January is time for new beginnings, self-improvement, resolutions, and a fabulous time to focus in on your burlesque business. What’s the number one representation of you and your business? Your website! Here are the basics to developing an effective DIY website in five manageable steps:
1. Step One: Realize that you need an actual website. Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and whoever else does not count as a website! As a producer I do not want to have to log in, friend you, or sift through a ton of crap I don’t need (your birthday party photos) just to find the information I do need. I want to learn about you as effectively and efficiently as possible- and that’s certainly not a social networking site. Social networking is incredibly important- but does not replace an actual website. MORE
2. Step Two: Buy a domain name. This is super cheap- less than $20 a year.
A. There are a million arguments about this and you can research the pros and cons on your own, but a .com address far beats out any other address you can have (.org, .co, etc) Why? Because everyone has been conditioned to type .com after everything.

B. What if your burlesque name- Jane Doe isn’t available? Try JaneDoeBurlesque.com or JaneBurlesque.com or any one of a number of combinations that fit your name, persona, profession, and location or some well-thought out combination of the previously mentioned items.
3. Step Three: Buy hosting. In short, without hosting, no one can view your site. I like cheap, reliable, and good customer service. For that reason I like GoDaddy- but there are hundreds to choose from. Either online or by phone, let them know you now own JaneDoe.com and would like to host it. For around $49 a year you will have JaneDoe.com live on the internet. Usually there is a “this website is parked” page until you actually upload content.
4. Step Four: Pick your poison. If you are determined to do it yourself, and have zero desire to learn html, the easiest and fastest solution is a template. There are a million to choose from, ranging from free to $100 a year and up. You can choose Weebly, Wordpress, Squarespace, or anyone of a wide range of options. Depending on your choice the options will be as follows:
A. You will set up a redirect. For this option you will choice a template and upload all of your information and design your site. When you have it to your liking, you may be stuck with a long address like www.janedoe.weebly.com – no one will remember that & it’s too damn long for a business card. A redirect is your solution. Inform GoDaddy (or whoever your host is) that you would like JaneDoe.com to redirect to www.janedoe.weebly.com This means that the user will type in JaneDoe.com and be magically taken to the new longer address without them doing anything else- brilliant!
B. The second option is that you have downloaded a template, plugged in your information, and now have to upload it appropriately. If you selected a good hosting company, they will walk you through the process (the process is different for every company) either online or by phone, and you will have your new site up and running!
5. Step Five: Content. So what does every effective burlesque website need? [Pin-Up Models have different needs. Click HERE for more for models.] As a producer, there are six simple things I want to know:
A. Who are you? I want a bio and a professional photo. MORE ON SUCCESSFUL PHOTOS I don’t want some fairy tale type bio about how you were raised by wolves, or magically appeared on a seahorse (both examples are actually taken from burlesque bios) I want where are you from, what is your style, what is your signature number, where have your performed, how much experience do you have. A successful bio can be anyway from one to three paragraphs. Be concise, informative, and let your personality shine through. Are you a comedian? Then your bio should be funny.
B. Videos. I am amazed at how many performers don’t have videos on their site. I need videos! I want to know how good you are, what’s your range, and if you have any numbers in your arsenal that fit what I am looking for. If I’m a fan- I want to watch my favorite performances over and over. What do I not want to do? Search through countless craptastic videos on YouTube looking for a decent performance of yours. Think about it- every schmuck who’s ever filmed you with a camera phone anywhere you’ve ever been has tagged you in their video on You Tube. I don’t want to have to watch all of that to get to the one acceptable video of you. Post the videos you want me to watch on your site, so I don’t judge you by the crappy ones.
C. Performance Menu. What are the numbers you are known for? Do you have something that fits the show I’m currently booking? What’s your arsenal or performance resume? Provide a photo, description, and video (of possible) of each number.
D. Gallery. I want photos of you, both live performance shots and studio shots. Of course, low res photos are plentiful and pleasing to the fan, but as a producer- you can save yourself a whole lot of time, if you have high res photos available for download on your site. Jonny Porkpie does this really well EXAMPLE Here I can download images that I know are ok to use in promotions (posters, media, flyers, etc) and I don’t have to bug him at all- simply choose the ones I want and grab ‘em. More on high res
E. Contact Info. I want to know every way to get a hold of you as quickly and obviously placed as possible. If media should go one place, and bookings go one place, and fan mail another- I want to know all of that.
F. Past Media Coverage. Is there a fabulous quote about you floating in the media or a previous interview? I want to know that so I can use it in my press release. Is there a hilarious tagline someone in the press gave you, or a particularly informative interview? Post links so I can read it and pull from it.
**Keep ‘em coming back!: So you have your website and you’re super proud of it- good job! Now how do you keep people coming back again and again? There are a few keys to this, the first being a blog. Having a blog embedded in your site (Wordpress has good options for this, as do countless others) gives fans a reason to keep coming back again and again, while giving producers a good feel for who you are. The second most important tool is new and fresh photos. Keep adding to your low res gallery, while losing the stuff that is old or outdated. This keeps things fresh and makes you appear on top of your game. MORE

