1 cool thing and 4 funny ones about getting paid quarterly royalties…
Yippee! Today is the end of the third quarter!
The end of a quarter makes me happy and here are 5 reasons why…
- It will trigger the accounting departments at my licensees to create reports and send me checks. (BIG checks please!) Getting paid is always a beautiful thing… of course the checks won’t start rolling in for 3 to 4 weeks but that’s ok, I know the proverbial switch will be flipped today or tomorrow.
- I have an easy way to remember when to change my furnace filters. (Silly I know but I’m told they should be changed quarterly, at minimum. How do people that get paid bi-weekly remember to do that?)
- It is also time to go buy new mascara. (If you are a girl.) Seems a little wasteful to me but after watching a documentary about the bacteria that can build up in there in 3 months… my next stop is the store.
- Time to flip or turn your mattress. If you get in a routine of moving your mattress regularly it will last longer, thereby saving you cash!
- Your oil change company is waiting for you. Every 3 months or 5,000 miles… I think. I must admit to not being quite as on top of this as some of the others… maybe I need to find a documentary about what old oil is doing to my car. Not really looking to buy a new car at the moment although nothing would give my 16 year old who just got his license more joy!
That’s it! A relatively silly blog post that might trigger you to take action on something other than art… 
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara
If you want the basic "inside scoop" about art licensing…
… consider the “Art Licensing – Beginner Basics” teleseminar replay.
On Tuesday, September 22nd, I had a great group of artists on the line wanting to learn what art licensing is (really), how to ‘think’ like an artist who licenses art (it’s a little different) and what the day-to-day job is like. I laughed when one very appreciative artist compared the industry to some sort of ‘secret society’ that no insider would openly discuss.
True, that in the past, it has been a little trickier to learn about it. You had to know where to go for nuggets of information. Who to talk to. And often just dive in and see what happened.
That’s why I started the “Art Licensing Info” family of sites in the first place. To give artists a real-world look at what it means to license art. Not rose-colored glasses and not doom-and-gloom. Just this licensed artists opinion and observations. Truth be told, I never expected it to become a family, I thought it would be like a hip single girl living in New York City – not some sprawling suburban family with aunts, uncles and cousins on every block but there you go. Sometimes things take on a life of their own and like so many families, I couldn’t be more pleased!
The call went well, I ended up talking a bit fast to get everything in and now the 40 minute replay and Action Guide are available to any artist who missed it, didn’t know about it or just plain wants to learn.
The mp3 is an overview to help you get a feel for the industry and decide if it is right for you. I couldn’t go into great detail about all of these topics in 45 minutes. This is the time to ponder, consider and see how it feels. It’s like trying on shoes at the shoe store – you walk around in a few circles and say, “Yeah, I like them.” or “Oh heavens! This is not a good fit!”
I could go on but instead, I’ll let you read what one participant emailed me shortly after the call:
______________________________________________________
Tara –
I was on your Beginner Basics Teleseminar for Art Licensing, and I cannot thank you enough! It was fantastic, and exactly what I wanted and needed at this time.
I have been exposed to and learning about art licensing for about 3 months. I was on the Paul Brent phone call in June, and found it so informative and inspiring, and have gotten a lot of information through my own research, but your call today really helped me put it all together and consolidate my knowledge and research to this point.
Everything you said on the call was exactly in the proper order for me to understand, and I found your action guide for the call VERY helpful as I took notes on it while you spoke. The way you categorized the steps of your seminar was very logical and thus easy to understand and process – it’s a lot of information!
I really appreciate getting “the reality of the job” of an artist in this field, from the inside, and your goal of “polarizing” us into feeling either for or against the job description! I am definitely “for” this career, for me, and your website and calls are a great resource for me to inspire myself to keep going.
Thank you again, very much – I look forward to listening to the call again.
Sincerely,
Keri McIntyre
Los Angeles, CA
______________________________________________________
Thank you Keri! I appreciate your feedback and your willingness to let me share it. So if this sounds like something you might want to hear as well…
Go to => www.ArtLicensingTeleseminar.com/start.html, get more details if you need them and be on your way to deciding if art licensing is right for you!
