matter."

Also be sure to read Hayes's comments on the importance of reaching a self-sustaining critical mass without national media coverage:

"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and scores of books like it are self-sustaining. They make their own waves. My point ... is that you can create a tsunami without anyone seeing the rock that set it in motion. Connect with enough connectors and you can still make waves without being in the media limelight."

Read the entire article here. It's filled with great advice.

Self-Publishing Tips & Resources for Authors

2005-07-05T09:27:00.000-05:00

If you are a published or soon-to-be-published author, or if you simply aspire to write a book some day, you may be interested in a special web page I just created called Self-Publishing Tips & Resources.

There are a few reasons I created this special section on my PromoteYourCreativity.com site. For one, I'm blessed to have reached a point where I make a living as an author -- and a primarily self-published one at that. Also, for the past year and a half I've served on the board of the St. Louis Publishers Association, an organization whose members are mostly self-published authors. These experiences allow me to interact with authors of all kinds -- from those just getting started to those with multiple titles to their credit.

In the midst of all this I've discovered two things: 1) A lot of people are interested in writing a book (in fact, a recent survey suggested that 8 out of 10 people claim they'd like to write a book some day), and 2) Many people who are interested in writing a book (including some experienced authors themselves) are filled with self-defeating attitudes and outdated perspectives on creating, marketing and selling books.

As you might expect, it's my mission to debunk the myths about book publishing "realities" and obliterate the negative, self-imposed beliefs that keep so many people from publishing their own book. We live in an Age of Empowerment. And if you want to express yourself creatively (whether that's with a book, a play, a song or a piece of art), there's nothing in the world that should keep you from doing it.

So check out Self-Publishing Tips & Resources and read a collection of articles I've written, included "5 Reasons to Self-Publish Your Own Book," "The 7 Attributes of Highly Successful Authors" and "Do You Suffer from a Book Publishing Myth Complex?" I've also included links to my favorite book publishing info sites.

Enjoy, and express yourself!

Do You Need to Be What You Can Be?

2005-06-30T19:12:00.000-05:00

At some point you've probably heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs. Abraham Maslow was a psychologist and researcher who first proposed his theory in 1943. That was a long time ago, but some of his ideas on human motivation may be having a big impact on creative people like you today.

If you haven't run across Maslow's hierarchy before (or if you just need some clarification), here's a definition from Wikipedia:

"Maslow's primary contribution to psychology is his Hierarchy of Human Needs, which he often presented as a pyramid, with 'self-actualization' at the top as the highest of those needs. The base of the pyramid is the physiological needs, which are necessary for survival. Once these are taken care of, an individual can concentrate on the second layer, the need for safety and security. The third layer is the need for love and belonging, followed by the need for esteem. Finally, self-actualization forms the apex of the pyramid."

Self-actualization (a term originated by Maslow's colleague, Kurt Goldstein) is "the instinctual need of a human to make the most of their unique abilities." Maslow described it further with one of his most well-known quotes:

"A musician must make music, the artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization."

I'll paraphrase one of Maslow's sentences with a gender-inclusive spin: "What someone can be, he or she must be."

What a powerful concept. To truly be at peace with yourself, you must act on the innate, natural and instinctive talents and passions that reside within you. Otherwise, you will not realize your true potential and be plagued by a nagging feeling that some aspect of your soul has gone unfulfilled.

Am I being too dramatic here? Some people have labeled Maslow's theories as little more than psycho-babble. Or is there something to this drive for humans to aspire to something greater once their basic needs have been met?

Whatever you think of the psychology, let me ask you this: What could you be if you put your mind to it? How far away are you from being that right now? And what must you do to actualize your potential and be at peace with yourself?

Are You Self-Aware or Self-Critical?

2005-06-28T10:07:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that many artistic people are their own worst critics. That can be good or bad, depending on the way each person processes their self-assessment. On his excellent Occupational Adventure blog, Curt Rosengren ponders this very topic:

"Are you self-aware or self-critical? One can open the door to growth, improvement and understanding, while the other can weigh you down with an endless loop of negative thoughts."

Rosengren makes reference to an article by Skye Thomas called Taking Personal Stock. Then he continues:

"As this article describes it, honest self-awareness is key to growing and improving. Self-criticism, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. Self-criticism isn't about looking at reality and looking for ways to positively grow, it's looking at yourself, finding the flaws, and reinforcing the message, 'You're not good enough.'

