Critique Clinic – June 24, 2011
How does it work? Each week on Friday, I will open the clinic to any artist who wants an honest peer review and critique of a card which gets plenty of clicks but no sales, so something’s probably not quite right. Or perhaps you’re a newbie who isn’t sure if a recently submitted card is up to a marketable standard. Anyone is welcome to participate. In fact, I encourage everyone to at least look at the cards in question and read the critique comments – you may learn something. The purpose of the clinic is to help artists improve the commercial appeal and marketability of their cards.
THE RULES
- ONE card per artist only.
- Card must be for sale at Greeting Card Universe.
- Only 5 artists will be accepted per weekly clinic – first come, first served. If you miss out, you’ll have to wait until the next week. International artists, if your time zone doesn’t permit prompt participation, get in touch with me and I’ll try to work something out with you.
- To submit a card for critique, post a link to the card’s details page at GCU in the comments section of this clinic post. Check through the comments before you submit to see how many cards have already been submitted that day. If the number is five, please do not post yours. Any cards posted after the limit is reached will be deleted from the comment thread.
- Any artist is free to comment and/or give a critique of a submitted card. HOWEVER, post-and-run comments like “great card” or “you suck” will not be tolerated, nor will abuse. Criticism should be constructive, not destructive. Play nice or you will be banned.
- I also won’t tolerate temper tantrums if you decide your “artistic integrity” is being stepped on because you asked for a critique, and someone told you the photo you’re using isn’t in focus. If you can’t take honest criticism, don’t submit. Once gets you a warning; twice and you’re banned from submitting in the future.
- Artists who critique may do so by giving their opinion, posting an example of another card, or pointing the submitter to a video, on-line article, or other helpful suggestion.
- Don’t forget that artists who are giving you tips and helpful advice are volunteering their time and trouble. Be nice. A link back to their store on your website or blog is appreciated (but not mandatory).
- You are free not to take any advice offered. There’s no guarantee any card will be a bestseller, so don’t come into the clinic with unrealistic expectations.
- Once you submit a card for the clinic, you may NOT submit again for 4 weeks – fair’s fair.
- Rules may change as we go along and we see how things turn out, okay?
So without any further ado, I declare this week’s Critique Clinic open!
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GCU Community Newsletter #9 – June 23, 2011
The longest day of the year has passed… from now on it’s downhill to the darkness of winter. Still, no matter the season, there’s plenty to see and do and be inspired by!
Hidden Gems: Independence Day - artist William Martin
Last week, our Critique Clinic was a huge success, so we’ll be continuing that feature as long as artists continue to participate. A guest blog by Tracie of Photography TK Designs told us how to harness the power of Facebook with some excellent tips. A new Nuts & Bolts feature explained the importance of inside verse and how to write effectively. Doreen Erhardt’s weekly column, A Dash of Inspiration – a Cup of Creativity gave us fractal art and tutorials. Our master post of links to Blog Carnival II: SHE SELLS SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE proved a hit. And in Inspiration Station, we talked about where we go on-line to get inspired and in the mood to create.
Until next time, don’t forget to pass the love around!
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Getting Visitors in the Door
You’ve been blogging, but nobody seems to notice even though your prose is polished, you’ve optimized your titles and keywords, promoted on Facebook and basically done everything right. Why is everyone ignoring you? Here are some tips that can help you understand what you’re doing wrong, and what you can do to improve your blog so it gets more attention from readers.
Diversify: A blog that’s nothing more than a tissue-thin excuse for self-promotion is never going to be a draw. People want to be informed or entertained, not read commercials. Put some meat in your blog by choosing actual subjects to write about. For example, a photographer might like to blog about camera reviews, nature photography, or photography tips, even giving links to on-line tutorials. Once you’ve got that nice meaty post together, slip in some self-promotion by using GCU cards as examples (easy using the Sell This Card tool). A post that doesn’t LOOK like an advertisement will get you a lot further in attracting visitors.
Hidden Gems: Independence Day - artist Mairin Studio
Decide Your Direction: A themed blog will always be more attractive to a specific audience than a blog that’s a collection of random things. Figure out your niche – what are you going to write about? What are your passions? What gets you going? Is it likely to get others going, too? And that leads me to…
Determine Your Audience & Be Relevant: Be honest about who you’re trying to attract to your blog. If you’ve decided to blog about your baking adventures in the kitchen, your audience will be primarily home bakers. They aren’t likely to want or need greeting cards aimed at businesses (like a corporate Employee Appreciation card). On the other hand, a post about a child’s birthday cake could highlight children’s party invitations. Choose to highlight cards that tie in with the theme of your blog post, don’t just pick something at random.
