Marketing in the arts

I copied this from the Evite for SCBWI  – November

SCBWI ( Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Houston Meeting
Tracy Gee Community Center
3599 Westcenter
Houston, TX 77042
Monday, November 1, 7:00PM

When we are thankful in November, some of the blessings we count include our SCBWI family. Its members are happy for us when we succeed and encouraging when we don’t. Another November blessing is the second half of the marketing workshop given by Bridgette Mongeon. You still have a week to do the homework she suggested in the first half. In case you need refreshing, here’s what it was:
1. Set goals for yourself, including big dreams. Be specific, make them doable, add a deadline. And refuse to be negative!
2. Research and brainstorm your market–who is the market that will buy you and your book?
3. Your platform–personal or oriented around your book? How visible are you? List three things you can do to become more visible and more credible. What’s stopping you?

On Monday, Nov. 1, Bridgette will finish up with her two-part presentation. She will speak to us about: Internet Marketing, Websites, Social Marketing, Search Engine Optimization and more. These are ways to use the Internet to make yourself more visible, more relatable, and an even bigger seller than you are now. Here’s a quote to validate each of you: “Sure, it’s simple, writing for kids…just as simple as bringing them up!” Ursula K. Le Guin. Hope to see you one week from tomorrow

______________________________________________________________________________

Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer and educator as well as a public speaker. Her blog can be found at https://creativesculpture.com.

She is also the owner and creator of the God’s Word Collectible Sculpture series
Follow the artists on twitter twitter.com/Sculptorwriter twitter.com/creategodsword
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgette.mongeon
Listen to The Creative Christian Podcast or the Inspiration/Generation Podcast Click on Podcast Host Bios for a listing of all podcasts
Listen to the Art and Technology Podcast

As part of my workshop (Part 2) scheduled for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators meeting (SCBWI) Scheduled for November 1, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Houston, I am adding some information about Tweeting.

Should artists, writers, musicians- basically those working in the arts tweet?  Does it really do much good, and as someone  said to me recently, “I don’t care to hear about what others are doing in their day to day lives.”   I agree. I don’t want to know if someone is walking their dog. But I do want to know about new technology as it pertains to art, new things to share on my blog, and resources available to me as an artist, writer podcast host and speaker.   So it is really about learning how to use Twitter, rather than if you should tweet.

My biggest problem with twittering is that I don’t twitter from a phone. I wouldn’t even do this if I could, because I am old school and am really feeling that people having their nose in a box attached to their hand 24-7 is at most times- Rude.  Now I know that is my opinion, but there is my two cents.

Now for tweeting.  I set up two accounts on twitter. Why two?  Well I have two different aspects of what I do. Really I’m multilayered, but two is all I can handle.  One is for my God’s Word Collectibles gift line and Insipration/Generation Podcast as well as the Creative Christian podcast. So my twitter account twitter.com/creategodsword allows me to twitter about those inspirational items without overloading those who could care less about this subject. Where My other twitter account, twitter.com/Sculptorwriter Allows me to twitter about Technology, sculpture, the arts, and marketing in the arts.  Having two accounts is quite enough,  but it did set up another dilemma.  I need to manage two accounts!

Well in came twhirl.  For quite a while, I would use twhirl on my desk top to post my tweets.  It has worked quite easily for some time, but just recently I found I wanted more.  You see, it is important to tweet throughout the day or week; and finding time to tweet often was just out of the question for me.  I was also sure that when I was in the office and it was near midnight, central time and I was tweeting, that no one was really seeing it, not on this continent.  I needed more control. In came twAitter.  I searched  to find something I could use and so far I like twAitter.  It allows me to sit down and post tweets for the entire week, if I want. I scheduling them for when they will appear.  I can even copy them and retweet them at other times.  Remembering that tweeting is not like blogging. Once you tweet… well it is gone.  Only to be seen by the few that are following or retweet.  So scheduling tweets helps me in my workflow, and hopefully to be seen.

Now I am also reviewing TweetDeck. What, another program?  Well, yes, but only because I really don’t care about those who are walking their dogs, but if there is someone out there tweeting about new technology in art, or something like that, then I want to know about it. I believe that TweetDeck can also schedule tweets, but we will see if it is exactly what I need. I am looking at TweetDeck to monitor what is coming in. See if there are tweets I can retweet or information I can use in my blogs, articles podcasts or lectures.  I’ll let you know how TweetDeck goes.

If you want to read a good article on learning to tweet, I would  recommend this SEO BLog article, 101 Tweets on How to use Twitter.

So, should those in the arts tweet?  I’m looking for success stories.  Those who have received a book deal or sales because of tweets, those who have booked a musical gig, or artists selling work.  Let me know if you have anything.  I do know that on our podcast with Dennis Welch about his book “Rich People Shop Here,”   he said that someone picked up a tweet about his book, and retweeted it and the sales at Amazon went up!  So who knows?

If you are in the arts and tweet, send me your success stories and links. I’d love to use them in my workshops and posts, maybe even podcasts.

( These workshops will soon be available as an online workshop in marketing in the arts. If you are interested in receiving information about them when they are available please drop me a line and let me know.)

______________________________________________________________________________

Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer and educator as well as a public speaker. Her blog can be found at https://creativesculpture.com.

