| Denny Jiosa
Denny performing live (on guitar) at a Florida jazz festival.
Do you rely on your label to handle promotion or do you take a more active role?
The label offers a limited amount of promotion depending on what is on the budget for it. Usually radio promotion and a publicist are provided as well as some print. My management is also involved in putting many deals together. However, since I am fortunate enough to have several product endoresments, many times the companies come to me with ideas that develop into wonderful promotional tool. I have my own website, which will be offering a "guitar chord of the month" and video footage of my concerts, concert dates and updates on any activity that is of interest to fans. It is a great blessing that my music is played all over the world—with as much as 1300 spins a week nationally that are reported—so this opens doors to self-promotion.
What do you specifically do to promote yourself and your CD's?
Included with the above information, calls to radio stations, guitar clinics, concerts and we work on as much press as we can get to coincide with releases and concerts.
What has been the best form of promotion you have used to date?
Radio Promotion is probably the best. It has made it possible to gain new fans everywhere by mailing the CD's and then following up with phone calls. It is not an easy thing to break into—the radio thing—but if you do it, it can be beneficial. Concerts are probably second—it seems that performing live still works great! I always sell a lot of CD's after my shows and it really builds my fan base.
I notice you portray a clean/professional/wholesome image in everything you do. How important is it to build an image?
I feel it is very important. What I disagree with are images that are portrayed by an artist because someone at the label thought it would "sell." I mean, it is crucial to remain who you are. Be real. Do the music that is in your heart—not contrived garbage. Because of this, several formats have suffered as the listener is not as dumb as the music business like to think they are. With me, what you see is what you get. I have had many positive comments regarding the "clean image" and the comfortable and natural way I perform. I think we as performers need to consider the young people and how we appear to them—as a mentor so to speak. I have no tolerance for negative/contrived attitudes that portray that type of image.
You have great "chops" and amazing talent and as a result you have achieved success. Sadly, I have seen some extremely talented musicians who are still waiting for their "Big Break." In your opinion, what keeps talented musicians from making it?
So many factors. Timing and networking. It takes perseverance day in and day out. It is more than just being a great musician, it is also a business. You have to create the so called "luck" that goes along with success and that happens by networking. Just because a musician is talented does not mean they are an artist. They have to be more than a wonderful player—you must have a signature voice that is truly your own—a fresh approach.
What have you done to build a fan-base and how important is that as part of your marketing strategy?
Everything from concerts to interviews to kissing babies! Do great music, treat people with respect and be yourself. The fans love that. They want to get alittle piece of your life whenever they can—by that I mean I speak about my children and their influence to my music and titles for my music. People love to hear that—they relate to you. I also have a sign-up sheet for mailings and Email to people who want to keep track of me. I announce to visit my website for updates or to contact me. I receive a lot of emails from fans.
[Editors Note: Take the classic cool jazz of the late Wes Montgomery, add a spoonful of B.B. King and Eric Clapton, temper it with the fluid Latin sounds of Carlos Santana, bake it in a soulful oven turned all the way to hot and you have Denny Jiosa, one of the smoothest, most passionate contemporary jazz guitarists on the scene today. Not only that, Denny is also the NICEST person you could ever hope to meet.
Please visit his website at www.dennyjiosa.com.
Dr. Eric Maisel
Author of A Life In The Arts,
Affirmations For
Artists and Living the Writer's Life
What are the biggest mistakes writers make when it comes
to managing their money?
Writers are
faced with regular expenses and irregular income. That is one
vexing problem. Another is engaging in natural wishful thinking,
hoping that your book will do better than it is likely to do
and spending money (on credit) that you will never see from
your publisher. A third is believing that a middle class life
is possible from writing. That is quite rare: some writers make
a fortune, but even those writers who mange to publish regularly
still may only make $5,000 - $20,000 annually. So other sources
of income, day jobs, teaching, mate's support, parents' support,
and so on, remain a necessity for many writers. The main problem
writers have include not having enough money, dealing with the
unhappiness of necessary day jobs or being dependent on a mate,
and dealing with lump sums (from advances, royalties, sales
of articles, etc.) that must be managed wisely.
How much of a role does self-esteem
play in writers getting paid what they're worth?