Wishing you creative success – in whatever area fits for you!
– Tara
Your opinions and experience with web hosts please!
… and when I say “Let’s” I truly mean “let us”… (answer please!)
Yesterday I was doing some coaching and one of the issues was websites. The artist in question has no desire to learn Dreamweaver or FrontPage and wanted to know if I had any experience with web hosts that would be easy to learn and update, but not look like “Joe the Plumber”s website down the street.
Since I use Dreamweaver and do all the design, I wasn’t the best source of help. I told her I knew some people… (that’s you!)
We would like to know if anyone has used the following web hosts and what you think. If you have additional suggestions, put them in the comments too. If you would prefer to email me privately instead of posting in the comments, CLICK HERE.
I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be a helpful post to many so thank you in advance for chiming in!
– Tara
DropBox: An Easy, FREE, file sharing system…
Dropbox is software that syncs your files online and across your computers.
Put your files into your Dropbox on one computer, and they’ll be instantly available on any of your other computers that you’ve installed Dropbox on (Windows, Mac, and Linux too!) Because a copy of your files are stored on Dropbox’s secure servers, you can also access them from any computer or mobile device using the Dropbox website.
I may have mentioned DropBox.com before in passing… it is a free file sharing & backup site that a friend told me about a few months ago. I signed up and use it to backup and sync 1Password (still in love with that program for creating & keeping secure passwords).
It has been on my list to learn more – but work, life and sleep have continually put it on the back burner… until today.
My desktop computer is in for repair. I’m working off my laptop. A client needed a bunch of files. When I went to open “Fetch” – the program I use to get files onto client FTP sites – I realized it wasn’t on my computer and I didn’t want to pay for it again, especially since I don’t use this computer as my main computer.
SO… all those dots lined up and today was the day to try out DropBox.
I created a folder and put the files my client needed in it.
I used the “share a folder” button on DropBox, entered my clients email, added a note and clicked send.
Then, of course, I called my client to explain WHY she was getting this. It took her about 2 minutes to register and then * poof * she got all the files downloaded to her computer in a zip file.
Easy. Fast. Secure. Free. (As long as the people you want to share with have or are willing to create a DropBox account of course.)
These days, I’m all for learning about websites and technology that make my life easier and my business more productive. Bonus points if it doesn’t cost anything!
If you ever need to share large files or multiple files that are just too cumbersome to send by email, I highly recommend you check out DropBox.
Jill Seale adds her insight and humor to the monthly Art Licensing Info "Ask" calls
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 marked the first “Ask Jill Seale” call. Part of the monthly Art Licensing Info “Ask” call series, Jill answered lots of questions about character licensing in particular. Her experience in licensing her “Nun for the Road®” characters for the past decade made her a great resource for artists wanting to learn more about licensing characters.
The great news is that if you missed the call, Jill & I have decided to offer her first call audio replay for free! She also enjoyed the process and will be doing another call in the future – the date still to be determined.
Here are the basics of what we covered:
- How Jill got started with “Nun for the Road™”
- Do the same companies that license art also license characters?
- What does a character collection consist of?
- How do you pitch or mock-up a character presentation?
- How is character licensing different than art licensing?
- How should I go about licensing a character I’ve come up with? How ‘true’ should the character stay to herself vs. appealing to as many diff. women as possible?
- What is the best way to introduce a new character line?
- How important is it to have characters in a book, etc. before trying to license them?
- Does building a fan base help or potentially hinder licensing deals?
- How do you manage the long-term exposure of a character & stay fresh?
… and lots more!
More exciting news! Jill will be joining the list of available coaches at ArtLicensingInfo.com – as soon as I have my desktop computer back and am fully operational. So I’ll keep you posted and please send good, healing energy to my computer – it is in the care of The Apple Store at the moment.
So who is this “Jill Seale” that I’m so over-the-moon about and where can you get the audio?
