Sebastian Sidi on Dealing with Insecurity (#IWSG)

        On the first Wednesday of each month Tossing It Out participates in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who convene to discuss the struggles as well as the triumphs of pursuing the literary life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog.  It's an extensive list which will lead you to much worthwhile information.  The co-hosts for the March 4 posting of the #IWSG are Chemist Ken,  Suzanne Sapseed, and Shannon Lawrence!



A Very Special Battle of the Bands/Insecure Writer's Combined Post

        On March 1st Tossing It Out also participated in the bi-monthly Battle of the Bands event which occurs each month on the 1st and 15th.  In this event two different music artists face off with the same song for voters to decide which version they like the best.   This recent Battle featured rock
interpretations of Beethoven's Für Elise by Orion's Reign from Greece and Sebastian Sidi of Los Angeles.   On Monday March 2nd I was joined by Orion's Reign guitarist Michael Batistatos for a special interview.   In our current post Sebastian Sidi joins me in my first video Tossing It Out episode with some of his thoughts on dealing with and overcoming insecurity.

         Be sure to check out the links following the summarized textual transcription of what is contained in the interview provided for those unable to view the video.  My thanks to Sebastian Sidi and to Red Rock Recording Studio in Los Angeles for making this video possible  I hope you enjoy the interview.  If you do watch this video I hope you might click the like button at YouTube and leave a brief comment there as well as on this blog.





If you were not able to view the video, here is a condensed text version of the interview:

      Hi, I'm Arlee Bird from the blog Tossing It Out.  We're here for the March 2015 post for Alex J Cavanaugh's "Insecure Writer's Support Group".  I'm joined by Sebastian Sidi who is one of the competitors in my most recent Battle of the Bands post.  I hope you've taken the time to visit that post and vote on your favorite song version.  If not, be sure to visit that post after you've finished here.

Arlee:   Who are you and what do you do?

Sebastian:  I am a self-promoted and self-marketed musician, primarily playing piano.  I have been in the business of music full time for about 15 years.

Arlee:  What exactly do you do here at Red Rock Recording Studio?

Sebastian:  Initially I built the studio to have control over recording my own albums.  Now I also produce recordings for other bands and artists

Arlee:   I've seen you perform a number of times and have watched you interact with fans.  You exude a sense of confidence in what you do and don't ever appear to be insecure.  In fact from what I've seen, you are one of the most self-confident people I've met and seem to be successful in every dream you strive to achieve.  Who has been the greatest force of instilling that self-confidence within you?

Sebastian:  Hands down that would be my father.  He's shown me that you just have to go for it. It doesn't matter if you fail as long as you try. If you don't at least try you'll never no and if one thing doesn't work you can keep trying until you succeed.  Just try your best.

Arlee:   If there are times when you feel insecure how do you deal with those negative feelings in order to keep moving forward?

Sebastian:  We're all insecure.  Anytime I go onstage I'm scared.  The moment I step on the stage I realize that I'm responsible for the emotions of the audience.  Even if I have to pretend I have to appear confident in order to relax my audience.  Once they are at ease then I feel confident and can do my job.

Arlee:   Over the years you've worked with many young people as well as seasoned musicians.  How do you instill more confidence in the artists you work with and mentor?

Sebastian:  I begin be letting them know I'm going to be honest with them. I'm not going to feed them false hope.  I work on developing their talent and what they need to be professional not to be a hit, but to make a career in music.  I keep it real  in order to arm them to have control over their careers so they will be prepared to manage their own futures.

Arlee:    You are in the music and entertainment business, but there are many aspects that are similar to what writers deal with in their lives.  What advice would you give to insecure writers and anyone else who is presently hindered with feelings of insecurity that might encourage them in their quest to break free of insecurity and start achieving their dreams?

Sebastian:  First of all you have to practice some social skills and get out to meet the people who can help you with your career.  You need to talk to people about what you're doing.  Also start doing things pertaining to your dream and don't wait for the approval of others as to whether you should pursue your dreams.  Have something to show people to give what you're doing credibility.

Arlee:   Marketing is a daunting challenge for many writers who often tend to be reclusive and apprehensive about meeting the public and promoting themselves and their work.   What marketing advice can you offer to them?

