Corporate (Copying Rights) Theft - The Orphan Works Bill
Saturday, April 26, 2008
The Orphan Works Bill consists of some new US laws around Copyright issues that could potentially cause you to loose your Copying Rights on anything you create from the very moment you make it. The Bill is currently on it's way for consideration by US congress and hopefully will be rejected and put to death with your support.
This bill will affect copyright holders world wide if passed so even if you're somewhere other than the US it's worth keeping yourself informed.
I'm certainly no expert on this bill so my limited understanding is this. Should someone wish to use your creation for commercial gain and they can't identify or find you as being the copyright holder (after taking reasonable steps to locate you) then your creation could be deemed an 'orphan work' and therefore 'fair game' for anyone to use as they please.
The implications are much worse for copyright holders if you research this issue further - which I encourage you to do so you get the facts rather than my understanding of them.
Please Digg and go to the main website linked below if you want to help fight this bill. Audio link to full interview here: Orphan Works
In both reviews I agree with his conclusions since he is coming from the perspective of sites and their suitability for selling framed art prints. In both reviews he recommends Imagekind or Red Bubble as better options with more choice for buyers.
However, I do think his review of Cafepress came across a little more harshly because he did limit his conclusions to what the site offers in the way of framed prints and posters. Dan made no mention that some types of art might be better suited to Cafepresses entire range of products than others making it a better option.
For example, if you're like me, and much of your art is quirky, humorous or whimsical characters that appeal to children then these may translate more appropriately to a T-Shirt, mug, or sticker and have greater appeal than a fine art print.
For myself, it was the Premium (i.e. paid) shops that attracted me to Cafepress. Visit my Gallery Shop here. Neither Zazzle, Red Bubble nor Imagekind offer customized shops in any kind of equivalent capacity.
Premium Cafepress shops allow such a level of template customization that they can integrate into the look (right down to the help and checkout pages) of your web site. That ability to keep people within your site template gives you far more control over how you upsell or tempt buyers to purchase related products.
It also doesn't split your marketing efforts between two sites - even though technically you are. People can browse your shop without feeling like they've left your web site. Such customization allows you to make your Premium shop more than just page after page of products. You can include everything, right up to embeded video of you talking about your art, on your product pages if you wish.
Don't discount Cafepresses free shops either. Yes they are limited in products (one design per product) but this is easy to circumvent by using multiple free shops linked to your web site. It may sound cumbersome but it isn't. I speak from experience. I initially paid for the first three months of Premium Cafepress shop from the money I made from ten free shops all linked to one web site featuring my art.
Although Cafepress is known more for humorous slogans and political themes there are still thousands of artists using the site with varying degrees of success. With over 6.5 million members, getting your art noticed in the Cafepress marketplace is much like getting noticed on ebay. Pay close attention to your design tags, category placement and use keyword rich product titles and descriptions.
As I said from the outset, I agree with Dan's conclusions about Cafepress from a fine art print perspective but do take into consideration the type of art you make. Cafepress might make your art more accessible if your market prefers something more fun, portable or functional than a framed print.
'A silly glimpse...' wins $200 on Viewbug.com
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Either someone over at Viewbug just 'gets' my humor or the competition is still just warming up. Whatever the reason I'm happy to accept my $200.00 win in Viewbug's Humor Challenge this week.
My video, A silly glimpse into TET's personality, came out tops over 30 other video submissions. Not bad for a crazy bit of improvisation that just entered my head one morning and evolved into a bit of a stand up comedy routine (and I don't even consider myself to be a comedian).
This is my second substantial win on Viewbug. Previously my video, Blank Canvas IV - Art Critic, won a $30.00 weekly prize.
Thanks Viewbug. If I could find a setting to stop your embeded video players from auto playing I would've used your player instead of Revver's above. Otherwise, readers of this blog and video creators/photographers/musicians especially should check Viewbug out. It's proven very financially rewarding for me thus far.
How to Sell Your Art Without Selling Out
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Virtually everything you should have been taught in art school about earning a living from visual arts and crafts but weren't is how I'd describe Steve Popkin's 27 part, arts marketing course, How to Sell Your Art Without Selling Out.