Bottom line? Don’t churn out advertisements that boil down to, “Hey, I make nice cards, come and buy them!” You’ll burn out quick and be disappointed by the results. Instead, focus first on creating blog posts that entertain and/or educate, that actually say something your audience will be interested in hearing, then decide how to tie in some promotion.
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A great way to get more traffic to your blog (and increase your page rank with search engines) is to comment on other blogs? Be sure the other blogs contain content relevant to your own, and include your store’s URL in your signature. Get in the habit today! You’ll find list on the right side of this blog with links to GCU artist blogs who will surely welcome your comments.
Hidden Gems: Independence Day - artist Mariana Musa
The Greeting Card Universe fan page on Facebook now posts the daily Design of the Day? If you haven’t “liked” the page, what are you waiting for?
There is a GCU artists’ group on Facebook? We encourage you to join, post cards for your fellow artists to admire, share news, and have fun!
DID YOU KNOW you can “like” this newsletter or any post on the GCU Community blog, or include them in your social bookmarks? Just click the title of the post, which takes you to the permanent link page. At the bottom of the page you’ll see buttons for social sites like Facebook, Reddit, StumbleUpon, etc.
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The next Newsletter will be published on June 30, 2011
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Inspiration Station: Moods
There are a number of places I go on-line when I’m looking for inspiration or to get myself in the mood to create. Some of these places I visit daily; others I turn to when I’m stricken with the “blahs” and need a jolt to get me going. These sites are my secret design weapon that helps me stay connected to what’s hot, what’s trending now, and what might trend in the future. What are places you go looking for colors, palettes, mood boards, ideas, etc?
Pinterest
An interesting concept and community. The idea is that members “pin” pictures of things they love (always including a link to the source of the material) and other members can “re-pin” those pictures. You can look at pinned items by themes, or just take in a bit of everything. It’s diverse, always changing, ever evolving, and really allows you to get a look at what people find sweet, fun, popular, yummy…in short, you cannot fail to be inspired by something you see.
Fave Up
Cutting edge design trends organized into many, many categories. There’s so much stuff here, you can’t help spending time browsing. I always keep a notebook handy in case inspiration strikes.
Design Seeds
Color palettes which include the photo that inspired them. No HEX numbers, but you can grab the photo, take it into Photoshop or your graphics editor, and make your own. Beautiful! And btw, they have a Facebook fan page.
The Color Collective
More color palettes, once again with the photos that inspired them. I like this idea better than just blocks of color for some reason. It’s easier to visualize on a greeting card. No HEX numbers either, but I find most of these sites don’t include that information. However, it’s pretty easy to get once you snap up the image for reference.
WHAT’S YOUR INSPIRATION?
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NEWS: GCU Wiki and Live Chat
A news bite for my peeps: the Greeting Card Universe Wiki has updated to include a Live Chat box (artists could use this feature to ask questions or ask for help from fellow artists in real-time, the chat disappears in a day) and a Twitter box with live updates from artists who tweet. Go check it out!
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Blog Carnival II: SHE SELLS SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE
Slightly delayed but here at last are the results for our Blog Carnival II: SHE SELLS SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE, “shell-abrating” all things beach and ocean related! The master post of links is below. I will be contacting each participant privately with the information they need to share the master post on their own blogs. Be sure to visit everyone, leave comments (don’t forget to include a link to your GCU store in your signature) and have fun!
And using Random Thing Picker as a virtual hat, I’m pleased to announce that Naquaiya is the winner of the contest! She will receive a $20 Amazon gift certificate – congratulations!
BLOG CARNIVAL II:
SHE SELLS SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE
Seashells, Gifts From the Sea
“As a girl growing up in land-locked Kansas, I was fascinated by sea shells…”
It’s a Beautiful World, Catherine Sherman
Natural Seashells in Art
“One of the most commonly found raw materials for artists and crafters is the seashell…”
Sun at Night Studios, Sun at Night
Oh How the Sea Calls to Me!
“As a kid, I was lucky enough to spend a fair amount of my summer on road trips…”
Salon of Art, Doreen Erhardt
Tiny Treasures From the Sea
“I spoke in previous posts about how blessed I have been to have grown up near the coast…”
What Dreams May Come, Maryann Nolan
Sandy Vacations
“Summer is here and it’s time to play!”