"And so often, we mistake self-criticism for self-awareness.

"Next time you catch yourself picking apart what you did wrong, what you could have done better, what you need to do differently next time, etc., ask yourself, 'Is this coming from a perspective of awareness or criticism? Growth or self-loathing? What is my attitude as I take a look at these things?'"

And, as I'm sure you know, your attitude can make all the difference in the world!

Being Perfect vs. Being True to Yourself

2005-04-26T11:31:00.000-05:00

Author and journalist Anna Quindlen was on the Today Show this morning. Apparently, some years ago she gave a commencement speech at a college graduation ceremony that caused such a buzz, Random House just put it out as a short book called Being Perfect.

Her original speech is available online here, among other sites. For a taste of what Quindlen said, here are some excerpts:

" ... nothing important, or meaningful, or beautiful, or interesting, or great ever came out of imitations. The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.

"This is more difficult, because there is no zeitgeist to read, no template to follow, no mask to wear. Set aside what your friends expect, what your parents demand, what your acquaintances require. Set aside the messages this culture sends, through its advertising, its entertainment, its disdain and its disapproval, about how you should behave ...

"This is the hard work of your life in the world, to make it all up as you go along, to acknowledge the introvert, the clown, the artist, the reserved, the distraught, the goofball, the thinker. You will have to bend all your will not to march to the music that all of those great 'theys' out there pipe on their flutes.

"They want you to go to professional school, to wear khakis, to pierce your navel, to bare your soul. These are the fashionable ways. The music is tinny, if you listen close enough. Look inside. That way lies dancing to the melodies spun out by your own heart. This is a symphony. All the rest are jingles."

It's pretty profound stuff. Read the entire speech and apply her wisdom to your own life and creative career.

New Artist Empowerment Podcast

2005-04-07T12:10:00.000-05:00

I'm loving the direction that new technology is taking us. Since podcasting is all the rage these days, I just started a new Artist Empowerment Radio Podcast page. There you can subscribe to the podcast feed, or simply stream or download the MP3 files of each show as you would with any other audio file online.

This podcast is an extension of the Artist Empowerment Radio show I started last year at Live365, filled with my spoken word tips and inspiring ideas. In fact, the first podcast show contains segments from the other one. The biggest difference is that you can download the shorter podcast versions, whereas the longer Live365 show is streaming only.

In addition, note that in the right-hand column of this page (under Feed Me) you can now subscribe to this blog using RSS or Atom, or add the feed to your My Yahoo, Bloglines, NewsGator or My MSN reader.

Enjoy!

Free E-zine Audio Class from the Queen

2005-04-04T08:55:00.000-05:00

Promoting yourself online seems to be getting more dizzying all the time. Blogs are all the rage, and podcasting is growing faster than a plant in Little Shop of Horrors. You should be considering those options. But don't overlook something "old hat," like publishing your own free fan e-zine, just because it isn't fresh and sexy. E-mail should definitely be one strong component of your Internet promo arsenal.

If you've been hesitant to start your own e-mail list for customers, set aside a little time right now and listen to this 45-minute audio class from Alexandria K. Brown. She's known as the "E-zine Queen." Not only does she have a nice-looking photo of herself on her site, but she has an equally appealing voice that takes you through the basics of publishing your own promotional e-mail newsletter.

All you have to do is sign up for her free e-zine to gain access to this audio program, which you can stream or download. I've listened to it and thought it was wonderful. I wish it had been available years ago when I first dipped my toes into the e-zine world.

Developing Your Creative Self

2005-04-01T14:15:00.000-06:00

The text on Anne Johnson's Exploring Women's Creativity web page reads, "Fostering creativity is a process of joy and discovery. But this doesn't promise that there will be no barriers, no frustrations, and no failures. Instead, creativity will reach into your deepest self; it will continually press and challenge you."

Johnson offers a nice collection of articles on developing your creative self. Here's an excerpt from Building Blocks to Creativity:

"As researchers study the nature of creativity ... they have found evidence that creativity is very much grounded in the individual's knowledge and how she combines her knowledge of dissimilar concepts to create new perspectives. Creativity may seem to appear by magic but in truth it comes from a deep well of information. In fact often the real challenge is to sort out the irrelevant material from the usable. Yet one must still be open to ideas that seem irrelevant and yet may be just the piece needed for the desired result."