Here are some links for you:
Learn more about Jill’s art: www.JillSeale.com
See more of “Nun for the Road®”: www.cafepress.com/NunfortheRoad
Check out her latest project – “Mom Scouts™”: www.MomScouts.blogspot.com
Go get the mp3 replay!: CLICK HERE
OK… go! Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara
P.S. The October 21, 2009 call will be with artist Paul Brent, head to www.AskPaulBrent.com and start submitting your questions today!
For all the artists scratching their heads about licensing…
hope is on the way! It will arrive on Tuesday, September 22nd at 5 pm PST / 8 pm EST to be exact.
After 10 months of questions coming in like, “What should I do first to license my art?” and “How do I know if my art will work for licensing?” I finally got the hint. Or lightening bolt of inspiration. My “a-ha moment”. Something. But I got it.
I will be doing a 45 minute call to give beginners the basics… what licensing is and how it works. It is interesting to hear how so many artists have “stumbled upon” licensing. Have you ever heard that about art show or galleries? Nope. Art Licensing is a little elusive sometimes.
The goal is for you to get off the phone polarized. You will think “Yes” or “Heck No!” I want you to say to yourself, “Oh that sounds interesting. I might like it and I want to learn more.” or I want you to think, “Oh heck no! That is so not for me. Glad I figured that out in 45 minutes instead of 45 days or weeks!” If you are still scratching your head and confused, I didn’t do my job. (And I always do my job!)
Here’s a video with some basics. CLICK HERE to get all the details. I hope you decide to join me! – Tara
The "Ask Jill Seale" call – it's TONIGHT!
Just a friendly reminder – less than 4 hours to go…
Just say “no question” since Jill has already had a fitful night’s sleep working on her answers… (Sorry Jill – we all appreciate it!)
– Tara
What is more important: the idea or the execution?
In spite of my fear that you may decide I do nothing but watch TV (because trust me, I don’t watch that much…) I have to tell you about this concept that has been floating around my head for 2 days now after watching Sunday night’s episode of “Shark Tank”.
I started watching the show because I knew someone who knew someone who was almost on the show. (Does that make me “2 degrees from Shark Tank”?) And although I’m not completely into it… I keep watching because I am fascinated by the business points they make. (Sometimes not so nicely but that is what makes tv these days…)
They discuss business valuation a lot(a bit generalized but still interesting).
I often enjoy hearing why each one says “NO” to giving money – a good lesson on keeping your priorities straight and not going after every opportunity but just the ones that make sense to you and your business.
And sometimes one of the sharks will come up with a different thought that gets stuck in my head until I release it onto the blog.
Robert Herjavec asked one of the entrepreneurs what was more important, THE IDEA or THE EXECUTION?
The man answered “execution” and all the sharks agreed. How many times have you heard of a person with a great idea but they just didn’t know how to turn it into reality. Or didn’t want to expend the effort, etc.
So now lets morph the question for artists – What is more important, the art or the execution?
Of course to succeed with any type of art business, you need good art. Licensing is no different.
But is the very best art always the art that gets the deal? Absolutely not.
If your blood pressure is going up, please take a deep breath and bear with me a minute. My point it that ‘the very best art’ is relative.
The art that gets the license, in my opinion, is the very best art the manufacturer knows about when making the choice.
Sometimes the artist who creates the art can influence the decision a little as well. There is something to be said for the ease of working with someone, past experience, etc. when there are a few things to choose between.
So the EXECUTION in question, for artists who want to earn income by licensing their designs, is to make contacts, know when companies are looking for art and make sure they know about yours. Don’t create the best art no one has ever seen!
The “sharks” on Shark Tank have one thing and one thing only in mind when looking at the businesses all these entrepreneurs are presenting: “Can I make money with this?” And why shouldn’t they? That is the point of being an “investor” – you invest with the intention of getting your money back and more.
When manufacturers review art, what do you think they are asking themselves? You guessed it! “Will our customers like and buy our product if we put this art on it.” Translation: “Can I make money by choosing this art.” That is the name of the art licensing game.