Building a Successful Portfolio: Vol II

By: Shoshana

For Vol I: Successful Promotional Images for Burlesque Entertainers click here

There are “pin-up models” and Pin-Up Models.  The biggest difference between the two?  Professionalism and a killer portfolio.  Here’s a list of tips and tricks to build a portfolio that gets you noticed!

The Do’s and Don’ts for Pin-Up Portfolios

1. Do invest in your first impression. If you are taking your pin-up modeling seriously, you should take your image and likeness seriously as well.  You are creating a persona that will be your calling card- represent it well.  Pay for your first photoshoot, and get the best photographer possible.  Just as you want to be paid for your time, quality, and professionalism; photographers deserved to be paid for theirs as well.  Remember, you get what you pay for.

If you can only afford one photo shoot start, that’s ok- make it count!  Get the highest quality and most variety you can out of your first paid shoot.  If you have a great session under your belt, many more will follow.  Having one fabulous photo shoot on your pages will do so much more for you than a hundred crappy shoots.  You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

2. Do: Be careful who you shoot with. Outside of the obvious safety concerns- there is the obvious truth that your image matters in this business!  Shooting with sub-par photographers and hobbyists can hurt you.  (Now there are plenty of talented photographers who choose to make photography their hobby as opposed to full time work.  I respect that- those guys & gals are not who my comment is directed at.)  In a digital age where anything and everything can be found with a few clicks, you do not want sub-par images of you floating around.  Poorly lit, unflattering, or “cheap looking”, photos can hurt the professionalism you are trying to convey.  You’ve seen ‘em- you know what I’m talking about.  Does this mean you can’t seek out free photo shoots?  No, it just means a lot of research on your part to make sure the project is one you want to be a part of and the photographer is worth working with.

3. Don’t: Post more than two images from a series.

Choose the absolute best from a shooting series to post.  It’s sometimes very hard to narrow down, but it’s important to do so to prevent it becoming tedious for the viewer, and to make sure you are putting your best foot forward.

4. Do: make your portfolio as diverse as possible!

Shoot with as many talented photographers as possible.  Shoot different concepts, characters, themes, and lighting styles.  Shoot as much as you are comfortable with; avoid being pigeon- holed by shooting fetish and fashion, pin-up and conceptual. 

5. Do get real high resolution images of your shoots- Size Matters! I cannot tell you how important this is.  In the digital age, it is very easy to tag & snag images from sites like Facebook, or live shots from online media sources.  This is not the same as having a high resolution image. A high resolution image is at least 300 dpi/ppi, AND either 1000 pixels (or 8 inches) in at least one direction. It must meet both of these criteria to be high res.