From Taking Baby Steps:

"Even though we may not be aware of it, blockages are often created by uncertainty about our ability to do the project up to the standard we have set for ourselves. Sometimes we are concerned there will be criticism by friends or family. Or it could be we need to sell our writing or art and are trying to guess what the editor or consumer will buy. But usually the fear is more internalized and often not even rational. Some of us become such perfectionists there is nothing we can create that we feel is good enough."

And from Living Your Creative Dreams:

"Though we may have sorted out our goals and found ways to work toward them, without an understanding of the creative process we might find our way thwarted. We tend to want to make things happen by sheer will but the creative process is more complex than that. Typically we start with a firm focus and began to work intensely at our projects. This is an important aspect of creativity but cannot sustain itself without some 'moodling' or unfocused time to dream and simply let inspiration in."

Read the entire collection of articles for more in-depth inspiration.

Get an Art & Design Job

2005-03-28T19:24:00.000-06:00

Interested in landing a freelance, part-time or full-time job as an artist and/or graphic designer? Professor Dennis Staffne of Northern Michigan University's Department of Art and Design has assembled a nifty web page filled with art career and job placement links.

There you'll find sections on new media and graphics; photo, film and video; teaching, institutional and museum jobs; art/design employment agencies; general job sites with art/design listings; and art employment resources outside the U.S.

Do It Yourself Books, Music, Media & More

2005-03-24T15:29:00.000-06:00

The barriers to self-expression have quickly eroded away. Producing your own creative product -- be it a book, music CD, photograph, artwork, whatever -- and making it available to the masses used to be a daunting task.

Not any more. There are a growing number of places you can turn to breath life into your creative ideas. Here are two of them:

Ourmedia provides "free storage and free bandwidth for your videos, audio files, photos, text or software. Forever. No catches."

Lulu is the place to go if you're "looking to buy cool stuff from independent creators or to publish and sell your work." The site specializes in digital music downloads, print-on-demand books, e-books, audio books, calendars and images.

Of course, you still have to promote your creative offerings and find an audience (and help your audience find you) before you rack up sizeable sales and start your first fan club. But when it comes to producing your creation and making it accessible to the world, there are no longer any excuses to not get started.

Think big. Dream big. Get busy!

The Creativity Resources Mother Lode

2005-03-22T15:04:00.000-06:00

Douglas Eby has been writing about creativity and interviewing artists, writers, actors and more for many years. Our paths first crossed back in my early Internet days in the mid to late '90s. His material is based on his personal interests and research into creativity, human development and positive psychology.

I recently discovered that Eby is still at it with several awesome web sites with many diverse sections. His main site, Talent Development Resources, is designed to explore the psychological and social issues that affect creatively gifted and talented people -- and to inform and inspire.

Eby explores a variety of topics related to multiple talents and giftedness. There are articles and interviews with artists, psychologists and others, plus talent areas such as writing, acting, filmmaking and visual arts, including pages on abuse and creative expression, healing and art, etc.

Sections on women and talent and teens/young adults explore similar topics from a slightly different angle.

One of the main themes of Eby's sites is how mental health issues, spirituality and other topics such as self-esteem and self limitation impact our ability to realize creative talents and achieve a higher level of self-actualization and personal meaning.

Do yourself a favor and spend some time with Douglas Eby and his vast creativity research.

On Self-Help, Synergy & Struggle

2005-03-16T21:35:00.000-06:00

Jory Des Jardins can teach us all a thing or two about personal development and living a life of ease. Not that she claims to have her act (not to mention her life in general) totally together. On her Pause blog she writes fascinating, and often lengthy, essays about her struggles with and opinions on self-employment, happiness, business, current affairs and gender issues.

She's an excellent, playful writer with a distinctive voice. For a great example of what I'm talking about, check out her Rule of Synergy blog post. In it she makes some profound points about self-help, struggle and how we all choose to live our lives. Read it and you just might reevaluate your place in the world -- while enjoying a lively read at the same time.

How to Stay Passionate About Your Passion

2005-03-14T16:07:00.000-06:00

You dream about it for years. You work your butt off to reach it. And finally, there you are ... at a point in your life where you're doing what you always knew you were meant to do -- engaging in your creative passion.

You're elated. The Rocky theme song blares in your head as you pump your fist in the air and rejoice. Life is good.

