billabbottcartoons » cartooning business

Gratitude

billabbottcartoons — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:30:18 +0000

Ever wake up after a refreshing night’s sleep, stay in bed a little longer than usual, and think about how lucky we are to do what we do? That was this morning for me. My eyes opened and the first thing I saw was a brilliant sun seeping through the edges of the curtains. Then rolling on my side, I glanced at the night-stand next to the bed and noticed the little yellow sticky notes I use to thumbnail sketch the ideas that come to me. And I thought about that. What other vocations would compel someone to do that? And it’s not about money either. It’s about pursuing a passion. When you attend a gathering of friends and talk about your lives, how many light up and become (no pun intended) animated when they describe their work? How many get out of bed some mornings with creative ideas that so excite them, they literally run to get a pen and paper to record them? How fortunate are we to fall into that tiny group of people?

I’m fortunate to have lived a life of varied and, to some, unusual experiences. I was a stockbroker, a Special Warfare operator, a Special Agent with the railroad police and a cartoonist. Throughout those experiences, I’ve had the exceptional good fortune to meet a wide variety of people in an equally wide variety of contexts. I’ve socialized with carpenters, roofers, doctors, lawyers, all ranks of military people, CEOs of corporations, bankers – even a politician or two (after which I thoroughly washed my hands). And not one of them, at least to my observation, had anything resembling the excitement of a cartoonist or illustrator when the moment of inspiration comes.

Here’s an experiment worth trying, if you have an interest in putting our good fortune into its proper perspective. At the next party, social event, or anyplace where there’s a sizable gathering of friends from other backgrounds, pose the quesion: when was the last time you got out of bed and raced past the bathroom, coffee-maker, and tail-wagging dog to jot down an idea for your work that had you so excited you had utter disregard for your own physiological state? Unless there is another cartoonist or artist in the room, I suspect there will be few to none whom, after considerable contemplation, can answer in the affirmative.

Forget (for a moment, anyway) money, forget poularity, forget fame if that’s what you’re pursuing. The greatest reward, to me, in this area of art is to have mornings like this one. There are no drugs that can reproduce this elevating sense, no beverage, and certainly no other vocation I’m aware of. Compensation in the form of immense gratitude, and the clarity which comes from knowing that what I get to do is a gift unto itself, is a treasure so few even know exists. But we do. Now shut up before they find out.

Cartooning Update

billabbottcartoons — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:42:51 +0000

It’s been a challenging start to the New Year, with a series of events, both in and outside of cartooning, that have kept me insanely busy. While some opportunities fizzled out into nothingness, others have appeared seemingly from nowhere, and I guess that’s the nature of this business.

I’m elated with the results of the “Success In Comics” seminar I attended in Annapolis, Maryland, where I not only met with some fantastically talented cartoonists and industry icons, but I was presented with a couple potential opportunities – something I hadn’t considered prior to attending. If you are a cartoonist, I can’t recommend the seminar enough, given by comic marketing genius Bill Kellogg and exceptionally talented and successful Chad Carpenter, the warped mind behind “Tundra”.

While I sway back and forth between gag cartooning for business magazines and licensing, my recent push has been solely on licensing. As a matter of fact, there are two very exciting prospects that I’m very much looking forward to, should they come to fruition. I may be taking a trip to Manhattan very soon to meet with executives from a company who have taken to my “Spectickles” cartoon characters and want to see more. Additionally, I had the extraordinary good fortune to meet with one of the major syndicate art directors, and we may be meeting in the late spring or early summer to discuss putting “Spectickles” in daily newspaper syndication. Nothing is ever definite till the ink is dry on the contracts and you’re slurping back champagne paid for with that first royalty check, but it’s a very solid start.

Hallmark UK introduced the “Spectickles” line of greeting cards at the Spring Fair in Birmingham, England this past February, which is a major milestone for my characters. The market will determine whether or not they become a successful line, but you’ll never know unless you step into the arena. Like my grandmother used to say, ‘throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks’.

There are a number of other discussions that are ongoing with some excellent licensing partners and we’ll see how far they go, including a potential book deal with a popular book publishing company, a new line of greeting cards in the US and Canada, among several others. As is the case with all business, all of these things could happen, or none of them. But as long as we keep charging forward, immeasurable potential exists.

Small Business Resources Available To Artists and Cartoonists

billabbottcartoons — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:21:54 +0000

The business environment today is as challenging as ever, and those who have the courage to step into the arena and give self-employment a whirl need to be aware of the resources available to help them succeed. As artists and cartoonists, it may not seem like a natural place to look, but the Small Business Administration has tools and free offerings paid for with our taxes that can equate to major opportunities for us.

What I’ll cover here will only be a fraction of what’s available – explore the site, visit the local office (there are many set up across the country, so there’s probably one convenient to your locality) and get your business in gear.

First, I’ll start with the Business Plan Step-By-Step Writing Tool. Even if you’ve had your art business up and running for years, re-visiting your original road-map is a good idea to see if there are easier paths to get you where you want to go. Also, you may find areas that were either under-exploited by you as you got your art business going or weren’t available when you started. Periodic reassessment is a smart and valuable method of keeping your eyes on the prize.

Now that the business plan is all done, and you’ve tweaked it to a state of market perfection, it’s time to announce to the world that you’ve got something it needs. The SBA has a veritable cornucopia of well written how-to articles, including this one on Social Media Marketing. In it you’ll find helpful material on where to begin, which sites to use, and provides a list of blogs covering the same topic. You’ll almost certainly find an answer to questions you may have about the use and benefits of Social Media.

Next, it always pays to be learning. The maretplace is changing at an exponential pace. Ignoring these tides of change is folly. Business courses can be expensive, time-consuming, and ultimately unfruitful if they’re not tailored to your needs. The SBA provides an extensive menu of courses on everything from Strategic
Marketing: How to Win Customers in Today’s Economy, to A
Veterans’ Guide: How to Win Federal Contracts, and Marketing
101: A Guide to Winning Customers, and many more. All free, and all convenient to your schedule, time constraints, and specific business needs.

Depending on the type of art or cartooning business you have, there may be a benefit to exploring the loans and grants offered through (not from) the SBA to assist in expanding your operation. While the SBA, as an agency, does not loan money or provide grants, it offers considerable assistance in helping you locate the federal programs you are qualified for and for which your needs might be met. Everything from preparing the correct paperwork and documentation for loans to researching grants – the SBA stands ready to assist.

One of the incredibly valuable programs is the SCORE Chapters through the local SBA office. SCORE is literally a small army (13,000 strong) of small business counselors who will provide mentoring to those who might benefit from it. SCORE counselors are retired business executives and financial pros who, at no cost to you, will guide you through what might be murky waters as you work at building your business. While we as artists are somewhat unique in the marketplace, there are business truths that transcend market sectors and could be of value, and that insight provided by a SCORE counselor can send you in an entirely different, profitable direction.

What’s been covered here is merely scratching the surface of what’s available to you through the SBA. Cartoonists and artists can sometimes spend a small fortune seeking ways to build their business, only to find out they bear no fruit. With these tax-funded resources, you’ve essentially already paid for them, and you need only start putting them to work for you!