Author: Leslie

I just had someone email me a question about the cover of my new book–why did I choose to use an illustration rather than a photo? The answer is that I know waaaay too many photographers and so choosing one for an image always runs the risk of hurting the feelings of many others. This way, none of you are hurt…

…or all of you are equally hurt, but I figure you’ll forgive me. 🙂

 

The illustration was done, btw, by one of my brothers. I wanted it to be reflective of my t-shirts and I think he achieved that.

…Nick Onken’s blog, you should be. I don’t always 100% agree with him, but mostly I do and, no matter what, I find myself thinking more.

I had intended to keep this a bit of a secret for just a few days more, but as the info already getting shared by bloggers who got my private email announcement, I guess the cat is already out of the proverbial bag–my new book is finally available! Woo hoo! 

My best advice about marketing–now in a handy, compact, 168-page tome. The margins are narrow and the pages are filled with words, so there is no wasted space. This sucker is chock-full of helpful info!

For now, you can only order it from Lulu.com (that is likely to change in the future, but when exactly is a hard call). The bad thing about that is that it may take a while for you to receive a hard copy version as it is a print-on-demand system. The good thing is that you can order the pdf version and get it for less money and get instant gratification upon download.

I encourage buying the eco-groovy pdf version. Save some bucks and save a tree.

To thank all of you who have been loyal blog readers and patient while I got this book done (all while starting law school!), I want to offer you a token of appreciation. When you get your book (print or pdf), send me an email with the last word of the last footnote on page 115 (footnote #66); as long as I receive it by November 30, 2008, I’ll send you a code for a 10% discount for the purchase of one or both of my video presentations (usable until December 31, 2008).

Note: if you got the private email list offer, this cannot be combined with that, don’t be greedy. 🙂

 

Thank you to everyone who gave me encouragement and those who literally helped with the production of this book. I’m so excited I can share it with everyone now!

Of course not. Mr. Godin points us to a blogger who makes that point damn clear. Music is just like any art, including photography–you aren’t ever going to be anything special if you are like the others. You have to do things that might upset some folks and attract others. 

I just don’t get why so many photographers (and other creatives) are so afraid to follow their art. If you wanted to be safe, normal, liked, average, or anything else in the realm of the beige, why the hell did you choose to be an artist?

I just ran across this older article by Bob Sutton of The No Asshole Rule fame. Note this quote:

[…] if you want to develop new products and services, I urge you to keep your creative people away from your biggest customers—and for that matter from critics and anyone whose primary concern is money.

Doing so helps creativity blossom. Psychological research shows that people are especially hesitant to try new things in front of “evaluative others” like critics and bosses. 

I think that, in your case, should be expanded to include other photographers and your spouses/partners. If you come up with some great-but-wacky idea, don’t share it with anyone who might shoot it down–if YOU believe in it (esp. if it’s a marketing idea or a new idea for your vision), then execute it and critics be damned!

I’m hearing lots of creatives saying that they don’t know what to do now. The economic situation globally is really nasty and it’s scary. They’re worried that if the markets (as in stock) keep falling, they won’t have any work.

I say, turn off your TVs and stop reading about the problems on the ‘net. Just ignore what it happening and do your own work.

No, I’m not crazy. 

Worrying about the stock market and the overall economic situation won’t do any good. You have pretty much no control over what is happening on Wall Street, so stop worrying about it. It will either get worse, stay the same, or get better in the short term (and it’s pretty much guaranteed to get better in the long term). Your teeny investments (big to you, maybe, but teeny on the whole scale) aren’t going to change the markets so just leave them be if you don’t absolutely need the money in the very near future. 

Instead look at your own life and business and focus on that. What can you do to improve your business and your life–in the long term? If you are slow, use this time to work on your art. Learn something new. Read some trade books and general business books. Invest (time, especially) in changing your business to make it what you always wanted it to be (Judy Hermann can help you navigate that change).

Seth Godin has a good post on a related topic here–it takes effort to get where you want to go.

Of course, if you are in personal financial difficulties, you will have to make some tough choices and maybe do some things you never envisioned. Listen to what some of the best experts are suggesting (like Suze Orman or even better, your own financial planner who should be looking at these issues), choose a path, commit to it for the long term, and follow it. Even if you are in serious debt, you can make things better–it just takes time and effort. 