Years ago there was a famous ad for Gillette shavers featuring a guy who was 'so impressed he bought the company', well I didn't buy Steve Popkin's company but I did the next best thing and became an affiliate after completing only the first two classes. That's how good the information was!
It's important you know this up front because I don't want to be covert about recommending this as a product. Should you decide to purchase How to Sell Your Art Without Selling Out through the links from this article, you will be giving me a little financial 'thank you' that says you trust my opinion and insight into Steve's course. With that out the way, lets get on with helping you decide if this course is for you.
I purchased the downloadable version of this course after baulking a few times because of the sales letter, the tried and tested landing page that promises the easy life, typical of online marketers for almost any get rich quick product you can imagine.
The sales letter includes, off putting, too good to be true quotes like:
"Now all you have to do is follow the system...and you can make more money in a weekend than most artists do in an entire year!"
"Almost overnight, you will go from selling a few pieces...to selling everything you make and taking orders for more!"
Fortunately these were the exceptions with the majority of claims sounding more solid than 'get rich quick'. Personally I don't think Steve needs these kind of 'instant, easy income' claims but would you wrestle with your decision to purchase if he said things like 'with a little research and effort you could improve your sales over time?' You'd probably stop reading, right?
I powered through all twenty seven classes, ranging from 10 to 40 minutes in length (with exception to the selling your art online section which runs a whopping 85 minutes). It took me the best part of two weeks. There's only so much 'art business' one can digest in a day!
Each class is delivered like a power point presentation. Each key point is displayed on a slide as Steve's voice communicates the lesson. There is a nice picture of Steve to look at too so it almost feels like he is there, delivering the lesson personally.
The first class starts with the answer to the most common question I've heard artists ask, how do I price my art? I've researched this question over and over in the last few years, discovering many different answers. Steve's is the only answer that lays out a realistic strategy for encouraging people to buy your more expensive artworks.
Not only that but Steve looks at different price points and, for me at least, shows you can sell work on ebay and through a gallery without damaging your reputation or undercutting your gallery prices. In fact selling on ebay could compliment your galleries marketing strategy.
That goes pretty much against everything I've heard about selling art on ebay if you want gallery representation - even my own advice to other artists which, in the past has been, if you want gallery representation, steer clear of ebay.
There is too much in the course for me to comment on everything but by the end of it you'll know so much about the arts industry and all the possibilities that you may find yourself bursting with ideas about where to find your market and how you will sell your art.
After pricing some of the highlights for me were:
Creating Art for Niche Applications
It's true. Selling to a niche is much easier than trying to sell to everyone. Steve will tell you why and give you tips on how to do it without selling out.
How To Sell Your Art Online
This will tell you virtually everything you need to know. The pro's and cons of gallery web sites, using ebay, creating your own web site etc. It's a massive section that could of been made even bigger if it looked at the 'Print on Demand' market such as Cafepress and Imagekind but still, more than enough to get you started online.
The Secrets Behind Weekend Art Shows
Having tried and failed at selling my art at a weekend market for the best part of six months, Steve's tips may have come in handy back then.
How to Sell to Galleries
I knew there was a reason I wasn't interested in galleries at this point in my career. Steve explains everything you need to know about approaching bricks and mortar galleries and shows why galleries aren't necessarily a good thing if you're just starting out.
One of a Kind, Production Work or Both...
This class is a must for new and emerging artists. If you think working as a professional artist is simply selling each 'one of a kind piece' as you create it then this will open your eyes to a whole other side of professional art practice that you may not have considered.
There is so much more I could list. Head on over to Steve's Sales letter and click the link to view the full list with descriptions of the 27 topics covered.
I will say that almost every single class had something to offer in the way of new information. This is well worth the money. It's the kind of presentation that you'll refer back to when it comes to applying Steve's concepts. In fact I wouldn't mind this course delivered entirely as an audio presentation so I could keep it handy and refer back to it on my MP3 player.