Sebastian:  Focus on what the public perception of you will be.  Do you have a quality product that is packaged well?   If you are out in public are you offering a good presentation that makes you come across as authentic, professional, and credible?  Don't spare expense in order to cur corners, but in the end make you look bad to the public.  Consider all of the little details that will make the public feel secure in buying your product.   Your packaging is just as important as your product.  Make tiny goals to take little steps toward the big goal.

Arlee:  What are some of the other services you are now offering?

Sebastian:   Currently besides my own music I am offering video production, photo shoots, and promotional consultation.   I can handle video services such as book trailers, personal profile videos, and any type of promotional video needs.  Also we can provide recording services for the spoken word as well as music.  I also can create original music if that's something you need for video or any other uses.

Arlee:   Thanks for meeting with the Insecure Writer's Support Group and anyone else who may have dropped by.   This has been the very first video edition of Tossing It Out made possible by my guest Sebastian Sidi.  Be sure to check out the links provided below to learn more about Sebastian's work and about Red Rock Recording Studio.

***************************

For more information about Sebastian Sidi, bookings, performance schedule, or products available for purchase visit Sebastian's website:   http://www.sebastiansidi.com/   You'll find some wonderful CD's for purchase as well as a DVD documentary and concert video that has been broadcast on many PBS stations.

If you are interested in audio or video production find more information at Red Rock Recording Studio:    http://redrockrecordingstudio.com/   Feel free to contact Sebastian about your promotional needs.


And now for Sebastian's most recent recording from Red Rock Recording Studio:





        If you have still not voted on the most recent Battle of the Bands post, please do so by clicking this link.

        Do you have anything to add to Sebastian's advice ?   Have you personally utilized the services of a recording studio or videographer for your author needs or anything else?    Would you like to see more video features at Tossing It Out?




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X Steps to Promotion Success #atozchallenge

Staff selling IITA promotional items during Open Day 2010 (Photo credit: IITA Image Library)

Here's an overview of the promotional process as I see it:

I.  Create and develop:  Come up with your idea.  Produce a workable prototype.  Write your book.  Have in hand whatever it is that you will be promoting.

II. Believe in your product:   Once you've got your product/book to the final stage ready to promote, then believe in it!  If you don't believe in it strongly enough you'd better go back to tweak it until you do believe in it.  Why would anyone believe in what you've got to offer if you don't believe in it with all your heart, mind, and soul.  Also, believe in yourself--this is sometimes the most difficult part.

III.  Dream into doing something:   Visualize how you might get this product on the market and how it might be marketed to success.   Dream productively, but don't waste too much time with idle pipedreams.   Dreams can hold you back if you let them consume you.  Instead, dream enough to inspire you and propel you forward.

IV.  Research your promotional steps and venues:  After the dream, focus on the realities.   Investigate everything you need to do with promotion and the channels you will need to pursue.   Read books and trade magazines, explore the internet, and talk to people who know.   Ask questions and seek advice.  Get all the knowledge you can arm yourself with before heading out into the fray.

V.  Plan your course of action and strategize:   Take the knowledge you have gained and map out your strategy.  Write out a plan of action and schedule everything so you can approach your targets in logical progression.  Don't try to schedule too much at once.  A steady long range promotion is usually better than a big bang that fizzles quickly and uses all of your resources at one time.

VI.  Act!:   Once you're fired up and have your plan laid out, then act on it.  Only stop if absolutely necessary.  If you've planned appropriately then things should go just fine.  Don't let setbacks throw you off course.  If you have alternate plans and detours built into your schedule then you should be able to deal with any changes.  Have a mind for improvisation as well.  Once you're underway, don't lose momentum.

VII.  Get others interested:   Now that you're fired up and a powerhouse of promotional force in action, draw others into the excitement.  Tell others what you are doing and find out what they can do to help you promote.   Word of mouth is the best promotion you can find.   When others are talking then more ears are listening.  Don't forget the blog action such as tours and reviews.    This step can also be started earlier or combined with previous actions

VIII.  Stay motivated:   Don't get discouraged if things don't start out well or start dragging.  Take breaks if you need to, but keep stoking the fire of enthusiasm.  Don't forget that what you are promoting is something that you believe in and want others to know about.   Align yourself with people who will help boost your spirits and keep you motivated.   Avoid the negative forces that will hold you back.  Keep smiling and hold your head high.

