Month: April 2007

Speaking of my traveling (see last post), some people ask why, especially since I travel usually by train, I don’t equip my iBook to get internet via a cell network or carry a Blackberry or the like. I do this deliberately–when I travel, I use part of the time to write/work offline and part of the time for quiet meditation, reading, or simply conversing with other passengers (especially in the dining car). I unplug, most literally.

There’s a lot of stress in traveling to seven cities, giving presentations, meeting with clients and colleagues, etc., while also keeping up with things like podcasts and blogs and all my other work. And while it’s mostly good stress, it is still important to have times to come down from those stresses. My unplugging on the trains give me just that time.

That way, by the time I speak in Boston (last stop), I will still be as fresh and enthusiastic about the presentation as I will be in Austin (first stop). I will be able to give the Boston clients I meet for one-on-one consultations the best of my thoughts, not just those last floating bits of fried consciousness left at the end of a long journey.

When was the last time you unplugged? Did you know that it may help you to increase your productivity and may almost certainly help your bottom line? Check out this article about companies who are instituting “no email Fridays.” And more and more stories are hitting the presses about how taking time off is better for you and your business than you probably think.

If you feel you couldn’t possibly do it, try this as a baby-step: set your email to check every 60 minutes (or even longer). Here’s another baby-step: turn your cell phone and/or biz phone off for an hour every day…during working hours. See how productive you are without that distraction (note: clients won’t drop you because you had to return their call). Last baby-step: disconnect from the internet entirely for an hour a day–no google, no news, nada, rien, nothing. Spend that hour reading a business book or thinking up self-assignments or doing anything productive you want.

If you want to get the most benefit, do all three at once.

Oh, and take a train next time you need to travel. You can relax, unplug, and it’s a bit more eco-friendly too.

I have my Beyond PMS presentation all ready, I’ve sent the pdf of notes to the various chapters, and I have a stack of Amtrak tickets like you wouldn’t believe. Now I’m down to getting the last few things together before I hit the road for my Spring Tour.

I’m leaving on Sunday (the 15th) and, as I’m traveling by train, my postings here will most likely be coming in fits and starts for the month I’m out of the office (most trains do not have WiFi or any internet connections). But I will try to keep up.

Same goes for email; if you try to contact me from 4/15 through 5/15, some patience will be needed. I will get back to you as soon as possible, but that might not always be in the 24 hours or less I have as a professional goal. The cell phone will work in most places, probably, so if there is an urgent need to reach me, try me at 619.961.5882.

If you’re a “flaky” creative, you probably get ideas or remember things at the oddest moments. Wouldn’t it be great if you could call a number, record your brain-flash, and receive it later as text in your email?

Now you can. And do some other helpful and productive things too. Brilliant.

(hat tip to Seth Godin and his blog)

I would like to openly apologize to anyone who has been frustrated, irritated, or in any way put out by the recent series of forum flame-wars (PDN, ASMP Pro/Student, EP), particularly those on pricing issues.

In the past couple of months, for reasons unknown, a certain person and I have had a considerable number of back-and-forths. I have tried to keep things on a professional and courteous level, but I do not always succeed. For that I am very sorry.

I am also sorry that important information and ideas may be getting lost in the mess. This is what concerns me the most, to be honest. I hope that any of you who have been reading the forums continue to do so and continue to think about the issues being raised. We’re in a crucial time for our industries and these issues should be raised and discussed and considered–from all points of view.

Don’t let the nastiness put you off. Get in there and learn. Critical thought is critically needed to take creatives, especially photographers, from where they are now through this turbulent new media rights upheaval time, and into what could be a lucrative future.

Again, I’m sorry for any and all off-putting. I won’t stop posting, however, as I think we need to challenge assumptions and try new or different ideas. I will, though, try harder to keep things positive, impersonal, and on-topic.

Thank you for your patience.

Ed Greenberg, the outstanding intellectual property attorney, has posted a fantastically informative letter on why your stock agency is probably not really your agent, and why that is important.

One of Mr. Greenberg’s main points in much of his writing has been that language matters. It’s vital to say that photographers license their images, not sell them, for example. As this letter shows, he was right again–language does matter, a lot.

