Longing for the day ...

Step 8: Design each step according to 5 principles

(Photo credit: Engineering at Cambridge)

You usually find that what works is better than what looks good. 

You know, the looks good can change, but what works, works.
- Ray Eames

New technologies have made the life of a DIY artist so much easier in many ways, but managing all the things you have to do is a massive task. You need to focus your efforts most effectively and avoid getting distracted by the companies, websites and other services that claim to be able to help. During my research into the best practices of self-publishing Musos, I came up with 5 principles to help guide decision-making along the path to your Glorious Musical Future. The five principles are:

1. Personality: always give what people expect from you.
2. Esteem: create something that people value and respect.
3. Synchrony: make everything available at one point in time.
4. Propinquity: make everything available at one point in space.
5. Novelty: always find new reasons to contact your network.

These are complicated-sounding words but they really are quite simple to apply:

Personality - keep everything you do consistent with your developing brand. Your appearance, your sense of humour, your political views ... everything you make public. If you write songs about social issues, there's not a lot of point dressing like Nicki Minaj.

Esteem - this is about more than being an entertaining performer for your fans. It's about also being a professional with promoters, venues, and journalists. It's about supporting your peers. In short, it's about giving everyone a reason to respect and value who you are and what you do ... consistently.

Synchrony - is about timing. Make sure everything you do builds on your previous successes and that the benefits of it are available to everyone who finds you today and tomorrow.

Propinquity - is about keeping it together. Disseminate your messages and creations from a single point; bring all income and incoming communication to a single point.

Novelty - is about creating a stream of new and interesting reasons to build on the relationships mentioned in Steps 6 and 7. Take every opportunity to let people know what you're up to ... consistent with your personality, via the channels you choose to use, at important points in time and space.

Step 8 Exercises

1. Revisit "what's remarkable" above. This is the most outstanding point about your 'personality' ...
2. (Come to the workshop for more)

Exercise to take home

1. (Come to the workshop for more)