I've been teaching workshops on press releases, press kits and other ways for artists to promote themselves and their art. But when I see the dearth of press kits at show offices, I sometimes think my advice is falling on deaf ears.
There had even been a post on an on-line professional discussion forum the week before BMAC, on whether it was worthwhile to bring press kits to the show. YES, I replied in no uncertain terms.
I arrived at the BUYERS MARKET OF AMERICAN CRAFT in Philly with an armload of press kits--fifteen, to be exact. When I get to a show like this, the first thing I do is drop off my kits at the show office.
I stopped in later to see who else had left theirs. After all these years of sharing what I know about self-promotion, and at a show of 1,500 artists, I was sure there would be tons of press kits.
But no.
Okay, to be fair, there were more than usual. In the past, only about a dozen artists bring press kits. This year, I'd guess about 3-4 dozen artists had dropped theirs off by the start of the show.
Still, that's less than fifty people out of 1,500. You do the math. I got 3%.
You don't need to spend tons of time or money on a press kit. In fact, for our purposes, "handmade" can be charming, if it's done well. I always advise people to put some sort of image of their work on the front cover--a photo, a postcard, even a line drawing or cartoon--because when it comes to first impressions, a picture is worth a thousand words. If you have postcards printed for your mailings, they cost about 2-10 cents each. You can get photo reprints for about 14 cents.
Some kits on the table had cover images but many didn't. There was nothing to spark any interest or encourage a media person to look further. One person had put what looked like little address labels on the front. Well, it certainly did give it that "handmade" look....
But at least these people had BROUGHT press kits. 97% of the people who paid thousands of dollars to be at that show, had not.
And THIS show DOES get media attention. The Rosen Group hustles like crazy to get the media to their shows, and I can tell. The first year I exhibited, three of my kits were taken. The next time, five. After that, I would only find two or three left over.
This time, I left a dozen press kits at the show office, and all but one were taken by show's end. I don't know where they went or whether any stories will be generated from them. But they are doing what they are supposed to do: Telling my story, and giving a writer everything she needs to tell that story to her audience.
Here's another reason why you should consider bringing a press kit to shows: It makes you look so incredibly competent and professional.
The first day, Wendy Rosen brought the publisher of MARY ENGELBREIT'S HOME COMPANION magazine to my booth. I was so excited! But I was also prepared.
I'd been thinking lately about my 30 second elevator speech. Thank goodness, because when he said they were looking for artists to do feature stories on for their new "artists' studio tour" section, I was ready.
I didn't go into a long "thing" about the Lascaux cave or my background or my art or product. I told a three-sentence story tailored to his magazine's needs. I kept it super-short but powerful.
The clincher? When he started to take down some information about me and my work, I said, "Would you like a press kit?" Bada bing! Yes indeed he would. (It helped, too, that I was already familiar with the magazine.)
Another writer stopped by later that day. She's been in the giftwear publishing industry for years and is now working for a new magazine. We hit it off. Turns out we're both native midwesterners--we're so dang FRIENDLY!
Again, the clincher was when I offered her a press kit. It saves her time and energy. And when she finds a place to plug in my story, everything she needs will be at her fingertips.
Here's yet another example of how even small steps to promote yourself can grow.
One of my mantras is: Drop everything when the media calls. Give them exactly what they need. And keep it succinct until they ask for more.
I've signed up for some of those magazine e-newsletters, especially for the publications I think would be a good fit for my work. These e-newsletters occassionally send out ticklers for people to share their experiences on upcoming topics. (Sort of like the Jerry Springer come-ons: "Have you slept with your cousin? Does your aunt now hate you?? Tell us about it, and maybe YOU can appear on the Jerry Springer show!")
I e-mailed IMMEDIATELY with a BRIEF intro and response to their query.
I tailored my message to fit their needs: Since it was a publication for women 40 and over, I mentioned my age. Because I wanted to stand out, I mentioned I was an artist. I said I was available anytime, and told them how to reach me IF they wanted more information.
And then I let it go.
Because this process is not about getting every opportunity that crosses your path. And it's not about every opportunity coming to fruition. It's about making steady efforts that SOMETIMES lead to bigger things.
Sure enough, I received another e-mail asking for more details. Again, I answered IMMEDIATELY. I tried to keep my responses full and informative, but brief. (And if you read my blog, you KNOW how hard that is for me.)
I got a call from the fact-checker, which is a good sign. It means something has been written about me that needs editing and verification. I clarified my quotes. I've learned not to ramble. (You KNOW how I love to ramble...)
I kept my fingers crossed, because even all this could disappear in the final edit.
But yesterday I opened my March issue of MORE magazine. And there, on pages 74 and 76, in an article on mentoring and networking ("The Mentor's Manual") by Mary Lou Quinlan, was my name! And all my suggestions on how to help others without depleting my own energy and precious time.
I don't think this issue's content is available on-line yet, but the March issue should be on newsstands now.
One last tip: I sent out a brief e-mail press release about this to area newspapers.
An hour later, I had an e-mail from one of them asking if they could do a story on me. We have an interview set for Friday.
Where does it end? With luck, it doesn't!
And what's my last tip for you on self-promotion?
Thank you notes. I'm going to be writing bunches of them today!