There are few negatives to mention, apart from the sales letter. It does deliver on most claims and probably would deliver on all of them if you were highly motivated to get started right away (but you know how most people are and I think your brain will feel a little fried from overload after 27 classes).
Some of the classes tended to be a little repetitive but that's just the nature of the business. It really doesn't matter who you're selling to, it's all about finding your market and creating art for it. It's the different ways to find those markets that Steve gives you plenty of advice and ideas on.
I can say that the free bonuses didn't play much of a part in my decision to buy this product. They're certainly good value but other than access to Steve personally, I don't know how much of an impact they'll have on my future business. I certainly don't feel like reading Napolean Hill's 'Think and Grow Rich' as an ebook after pushing through Steve's course. I'll leave it to you to decide if the bonus materials sound like value for money.
How to Sell Your Art Without Selling Out is a course that is ideally suited to any artist just starting out or any artist who's been trying to sell their art for a few years and not really getting any where close to a decent income.
It really doesn't matter what kind of Visual artist or Crafts person you are the strategies will be relevant to you (Steve is a glass artist and uses his art in many examples).
If you've been all over the internet looking for information on the business side of art (I know I have) then you'll find everything you need to know, explained in simple to understand language.
Once you've completed this course you'll be able to have a fresh look at the art you produce and will have plenty of new strategies to help you do what you really want to do... create art.
Having purchased and completed the course myself, I highly recommend it. Read through the sales letter as it actually does tell you quite a bit about what to expect.
OurStage.com - Helium for Music and Video.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Although I haven't written for Helium.com in a while I've always been impressed by the way written articles are judged by other writers in a system that it hard to 'game' and seems reasonably fair. Generally the best articles are the ones rich in information and have good writing structure as opposed to ones that are viewed most often.
I've long thought that Helium's judging system and business model would be great for online video and I'm sure I even suggested that to the site's creators at some point in the past. Whilst I obviously have no idea if my suggestion planted a seed I'm pleased to find out that Helium have launched a sister site, OurStage.com, targeted squarely at original music and online video creators.
Finally there is a place where online video creators like me can post videos and have them judged by other original video creators with the chance of earning monthly cash prizes as well as some pretty nice non cash prizes too.
The only disappointment is that, unlike Helium, videos don't earn any advertising revenue based on views. Not that this is a great loss but over time a good collection of articles on Helium can be a nice little passive income earner.
That aside I plan to give OurStage.com a go with some of my more creative videos. I've seen some of the previous winners and I reckon I have a good shot at the monthly US$5000 prize.
getpaidtodraw.com - Your Questions Answered.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Is it a scam? Is the sales message too good to be true? Can you really sit back, relax and get paid thousands of dollars in residual payments?
If you've discovered the site getpaidtodraw.com and have been looking for someone who has bought this product before taking that leap then this review will peel back the glossy sales message and give you the answers. Prior to buying this product I came across much distrust and misinformation about getpaidtodraw.com by people who hadn't purchased it. There was a real need for information so I decided to take the leap and make the purchase specifically so I could write this informed review. Note that I am not, in any way, a getpaidtodraw.com affiliate.
For this review I will be focusing on the getpaidtodraw system which includes; the ebook, instructional videos and database along with access to the systems author Jules Camber (who replies to emails as 'Jamie, President of Champ Entertainment, Inc and Beats365, LLC'). I'll touch on the bonus features towards the latter part of the review. Settle in, this is going to be in depth but I know you'll thank me for it later.
Let's start by getting my opening questions out of the way.
Is it a scam? Absolutely not. This product brings together a great deal of valuable information and a number of different options for earning income through art online that could save you months of research. Some of the opportunities you may not even be aware of. Hence your research may never lead you to them.
Is the sales message too good to be true? In my opinion, yes but not because it is dishonest in any way. Some of the claims are overstated whilst others will take a lot of work to achieve. If you think the money will be rolling in from day one, you'll be disappointed but if you work at it, the potential is there. I'll talk more about this later.
Can you really sit back, relax and get paid thousands of dollars in residual payments? With the information getpaidtodraw.com supplies, it is certainly possible. However it will take a lot of work, uploading a lot of images to many sites. Perhaps if you upload as much work as you can for the first 30 days after your purchase the potential is there to sit back and relax later. You won't be doing much relaxing prior to that though.