Janet Lee Designs, Janet Palaggi
Summer’s Too Much Fun to Just Sit on the Beach
“Summer is long in Australia. We are completely surrounded by water…”
Red Rose Digital Art, Rosanne
Thinking of the Beach
“Well, we had a couple of days of 90+ degrees…”
Shelley’s Card Creations, Shelley McLeod
Silent Movie Stars Visit the Beach
“While looking for a bathing beauties picture…”
Dragonfire Graphics, Betsy Bush
Get to Know the Artist
“Summer in So Cal is usually great…”
Reel Cards, R.P. Bulanadi
Seashell by the Seashore
“Being able to spend time on the beach is definitely one of my favorite Summer Delights…”
Painted Cottage, Judith Cheng
Seashells
“ One of nature’s wonders is the seashell…”
Naquiaya’s Cards, Naquaiya
When I Think of Summer
“When I think of summer, I think of the beach…”
Rycky Creations, Robin Chaffin
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Dash of Inspiration – June 20, 2011
A Dash of Inspiration…A Cup of Creativity by Doreen Erhardt
Fractal Imagery
I’m seeing more and more fractal art popping up these days and though I have not made the time for my own experiments, I do find it a fascinating and often quite beautiful form of art. In August of 1985, the cover of Scientific American became the first known fractal image to be considered art. Since then many artists have explored the possibilities and created some exquisite visual expressions. When looking for a more refined definition of this ‘new’ art form and its place in today’s art world, I found this quote from Kerry Mitchell:
“Fractal Art is a subclass of two-dimensional visual art, and is in many respects similar to photography—another art form that was greeted by skepticism upon its arrival. Fractal images typically are manifested as prints, bringing Fractal Artists into the company of painters, photographers, and printmakers. Fractals exist natively as electronic images. This is a format that traditional visual artists are quickly embracing, bringing them into FA’s digital realm. Generating fractals can be an artistic endeavor, a mathematical pursuit, or just a soothing diversion. Fractal art is not computerized art, lacking in rules, unpredictable, nor something that any person with access to a computer can do well. Instead, fractal art is expressive, creative, and requires input, effort, and intelligence.”
Today I’m sharing these wonderful exhibits of extraordinary Fractal Art; 35 Beautiful Examples of Fractal Flowers from our friends a Noupe and another set of 35 Phenomenal Fractal Art Images from Smashing Magazine. Should these inspire you to play around a bit with creating Fractal Art, I’ve included an interesting tutorial on how to Simulate Fractals in Photoshop from PSD-TutsPlus and for those of you who get ‘hooked’ on this form of art and wish to learn more also included is a great List of Fractal Generating Software along with software specific Tutorials.
Go stimulate your imagination!
Image: "Flowers of August" by Aeroglyph
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Nuts and Bolts: Inside Verse
INSIDE VERSE
As an artist or photographer, images may come easy, words…not so much. Yet it’s a fact that shoppers are attracted to a card because of the design on the front, but they BUY the card because of what it says on the inside.
We sometimes forget that a greeting card is more than just a piece of paper with a pretty image – it’s a MESSAGE from the buyer to the recipient. A greeting card’s sentiment expresses what the buyer would say if they could but can’t, because feelings are hard to communicate. The card’s inside verse is part of a conversation as well as part of a relationship between two people.
To be successful, we must never lose sight of that simple truth.
If you want to write good greeting card copy, here are some things to avoid:
- Too Formal: The formality of your inside verse will depend on the card’s purpose. Unless you’re writing for a card that requires more formal language, such as condolence or wedding, you should keep your writing in tune with the tone. Don’t worry too much about correct grammar unless that degree of formality is required. Stay away from technical terms or obscure words unless you’re deliberately writing for a specialized niche market.
- Too Much Description: Avoid overuse of adjectives (unless you’re using them for effect). Once you write down your inside verse, eliminate all adjectives. Does that still get the message across? If not, try adding back one adjective at a time. Don’t go overboard.
- Too Much Schmaltz: While a heartfelt message can hit the mark, don’t go too far and drown your verse in syrupy sentiments. Simplify your inside verse, pare it down to its basics, and try to find ways of expressing your message without clichés. Be clear.
- Too Much of a Good Thing: Don’t go on and on in the mistaken belief that the longer your message, the more desirable. A verse that gets to the point without meandering around will always be preferred. If you can say it in one sentence, why use two? Shoppers need to be able to instantly grasp your point, so stay concise.
- Too Controversial: Avoid tasteless or insulting jokes unless you’re targeting a niche market. The general audience will likely give such cards a pass.
So how DO you write good inside verse? Here’s an exercise that may help: when considering inside verse, pretend you’re sitting with your best friend having a conversation. How would you speak to them? What words would you use? How would you connect with them?