IX.  Follow-up and evaluate:   After a reasonable period--the first month for example--stop for a session at home or in your office to look behind you to see what you've accomplished.   This step should actually be built into your strategic plan.  If you have milestones to help measure your progress then it becomes easier to evaluate what you've done.   Be sure to follow-up with those you have contacted to see how their role in the promotion is playing out.  Call on those who expressed previous interest but were noncommittal to see if they are willing to help now.    Don't let the groundwork you've laid behind you get overgrown with the weeds of time.   Keep the past contacts up to date and evaluate the present to see where to go next.

X.   Review and renew:     After you've done your evaluation of efforts so far, it's time to review the data and renew your enthusiasm.  This is where you start asking the questions about what is working and what is not. Answer honestly and don't be afraid to ask others what they think.  Don't lie dormant too long.  If you're not happy about the success so far then it's time to forge onward.   Start back at step one and plan your new strategy.    By this time you're probably a pro at promoting and the job is much easier.

          What steps have I left out?    What steps might you eliminate or rely on others to do?   Have you approached promotional matters in this way or have you taken a different approach?

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Try Harder #atozchallenge

Business Success (Photo credit: Augur Marketing)

         Throughout this A to Z series I've read a number of comments that essentially have said something similar to "I'm scared", "I don't have the skill to do that", "I couldn't do this on my own", "I don't know anyone who could help me", "I can't afford to do this",  "I don't think I could do this", and so on. Self-defeating excuses like this call for a push to try harder.

        I understand that it might be easier for me or someone else to make the suggestions than for you to actually attempt some of the suggestions I've offered during the April Challenge.  Isn't that often the case?  Sayin' ain't the same as doin'.   Nevertheless if you aren't at least trying to do something then nothing is apt to be the result.

         Only you know for sure whether or not you've tried hard enough. Be honest in your self-assessment.  In the end it's your promotion and you are the one who has the most to benefit.   If you've tried a promotional tactic and it didn't work then you need to be brutally honest with yourself.   Did you give it your all?  Could you have done more?   Should you try again and this time try harder?

          Never starting is worse than giving up.  Believe in yourself.   Turn off the negativity and the excuses.

           Try your best and always try harder.   And then when that doesn't work, try again or try something new.  Your success is ultimately your own responsibility. How badly do you want that success?

          Do you tend to give up easily?    Are you persistent in trying to reach a goal?   Who do you think is most responsible in helping you attain success?

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Road Trippin' Promotion #atozchallenge

           Road trippin' promotion may not be for you if you don't want to or can't travel, but it's a concept that can work if you put some good planning and creative thought behind it.  This marketing method can be done in many different ways so it all depends on what resources you have to work with and who you have to work with you.

            What I'm talking about is taking your promotion on the road to bring it directly to a wider audience.  Staying within your own community can severely limit your ability to reach out to customers on a face to face basis.  For example, if you're an author, a tour of book signings and speaking engagements can have a lot of impact on your sales numbers.   When you manage to get onsite engagements it can be easier to secure radio, television, or other media interview slots.  Making your rounds geographically in person gives you some real marketing advantages.

           The ideal situation is to have an agent or marketing rep who can set up all of this for you--something that most of us don't have.   So how can you do something like this?  Travel is an expensive proposition when you factor in transportation, accommodations, food, and anything else you require while on the road.  How can the average person do something like this?

          With relatively modest means a person can take to the road on their own.  Put a tour plan together that entails visiting places that might be open to letting you set up a table, speak to a group, or participate in a special event.  It's best to check out possibilities on the internet or other resources and contact people ahead of time.  Start with a 100 mile radius from your home to test your abilities and the market.  If things go well you can widen your circle.   You can set up a schedule for fixed period like a week or two or just experiment with weekends.

         Another possible approach is to squeeze some promotional time into travel that you were planning to do anyway.   This may not appeal to everyone, but usually there is some down time during a vacation that can easily be used for promotional work.   Especially if you're driving and not in too much of a hurry, you can discover small shops that might be an ideal outlet for your product.   The hotel where you're staying might work.  And don't forget restaurants.  See what people are willing to do to help you.  You might be surprised.

        An author friend of mine tells the story of when he was flying somewhere and he left cheap promotional copies of his book on every seat in the plane.  That didn't work so well, but if he had focused on people whom he saw reading and struck up a conversation with them leaving them a book or even a bookmark he might have gained a few new readers.  Gumption and opportunity is the key.  If you've got 'em then use 'em.