It is very important that
writers act and speak confidently when it comes to their dealings
with agents and editors. If they do, they may in fact come away
with a better contract and a bigger advance than they would
have had they been unwilling to speak. While most editors have
a ballpark figure in mind for an advance that no writer's self-confidence
will influence much, by the same token writers can talk themselves
into book contracts and other work by boldly asking for what
they want and putting themselves forward.
Can
you give me an example of a writer who has managed his or her
money well and some of the steps he or she took to achieve financial
(and creative) freedom?
One writer accepted that
her small advances from the romances she wrote were not enough
to live on and invested those advances in tech stocks that grew
rapidly. She lived conservatively on her income as a teacher
but used her advances as "risk money" to invest. Another
worked very hard to create a mystery series, rather than a single
title mystery, realizing that only a popular series would provide
her with the chance to live by writing.
In
your books you talk a lot about the myth that to be a great
writer one must be a starving writer. What are some of the myths
about money that would-be writers need to unlearn (when it comes
to making and managing their money)?
t is not a myth that it
is very hard to earn a living from writing. What is untrue is
that it is impossible. But to make that possibility a reality,
writers must think about the marketplace and operate squarely
in the marketplace by promoting their writing with gusto. It
is a myth that writers write and publishers sell books (writers
must sell their own books.
What
are some affirmations writers can use to create a money mindset
and start to create wealth and prosperity?
My work is worth a good
advance.
I will make money from writing.
I am not afraid of the marketplace.
I will market and promote my
books.
I will connect with the right
publisher.
I deserve to be paid.
Cindy Lee Berryhill
Recording Artist and Music
Industry Insider
What is the biggest
challenge to being a musician today?
Most musicians I know on an indie
level, don't have much money to manage and we end up doing more
TIME management - juggling jobs, family, friends, rehearsals
and creative time.
Is a " day job" a
part of that equation?
I work part-time for an artist
management company. On an indie level, we tend to think in terms
of sacrifices, "Am I gonna 'couch it' for a while and get
some free living space while I work on this recording project"
or "Am I gonna keep a job going and juggle a limited schedule
and take time off, or record on weekends?"
Can you make a living as a
recording artist without having a hit song?
When I got my first advance
from Rhino records for my first record I had a few thousand
dollars in my personal account and it went so fast on rent,
older debts I'd put off while awaiting my "ship" that
I hardly remember it actually existing. I still have a guitar
strap and capo I bought off of that advance twelve years ago.
Today most indie labels don't offer you enough money to keep
anything after recording so the job thing or a patron helps.!
So it is very important how
you handle the limited amount of money coming in.?
The money I've received for touring
is watched carefully and I plan ahead. Per diems are kept low,
I look for deals on car rentals, I ask friends to go as helpers
or musicians that don't need to make a living off of the shows
- but I take care of all expenses incurred while traveling.
I keep a columned ledger of all monies going out and coming
in and that helps at tax time. Likewise with the studio. Ledgers
rawk!
Kristian Walker
Art Director
Tell us about your
background in advertising.
I've been a creative
in advertising for about nine years, doing about every creative
job out there; design, photography, illustration, theater. Right
now I'm the Art Director for a midwest agency working in both
print and Web. I also freelance under the name of Eureka!ville,
doing web and print design, illustration, and digital special
effects.
What is the best way
for a creative person to get ahead in a corporate structure?
The right attitude makes
all of the difference. I've watched very talented prima donnas
get canned because they were too difficult to work with or they
got caught up in a political battle. There are always going
to be cat-fights going on everywhere and it's best to ignore
them completely. Getting
entrenched in that environment will ultimately stifle your creative
juices. From what I've seen, the most successful creatives in
any workplace are the ones who gain a reputation for not only
doing great work, but for being great to work with.
Do you use promotional
techniques to draw attention to your work in a corporate environment?
I am always ready to
grab a hold of a new project, big or small. A positive, go-getter
attitude really goes a long way. I also share my personal art
with my co-workers. Not only does this give me quality feedback,
but it broadens my capabilities in the eyes of my co-workers.
Is it difficult being
a right-brainer and having to work with left-brain types?
As my favorite Creative
Director says, "Diplomacy is the art of saying 'nice
doggy' until you can find a big rock. There's a lot of give
and take involved in the business. A very effective skill to
develop is the ability to separate your work from your self-esteem.