So effective EXECUTION in the art licensing arena means successfully doing two things:
1. Create art that will sell a manufacturer’s product.
2. Let the manufacturers know that you have the art available to license.
If you need help with your execution skills, you are already in the right place. The point of this blog and the whole “family” of sites is to help artists navigate the wild and crazy world of licensing. Tune in to the free calls. Get audios to listen to again. Check out the eBooks, tutorials and teleseminars. Hire a coach. To see all your options, go to www.ArtLicensingInfo.com and as always…
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara
P.S. CLICK HERE to see the entrepreneur in question on Shark Tank (he was sharp!) although they don’t show you the question… you might have to watch the full episode from 9/13.
P.P.S. Shark Tank is moving to Tuesday nights – catch it tonight (9/15) at 8 pm / 7 pm central. (If I create a whole blog based on a tv show it seems only fair to give them a little plug, don’t you think?) Learn more about the show…
"Is there a list of companies that license art and who to contact?"
Yes – and it has just been updated! This is the first year I have invested in this resource and Ira tells me my copy shipped on Tuesday – can’t wait to sink my teeth in it!
Since I have been asked about online or print resources a few times I thought I’d share the email below (with permission) about the 2010 Edition of the Licensing Letter Sourcebook. I talked to Ira (the publisher) about it for a bit when I met him at the Licensing Expo back in June. I believe he told me this was one of the biggest overhauls ever because of all the changes in people, companies, etc. (dare I say – because of the economy!)
My favorite part of this investment is the guarantee - it’s in the email but I want to make sure you see it so here it is in bold:
Remember, The Sourcebook comes with EPM’s unique 100% money-back guarantee — If there’s a U.S. licensing company you want to reach that isn’t in The Sourcebook, we’ll find it for you – or refund every penny you paid — so you’ve got nothing to lose. Order NOW!
I’m excited to pay to hit the ground running and will let you know how it goes when I have this in my hot little hands for a while. For now… here is the information and links so you can decide for yourself… (if you decide to get it, be sure to tell Ira I sent you!)
_________(begin email copy) ________
Now Available — EPM’s Licensing Letter Sourcebook, 2010 Edition
Dear Tara,
With 9,000+ properties and 3,800 executive listings (800 outside the U.S.), the EPM Licensing Letter Sourcebook, 2010 Edition is an invaluable business-wide directory. And it comes with a unique guarantee you won’t find with any other licensing directory: If there’s a U.S. licensing company you want to reach that isn’t in The Sourcebook, we’ll find it for you – or refund every penny you paid.
All the hard-to-find contacts are verified in-house by EPM (publisher of The Licensing Letter) staff, so you don’t have to search for email addresses and phone numbers.
For a complete Table of Contents click here.
If you order NOW, you’ll have worldwide access to…
1,211 licensors and details of the properties they own
1,703 manufacturers listing the licenses they hold and the products they manufacture
436 licensing agents and the properties they represent
520 consultants and attorneys
Don’t waste valuable staff time tracking down licensing contacts. We’ve already spent more than 1,200 hours verifying every listing in The Sourcebook, so you don’t have to. Order your 2010 Licensing Letter Sourcebook today!
Order the book or CD-ROM for $379 — add just $95 to receive both (you save $284)!
To order your copy now, or to review the Table of Contents, visit http://www.epmcom.com/llsb. Or call me toll-free at 1-888-852-9467 (1-212-941-0099 outside the U.S.).
Cheers,
Ira
P.S.- Remember, The Sourcebook comes with EPM’s unique 100% money-back guarantee — If there’s a U.S. licensing company you want to reach that isn’t in The Sourcebook, we’ll find it for you – or refund every penny you paid — so you’ve got nothing to lose. Order NOW!
Ira Mayer
EPM Communications, Inc.