By focusing on your own situation and those things you can control, your mental state will improve along with your personal financial state. It’s going to be a tough ride for a lot of us for a while. Take a breath and remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

I’ve noticed that since I’ve started law school, I’ve ticked off some people by some of what I have been writing both here and in other places. I think I’ve figured out why: when you study law you have to take both sides of any issue. That is, you have to be able to see and to argue both sides, even if one makes your skin crawl. So, I write posts defending the actions of Jill Greenberg and write things that could be read as defenses of the Orphan Works bills–I argue the other, less popular side of these issues, and that just ticks some folks off. 

Too bad. I think everyone should be forced to learn this kind of thinking–seeing and debating both sides, that is. It is incredibly eye-opening. It also matches up surprising well with some of the Buddhist philosophy and techniques I have studied.

For me, at least, it has taught me to have more compassion for those with whom I disagree. I can see their points, respect them, and still choose not to adopt them, but I do it with a calmer mind and less animosity. It helps me to learn respect and compassion for people who have other priorities and concerns–some I would never have though of before.

This is important for you to consider. Your clients have very different concerns and priorities than you do and so their needs and demands can be very, very different from yours. This can create conflict, unless you try to understand them from their perspective. Understanding that the AB who isn’t calling you back about your estimate is not even thinking about you because she has an Account Exec. who is giving her grief over what he sees as an unreasonable photo budget and is arguing with her that she should be able to get the shoot done for half that, for example. Add in the fear that her job is on the line because the company is cutting back and suddenly, you can understand her better when she finally does call, only to say “can you do this for half?”

Instead of getting angry, if this happens why not try asking “What’s going on in your world that makes you ask me to do that? Have you got a crazy AE breathing down your neck or something?” That starts a conversation. Then you can talk about steps to try and make things work–maybe the AB can shuffle the budget from other parts of the project and you can find ways to cut production costs and, working together, you can get to a place where you are both content.

Studying law (so far) has taught me, rather surprisingly, that it’s not about winning or losing, but doing the best you can to find a solution. To do that, you need to understand the other side at least as well as your own and sometimes the results are not at all what you expect.

Oh, and as for honking people off, well, I’m sure I’ll keep doing that. It is interesting, though, that the more people got angry with me, the more people signed up to my free Manuals list. In other words, I scared off a few but gained more than I lost.

Okay…bad wordplay there. I mean the as in the definite article…the market in this case. The market is crumbling. Banks are failing and the financial world is spinning wildly out of control. 

However thou, you, and your market may just be fine. I’ve spoken with/swapped emails with a few photographers lately who say they’ve been quite busy. There is work out there, at least for now–you need to be getting out there to try and find some of it. 

When was the last time you did some local marketing? I mean calling up a local agency and offered to bring in lunch for a portfolio review? Make it an event and they may make time for you. Just be friendly and you might end up leaving with a project. Now, it is unlikely that any project you get like that will be a great project, worthy of your full creative talents, but it’s a project and, if you are slow, that’s a good thing. And even if you don’t get anything, offering something will make you look friendlier and less pathetic which, if you are slow, is also a good thing.

If you are slow, don’t share that information with your clients (local or not). If they ask, say things are okay or that you’re still getting projects or whatever. Be upbeat. Be vague if you can’t honestly be upbeat (“It’s hard for a lot of folks–I feel luckier than some”). Listen to their problems, nod your head, and don’t brag (truthfully or–worse!–not) about your own situation, but don’t commiserate either. People want to work with successful, upbeat, hopeful, helpful people. 

At the same time, now is not the time to go overboard being “friendly” to your clients. Don’t extend credit to clients, especially new ones or ones you know already take too long to pay. Be sympathetic, but be firm in your business policies. Get your up-fronts or don’t shoot the project. You have to play a bit of defense to stay afloat these days too.

But even in these tougher economic times, there are still things that need to be shot and people who are looking for photographers to get it done. Staying inside staring at your computer all day isn’t going to get you work–going out and interacting with people will. Trying new twists on your marketing will. Making efforts–more so than in the past–will.

How’s this for an original idea…get the Dutch army to shoot all 600 copies of your book. Worked for the Art Directors Club of the Netherlands and their Annual. (Thanks åsk!)

Here’s a new idea about billboards that is gaining traction (thanks to Lance Chang for sharing). This is not only another opportunity for licensing your imagery, I hope it serves as encouragement for thinking creatively and differently when it comes to your own marketing. What old tools could your re-think into something that will grab your targets’ attention?

Speaking of marketing, my new marketing book has a cover now and is just going through some last, technical things before it becomes available. Stay tuned for its launch!