So what is getpaidtodraw.com and who should buy it?
Put simply, getpaidtodraw.com is an introduction to a career as freelance commercial artist or photographer (or an introduction to online affiliate marketing if you take advantage of some of the bonus features). It presents you with an introduction to drawing and the art industry along with an introduction to various online opportunities for either uploading your art for residual income or for making yourself available to companies for freelance art,design and photography work.
It's best suited to people who already have some artistic or photographic ability but need some direction in finding opportunities to earn money. If you're an experienced artist, already working freelance, you may find useful additional opportunities but you may also find you already are utilizing many of them.
If you can't draw but can take a decent photo then many of the opportunities will be suited to you.
If you're looking for something that will teach you to draw as well then this system will give you some pointers but you won't be serious competition to a professional artist any time soon.
If you've read the sales pitch and highlighted the points about learning how to sell your paintings on ebay for thousands of dollars as an attractive feature you will be extremely disappointed.
How does getpaidtodraw.com work?
Once you have access to the members area you begin by reading the 50 page, 23 chapter, getpaidtodraw ebook. Obviously I'm not going to disclose all the information presented however this is the core component of the getpaidtodraw system so I will make a few comments.
The ebook is most useful as an introduction to all the various opportunities that the getpaidtodraw system puts forward. It does not go into any opportunity in any great detail but as a quick overview it does the job.
The section of the ebook that teaches you how to draw needs to be read in conjunction with the four 'How to draw' videos included in the members area. To be perfectly blunt I found this entire section (which is over one third of the ebook) along with the videos highly inadequate. If this is the standard of drawing that will earn thousands then by all means give it a try. There probably is a market for awkward, child like drawings but you'll have more opportunities if you take the time to learn how to draw properly. There are any number of great how to draw books and free online guides.
If you have any drawing talent whatsoever, after reading the ebook's introduction, skip straight to chapter 13, 'The business' (even the ebook recommends you skip the how to draw sections if you can already draw). Chapter 13 onwards will serve as a useful introduction to all the various opportunities but does not cover any in detail.
For example, the section that talks about ebay gives you a basic overview on how ebay works and how to list your item but does not give any tips at all on how to sell your paintings for thousands of dollars. In fact you'll get more information about how to sell on ebay from the ebay website its self or by reading my own tips for selling your art on ebay than you will from getpaidtodraw.
I'm using the ebay section as an example because I know many artists struggling to get good prices for their art on ebay who might focus on getpaidtodraw's overstated claim. There is no magic formula for selling art on ebay. You must work hard to build a market in order to get the high prices.
The focus of the getpaidtodraw sales message is earning an income from submitting artwork to various web sites however that isn't the focus of the ebook in terms of opportunities. The areas of the art and design industry it covers include a considerable number that sound like regular jobs in this particular field. In other words it's you promoting yourself as a freelance artist to companies whether they be online or not. Noting that it does give you a couple of online marketplaces for finding freelance work.
If you're just starting out the ebook will give you many choices for what direction to take. If you're already working freelance you may not find it as useful but there may be one or two things there that you haven't yet discovered.
Once you've read the ebook and watched the four 'how to draw' videos there are two more videos to watch. One will tell you how to make a web site. The other will tell you how to sign up with clickbank.com, Google Adsense and Google Adwords. You'll need these if you want to get into the affiliate marketing side of earning income online however they have very little to do with getting paid to draw (and more to do with becoming a getpaidtodraw.com affiliate).
Note that there are also four extra bonus videos in the members area, again relating to affiliate marketing and Pay Per Click selling.
Next up is the getpaidtodraw.com database. This is probably the most useful section of the site and includes sites that will pay for your drawings as well as details for many advertising agencies (all USA based). The advantage here is that Jules (or is that Jamie) lists sites that he recommends. One assumes that these are the sites that produced the outstanding income results in his sales pitch, therefore you can get started right away submitting to them.