Phone: 212-941-1633, ext. 27
imayer@epmcom.com
www.epmcom.com
Sign up for TLL Daily Advisor – New daily licensing e-letter,
http://www.TLLdailyadvisor.com
_________(end email copy) ________
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara
Facebook: how and why to consider registering user names and creating business fan pages
I’ve talked about this before… back in June when they launched the ability to register a username. Let’s review:
(excerpt from the June 23rd post…)
Last week Facebook made it easier for people to share their Facebook pages… assuming you grab your name!
Having the joy of sharing a name with an actress presents some issues for me… I can’t get www.TaraReed.com so I had to go with TaraReedDesigns.com. And forget getting my name on Twitter or Facebook either. So I’ve become “ArtistTaraReed” and am using that consistently across social media platforms. I’m now quite happy with it since it makes it quite obvious what I do!
Before the change, this is what people had to type in or link from to find me on Facebook:
http://profile.to/artisttarareed/
http://apps.facebook.com/webaddress/artisttarareed
(end of the June 23rd excerpt)
Way back in June, which is like the 80′s in ‘internet time’, you could do this for yourself. That was all I had and all I really cared about at the time. (you know, back in the 80′s)
But NOW I’m getting on board with ‘fan pages’. Continuing my ‘separation of church and state’ (you might recall I now have a separate YouTube channel just for Art Licensing Info)
I decided to set up two: one for Art Licensing Info (this may replace the ning forum… or not replace it but I might HIGHLY recommend everyone go over there… more on that in another post) and one for fans of my art (Tara Reed Designs.)
But there is a catch to registering a username with Facebook – you have to have at least 25 fans before they let you do it.
So here is what you need to do, as best as I can remember.
Creating a “Fan Page” is just like creating your own page. But you create it for your business. (And you have to have a personal page to get a fan page – login information is the same.) Go to:
http://www.facebook.com/advertising/?pages
(don’t worry – they won’t ask you to open your wallet unless you want to do those little ads down the right hand side of Facebook when you are logged in.)
Click on the Green “Create a Page” button in the upper right. You might want to read through the ‘how-to’ as well. Maybe even bookmark it.
Set up the basics. The “Who”, “What” and “Why”. Make sure you become a fan of your page so it can be found.
Add a link on your personal page. I understand that business pages are a way of letting people know about your business without being your personal ‘friend’ on Facebook, but two things may be true. First, you may already have a cloudy line and have lots of business people as friends. Second, some of your friends (or their friends) may also be interested in your business. So I say, make sure there is somewhere for anyone on your personal page to know about your business page.
To do this, I added links in the “info” box below my photo and all the “contact”, “message”, and “poke” me links. Since your link will have both words and lots of numbers until you can register a better looking username, I put the long url in at http://www.tinyurl.com to create a shortcut.
Now go find some fans. At least 25 to be exact. That is the first magic number because then you can grab the special url.
I found that the ‘ethical bribe’ method got me to 25 fans in 6 hours. (If you missed it, sorry! Maybe next time.) I gave a discount coupon and artists came running. I advertised it on Facebook (of course) and Twitter (again, of course).
Once I had collected my fans and sent out my coupon codes, it was time to register the name. Go to:
http://www.facebook.com/username/
If you already registered your personal name like I did back in June, the screen will look like mine above and say “Your user name has been set”. If not, that is where you can start.
But now that I had my 25 business and art fans, I clicked on the “Set a user name for your pages”. The drop down showed me the pages I owned and if I had the requisite 25, I could pick a name, say I was sure it was the name I wanted (you can’t change them later) and I was all set!
That’s it. Now I just need to add the parts and pieces I want to the pages. I’ve already linked the associated blogs. (I’ll blog about how to do that another day. One thing at a time.)
SO… if you are reading this blog, you just might be interested in becoming a fan here:
www.Facebook.com/ArtLicensingInfo
If you are a fan of my art and want to know what I’m up to on that side of things, I’m at:
www.Facebook.com/TaraReedDesigns.com
I hope this helps! Here’s to your creative success and your successful navigation of pages and name registration on Facebook.
– Tara
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