You cannot artificially make a low res image into a high res image simply by changing the numbers in a photo editing program. The print quality still sucks, because even though your numbers are correct, you have taken that small amount of digital information and spread it over a larger area, making the image grainy or pixilated.  The original source file must be large enough to qualify as high res. in order to have good print quality – period.

Do Not Shrink Them to Email!- The bigger the better!  If sending them one at a time is still too much- try zipping them, or use an external free program such as Dropbox or You Send It.

Only High Resolution Images are print worthy!

6. Do Get your own website as soon as possible. No matter how useful and essential they are for marketing purposes, sites like MySpace, Face Book, Twitter, and Model Mayhem, and anyone else we forgot- do not replace a real website!

Why? Go to a random computer and Google or Bing Yourself.  Follow those links and you’ll see how many things are not visible.  If you are not logged in, or not a friend, or a member- or whatever other criteria are established for that site- you won’t be able to research you- period.

Example (True Story): A major national advertising sent me an email asking me as the editor of Pin Curl, to help him locate a model we featured.  He found her on our site, knew her name, but couldn’t find contact information and wasn’t going to create a Facebook or MySpace page simply to find her.  She ended up landing the major contract because I put them in touch, however, if he hadn’t been willing or able to reach out to me, she could have just as easily missed out on that contract- all because she didn’t have a website.

A personal website also allows you to properly represent yourself.  Instead of every single image you’ve ever been tagged in showing up- drunken club nights, etc.  This allows you to control your brand (You are your brand) fully.  You don’t have to worry about bad snapshots of you making the rounds, or random thoughts about last night’s dinner party leaking out into your professional persona.

7. Do: Choose an online portfolio viewer that’s easy for website visitors to navigate.

You want it to be as easy as possible to be your fan- and that means looking at your images!  Don’t force people to sift through pop up viewers or download to view your work, or sift through countless folders.  I like simple viewer- it’s just what it sounds like- a simple and efficient way to organize a portfolio- and it’s free!

8. Don’t have more than two or three portfolios. Have clear organization.

In following the same easy to use theme- be organized.  Have your portfolios listed by the time of images therein – I.E. pin-up, fetish, conceptual.  Don’t list them by photographer, or anything else; it results in too many folders to go through and becomes cluttered.

9. Do: Update your portfolio on your website often.

I know it is often easier just to update your social media sites (IE Facebook), but if you only update those, before you know it your official website has become outdated and it defeats the purpose of even having one.  Remember: Your website is the official representation of you!

10. Do: Have permission. Make sure your photographer knows you want the images for promotional purposes and that you will be sending/posting them everywhere.  You can run into serious legal trouble using images without permission.  Do not assume that because you paid for the shoot that you own the images- because you don’t.  For more on the laws regarding photography, usage, and copyright; check out our Copyright Law: Myths vs. Facts article.  Also, make sure you always give credit where credit is due.  A simple caption with the photographer, make-up artist, hair stylist, and stylist is a great way to help out people you enjoy working with, while simultaneously covering your ass!

Related links:

Tips and Tricks for Pin-Up Models

Tips for Building a Quality Portfolio: Vol. I

Copyright Law & Images: Myths vs. Facts

As a photographer, burlesque producer, and magazine editor, I have a lot of experience with photographs.  Here are a few tips and tricks for building a quality portfolio that will get you noticed!  I have divided the information into two volumes.  This article focuses on burlesque entertainers, while Vol. II, which will be published in the February Issue, focuses on portfolio building for pin-up models.

By: Shoshana

The Do’s and Don’ts of Publicity Images for Burlesque Entertainers

1. Do send real high resolution images- Size Matters! I cannot tell you how important this is.  In the digital age, it is very easy to tag & snag images from sites like Facebook, or live shots from online media sources.  This is not the same as having a high resolution image. A high resolution image is at least 300 dpi/ppi, AND either 1000 pixels (or 8 inches) in at least one direction. It must meet both of these criteria to be high res.

