DVDs galore

The Peru trip is long over, summer reading programs in the libraries have had their final celebrations and now it's time for me to turn my attention to the new DVD, The Itsy Bitsy Tiger and Other Ridiculous Stories and Songs.

Did I mention that I ordered 1000 of these and that they're in my puppet room?

Thank goodness that picture is an optical illusion, with the mirrored closet door behind the boxes. Still, those eleven boxes are daunting. Add to that the other CDs and DVDs in the storage space above the closet and some upstairs in my office, and you start to think that this little piggy could build a house out of recordings.

I still have cassettes of The Ghost With the One Black Eye and Chickens, too, hiding inside the closet (anybody want these? let me know, they're going for cheap, cheap, cheap).

At the risk of giving away all my trade secrets, here's what I've done so far:

• Sent DVDs to my family. They're a huge support to me, whether they're close by or far away.
• Set up an account at Filmbaby.com, similar to the one at CDbaby.com.
• Sent DVDs to various review sources, such as storyteller.net, School Library Journal and Booklist.
• Sent it to friends who review storytelling recordings for newsletters or blogs, like Granny Sue and Linda Goodman.
• Taken them to the Raven Bookstore in Lawrence (they've already restocked once).
• Written about it on this blog.
• Posted about it on Facebook and Twitter.
• Taken it to various libraries this summer.
• Mentioned it to a few other librarians

What I haven't yet done:

• Told people plainly how much the DVDs are: $15 plus $2 s/h, $12 plus s/h if you're a library or are buying more than 3 (e-mail me if you're interested in ordering it).
• Made a real plan for marketing this new DVD. I'm still operating by SOTP (right, seat-of-the-pants).
• Probably a zillion other things that will occur to me at inconvenient times, like when I'm in the shower or driving in a rainstorm or floating on a lake.

Floating on a lake. Ahh, that sounds like the best idea of all.

Back to work

Right. I do have a blog, don't I? Sorry for the extended break. I had only a few performances in December and took the month as fallow time, necessary for my well-being. I spent Christmas and surrounding days in Massachusetts and Maine, New Year's at home.

Now I'm back at my desk, ready to work. The first order of business today was sending out the school postcard to be printed. Huge thanks to my sister Mary for putting it into the right format to be printed. Here's what one side looks like:

Cris Ceschi took these pictures at Red Brick Preschool in Sao Paulo on a lovely spring day in October. I love the way she caught the motion of the story.

I send postcards twice a year usually, once at the start of the school year and once in January. The card serves as a reminder to schools that I'm available for in-school field trips, assemblies, residencies, family literacy nights, end-of-testing celebrations and other events. The other side of the card gives all the salient details. Next week, when the card comes back from 4Over4.com, I'll spend time labeling and stamping them, most likely while watching a DVD. My sweetie and I are on a binge of the 90s TV show Homicide: Life on the Street, all seven years of it, perfect for this kind of busy work.

It's also time to get back to my storytelling one-sheet, the alternative to a brochure I've been working on in a desultory manner for months. More on that in another post.

Outside In Storytelling Boot Camp

Remember this? Back in February I flew out to Phoenix to join Sean Buvala of Storyteller.net at the first Outside In Storytelling Boot Camp, which focused on marketing. We spent three days immersed in practical ideas about how to make a living as a storyteller (or other performing artist).

Tonight we had a follow-up conference call with a few of the participants. While I knew that I had benefited from the camp, I didn't know the extent to which others had. It was great to hear about specific changes participants have made since then, such as redefining their niches in storytelling, getting new promo pictures taken, launching web pages, and rewriting marketing materials. It was inspiring to hear how people's perspectives about the business of storytelling had changed for the better, thanks to the camp.

Sean has asked me to join him for another OISBC in August (he's doing a special one-day Storyteller.net Live in Austin, TX on May 10, so check that out if you're nearby). They'll have to crank the air conditioning up at the conference hotel, because all those good ideas generate lots of energy and heat!

Making a living as a storyteller, Part 6

Here are a few more chunks of my white paper on making a living as a storyteller:

Don’t be a luddite! Online marketing is your friend.

· Have a website. If you can’t afford a full website, get a page on Storyteller.net and be sure to keep it updated. Already have a website? Get a basic page there anyway.

· Get listed everywhere. Get an entry in the National Storytelling Directory, list your business on your local convention and visitor’s bureau, look for community and arts websites in your area. Nobody will beat a path to your door if they don’t know who you are.

· Don’t spam! If you send out mass e-mailings, you must include an opt-out line (“If you don’t want to receive these messages, please reply with Unsubscribe in the title line.”).

· If you do send out mass e-mail messages, you run the risk of being put on spam blacklists, or at the very least many of your messages won't get through regular spam filters.

· If you do send out mass e-mail messages, always use BCC so the addresses of everybody on your list are hidden.

· Consider having a blog, so your fans can listen in to your thoughts.

Miscellaneous

· Apply to be on your state arts commission roster. Learn how the commission underwrites performances. To make this easier for the agencies booking you, learn how to do the paperwork yourself and offer to help fill it out.

· Pay your quarterly estimated taxes—and remember that when you have to pay taxes, it means you made money in the year. Good on you!

· Take the long view. If a gig doesn’t work out this time, maybe it will in a year or five.

· Have fun!

Making a living as a storyteller, Part 5

I'm going to start to lump more sections together. Here's part 5 in my white paper on making a living as a storyteller:

Know that everything you do is marketing.

· Need to get a temp job to tide you over? Tell the people you work for that you’re a storyteller—though it has been years since I’ve had to do temp work, I built my mailing list with names of folks with whom I worked.

· Remember that your listeners are everywhere. That kid with his mother in the coffeeshop might be a fan, the person cutting you off in traffic might love your stories, the cashier at the supermarket might have a granddaughter just the right age to listen to you. Be polite and friendly.

Ask for referrals.

The person who has just raved about your work may not think to tell others about it, so ask for the names of others who might be interested in your work.

· Ask in person after the gig.

· Ask in a thank-you note. You always send these, right?!

· Ask in a separate mailing.

Here’s a phrase I use: “Most of my work comes by word-of-mouth. If you enjoyed my storytelling, please pass my name on to principals at other schools.”

Try direct mail.

· Consider sending postcards instead of full mailings.

· Don’t send one mailing and expect to get lots of work. It takes time for potential clients to pay attention. “I’ve had your postcard in my file for a few years and only now have the grant money to bring you in,” one principal said to me.

· Keep in mind that if you get even one gig, you’ll pay for much of the cost of a mailing.

· Never use glitter in your marketing materials. It just annoys people.

To be continued...

Making a living as a storyteller, Part 4

Part 4 of my white paper on making a living as a storyteller:

Learn about running a small business.

· Visit the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) or Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) for free advice on running a business. They can help you write a business plan and set goals.

· Learn from other storytellers. Sean Buvala offers an intensive on the business of storytelling, as do other tellers, such as Doug Lipman and John McLaughlin.

· Pay attention to other people’s successful marketing endeavors. Always be ready to learn.

To be continued...