Whether you will have the same good fortune is another thing entirely. I've looked at the top two sites recommended and I have to say, it is a competitive market where your images will have to stand out against thousands of images. In fact the process is not dissimilar to trying to make your art stand out if you sell paintings on ebay. The difference being that by submitting to these web sites your work can be purchased over and over again - potentially many times in a single day (that's what residual income is all about).
Note that I'm deliberately not mentioning the names of any sites because I don't want to devalue the getpaidtodraw product by giving you the information for free. This review is intended as a guide of what to expect after all.
The final piece of the getpaidtodraw system is access to it's author Jamie. Before writing this review I did contact Jamie to comment on some of my thoughts about his product. He was very prompt in sending his replies - usually by next day.
We didn't get off to a great start as he at first accused me of not reading the ebook (note to anyone with an ebook... if someone purchased your ebook then it's highly likely they will read it first before contacting you. On the other hand if your ebook was free then there is every chance it will have been placed in a folder somewhere for 'later'. I have at least ten or more free ebooks waiting for my attention).
However, once I made it clear that I had read it, he was more forthcoming with responding to my concerns. I won't go over those concerns as most of them I've highlighted above in areas where I think the product is lacking but this is what Jamie had to say regarding customer feedback he's received:
"We here at GPTD receive great member testimonials. Alot of them are very happy to have learned these tactics existed, and love the customer service, because when an artist emails us, I personally help them "calibrate" their presentation. We receive alot of positive testimonials from members, but skepticism from visitors (Who are non-members.)"
Jamie also said this in relation to sales of the getpaidtodraw system:
"From the numbers on the back end, and the customer satisfaction polls at our retailer, the numbers are very good. It is not a top selling product because it is not in a major niche, but customer satisfaction is extremely high. It has to do with the fact that it is not just an ebook, but a pretty good one and has a complete database and videos..."
My purpose in highlighting these two quotes from Jamie is to show that, from his point of view at least, the majority of people buying his product are happy with their purchase. It also demonstrates Jamie's willingness to respond to emails should you have questions.
To finish up, I'll briefly mention some of the bonus materials you receive with your purchase.
Bonus 1: The Profit Arsenal - 7 ebook course. To be honest, I'm not sure if I even received this? More ebooks on affiliate marketing I think? If I did download them, they're probably in a folder somewhere.
Bonus 2: The complete graphics champ ecourse and system. These are a series 12 short videos, available in the members area, teaching you various aspects of using Photoshop (a staple piece of software for digital artists everywhere). From what I understand from Jamie these videos are rotated each month, which gives you reason to come back for more.
Bonus 3: Real Personal Support via Email & Total Guidance. Jamie does encourage you to contact him all through out the members section for advice on your drawings and photos. As I've shown above his response time is pretty good.
SUPER BONUS 4: Exclusive "Machine Gun Marketing Pocket Guide". If you're into Pay Per Click marketing (if you're into affiliate marketing then the answer is 'yes') then this guide will teach you how to get the most from your Google Ad Words campaigns.
To sum up this lengthy review I'm going to give my personal opinion and experience as a customer to date.
I purchased the getpaidtodraw.com system about 3 weeks ago and to date have not made a cent. Not because it doesn't work but because I've been slow off the mark putting it into practice. (I already earn a good proportion of my income from freelance design and ebay so getpaidtodraw is getting no credit for that). My point being, that you're more likely to look and think it's all too hard. I did and I'm familiar with many of the concepts presented.
However, I paid for it so I'm going to persevere.
My interest is in the key selling point of uploading images to web sites for residual income earnings. For the two top sites in the getpaidtodraw database it is not quite as simple as upload your art, then sit back and watch the money roll in. These sites have guidelines and approval processes to contend with. Both require a scanned copy of either a passport or drivers license to verify your identity (if you have an issue with privacy then this isn't for you).
If you're a photographer then jpeg images are fine but if you're an illustrator, vector graphics are more desirable on the two top sites (if you don't know what a vector graphic is then you'll need to get hold of a copy of Adobe Illustrator or software that supports Adobe Illustrator eps format, and learn!). Hence it's much easier to get started if you're a photographer with getpaidtodraw's system.