You cannot artificially make a low res image into a high res image simply by changing the numbers in a photo editing program. The print quality still sucks, because even though your numbers are correct, you have taken that small amount of digital information and spread it over a larger area, making the image grainy or pixilated.  The original source file must be large enough to qualify as high res. in order to have good print quality – period.

Do Not Shrink Them to Email!- The bigger the better!  If sending them one at a time is still too much- try zipping them, or use an external free program such as Dropbox or You Send It.

2. Do invest in at least one professional photo shoot. If you are taking your burlesque seriously, you should take your image and likeness seriously as well.  You are creating a persona that will be your calling card- represent it well.  Just as you want to be paid for your time, quality, and professionalism; photographers deserved to be paid for theirs as well.  Remember, you get what you pay for.

If you can only afford one photo shoot start, that’s ok- make it count!

A: Do: Shoot indoors, with a professional studio lighting setup. These images will be used on flyers, and hopefully in the press.  For flyers, a uniformity is always good- rather than looking like a high school scrapbook- a well designed flyer is crisp, clean, and professional looking- a cornerstone of that is having quality images to work from.

Do Not: Outdoor shoots (backgrounds of grass, fences, streets, or brink walls), live shots (odd lighting, blurred body parts, motion in hair), and girl with car images are too distracting and busy for most flyers. Also stay away from themed or conceptual shoot as your only images. (More on that later)  Also, images not properly lit will be incredibly unflattering, or very underexposed leading to a grainy & pixilated quality.

B. Do: Seek a clean, crisp, background. You want to shoot a clean shot (free of props, busy backgrounds, crazy sets, etc.)  If the designer who will create the flyer/poster/ad etc.  keeps the backgrounds of the images- s/he can use the solid background and easily change color etc., by contrast if the design idea is to create a visual montage or cut the background out and put on something else, a clean solid color background works best.  It’s a win/win.

C. Do: Instruct the photographer you need headshots, ¾, and full

length shots. Each producer formats their flyers differently, and you want to be prepared.

D. Do: Shoot in your very best costume. If possible, pay for additional costume changes, if you only have one shoot- make it count!  If you have a signature number- make sure to shoot in that costume.

Do not: Bra and panty, nude, and pastie shots are fine for extras, but are rarely usable as images on flyers, posters, or in the press.

E. Do: Show your personality in your shoot. If you are an extremely versatile performer- include all sides of you.  IE.  Have a general showgirl shot, a dramatic shot, and a laughing cutesy shot.  It’s all about having the most bang for your buck in versatility.

3.    Do not: Over Photoshop or send Soft Images. Crispness and clarity!  While its fine to go after stretch marks, pimples, scars, etc with your healing tool, you do not want an over-photoshopped image for many reasons.  One, is that you can only Photoshop so much before your image is either completely fake looking, or has no tack sharp clarity.  Soft images are one without a defined point of focus (a tack sharp section of the image).  I want to be able to count your eyelashes when I blow you up to poster size to promote an event or put you on the cover of a magazine.

The second reason is simple, you want producers, fans, etc to be impressed when the see you in person, not let down because you look nothing like your incredibly over-photoshopped images.  Who wants to disappoint at first meeting?  If you are 40, look 35 in an image, not 25.  If you are a size 12, don’t try and make the photographer take you down to a 2.

4. Do not: invest in a themed or conceptual shoot, unless you have the basics down. It’s all about versatility.  Your showgirl image on a white background will do so much more for you than a “Santa Baby”, “cowgirl”, “naughty nurse”, “blood and horror”, type of themed image ever will.  Once you have the basic press kit together, it’s fun to add to your book with themed shoots, such as holiday themed shoots- which are great as there’s usually several holiday shows every year, or cowgirl or valentine images.  You’ll certainly get use out of them at some point, and they are good to have, but if the only professionally shot image of you that you have is a Halloween image- you can’t take that very far.