       There is so much more that I could say about putting travel and promotion together, but I need to keep this blog post relatively short.  I realize that this is a method that might not work or appeal to all of you, but if you like traveling and have something to promote you might want to brainstorm on this concept.  It might be easier and more fun than you think.   Dreaming about it won't hurt.  Putting a road trippin' promotion plan into action might be just the thing you need to kick off sales in a big way and have fun traveling at the same time.

        It's bold but it is workable.

          Do you like to travel?   Can you organize trip details well?    Do you mind mixing business with pleasure?    

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Quote Your Kudos #atozchallenge

Chesterfield cigarettes ...
Hmm...Times were different then..
 (Photo credit: marsmet511)

         Showing off the accolades that you receive from others is not such a bad thing to do.  If you're doing it for promotional purposes, it's not bragging or vanity if you're quoting the good things others have said.  Many times people are embarrassed when others flatter them in a public forum, but if you believe in yourself and others likewise believe in you then using positive quotes to promote your work makes complete sense.

          Businesses need word of mouth buzz and endorsements from customers to attract more customers.  If you're marketing a book, a product, or a service, positive reviews can have a bigger effect than any advertising you can do.  When somebody says something that particularly stands out, why not use it.

          Even soliciting quotes from others makes good sense.   If someone who is respected by others is willing to say something good about your product, take advantage of the offer and use their quote in your marketing campaign.

           A powerful quote carries more weight than whatever you can say about yourself or what an anonymously composed bit of advertising copy can say.   A name behind a quote adds credibility to your marketing campaign.

           Do you ever quote something someone else has said about you?    Have you ever made a purchase based on the endorsement of a person whose name you recognize?    Would it bother you if someone quoted something you said publicly about their product?  

     

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Knock On Doors #atozchallenge

Knock on the Door (Photo credit: Sharon Mollerus)

          Back to the subject of initiating contact.   Doing promotional work online, by mail, or even by phone are relatively easy non-confrontational ways of reaching out.  These methods don't require meeting people face-to-face.  You don't have to fix yourself up or buy a nice new outfit.  When you are using these methods you can sit at home in your pajamas all day and no one will know the difference.  It's a safe way of getting yourself known to others.

          Still, the old fashioned notion of pounding the pavement and getting your foot in doors can have a big plus side.  Sure, it's a lot more effort.  You have to dress up and leave the house, but is that really a bad thing?  

           Let's say you've got your new book published or a product that you've developed and are trying to market.   A personal sales pitch with product in hand is tougher to turn down than a random phone call or internet contact.   You might be nervous at first, but after a few tries the personal calls should get easier.

           Walking into a place of business and shaking someone's hand gives you a better opportunity at establishing a rapport that can serve you well in the future.   You have a better idea of seeing what their business is about and can even get to know them as friends.

           Many years ago when I was managing a wholesale distribution company we had an 800 number where the stores who purchased from us would call in to place orders and we would ship them via UPS.  This worked well for everyone concerned until UPS went on strike.

           We began shipping via mail and Fedex for most accounts, but I decided to take a different approach with my customers within a 100 mile radius.  I decided to use my van to deliver orders to those customers.    When I had a "route" established for each following day, I then called other customers in the areas where I would be delivering to see if I could get orders from them.  Many of these customers hadn't ordered for a good while, but most of them thought of something for me to drop by to them.

         This plan allowed for me to meet customers with whom I had only spoken to on the phone and to see what their businesses were like.   I gained a far better understanding of what they were doing and we got to chat in person.   My extra effort was something they appreciated and it gave them more confidence in our company as a supplier that cared about our customers.

          An extra effort gets noticed.    An impersonal faceless contact can be easily forgotten, but the tangible experience of opening the door to a real person when they knock carries more impact.   It may take you out of your comfort zone, but after a while you should get comfortable knocking on doors.  And you might find the change of scenery to be a lot of fun as well.

          Have you ever done route or door-to-door sales?    What advantages can you see in making personal contact in marketing efforts?    Is there something you've accomplished by knocking on someone's door? 

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Initiate Contact #atozchallenge

Sean Doherty, Charlotte Harbor Visitor & Convention Bureau, Makes a Call During Telphone Sales Blitz, July 26, 2010 (Photo credit: JenniferHuber)

   

        So you've got something really cool that you want people to know about.   You've written your book and even have publishing arrangements made.  You've started a business that people are going to love.  You've developed a product that everybody will want.   Now to sit back and wait for those customers to beat a path to your door.