I have hundreds of sketches I could submit but none are vector graphics and I'm still trying to get hold of software that will save vector graphics in the required Adobe Illustrator 3, eps format.
Some of you that have looked at the claimed income earning potential on the getpaidtodraw.com site will be saying this looks like a get rich quick scheme even though it states right off the bat it's not. I can tell you from my own experience that some of the figures quoted such as $3400 for a logo is not that unusual in the design industry. If you think they sound a lot then you haven't worked as a designer.
Logo's in particular can earn a considerable amount of money simply because they are reproduced across an entire organizations promotional material and will represent that organization for many years. If you were designing a logo for a brand like Coca-Cola would you want to be paid for just the time it took to design the logo with out any compensation for how often that logo was used to help sell a product? What if the logo was used world wide and all you were paid was $200 for your time to design it? Would you charge $200 the next time Coca-Cola asked you to design a logo?
Now we're getting off topic.
To conclude, getpaidtodraw.com is not a get rich quick scheme. It does overstate it's sales pitch, especially with this line "You will not need to work after you upload photos!" My advice: don't quit your day job just yet - better wait and see how much your photos earn first!).
However, if you use the resources and the ebook information as an introduction to further research , with a lot of work, it could lead to a high paying career as a freelance, commercial artist. From my own personal experience of working as a freelance artist/designer, even on my meager hourly rate, when it pays, it pays well. Better than working in a cubical. That's why I do it.
Getpaidtodraw.com is not a scam but it isn't easy money either. How much you earn will depend on how much effort you're prepared to put in. What this is, is a good head start for a one off price with no more to pay.
Footnote: Since writing this article Jamie has clarified that Jules Camber and himself are two separate people. Jamie is the owner and operator of the web site and runs the marketing. Jules Camber designed the product. Jamie has also worked on parts of the members section, but the main system was put together by Jules.
TET's Comedy Art Video a Winner!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Blank Canvas IV - Art Critic Video by TET
The above video is my first and only post on the Video, Photo and Music site, View Bug. Given that I only signed up to the site just over a week ago it's very nice to have been selected by View bug's staff as a weekly winner and a recipient of a US$30.00 cash prize. Instantly this video has just become my highest earning video - earning more than my entire collection across nine sites collectively (there's money in online video... apparently?). Screen shot of my win featured on View Bugs home page posted below (click to see larger version).
The video its self pokes more of my humor at the wonderful world of 'conceptual minimalism' - a phrase that I've coined for art that only barely skims the surface of creative potential. It's also a dig at art critics who elevate this work from obscurity, where it should remain.
Whilst I'd like to believe I was selected over thousands of entries, in some pretty stiff competition, going by the views most people seem to get on View Bug, I'd say it's early days for this competition. However a thirty dollar weekly prize is nothing to be sneezed at, especially in the world of online video where many of us are competing for pennies from advertising dollars.
If you're an online video creator, photographer or maker of original music I'd highly recommend you sign up and participate in View Bug before the big names of You Tube, Revver or Metacafe discover it.
At least we can be thankful that the winning video is selected by the sites staff and not by the number of views or viewer ratings. Once a big name discovers the site you won't have to compete with an established audience.
Radiohead - is this the future for commercial creativity?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The music world and the online world in general is abuzz with Radiohead's decision to let fans decide how much they pay for the bands new album In Rainbows before being allowed to download it via their web site.
This simple act has allowed the band to bypass the need for a record company. It's estimated, on average the band will still make about the same amount of money from downloads as they would have going the usual CD release route after the record companies have taken their cut. On average, I've read people are paying about US$8.00 for an album which you can, if you choose, download for free. It's up to you.
What's clever about their decision is that it completely legalizes the free sharing of music. Something that is very web 2.0 where the new words for sharing on a grand scale is going viral. People love getting stuff for free. If the music is good people will share it and pay to see it performed live. By all accounts this is where the real money is for bands and musicians.
What interests me is, could this approach work for other forms of creativity or does this model only work if the sharing by optional donation approach leads to a pay per unit style revenue stream down the line?