5. Do: Update the images in your press kit at least every six months. This is where those live shots, trade offers (I will shoot you for free in exchange for this), and themed and conceptual shoots come in handy.  Once you have the basics down, you can work on building either based on certain shows you want to be in (IE, so and so does a fabulous circus themed show- so I want circus themed shots, etc.), holidays, or companies you want clothing/costumes/props from.  Fans and producers should always find something fresh in your portfolio, both on Facebook, and your personal website.  I know Facebook and blogs are often easier to update then your website- but it is important that your website remains fresh and accurate as it is the “official” representation of you and your work.

Avoid your portfolio becoming outdated by removing images that are old, or of retired numbers. As a general rule, if the image is three years old- toss it!  This may mean sometimes parting with your favorites, and it’s very hard, but is worth it to appear fresh, organized, and on top of your game.  If there’s an image you simply can’t dump- create an archives section on your website, so the image is still reachable, but not something you include in a press kit anymore.

6. Do: Be careful who you shoot with. Outside of the obvious safety concerns- there is the obvious truth that your image matters in this business!  Shooting with sub-par photographers and hobbyists can hurt you.  (Now there are plenty of talented photographers who choose to make photography their hobby as opposed to full time work.  I respect that- those guys & gals are not who my comment is directed at.)  In a digital age where anything and everything can be found with a few clicks, you do not want sub-par images of you floating around.  Poorly lit, unflattering, or “cheap looking”, photos can hurt the professionalism you are trying to convey.  You’ve seen ‘em- you know what I’m talking about.  Does this mean you can’t seek out free photo shoots?  No, it just means a lot of research on your part to make sure the project is one you want to be a part of and the photographer is worth working with.

7. Do: Have permission. Make sure your photographer knows you want the images for promotional purposes and that you will be sending/posting them everywhere.  You can run into serious legal trouble using images without permission.  Do not assume that because you paid for the shoot that you own the images- because you don’t.  For more on the laws regarding photography, usage, and copyright; check out our Copyright Law: Myths vs. Facts article.

A Book Review by Shoshana

As a small business owner, my beginnings were modest and I looked for every way possible to cut costs, while still being effective. I also knew that marketing and promotion is absolutely essential for every business to get noticed and then keep itself in the spotlight. What I didn’t know is the best approach to tackle these goals. I wish I had found Successfully Creating and Selling Your Image Online by Amanda Brooks sooner.

It’s true this read is book 2 (Advertising and Marketing) of the Internet Escort’s Handbook Series. Don’t let this stop you; put your preconceived notions aside and read this book from a business perspective. While Ms. Brooks is writing from the background of a successful online escort, she provides amazing insight to making the internet work for you in any business..

Like so many small business owners I have a website and consider it a major marketing tool, but have no idea how it really works. I just pay a web designer and I’m done. Successfully Creating and Selling Your Image Online taught me about SEO optimization (how to get higher on Google’s list), what a good web designer should and should not charge you for, how to create banners, as well as countless free-lance resources I didn’t know existed.

Are you a pin-up model or burlesque entertainer and want to keep your legal name and stage name completely separate and untraceable to one another? This is the book for you. In Ms. Brook’s line of work, anonymity is essential and she has learned the ins and outs of being as hard to trace as possible, and here’s a tip: just buying privacy with your domain doesn’t always cover your rear. In addition to a wealth of internet marketing resources and tips, Ms. Brooks also shoots down the popular tactic of reducing price and offering specials when business gets slow. With clear examples and illustrations Ms. Brooks proves why this is a really bad idea and works powerfully against you.

Although it would seem a unlikely place to look for tips on running a legit business, Successfully Creating and Selling Your Image Online is well written, easy to follow, and loaded with valuable information on making the internet work for you. It is an easy read and a powerful marketing and self promotion resource, and a book I recommend every small business owner pick up. For more information on obtaining a copy of your very own, visit EscortMBA.com