She is also the owner and creator of the God’s Word Collectible Sculpture series
Follow the artists on twitter twitter.com/Sculptorwriter twitter.com/creategodsword
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgette.mongeon
Listen to The Creative Christian Podcast or the Inspiration/Generation Podcast Click on Podcast Host Bios for a listing of all podcasts
Listen to the Art and Technology Podcast

On Monday October 4th 2010 and again on Monday November 01 2010 I will be speaking to the Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Houston Group about Marketing in the arts

This is fee lectures and though it is catered to writers, the tools that will be shown here will apply to all people who are working in the arts, and small businesses. This is only a part of a weekend long hands-on workshop that I have created and present to groups. Though the time at the SCBWI meetings is short I will try to put as much information into the time allotted as possible.

Some things that we will discuss are:
* Marketing and public relations basics
* Internet marketing
* Websites
* Social Marketing

Meetings begin at 7:00p.m.
Tracy Gee Community Center
3599 Westcenter Dr.
Houston, Texas 77042-5213

Here is a google map for your convenience.

If your arts organization, small business, or networking group would like me to come and speak. Please contact me through the contact form at https://creativesculpture.com

______________________________________________________________________________

Bridgette Mongeon is a sculptor, writer and educator as well as a public speaker. Her blog can be found at https://creativesculpture.com.

She is also the owner and creator of the God’s Word Collectible Sculpture series
Follow the artists on twitter twitter.com/Sculptorwriter twitter.com/creategodsword
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgette.mongeon
Listen to The Creative Christian Podcast or the Inspirtaion/Generation Podcast Click on Podcast Host Bios for a listing of all podcasts
Listen to the Art and Technology Podcast

They are ready! Or at least number one in the video series is ready.

Video Number 1- The Beginning

In video number one Bridgette Mongeon talks about the process of
* Having a plan and knowing where you want to go.
* Setting goals
* The importance of the brain, imagination and day dreaming in achieving your goals.
* Stopping negative self-talk

The Art of Business and the Business of Art is a step-by-step, month-by month workshop series consisting of short videos and expanded workbooks. Sometimes when you are embarking on new adventures it helps to have someone to guide you and hold your hand. That is how these workshops are designed.

They are created by sculptor, writer, speaker and entrepreneur Bridgette Mongeon, and are compiled from her many workshops on business and creativity. It was her desire to make her workshops easily accessible and doable.

The series is presented as a month to month workshop. To participate begin with video one and proceed with the steps. The artist sets out a step-by-step, month-to-month procedure for success.

* Individuals wanting to start a business
* Individuals working in the arts that want to make a living with their art
* Individuals who are in businesses, but need to stretch their creative muscle
* Individuals working in a Christian business or ministry

THE VIDEOS
Each video is a portion of the artist’s weekend workshop presented to art organizations and small businesses. The videos are free and will be posted on the internet. For a list of videos see the Ms. Mongeon’s fine art website You are welcome to copy the videos and post them on your web site or blog.

THE WORKBOOKS
The workbooks expand greatly on the topics discussed in each video, and offer further reading and resources for the participants. They can be purchased from the artist by following the links below. NOT AVAILABLE

THE FORUM
Need help with the workbook or workshop? Want to meet others who are going through the series? Join the free workshops and receive a link to an online group.

Yes, everyone I know is twittering. Can I really use twitter to inform and gain work? We will see. I have vowed to try and be more serious about twitter and perhaps now that I have Twirl a program for my computer that allows me to post instead of going to twitter, I might be more apt to at least twitter once a day. But, I have to make more work in my life and opened up a second twitter account for the God’s Word Collectible gifts.

I have to tell you about this great resource. I’m about to release a video on it, but thought I would share a bit of the script here.

It is called HARO.
HARO? HARO? What the heck is a HARO?

It is simple it is an acronym for Help a Reporter Out. It is another great resource and definitely something to check out.

Peter Shankman, CEO, Entrepreneur, adventurist and cat lover started this simple Face Book page to help out some of his reporter and friends that were looking for sources. Instead of having to cull through his list of names he developed the Face Book page, and well it grew so quickly he moved it to http://www.helpareporter.com.

If you are writer working on a story, or have a podcast and are needing guests maybe you just have an online blog and want to get some real meat into your blogging. Then fill out the form on helpareporter.com.

Or maybe you are a PR firm that has many different clients that you represent. Then you can request to be added to the HARO mailing list and three times a day you will get requests for sources. All you need to do is find some that fit your clients.

Now I’m not a huge PR firm, I’m just a sculptor and writer work on my own public relations for my fine art sculpting, gift line, and speaking engagements that I do on marketing in the arts, and oh yes, I write articles. So I signed up. As of this date I have worked on both ends. I have given interviews on being a caregiver for an elderly parent, a female sculptor and entrepreneur, fostering animals in my home, being a women techy and of course art.

Three times a day I cull through the listings to see if anything fits, I want my reply to be on target. Can I really help this journalist? I need to be very careful. It is just good PR form not to send my stuff to everyone. And we all want to be very careful not to abuse this wonderful resource.

A few weeks ago I used HARO on the reverse end. I had a quick deadline on and article that I was writing and was looking for resources on a subject that I thought no one would be able to help me with. Writing an article about the Orphans work act. I went to the site and filled out the form and a very short time later I was inundated with sources, all in time for my next day deadline. Be prepared to file those resources. I’ll tell you they come fast. It made my job so much easier as a writer.

How much does all of this cost? FREE! Peter Shankman says that it is worth it for him to take time out of his day to put the list together, after all he gets a great deal of publicity out of it. Now if you want to donate remember he is an animal lover he has no problem with you sending a few bucks to such places as Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, or the National Dog Foundation. What a guy GO SHANKMAN! And thanks for HARO.

Pass the word and let others know about the resources. Having the list grow can only help both writer and source!