Then a few months or years later you find yourself grumbling and complaining about your workload or the state of your industry or how you've just been a little down in the dumps lately.

What happened? Most likely, you just temporarily lost touch with the passion you once had for your talent or artistic vocation.

Kathy Sierra has some great tips for recapturing the glory in her blog post "Creating a Passionate You." For instance ...

Ask yourself, "What did I used to really love about this?" Remind yourself why you wanted to do this! It doesn't mean you don't change your mind, or outgrow it, or evolve, or whatever ... but you won't know whether it's time to move on or whether you just lost your perspective unless you truly answer that question. Ask yourself, "Assuming I do NOT win the lottery, what else would I rather be doing for work right now?"

Sierra has been interested in the brain and artificial intelligence since her days as a game developer. She is also the co-creator of the bestselling Head First computer book series.

So ... how do you maintain your passion for your art or craft? Click the Comments link below and share your thoughts.

It's Never Too Late to Become What You Are

2005-03-11T09:42:00.000-06:00

On Joyce Wycoff's Good Morning Thinkers blog, she recently expounded upon George Eliot's quote, "It is never too late to become what you might have been."

Here's an interesting excerpt, which touches on similar ground discussed in my Take Back Your Crayons post:

"Perhaps the sweetest thing about exploring alternative paths at mid-life is the freedom from world-determined expectations of success. Mid-life artists don't have to cater to the whims of critics or the public, mid-life novelists can joyfully experience an imaginary world without worrying about publication, and mid-life compassion can be shared with one child without feeling responsible for changing the world. We can learn things for the sheer joy of learning, make stuff for the joy of creation and become whatever we want to be without worrying about getting a grade, passing muster or winning an award."

This has got me thinking a lot lately about creating vs. marketing and how the two are indeed different functions that in many ways should remain separate -- but in other ways should happily work together for the benefit of all. I plan to post more thoughts on this next week.

In the meantime, check out Joyce Wycoff's site. In addition to writing and speaking about innovation and creativity, she is an author, poet, photographer and passionate believer in the power of people to change the world.

And we can certainly use more people like her in the world.

It's Time to Take Back Your Crayons

2005-03-08T12:32:00.001-06:00

While traveling the blogsphere (that ultra-hip term for the ever-expanding world of web logs), I've come across the name Hugh McCleod a number of times. Finally, I decided to find out what all the buzz was about. McCleod is a UK-based marketing and advertising consultant known for the artwork he creates on the backs of business cards, among other things.

Sounds vaguely amusing until you read his many online writings collectively called "How to Be Creative." It's fascinating stuff. McCleod has a few ideas that depart from my general philosophies -- but I'm glad he's out there making me (and many other people) think about their creative pursuits and place in the world.

One of his postings that really grabbed me is titled "I'd Like My Crayons Back, Please." Here's an excerpt:

Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with books on algebra, etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the creative bug is just a wee voice telling you, "I'd like my crayons back, please."

So you've got the itch to do something. Write a screenplay, start a painting, write a book, turn your recipe for fudge brownies into a proper business, whatever. You don't know where the itch came from; it's almost like it just arrived on your doorstep, uninvited. Until now you were quite happy holding down a real job, being a regular person ...

Until now.

You don't know if you're any good or not, but you'd think you could be. And the idea terrifies you. The problem is, even if you are good, you know nothing about this kind of business ...

Besides, if you write a book, what if you can't find a publisher? If you write a screenplay, what if you can't find a producer? And what if the producer turns out to be a crook? You've always worked hard your whole life. You'll be damned if you'll put all that effort into something if there ain't no pot of gold at the end of this dumb-ass rainbow ...

Heh. That's not your wee voice asking for the crayons back. That's your outer voice, your adult voice, your boring and tedious voice trying to find a way to get the wee crayon voice to shut the hell up.

Your wee voice doesn't want you to sell something. Your wee voice wants you to make something. There's a big difference. Your wee voice doesn't give a damn about publishers or Hollywood producers.

Go ahead and make something. Make something really special. Make something amazing that will really blow the mind of anybody who sees it.

If you try to make something just to fit your uninformed view of some hypothetical market, you will fail. If you make something special and powerful and honest and true, you will succeed.

Read the entire "I’d Like My Crayons Back, Please" piece here. And when you have some spare time, poke around McCleod's entire "How to Be Creative" collection, which is also available at the Change This web site.

