Gulf Coast Comics Creators

So here’s another theory about managing your days, trying to get the most out of the time you have without running yourself ragged. This one is espoused by Dan Sullivan of the Strategic Coach and is summed up in this article: The Entrepreneurial Time System T.

The key points seem to be what a lot suggest: make time for fun or down-time, segment your duties so that you can make the most of each block of time spent (aka multitasking must go!) and focus focus FOCUS on your core business for the better part of your week.

Taking 100 “off” days a year sounds like a lot, sounds like a third of the year but it’s actually closer to only a quarter of it, but if you figure on 52 weeks in a year, that’s not even 2 days a week. Which means you get at least a day off each week(end) and then the other 48 get used up for holidays, birthdays, scheduled vacations or sprinkled around when you need them. Either way, you’re trading time–unfortunately it is the only true non-renewable resource we creatives have.

Following the given example, my off days would be every Friday and I’m not sure where the other would fit. Buffer days (days to take care of the little ins and outs that usually distract us from our primary work) would be Saturdays and Thursdays, I suppose, with Sunday-Tuesday being my core Focus days (that’s when I do most of my comic work, anyway). Hmmm, which leaves Wednesday–I suppose I could tag-team Wednesdays: if I needed a full day (Saturday) to get a big project worked on then Wednesday could be an off night or, if I choose to play on a Saturday, Wednesday becomes a buffer day?

I like the concept (as I do most organizational styles, I’m a sucker for lists and goals and time management, even if I go on long breaks from them) but I’m still thinking it’s not 100% me. What about you, what style–if any–do you use to keep yourself productive without stress? Are you still looking for one? Or,  better yet, what’s your biggest hurdle to productivity that you might need a nudge to get over so you can get more done?

h/t White Hot Truth

Have you heard of this one-month project that goes one every year for the past 4 or 5? It’s basically a step-by-step course in Internet marketing that’s completely free. At first it may not seem like it’s really geared towards comics marketing, but there are a lot of good, basic tips and ideas that can be applied to what we do. Since it’s free, you really have nothing to lose by watching a brief video each day and picking up a few tips on how to work the Internet a bit . . . → Read More: Thirty Day Challenge

We’re all trying to sell something, even if our comics don’t always have a price on them. Understanding what compels us as consumers can make your pitches stronger and your ads more persuasive. You don’t have to be a used-car salesman to grow your readership, . . . → Read More: How to Motivate People to Buy

http://www.optimumwound.com/23-ways-for-a-comic-artist-to-survive-and-thrive-in-any-economy.htm

Tips on things to do to build your brand and increase your visibility. There’s some good ones in there!

http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/expandingyouronlinepresence/article202422.html

http://www.jackhumphrey.com/fridaytrafficreport/3-surefire-tactics-to-get-more-blog-traffic-and-links/

Boosting traffic means getting more eyes on your work. Think about it!

http://www.entrepreneur.com/ebusiness/ebusinesscolumnist/article202322.html

Look under the hood every so often to make sure all is running well . . . → Read More: Views Slowing? Use the Summer to Build!

Do you know what your brand is? What is says about you? How to develop one, even?

Well, there’s a lot more than I can cover at the moment, but if you’re struggling with the ins and outs of developing your personal brand, have a gander at this and take some lessons from the myths and truths presented herein:

5 Branding Myths Debunked by Starr Hall . . . → Read More: Branded

Or, it can be, if you’ve grown up being taught not to brag, not to boast and that, generally, it’s a character flaw to promote your own work. (or was that only MY upbringing?)

So what’s an artist to do, then, when faced with a whole, huge world to conquer through his or her art? Well, first you have to take it down a notch: the World’s a big place and while I fully support having big dreams and going after them, why not set an interim goal to just conquer your state, your city, or maybe just your street to start?

There’s . . . → Read More: Self-Promotion is Hard!

So, yeah, I had this idea that maybe those of us independent comics creators along the Gulf Coast (not exactly known for being a comics Mecca, you know?) banded together we might actually all benefit.

Networking is tough, especially if you are limited to your own immediate area, and showing your work to the same 5, 12, 20 people each time only gets you so far. Wouldn’t it be nice if your work could be seen by others in the area and all it took was you showing off someone else’s work in exchange?

Cons can be expensive–not just the table fees but . . . → Read More: Hello world!