For example, could a painter give away, by optional donation, print quality, digital scans of artworks to raise awareness and generate buzz that could lead to people wanting to own the real, original works?
My own business model of uploading free videos of me creating my art in order to raise awareness of my web site, through which I sell merchandise and original art via ebay is a similar idea.
Giving the people what they want so that they may be interested to purchase something later that they perceive as having real value, worth paying for. Which is not to say the free stuff doesn't have value but we all know, at least with digital files, it costs virtually nothing to make a copy.
I don't know. In a sense the idea of people choosing to pay what they want is like busking. It's kind of honorable but at the same time kind of sad. It's like saying I'll take whatever you can give. I don't put a value on my creativity. I'm leaving that up to you.
In theory, if I do a really good job, the next time I release something and ask for people to donate what they like, they may just pay more second time around because their first experience was much better value than they originally thought. I guess that's called creating demand.
Perhaps it's just me but the donation model doesn't sit well with my psyche. I don't mind giving something for free but taking a donation feels like accepting charity or begging.
Radiohead's business model is a good one for a modern world where everyone seems connected. It's a fantastic way to interact directly with your audience (known as your market in business terms). However it's going to take a little more time to see if it really is the future for commercial creativity.
Is there really money to be made by giving your creativity away?
The series is similar in format to Donald Trump's series, The Apprentice. A group of moderately successful internet marketers compete through various individual and team challenges for the chance of winning a $25,000 dollar cash prize and the opportunity to be Joel's next Joint Venture partner (presumably a millionaire opportunity). Each episode the losing team ends up in the judgment room where one or more contestants is eliminated.
At the time of writing only episodes one through four were online so this is all that I've seen. In any case this post isn't so much a review of the show as an observation of Joel Comm and his marketing approach - as you'll soon read.
Joel runs a highly informative Youtube channel, which is what prompted me to watch his show. There is no doubt from Joel's videos that he clearly knows his stuff and provides no nonsense, down to earth advice for anyone looking to earn a decent income online.
That said, The Next Internet Millionaire is rather a lot like The Apprentice in that, as far as useful information goes, it offers sound bites of valuable ideas but never really explores them deeper. In fact, the useful part of the show, where a guest speaker explains the key theme for the team challenge seems little more than an opportunity for one of Joel's marketing mates to pitch their key marketing idea. However the viewer (i.e. us) is not party to the details of that message.
This is fairly understandable (I assume these experts usually charge for their knowledge and time) but it does reduce the shows usefulness to that of a game show and a platform for Joel and his mates to make their sales pitch. Kind of goes a little against the 'Content is king' message that Joel himself promotes.
Since discovering Joel his advice has played a big part in recent changes I've made to this site - which appear to be showing some early, positive results. Naturally I signed up to his mailing list. Unfortunately that has soured the relationship some what.
Whilst Joel knows his stuff and no doubt can run rings around me with his marketing abilities he does come from a really old school of internet marketing. The school of personal selling emails and web site landing pages explaining why you should sign up for whatever Joel's latest offer is. I hate that kind of marketing.
Daily emails, addressing me by name, with a sales message and perhaps a free offer thrown in, directing me to a bloated single page web site that scrolls forever with reason after reason explaining why this offer is so good. It's soooo... web 1.0.
I can't stand those landing pages. If I do take the time to look further I usually scroll straight to the bottom just to find out how much accepting the offer is going to cost. Nearly every time, if I could afford the offer I wouldn't need it.
Joel is proof that this technique works and can earn you a lot of money but I didn't sign up for a sales pitch I signed up for content. Even in the course of writing this article, exploring Joel's blog lead me to various landing pages with a sales pitch.
I really don't want a business in a box, web site templates or yet another report on how buying this latest product can increase my earnings. All I want is help and advice on how I can make what I do earn me an income that will pay my bills with a bit left over for savings.
I have all the skills already. What I need is help in finding out how all the pieces fit together. Joel says to make money from a web site you need to do something that you're passionate about. That's what I've done. Why then does he keep pushing all these other products at me?
