Presenting Your Art To An Audience Is'nt Always Easy

I had an interesting week attending shows at the Orlando International Fringe Festival.  This year marks the Festival’s 20^th anniversary combining cutting-edge performers with innovative works.  Each year, artists join together from around the world to tell their stories and produce their own shows.  All proceeds directly benefit the artists.  The festival is billed as “10 days of Theatre, Art, Music, and Madness.”  As I enjoyed the festival this year I was reminded how difficult it is to put yourself out there and have the world critique your work.  It’s not easy!  

Right around 8 years ago I had the opportunity to write and produce my own show at the Fringe Festival.  It was an amazing experience and I learned a lot about myself.  Although the critics panned my show, the experience was worth it.  I learned that you have to continually take risks creatively if you want to be successful in the entertainment industry.  Each experience teaches you something new that will help with your career goals.  This process requires a passion for art and ultimately, leadership. Without leadership your art will not find an audience.

If you really want to put your creative content out there whether on stage, television, on film, or in a book, you must have passion for it.  Many people in the industry have the passion but lack the leadership.  Leadership is essential for selling your creative content.  You must be able to build partnerships and move the process forward.  Once you have put it together, you have to sell it.  This can be the hardest part and many search for agents, managers, or producers who can do this work for them.  If your lucky, you can focus on writing and you will have a team to focus on the selling.

However, most of us have to take the lead on selling our idea by ourselves.  There are many new avenues for us to sell our creative content.  Print-on-demand services allow writers to self publish.  These services are becoming more popular as new technologies begin to emerge.  The traditional model is slowly fading away.  You have to do your homework when selecting one of these services.  You should learn about the many different companies available and evaluate the pros and cons of each.  You may find the perfect fit for your creative content.  You can find more information on POD’s at www.sfwa.org. 

Fringe is an excellent opportunity for creative writers and artists to put their show out there in a relatively safe environment.  Print-on-demand services offer a similar but different opportunity.  However, you must have a balance of leadership and passion.

http://orlandofringe.org/

http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/pod/

It May Be Time To Self-Publish

 Are you frustrated with trying to find an agent to get your creative work published and distributed?  It can be a daunting task due to the overwhelming number of writers simultaneously shopping their work.  Agents and industry executives are bombarded with submissions from creative types and they cannot possibly sign us all. 

Recently, I have been researching alternative ways to publish and distribute my own creative work.  My findings reveal that there are other alternatives to the traditional model we have become aware of through the years.  Technology and the Internet have changed the way consumers are purchasing content.  Print-On-Demand (POD) services open up opportunities for self-publishing for many writers.

Print on demand and publish on demand is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book (or other document) are not printed until an order has been received.   Many traditional small presses have replaced their traditional printing equipment with POD equipment or contract their printing out to POD service providers.  

POD services utilize digital printing technology to provide publishing services to writers. They range from DIY services like Lulu.com, which provides free online templates that allow anyone to upload and format a book, to super-fancy (and extremely expensive) publishing packages that include editing, custom cover design, enhanced marketing, and other extras (www.sfwa.org).

These POD services are not just for books.  You can find service providers who specialize in publishing and distributing your music like CDBaby.com.  This service will sell your music to iTunes and other music providers.  They will make your music available for purchase online.  In addition, you can find services to offer your film or audio-visual work.  CreateSpace is a subsidiary of Amazon and offers POD services for books, CD’s, and DVD’s. 

There are pros and cons that need to be carefully considered when choosing a POD service.  You should understand the cost for the service and how much revenue you will retain per unit.  You want to maintain control of your work and make sure you maintain publishing rights.

POD services can be an excellent option for some writers and some projects. For others, however, it is simply not the right choice. It is vitally important

to understand the facts, assess your goals, and make an informed decision.

You can find some incredible information on POD’s from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America website.  Check it out!

http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/pod/