'The Art of Self Promotion' book - a valuable marketing tool for any creative professional

Over the past 15 years, my work, writings and comments have appeared in nearly 140 books. I try to keep track of such things; making others aware of great design and business resources in the process. However, once in while I will come across published surprises in bookstores, online or even through the use of the Google book search tool.

It was through a Google book search, a couple of months ago, that I first became aware of my inclusion in the book The Art of Self Promotion, written by marketing expert Ilise Benun. I had not previously seen or heard about the book at all.

Benun and I do have a history of using each other as a source in books and articles, and speaking at the same conferences. She used me as a resource in her books Self Promotion Online and The Designer's Guide To Marketing And Pricing (written with mutual friend Peleg Top), in the HOW Magazine article eSelf Promotion, and in her Art of Self Promotion newsletter. Benun provided valuable information for my first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success (now available as a PDF on CD).

The two of us have been able to keep in touch over the years through multiple invitations to speak at the annual HOW Design Conference. I was also honored to make a presentation at the first Creative Freelancer Conference, an event coordinated by HOW Magazine and Benun's own firm, Marketing Mentor.

It was a real pleasure to see Benun at the recent How Design Conference in Denver. Seeing each other also gave me an opportunity to ask about the book The Art of Self Promotion.

It turns out that the book is a compilation of past articles from The Art of Self Promotion newsletter, published by Benun's own Marketing Mentor Press. The Art of Self Promotion is packed with valuable self promotion suggestions and examples. My own inclusion is in regards to the use of my "Toot! Toot!" press releases in marketing my design and writing efforts.

Benun was kind enough to give me a copy of the book when we last met. I would strongly recommend that all creative professionals get themselves a copy of The Art of Self Promotion - a great tutorial in marketing and promotion tactics.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

Resource links from HOW Magazine DesignCast 'How to Survive as a Freelance Designer'

Thanks to all who participated in my HOW Magazine live DesignCast "How to Survive as a Freelance Designer." During my hour-long presentation I mentioned a number of additional resources. As promised, I'm posting links to those sites, blog entries and books:

• Resource 1: Make use of online portfolios as promotion tool

• Resource 2: Network outside of design - Biznik; StartupNation

• Resource 3: HOW article on social networking for self-promo purposes

• Resource 4: Side-bar from HOW social networking article

• Resource 5: BoDo (Business of Design online)

• Resource 6: Design book submissions and competitions

• Resource 7: Example of a self-created marketing/media kit

• Resource 8: Examples of my "Toot! Toot!" press releases

• Resource 9: The Design Entrepreneur by Steven Heller

• Resource 10: Savvy Designer's Guide to Success by Jeff Fisher

• Resource 11: Designers Guide to Marketing & Pricing by Ilise Benun and Peleg Top

• Resource 12: Designer's Guide to Business & Careers by Peg Faimon

• Resource 13: Breaking Into Freelance Illustrations by Holly DeWolf

• Resource 14: Customizable contract/project agreement example

• Resource 15: Design entrepreneur - Von Glitschka

• Resource 16: Design entrepreneur - Patricia Zapata

• Resource 17: Design entrepreneur - Cameron Moll

• Resource 18: Associates programs such as Amazon - LogoMotives Design Depot Bookstore

• Resource 19: Using Twitter and Facebook Fan Page as a business tool.

• Resource 20: HOW Magazine Business Annual

• Resource 21: HOW Magazine Self-Promotion Issue

• Resource 22: Mentioned by HOW editor Bryn Mooth - FreelanceSwitch.com

My next HOW DesignCast, "Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool," is scheduled for February 18, 2010. Watch for additional information at the HOW website.

© 2009 Jeff Fisher Logomotives

One person's "toot!" is another's whimsy?

For over a decade I've literally been "tooting my own horn." Press releases for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives accomplishments and announcement have consistently had the header "Toot! Toot!*" with a notation to the tagline "*If I don't "toot!' my own horn, no one else will."

The unique public relations identification has tied in well to my business name and identity - bringing my press missives to the attention of numerous editors and writer's of several magazine articles and books. The "Toot Toot!" has often been exhibited as a successful marketing and promotion method. I even wrote about it in my first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career. I've been asked to speak about my PR tools to a variety of business and design groups over the past ten years.