Just give me some useful advice that directly relates to running an artist web site.
The article, which is currently rated number 1 out of 17 articles, looks at the challenges faced by emerging artists in relation to income and why the phrase 'starving artist' is still very relevant in todays society both literally and as a metaphor. There are many barriers to a successful career in the Arts and it is these barriers that can have a detrimental effect on both the artist and their ability to earn a living.
This is the second time Helium has featured my work on their home page and twice in one month no less! Previously An introduction to Video Blogging earned its day in the sun and even featured higher up on the page.
Now if I could only get featured on YouTube's home page I'd be really happy.
Copyright Laws - Time to Evolve!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
There is a real need for copyright laws to evolve and move with the times. At the very least there needs to be a new kind of licensing arrangement that encourages free use of copyrighted material but still taps into a share of revenue earnings should such free use begin to generate a substantial level of income.
The obvious case in point is the user generated content medium, online viral video. Many backyard video creators could have far greater earning potential with access to their favorite artist's latest music tracks.
Imagine being able to create your own music video clip for your favorite artist's latest single. For arguments sake, say you produce a clip that is better than the artist's original video clip. It goes 'viral' when you post it on a video site that pays, such as Revver or Metacafe. In the space of a day it's had 50,000 views with no sign of slowing down.
Suddenly you've earned a great deal of money by combining your talent with your favorite artist's music. It's at this point your work comes to the attention of the artist and, quite rightly, they want their share of the profits.
In today's market the artist usually demands you remove the clip from the internet and may even sue you for breach of copyright plus a slice of whatever income you've made but what if there was another option?
What if there was a licensing arrangement where you could use any kind of copyrighted material free of charge but make an agreement to pay the creator a negotiated royalty from any income generated over a specified amount (so as not waste everyone's time on trying to distribute minuscule amounts). How much more could everyone earn (and save in court fees) with this type of licensing? How much wider audience could a professional artist reach by allowing this kind of creative freedom with their work?
Admittedly it would be very hard to keep track of when content begins to earn substantial amounts of money but the sites that pay for user generated content must keep some kind of record of who has earned what in order to pay their creators. Logically it should be these sites that act as a go between and assist with artists being paid a royalty for the use of their music on user generated content.
For example, the video sharing site, YouTube, currently has a policy of not removing copyrighted content until the owner of that material makes a complaint and demands it be removed. What if a similar policy was adopted where by the owner of the copyright could claim their right to a percentage of the earnings?
It's all a bit messy I know but then the present copyright laws are messy too. However these laws need to evolve. It is currently impossible to keep track of how copyrighted material is used. It would be impossible to ensure that everyone who used copyrighted material signed a licensing agreement prior. There needs to be a middle ground.
Consumers are demanding the use of copyrighted material for their own creations. The owners of that material should be compensated if their work assists in generating substantial revenue.
User generated content is the future and it's here now. Copyright laws and professional creators need to embrace amateur creativity whilst still protecting income streams for all content creators whether they be amateur or professional.
Where to make money with Video.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Thanks to Nalts from Will Video For Food for the heads up on an article, Online Video: Show Us the Money, by Light Reading giving a comprehensive overview of which video sharing sites pay and how much you could earn. They even give you some revenue comparisons between the different sites.
There are five reports linked to their article that should be of interest to anyone wishing to earn money from short format videos including:
January 2007. (Who's the biggest so far this year).
The Cheat Sheet. (A regularly updated look at the video sharing market - worth bookmarking!).
It's worth noticing that despite all the revenue sharing, YouTube is still king. I'm hoping that when YouTube announces its revenue sharing model later this year, it will be something revolutionary. Even though I'm supporting Revver at the moment, YouTube's video streams so much better than any other site.
I am South Australian Artist, 'TET' or 'The Extraordinary Tourist'. Read about things that interest me, particularly art, social commentary, humour and life observations. Please feel free to leave a comment by clicking the 'Comments' link at the bottom of each entry.
I'm a creative person trying to make a living selling my art online. Visit my shop to find out if owning a print of my art is right for you. Watch for my ebay auctions of original artworks too!
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