What's Your Definition of Passion?

2005-03-02T21:44:00.000-06:00

It's a word you hear batted around a lot, especially when talking about creative pursuits and finding your right livelihood. I'm talking about PASSION -- that sometimes elusive beast we all strive to grab ahold of and ride like our lives depended on it.

But what is passion? On his Occupational Adventure blog, Curt Rosengren has a great definition:

"Passion is the energy that comes from bringing more of YOU into what you do."

He also writes, "The energy differential is huge between doing a job that is really an extension of who you are, and a job where you have to wear a mask day in and day out."

Amen to that, brother! I've worked my share of day jobs to pay the bills and make ends meet when I had to. But, thankfully, I never got too comfortable with any of them, regardless of how prestigious the title was or how attractive the paycheck might have been.

Like many people in the workforce, I was never satisfied toiling to fulfill someone else's cause or mission. Not that there's anything wrong with that. If you want stability within a structured environment (and good luck finding that), all the power to you if you're content clocking in and out for a steady income.

But I've always been stubbornly intrigued by the idea of making a living doing something that was a natural reflection of who I am. And that is indeed an excellent source of passion.

For many people, that personal satisfaction can be found with the right job at the right company. For me, it has only been fully found working for myself as a writer, author and publisher (while having the freedom to also enjoy music, acting and art on a part-time basis).

But even if you're not able to make a full-time living doing the thing you're most passionate about, at least engage in it on the side as often as you can. Doing so will help you stay healthy and wise -- oh yeah, and a lot more passionate!

An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth

2005-02-28T16:24:00.000-06:00

If you ask me, designer Bruce Mau has some pretty cool ideas about creativity and personal growth, which he has capsulized in his Incomplete Manifesto for Growth.

There are a total of 43 ideas. Here are my seven favorites:

Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child). Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day.

Capture accidents. The wrong answer is the right answer in search of a different question. Collect wrong answers as part of the process. Ask different questions.

Drift. Allow yourself to wander aimlessly. Explore adjacencies. Lack judgment. Postpone criticism.

Begin anywhere. John Cage tells us that not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. His advice: begin anywhere.

Don't be cool. Cool is conservative fear dressed in black. Free yourself from limits of this sort.

Stay up late. Strange things happen when you've gone too far, been up too long, worked too hard, and you're separated from the rest of the world.

Scat. When you forget the words, do what Ella did: make up something else ... but not words.

Power to the people. Play can only happen when people feel they have control over their lives. We can't be free agents if we're not free.

Thank heavens there are inspirations like Bruce Mau among us.

How to Sell Your Book, CD, or DVD on Amazon

2005-02-22T16:06:00.000-06:00

Like Kevin Kelly (author of New Rules for the New Economy and former Executive Editor of Wired magazine), I sell my self-published material on Amazon. Where we differ is in our outlook and experience making money with self-published titles. Mr. Kelly has the common attitude that it's nearly impossible to generate a decent cash flow, especially considering the substantial cut Amazon takes.

I understand where that mindset comes from. But, luckily, I'm blessed to make a decent living as a self-published author selling my various titles through Amazon, my own web site and a number of other sources. It may be rare, but it is possible to build an identity, a fan base and a steady stream of happy paying customers without the help of a major publisher.

But I digress. The real purpose of this post is to let you know that -- if you produce your own books, CDs, videos or DVDs -- you need to make Amazon at least part of your sales mix. And Kevin Kelly offers a great article detailing exactly what steps you need to take to get your material sold on Amazon.

Read it and determine for yourself how many new fans Amazon can help you reach and how much or how little money you can make by having your titles available at one of the world's largest e-commerce sites.

Art Bras Bring Attention to Women's Health Issues

2005-02-15T15:42:00.000-06:00

This news item brings a whole new meaning to the National Endowment for the Arts. For a super example of creativity in action, take a gander at the art bra exhibition put on by the Way to Women's Wellness Foundation in Fountainville, PA.

Through all of the fun and snickers, there's a serious message. The foundation's mission is to "promote breast cancer awareness and women's health issues, beginning with the creation, marketing and exhibiting of a collection of Art Bras created by 12 American designers.

"It is our goal that the visual enjoyment of this collection may also bring attention and awareness to women's health issues. By using our creativity, we hope to inspire others through our art and support women who have experienced or may experience serious women's health issues."

Now that's a cause worth supporting (sorry for the pun). Not to mention a clever use of talent for a great cause.

Revenge of the Right Brain

2005-02-09T13:23:00.000-06:00

I already liked Dan Pink and the work-for-yourself philosophy he promoted in his book, Free Agent Nation. (Check out his Free Agent FAQs page for details on the growng number of people joining the ranks of the solo self-employed.)

Since reading a new article by Mr. Pink in the current issue of Wired magazine, I'm an even bigger fan of his. The article, called "Revenge of the Right Brain," asserts that the logical, left-brain thinking that ushered in the Information Age is evolving into what Pink calls the Conceptual Age -- an era where more creative, right-brain abilities rule.

Here's a nugget from the article:

"Until recently, the abilities that led to success in school, work, and business were characteristic of the left hemisphere. They were the sorts of linear, logical, analytical talents measured by SATs and deployed by CPAs. Today, those capabilities are still necessary. But they're no longer sufficient. In a world upended by outsourcing, deluged with data, and choked with choices, the abilities that matter most are now closer in spirit to the specialties of the right hemisphere -- artistry, empathy, seeing the big picture, and pursuing the transcendent."

Pink proves his case using three topics: Asia, automation and abundance. He says that many of the routine jobs that were in the past manned by "knowledge workers" -- such as accountants, computer programmers, technicians, etc. -- are being replaced by outsourcing and advancing technical automation.

His conclusion is that people with marketable right-brain skills will have a seat at the Conceptual Age dinner table. But the premise extends beyond the business world. It also means consumers are hungry for art, culture, beauty and more.

Here's another excerpt from the article:

"Liberated by prosperity but not fulfilled by it, more people are searching for meaning. From the mainstream embrace of such once-exotic practices as yoga and meditation to the rise of spirituality in the workplace to the influence of evangelism in pop culture and politics, the quest for meaning and purpose has become an integral part of everyday life. And that will only intensify as the first children of abundance, the baby boomers, realize that they have more of their lives behind them than ahead. In both business and personal life, now that our left-brain needs have largely been sated, our right-brain yearnings will demand to be fed."

Sounds like a great time to be a creative person.

The Role of Enthusiasm in Creativity

2005-02-03T10:49:00.000-06:00

Artist Robert Beech sent me an e-mail in which he posed a good question: "How do you define enthusiasm?"

Here's the rest of his e-mail:

"I picture enthusiasm as a small flame inside. Most of the time it burns so low as to be unnoticeable. Yet sometimes, it burns brightly. At such times, I feel excited, whimsical and interested. Above all, I associate it with a feeling of movement, of progress toward my goals.

"A lot of artist self-help and motivational books encourage us to have enthusiasm, but they don't define it in any useful way and don't say how to generate it. Enthusiasm can come about as a result of creative work, but it can also be used as fuel for creative work. Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?

"Lack of enthusiasm should not be used as an excuse to avoid creative work, as in 'I can't paint now. I'm not in the mood.' Having enthusiasm makes any creative work proceed much easier and faster.

"How does one 'generate' enthusiasm? Is it even possible?"

All excellent thoughts to ponder. Here are my ideas on this topic:

Enthusiasm is a lot like that other elusive beast: happiness. They can't be attained through a direct route. Try it sometime. Sit down and force yourself to "be happy" or "be enthusiastic." It doesn't work. Enthusiasm is a byproduct of pursuing something you are passionate about.

Robert is right: Creative people who need to be enthusiastic before starting work on an artistic project are just like those who sit around waiting for a visit from the "muse." If you're inspired and can't wait to partake in your chosen talent, congratulations. That's a great state to be in, but ...

If you know you should be working on a project and enthusiasm is in short supply, do what all accomplished creative people do ... just start. Type the first sentence, put down the first brush stroke, begin arranging the first chord progression ... whatever it is you do, just do it.

Luckily, I don't suffer from writer's block. But I do battle with writing avoidance all the time. In fact, I had to deal with it as I began this very blog post you're reading right now. What did I do? I just started writing. As I warmed up, additional ideas came to me. Before I knew it, I was immersed in the subject and ended up with enough decent material to fill this post. And at the end of the process, I felt satisfied that I had created something of value.

This state of immersion is often called being "in the flow." It's a great place to be. And you can get there regardless of how "enthusiastic" you are at the beginning.