        You might be waiting awhile.  If few people or no one knows about what you've got for them then they're not going to be contacting you just because you have it no matter how great it is.    Making contact with the customers is the job of the marketing campaign.    And the process starts with you.

        You have to initiate contact.  Blogs are great for doing exactly that.  Once you've made contact with others in a community then you can ask for their help when you need help.  Same thing goes with others with whom you come into contact in other aspects of your life.  

          Let the world know what you can do or how you can help them.  Then offer your services.   Make yourself available for interviews or to be on panel discussions.  Wherever you see an opportunity to grow your personal brand, take it and use it to your best advantage.

          Here's an example of someone who initiated contact by making her need known to others:

     

Another New Life

by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

Publication Date: June 2, 2014

New Adult Contemporary Romance

**This book contains adult subject matter. Not intended for young readers.**

 Another New Life

By Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

“From the first day we met, it was Troy and me against the world.”

Another New Life by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

New Adult Contemporary Romance

  Miranda Preston is a walking contradiction. Talent, smart and beautiful on the outside and insecure, haunted and damaged on the inside. Despite these contradictions, she’s ready to start Another New Life.

When her talent wins her a piano performance scholarship to the University of Texas, Miranda arrives on campus determined to experience everything college has to offer and to keep her secrets in the past where they belong.

An easy task, until the first guy who catches her eye happens to be someone, she’s known all her life.

Eight years have passed since the last time Miranda and Troy saw each other. He reminds her of the best and worst times of her live, but she can’t think about one without dwelling on the other. As they grow closer, every day their attraction reminds them they are no longer kids.

The epic romantic love story that is Miranda and Troy seems to be destined for a happy ending, but Miranda knows it’s only a matter of time before her secret is discovered. A secret that will not only destroy their relationship, it will destroy Troy, too.

Can Miranda focus on her future with Troy while preventing her past from tearing them apart all over again?

Giveaway

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About The Author

Sydney Aaliyah Michelle is a New Adult Contemporary Romance writer, a voracious reader and movie fanatic who 

Sydney has been blogging at sydneyaaliyah.com for three years, where she interviews people about their tattoos, discusses her favorite movie quotes, reviews books (New Adult & only the ones she loves) and journals about her writing and editing process.hailsfrom Texas. After surviving 5 1/2 years living in China, she had the courage to finally pursue her passion and become a writer.

Sydney's self-published debut New Adult Novel Another New Life will be available June 2014. An active tweeter, she is also a JuNoWriMo (2x) and NaNoWriMo (2x) winners who notes the sci-fi action flick "The Matrix" as the best representation of her life in the past. She is blessed to be awake now and doing what she loves.

Find Out More:

Website   Facebook   Twitter

Pinterest   Goodreads

 Google+   LinkedIn

 

           Have you received help from other bloggers to get a message out for you?   Do you ask for others to help you promote your causes?    Are you willing to talk to strangers in order to sell yourself or something you want to promote?

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Free Your Mind #atozchallenge

Man thinking on a train journey. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         Some of the most successful promotional campaigns have been the result of out-of-the-box thinking.  We can get so restricted to traditional advertising methods that our efforts become tired and stale, lacking in effectiveness.   People tend to eventually ignore what they've seen over and over, but surprise them with something totally unexpected then you've got their attention again.

         This is not to say that we should give up on all media efforts.  There is something to be said for that persistent media campaign if you can afford it.  But media can be very expensive and often we may not have the resources to maintain a media push that is effective.

         Use your noggin to think up other angles for attention getting.  Blogging and social media campaigns are fine to attain an initial outreach on a limited scale, but you are mostly restricted by the size of the community that you've built or have become a part of.   Distribute your time and resources through a number of outlets.

          No idea is necessarily too crazy to think about, though you do want to carefully think through particularly wild ideas before executing them.   Wild ideas can be toned down to make them work for who you are. Attention getting is what you want so long as it is good attention.  Bounce your ideas off of others you trust to get feedback.  

           Don't be afraid to use your imagination when planning promotional strategy.  Decide on how you want to portray yourself or your product to the marketplace and then let your mind run free.

           Are you willing to take chances?    What are the best free or low cost options you can think of in promotions?    What is the craziest thing you've ever done for the sake of promotion?