Mr. Greenberg is, for those of you who don’t know, a former EP contributor who has given loads of outstanding advice to photographers and other creatives. He is the person who made clear to me the importance of billing your Creative and Usage Licensing Fees separately (check out my next Creative Lube podcast later this month for more on that).

Thanks Ed, for continuing to fight the good fight.

First, the good news:
Carolyn Wright, the photographer/attorney, posted some great news on the ASMP Pro/Student forum. The Copyright office will soon be accepting electronic submissions. This will make life much easier for creatives. If you aren’t yet registering your work, start doing so today and take advantage of the new system when it becomes live.

Now, the bad news: Gannet, the publishers of USA Today, have issued a new freelance contract. As if it’s rates weren’t already abysmal, now, for an extra $100, you have to sign away any future income from any Gannet use ever in any media.  Anyone who signs this contract is committing business murder/suicide.
Hat tip to Scott Lewis (who sent me the contract) and Ed McColloch )who sent me the PDN story link).

On one of the major photo forums there is a discussion about pricing usage. I shared the idea of basing one’s usage license fee on the media buy involved in the project. As is to be expected, there are some objections to this. I can understand some of the points but, overall, I still think this is a the best solution (so far) to the immense problem of pricing usage; most specifically, pricing usage in a manner that is fair for photographers AND clients. Why do I care about being fair to clients? Because if we can find a way to come together on these issues, everyone will benefit.

So, I thought I’d share one of my posts on the topic here…

Here is why I advocate the “media buy” system:
1. It is quantifiable–based on math which the bean counters and suits can understand and respect;
2. It makes a photographer look like a businessperson who understands value and is attempting to find an equitable solution to the seeming randomness of usage pricing (that is, when one photographer says “that usage will be $1000” and another says “$10000”);
3. It is better than guessing, which is what most photographers do;
4. Even if you don’t get the actual numbers from a client, you can figure it out yourself with some degree of accuracy as most every media out has its rates listed online in some form or another. So, if a client says “we’re doing some billboards, probably less than 20 in the metro area, and full-page print ads every Sunday for the next 6 months and maybe some other collateral stuff” you can get numbers that will be at least close to what is really being spent and thus have a better understanding of the actual value of your images to that client;
5. Using this system will, for the majority of photographers, result in significantly higher rates;
6. Because it’s based on math, you can break down the cost per set of eyeballs (yes, this is a bit hypothetical, but so is all media impact) which shows the bean counters how little it is actually costing them;
7. It gives the suits the ammo they need to sell your estimate to their clients;
8. It gives a photographer greater ammo in the case of infringement–if your usage number is directly correlated to media, then your lawyer can more successfully argue the value of your images and win you more money in an infringement case.

Is it a perfect system? Of course not–there is no perfect system. However, it is an equitable and more clearly definable one. It is a system, whereas now what we mostly have is voodoo and guessing.

No, it’s not.

_________

I was tempted to leave that as the entire post today. See, I hear this all the time. Photographers in Kansas saying they can’t do X because they aren’t in Los Angeles; photographers in Los Angeles saying the same because they’re not in NYC; etc. ad infinitum.

Geography is a BS reason not to do something marketing/business-wise. Today there are many reasons for this but the biggest one is the simple fact that where you are doesn’t matter unless you make it matter. Technology has erased borders. If you are willing to travel or you do studio work, then you don’t need to limit your potential clients geographically. Where they, your targets, are doesn’t matter relative to where you are. You can choose to live wherever you want to and make your business work.

What this means is that you can no longer hide behind the excuse of not being in a so-called major market to cover for your own fear of success. In fact, you may actually make it easier for you to be more successful if you are located in a smaller city (or in the country someplace). Why? Prices. Your overhead will be significantly less in, say, Cleveland versus Los Angeles, NYC, or places like Boston, Miami, and San Diego. However, you can bill as much as you would in those bigger cities (remember, creative product should be priced based on value, and that doesn’t change no matter where you are). Lower overhead means your profits will be greater and your business will have greater funds for reinvestment and growth.

Of course, all this presupposes that you have to have the guts to create fantastic work and to market your business as the special one-of-a-kind entity it is. If you don’t, then it’s still not different where you are; you just need to think more deeply about what it is you are trying to do with your creativity and business.

So no, it’s not different where you are. You need to do great work, market to the right targets, and price appropriately. Everywhere.