Dana Sitar's Blog, page 31

Q&A with Craig Follett, CEO of Uniiverse

I was recently introduced to the new collaborative marketplace Uniiverse by a friend who works with the company's San Francisco office. Launched on February 7, Uniiverse is a platform meant to enable the sharing economy, a marketplace based on individuals rather than companies.

I had a chance to connect with Craig Follett, one of two CEOs and co-founder of Uniiverse. I've just signed up myself, and — as with any new idea that hits the internet — I'm wondering just what this new site is all...

Getting the Word Out About Your Freelance Services

This week, I'm officially launching my special Services for Artists — writing, editing, and publicity services tailored to the needs and the budgets of independent artists. I've been editing and writing web content and marketing copy for almost a year now, and while I enjoy the work, I really want to add more artists to my stable of clients. I want the opportunity to make my living supporting the people doing the same thing I'm doing — trying to make a living as artists.

But, artists just...

Pitching a Story is a Lot Like Entering a Comedy Competition

This article is part of the Stage to Page series,  lessons in writing and life that I've learned from stand-up comedians.

Artists tend to hate competitions in general (except for the ones they chance to place in). The method for ranking often seems arbitrary, and fairly choosing just one winner out of tons of great talent is almost impossible. But, they make great credits, offer exposure and networking opportunities, and can give you important lessons for honing your skills, if you're willing ...

This Week in Words | On the Brink

My week was interview-tastic. That's not a word, but if it were, it would mean jam-packed with (phone) interviews. I was busy all week talking with comedians for CoPro and industry experts for SevenPonds. Really loving this business. I love the unexpected direction that interviews can take. When an interviewee is willing to engage and open up, we can have a really interesting conversation. I always learn something I didn't expect to.

Stefan also had a great week, performing for two of the...

Planning a Blog Tour

It's March! That means my blog tour for The Hart Compound is underway. I've been doing the work and planning behind the scenes for this tour for over a month, so I'm super excited to see these posts go live!

Don't miss today's post at Brazen Life blog about surviving on an artist's budget, and check out the steps below that I took to plan this tour.

If you're interested in planning a blog tour and would like some extra guidance, I can help! Check out my services for writers and bloggers, and...

Don't Forget to Talk About Money

Oh, I hate doing this! I hate haggling, quoting, asking for more, offering less. I hate money, and I wish that I didn't have to deal with it.

But I do. Every day. I am a business. I offer a service, I sell products, and my time is valuable. Moreover, there are plenty of people out there who are perfectly comfortable talking about money, and they'll take me for all I've got if I can't talk back.

I thought that talking to clients about money would get easier with practice, but it hasn't yet. I'm ...

Using Your Blog to Boost Your Career

This post is part of the Brazen Life Run-Around for February.

Writers have a natural attraction to blogging. It allows us to write when we want, about what we want, and to make it public to whomever we want. But a lot of writers ignore the rich career-building potential of a blog. In the eight months that I have been writing by.dana.sitar, it has evolved to be the backbone of my writing business, and it offers great promise for the future as it grows. This blog is headquarters to everything I ...

This Week in Very Few Words

This week was largely uneventful — but I'm making up for it by joining Stefan and Bert DiVietri in Ukiah, CA tonight. I'm in need of a quick road trip. I've stayed in all week, haven't gone out for comedy since Monday night, just picking away at various projects. Next weekend, Stefan is flying to Idaho without me — to save money — so I'm happy for this road trip this weekend.

My victory this week was finishing The Hart Compound and prepping the e-galley for review. So, that's available now!

In Search of His Own Story

"The world that I've constructed in my own head where I'm better than everyone is so much better for me. I'm very bad at getting outside of myself."

This is not a story about drug addiction.

I sent a text to Ian Dunlavy at one p.m. to confirm our phone interview at two. He confirmed, and I replied with a cheeky, "Cool. Start digging into your soul; I'll call you in an hour."

For an hour, he began to plan what he would say, picture the conversation in his head, run through scenarios of what I...

You're an Artist, god dammit! Be Professional.

One difficulty in making your art your business is that often there are not clear-cut rules for how to act in that business. Norms kind of get thrown out the window when your greatest strength is your ability to be different. But that doesn't mean that you no longer have to act like a professional — you just have to figure out exactly what that means in your profession.

You don't have to get stuffy and formal all of a sudden. Don't hide your tattoos and trim your beard. If you're a comedian...