As creators of greeting cards, we must remember that a card is like a hand of friendship extended from one person to another. Our words are the most important part of our designs, and could be the reason why an otherwise attractive design isn’t selling.
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Guest Blog: Tracie – Harnessing the Power of Facebook
Today’s guest blog comes from Tracie at Photography TK Designs – you should not miss this!
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HARNESSING THE POWER OF FACEBOOK
So you’ve finally got your storefront set up and it’s looking great. Cards are getting approved right and left. Sales are going to skyrocket—This card selling business is going to be a snap! Now you sit back and wait.
As weeks go by, you notice not even one person has made a click on your cards. So depressing. You’ve got to find a way to get some exposure. A great idea pops into your head: You’re going to start your own Facebook page. Then you’ll get noticed, right? The same excitement you had in the beginning returns. Fans are going to flock to your page—and with all the links to the store you’ve posted, you are finally going to be a success…Guess again!
Sure, you appreciate the support of your friends and family—they even say they like your posts. But you know they never look at your creations up close—the clicks count still reads zero. “I’ve had enough of this!” you shout as you shake your fist at the computer screen. It is time to do some serious networking! You start searching the forums for other Facebook users. Let the games begin. You know the ones, ‘I’ll “like” you if you “like” me.’ Finally you’re getting some traffic—granted it’s mostly just other business pages “liking” your page. But they say they LOVE your work!
Problem solved? You wish! It’s great to have a fan page that looks popular. But what good is it? All your fans are out selling their own wares. You’re looking for people who are interested in what you’ve got to offer. Time to rethink your strategy—again! Desperately you start googling your items on the internet…Wait. What is this? Your awesome design just popped up in the image search results! Your heart skips a beat as you click on the link and wait for your storefront to load. That’s not your store front—it’s one of your Facebook albums. Exciting to see, but how can you direct potential customers to your storefront from there?
Yes, this is my story. Once I discovered my images in the search results, I started wracking my brain to find ways to use this to my advantage. What if I posted a photo of my cards in an album on my Facebook page and attached a link directly to the card in the description? Viola! All of a sudden my cards were starting to get clicked on. Not only was I getting better exposure through internet search results, my fans started clicking on my cards too. Why? I know why. People love pictures. If I’m more inclined to look at a photo album than to click on somebody’s card link, then my fans are surely the same.
Facebook is a powerful tool once you learn how to use it. Another thing you can do to harness its power, is find ways to draw your audience in. People love to get involved. Post work-in-progress photos. Ask for suggestions. If your fans know they’ve played a part in the creation process, they will be more than willing to see the final result. I was encouraged by one of my favorite photographers to start a 365-day challenge. I take a new picture every day and post it for my fans to see. Not only has this helped me grow as an artist, it keeps my fans coming back daily to see what’s new.
As a final note–Find the right clientele. You are ultimately looking for potential customers. That’s why I started a Facebook page devoted to linking the customer with the artist. Because honestly, what good are a thousand fans if they’re not interest in what you have to offer?
Now as to actual card sales? Well that’s a whole different story!
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Thanks, Tracie! Excellent tips anyone can use to boost their on-line presence.
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Critique Clinic – June 17, 2011
WE NOW HAVE OUR FIVE CARDS FOR THIS WEEK! Please check the comments to participate in discussion or see what we’ve been talking about during this clinic. See you next week!
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How does it work? Each week on Friday, I will open the clinic to any artist who wants an honest peer review and critique of a card which gets plenty of clicks but no sales, so something’s probably not quite right. Or perhaps you’re a newbie who isn’t sure if a recently submitted card is up to a marketable standard. Anyone is welcome to participate. In fact, I encourage everyone to at least look at the cards in question and read the critique comments – you may learn something. The purpose of the clinic is to help artists improve the commercial appeal and marketability of their cards.
THE RULES
- ONE card per artist only.
- Card must be for sale at Greeting Card Universe.
- Only 5 artists will be accepted per weekly clinic – first come, first served. If you miss out, you’ll have to wait until the next week. International artists, if your time zone doesn’t permit prompt participation, get in touch with me and I’ll try to work something out with you.
- To submit a card for critique, post a link to the card’s details page at GCU in the comments section of this clinic post. Check through the comments before you submit to see how many cards have already been submitted that day. If the number is five, please do not post yours. Any cards posted after the limit is reached will be deleted from the comment thread.
- Any artist is free to comment and/or give a critique of a submitted card. HOWEVER, post-and-run comments like “great card” or “you suck” will not be tolerated, nor will abuse. Criticism should be constructive, not destructive. Play nice or you will be banned.