A couple of ways to kick-start your enthusiasm:

Reconnect with the original reasons you were excited about your creative path. Think about times you were really pumped about a performance, piece of writing, painting, photograph, etc. Then try to tap into that heightened state.

Collect positive comments from fans and favorable reviews of your work. Sometimes, when you're down (and we all have those moments), it's nice to remind yourself of the positive impact your art has had on others.

Consult with a supportive creative friend. Although enthusiasm should come from within, it helps sometimes to get a boost from someone who understands your plight. Make a list of creative comrades you can call or e-mail when the going gets tough. And you should be prepared to encourage them when they need your help, too.

Your thoughts? Am I off base? Did I miss anything? Click the Comments link below and post your perspective on enthusiasm.

Self-Promotion: One Do and One Don't

2005-02-01T10:58:00.000-06:00

Here are two things to keep in mind as you promote your talents:

DO Specialize -- You Can't Be All Things to All People

When you think of Stephen King, what image comes to mind? Unless you've been living in a cave, you think of a prolific writer who creates novels filled with terror and suspense. But what if Mr. King also put out books on gardening, cooking and personal finance? How successful would he be then?

Surely, King could write such books if he put his mind to it. So why doesn't he? Because he has a niche that people clearly identify him with. Therefore, he succeeds on a much higher level by specializing instead of trying to please everyone. Learn from this lesson.

Have a clear idea of how you best serve your fans with your creative talents. Then focus, focus, focus ... while avoiding the temptation to spread yourself too thin.

DON'T Write Like You're Constipated

Even though I should be used to it by now, it still astounds me when I read letters that contain phrases such as "per our conversation on the 14th" or "in reference to the aforementioned item." Who are these people trying to impress? Their college English professor?

One thing's for sure: They certainly aren't making an impact with customers. The same goes for dry terms that creep into countless brochures and other sales materials. Stop trying to sound so official with your prose, and start writing like you talk!

Instead of writing "Our customers' satisfaction level is at the forefront of our service commitment," why not just write, "Your satisfaction is my top priority -- I guarantee it!"

If you wouldn't say it that way to a customer's face, don't write it that way in your sales literature.

These two tips are adapted from "Unleash the Artist Within." Keep them in mind as you find your rightful place in the creative world.

The Power of Peak Moments and Powerful Endings

2005-01-26T10:23:00.000-06:00

Want to make more of an impact with your customers? Maybe a quick science lesson will help you create more positive and memorable experiences for your fans.

In a post this week on his Artful Manager blog, Andrew Taylor has some great observations regarding the Peak/End Rule. Taylor writes about "Nobel-prize winning psychiatrist Daniel Kahneman, who has done experiments to determine how individuals attribute pleasure or pain to a lived experience." His findings led to the Peak/End Rule.

The Noise Between Stations web site describes the Peak/End Rule this way: "When people assess a past experience, they pay attention above all to two things: how it felt at the peak and whether it got better or worse at the end. A mild improvement -- even if it's an improvement from 'intolerable' to 'pretty bad' -- makes the whole experience seem better, and a bad ending makes everything seem worse."

Wikipedia chimes in with "We judge our past experiences almost entirely on how they were at their peak (pleasant or unpleasant) and how they ended. Virtually all other information appears to be discarded, including net pleasantness or unpleasantness and how long the experience lasted."

Back to Andrew Taylor's blog post ...

"First off, this fact of perception seems to be already in the bones of the most well-regarded artists. For example, I once heard a jazz pianist tell a group of students how to craft a solo improvisation. The cheat sheet? Build to a strong middle, and make a solid ending ... the audience won't remember anything else. I've also seen many orchestral conductors add an especially dramatic flourish to their final cut-off, leading the crowd to go wild, regardless of what came before."

The traditional wisdom I've always heard was to start strong and finish strong. Based on the Peak/End Rule, that may be only half true. A new rule to consider: If you're a performer, save one of your most potent "peak experience" pieces for someplace in the middle of a performance, then end with a crowd-pleasing flurry.

However, this concept can be applied to art of all kinds:

Plays
Novels
Poems
Short stories
Musical performances
Art gallery events
Stand-up comedy routines
Dance presentations

So ... regardless of what you create, be sure to craft a specific climactic moment, and save your best stuff for the end.

Bob Baker's Artist Empowerment Blog

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