As creatives we have a tendency to be very attached to our creations,
but especially in design, you learn to let go. All clients,
at one point or another, are clueless (some way more than others),
and you have to accept that from the start or you'll find yourself
way burnt-out. The "big rock" part of the diplomacy idea is
that you have to learn when to fight for your ideas. There are
battles and there are wars with the left-brainers, and it's
way more important to get the "Big Concept" through intact than
it is to quibble over blue or black type.
What was the most
effective tool you have used to get hired?
I created a cover letter
that was more like a consumer ad for myself. That seemed to
set me apart from the rest of the "To Whom It May Concern" pack.
I also focus on the creative process for each piece in my portfolio
when I show my work, and I walk them through my problem solving
process. This brands me as someone who can create solutions,
not just pretty pictures.
Matthew Yubas
MATTHEW YUBAS is a Certified Professional Marketing Consultant for the Small Business Development and International Trade Center. He has earned a B.S. in Engineering and an M.B.A. in Management. Articles, tips, coaching, and Product Idea to Product Success are available at www.product-coach.com.
What do successful inventors do that those who struggle don't?
Most successful inventors make sure there is a need or want before investing in their idea. A successful inventor has many ideas and knows that not all are good. Before getting a patent, creating expensive prototypes, and going into production, they will go through a screening process to test for marketability. Michael Boehm, inventor of the George Foreman Grill, will write a pseudo advertisement when he comes up with an idea. If he can't come up with a number of benefits, sellable features, and excitement, he scraps the idea.
Can you give me a couple of examples of people who have turned an idea into fame and fortune—or at least some residual income?
Famous inventors have given way to teams of product developers at corporations. Yet, there are those who have done extremely well at inventing, but don't have the notoriety of Edison, Franklin, or Marconi. Rich Ernst, a San Diego native, invented the screw anchors that we use to attach objects to a wall, along with a product line of specialty concrete screws. He also invented the rapid fire nail gun used on most construction projects. Overall, product sales from his inventions have totaled over $100 million. Then there's Kevin Hester of Houston who invented the Chickcan. The Chickcan is a creative product that combines a holder for a beer can and grill that cooks tasty moist chicken. He has licensed over 3 million units.
What are the mistakes that aspiring inventors make most often?
There are a number of pitfalls that inventors fall into. Generally, inventors make the mistake of rushing to get a patent, make a prototype, and go production. They don't follow a roadmap and as a result waste time and money. Other mistakes include not considering pricing and profit potential early, not seeking feedback outside their friends and family, and not investing in marketing when the product is completed. In addition, stay away from the invention submission type companies. I've had so many inventors tell me how they wasted $10,000 or more. They lure you in by telling you how great your invention is and how much money you can make. The first step is to get you to buy a market study at about $800. The market study is a basic template which actually does not provide an assessment of your invention. They tell you that the market study was positive and that you should move forward. Then for about $10,000 you'll get a patent, a product summary sheet, and then submit your invention to manufacturers. I've personally talked to manufacturers who say they receive packets from these companies, and throw them straight to the trash. The invention submission company is in the clear because they submitted the invention to the industry.
The question I am asked most often by idea people is about how to protect their idea. Is there an inexpensive way to protect their idea?
I direct people to write their ideas in an Inventor's Logbook. In the United States , it's the first who comes up with an idea. In most other countries it's the first to file a patent who has the rights to an invention. So to protect our ideas, we need to document the date of conception, and an Inventor's Logbook does just that. Have the pages signed by a witness who has no financial interest in the outcome of the invention. Another method is to file a Disclosure Document with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. For just $10, you can document the date of conception.
What is the FIRST step an inventor should take with an idea that is solid—there is a market who will pay for it, it is unique and useful and there is a potential for profit.
To improve your chances for success, here's five things you can do to get started with a new idea. I've used the acronym “IDEAS” to guide you.
I = Inventor's Logbook: Protect your invention by documenting all your ideas and plans in an Inventor's Logbook.
D = Determine Competition: Who is your competition? Find out what they're doing and develop your product with benefits and features that are better than the competition.
E = Evaluate for Marketability: Your product must solve a problem or satisfy a need or want. It must also be better than the competition. The product needs compelling benefits to excite people to buy your product. If none, why build the product?
A = Analyze for Profit Potential: How much are people willing to spend for your product versus your costs and expenses? How many will you sell?
S = Select a Target Market: Find a segment of people who have the greatest needs and wants for your product. You must tailor your product and marketing messages to a specific market group based on demographics, business type, or location.
By following these initial steps, you'll be headed in the right direction.
|