- I also won’t tolerate temper tantrums if you decide your “artistic integrity” is being stepped on because you asked for a critique, and someone told you the photo you’re using isn’t in focus. If you can’t take honest criticism, don’t submit. Once gets you a warning; twice and you’re banned from submitting in the future.
- Artists who critique may do so by giving their opinion, posting an example of another card, or pointing the submitter to a video, on-line article, or other helpful suggestion.
- Don’t forget that artists who are giving you tips and helpful advice are volunteering their time and trouble. Be nice. A link back to their store on your website or blog is appreciated (but not mandatory).
- You are free not to take any advice offered. There’s no guarantee any card will be a bestseller, so don’t come into the clinic with unrealistic expectations.
- Once you submit a card for the clinic, you may NOT submit again for 4 weeks – fair’s fair.
- Rules may change as we go along and we see how things turn out, okay?
So without any further ado, I declare this week’s Critique Clinic open!
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GCU Community Newsletter #8 – June 16, 2011
Bah! What a dull, rainy day… I’d take a nap if I wasn’t so busy! I recently purchased a cool piece of software that lets me make slideshow movies, so I’m planning to play with it with an eye towards making some promotional videos. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Hidden Gems: Get Well - Corrie Kuipers
Last week, we enjoyed an Artist interview with Janet Palaggi. The Rainbow Connection featured the hottest colors for men’s fashions 2011, introducing a new palette for artists to use in their designs. With an eye towards helping artists make the most of these new color schemes, Doreen Erhardt’s weekly feature A Dash of Inspiration – A Cup of Creativity gave us links to some excellent color theory resources. Our Blog Carnival II: SHE SELLS SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE will continue until June 18th, so get your entry in! Greeting Card Universe has been in the news. And finally, our Design Spotlight was on artist Natalie Kinnear.
Until next time, don’t forget to pass the love around!
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Writing a Popular Post
Everyone wants every post they make to be the ONE – the one that gains you the most traffic, the most comments, the most attention. While every update you make isn’t going to shake the world, you can create posts that attract readers if you follow these simple rules.
Taking Your Time: Clear your schedule, sit down, and just write. Don’t be in a hurry. Don’t try to squeeze writing your post in between feeding the dog, bathing the kids, and other distractions. Don’t worry about how long it takes, either. If you need time, take it. You’ll be happy you did.
Taking a Shot at a Memorable Headline: Be creative, be funny, be witty – the headline or title of your blog post is your first and best opportunity to catch a reader’s attention and make them want to keep reading. Then you’ll go into…
Taking Your Point(s) to the Highest Level: To keep a reader’s interest “hooked,” you need to make your point(s) interesting. Ask yourself, does this post fulfill a need? Does it speak to a niche? Is it entertaining? Is it educational? Read it aloud to find out where your prose needs work. In addition, emphasize your best point(s) – such as using bold formatting sparingly to make certain words or phrases stand out.
Hidden Gems: Get Well - artist S. Hartfield
Taking a Look: Study previous popular posts. What do they have in common?
Taking Advantage: Don’t forget to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to spread the news about your post. Leaving comments on other people’s blogs may also allow you a promotional opportunity. Don’t miss it!
Using these tips to help you write popular posts will also help you improve your blogging game. The better you get, the more response you’ll receive!
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The Greeting Card Universe fan page on Facebook now posts the daily Design of the Day? If you haven’t “liked” the page, what are you waiting for?
There is a GCU artists’ group on Facebook? We encourage you to join, post cards for your fellow artists to admire, share news, and have fun!
Hidden Gems: Get Well - artist Tom Rent
We’re splashing out with Blog Carnival II: SHE SELLS SEASHELLS BY THE SEASHORE. Just make a new blog post (or a Squidoo lens) about anything beach or sea themed: surfing, clambake, seashells, marine wildlife – you name it, as long as the ocean’s involved, it’s fair game! Use your imagination. Include 3 links to beach or sea-themed cards at GCU and publish your post before June 18. On June 19, I will publish the master post of links to share + announce the winner of a drawing for a $25 AMAZON GIFT CERTIFICATE! Who will be the lucky winner this time? Who knows, but if you don’t enter, you don’t have a chance! Plus all participants will get a very cool Community Star to add to their collection.
DID YOU KNOW you can “like” this newsletter or any post on the GCU Community blog, or include them in your social bookmarks? Just click the title of the post, which takes you to the permanent link page. At the bottom of the page you’ll see buttons for social sites like Facebook, Reddit, StumbleUpon, etc.
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The next Newsletter will be published on June 23, 2011
GCU Community 