The press release format has been used when mailing hard copies to publications and emailing the information to editors, writers, design industry peers, clients, former and potential clients, friends, family and more 11 or 12 years. I've also used the same "Toot! Toot!" on press releases distributed online through a wide variety of resources including Prweb.com, PRleap.com, FastPitchNetworking.com, CreateMagazine.com, HOWDesign.com and many others - including PR.com. There has never been any issue with my unique press release heading and tagline - until a recent PR.com submission with the heading "Toot! Toot!*: TCG eZine Publishes Jeff Fisher Interview."

PR.com had previously posted my "Toots!" without any problems. I was surprised last week when I got notification that my latest release would not be posted and distributed due to the following explantion:

Press releases should not be whimsical in nature. Therefore, our editorial department will be unable to continue approving releases that contain the phrase "Toot! Toot!*" in the title, and the explanation "(* If I don’t "toot!" my own horn, no one else will)" in the body of the release. Please remove this text from your title and the body of your release.

Whimsical? There was nothing "whimsical" about my "Toot! Toot!" With the my releases having been accepted previously, with no request for alterations, I was especially annoyed. I jetted off an email to PR.com that read it part:

I'm sorry that you will no longer accept press releases with my "Toot! Toot!" in the subject as that is a major part of my marketing efforts and has been for over a decade. I will no longer be using the services of PR.com.

I really didn't expect any kind of response. I was surprised when I received another email from PR.com. This one, with a disclaimer that informing me that "unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication, or any part thereof, is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful," informed me (and I'm just paraphrasing here) that I must remove my "Toot! Toot!" - but could retain the "(* If I don't "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)" line - which would no longer make any sense. Hmmm...

I sent off another response to PR.com:

Thank you for taking another look at the issue. However, there is nothing whimsical about my "Toot! Toot!" at all. It's a serious part of my marketing and PR strategy, and something I speak about at design an business conferences on a regular basis. I'll simply be making use of other avenues for my press release distribution. Had it been disallowed initially, when I submitted earlier releases, I would have not used the services of PR.com at all.

This time I got no response - and didn't really expect one.

I will continue make use of my "Toot! Toot!" press releases in a wide variety of distribution methods. From the very beginning, my "Toots!" were created to set my business - and news about Jeff Fisher LogoMotives - apart from others using standard press releases as a promotion tool. I'm not going to take what I see as a giant step backwards for my business to be a conformist. Much of the success of my design business over the years has been due to not conforming to the norm when it comes to self-promotion.

As the old Jeffism says:

"It's not that I don't play well with others; it's just that I want to choose where, when and with whom I play."

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Toot! Toot!*: Jeff Fisher book signingat St. Johns Booksellers - November 8th

1 November 2007
For immediate release

St. Johns Booksellers, the neighborhood bookstore of North Portland graphic designer and author Jeff Fisher, will be the location of a presentation and book signing for his new book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, on Thursday, November 8th at 7:30 p.m. Bookstore owners Liz Dorman and Nena Rawdah will host the event in their store, located at 8622 N. Lombard in the St. Johns neighborhood - about 15 minutes north of downtown Portland.

Identity Crisis!, a HOW Books/F+W Publications release, takes a fresh look at 50 before and after case studies, from designers and firms from around the world, by exploring the process of redesigning existing identities to help businesses refine their image, communicate with customers, and find success. Designers seeking inspiration - and any business considering a graphic makeover - will be presented an inside look at the challenges of redesigning identities and visual examples of creative and strategic thinking in achieving the desired results.

The work of Portland design firms Fullblast, Inc., Sockeye Creative and Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, and Salem company Glitschka Studios, is featured in the book. Jack Anderson, of the Seattle firm Hornall Anderson Design Works wrote the foreward for Identity Crisis!

Title: Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands
Hardbound: 216 pages
Publisher: HOW Books, an imprint of F+W Publications
Release: September 2007
ISBN: 1581809395
Price: $35.00

St. Johns Booksellers is a full-service, independent neighborhood bookstore offering new and used books. Anyone having questions about the Identity Crisis! book signing event is encouraged to contact the store at 503.283.0032, Tuesdays through Sunday.

For more information, visit the Identity Crisis! blog. A downloadable PDF file of some teaser spreads is also available on the blog of publisher HOW Books.

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, has received nearly 575 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts. His work is featured in nearly 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, design education, and small business marketing. In addition, Fisher also writes for CreativeLatitude.com, HOW Magazine and other design resources; and speaks about the design profession to high school classes, college students, and at international design industry conferences.

Fisher is a member of the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. His first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success, was released by HOW Design Books in late 2004

(* If I don't "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives