Free and low-cost strategies for indie musicians & authors
Here's a great infographic from Rootmusic that reveals how artists used Facebook in 2011 ...
-Bob
For hundreds of music marketing tips, visit
http://www.TheBuzzFactor.com/
http://www.MusicPromotionBlog.com/
http://www.Bob-Baker.com/podcast/
Want to publish (or promote) your own book?
http://www.FullTimeAuthor.com/
http://www.IndieBookPromotion.com/
Here's a special audio message I recorded over the Thanksgiving weekend.
This is one of the most meaningful lessons I've recording in a long time.
Listen now using this audio player:
If that doesn't work, try clicking this direct link to the MP3 file.
AFTER you listen to this short audio, if you're so inclined, feel free to click this link for info on the time-sensitive offer.
On this short recording, I talk about:
Come experience three great St. Louis musical acts and contribute to an incredibly good cause -- this Friday night!
It's a benefit concert for Mary's House of Hope, described as "a safe place" to protect abused women and children in the St. Louis area until they can get back on their feet -- and educate the public on domestic violence issues.
Your entertainment for the night will be:
- Mitzi MacDonald and Keltic Reign
- Michael Silverman's Classical Jazz Quartet
- The Gateway to Agape Choir
Mary's House of Hope
http://maryshouseofhopeproject.webs.com/
Google Maps link for directions
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I've had it with those Bastards, and I will no longer let them in my door. And ... I highly recommend you do the same.
What? Let me explain ...
Yes, I'm frustrated with U.S. politicians in D.C. But I'm not talking about them. Yes, I'm not at all happy with Wall Street insiders focused on short-term greed. But I'm not talking about them either. I'm also fed up with the head honchos at media outlets who choose to report fear and loathing 24 hours a day. But they are not the Bastards I refer to here. Like you, I've been bombarded with messages about debt ceilings, downgrades, downturns, shortages, layoffs, foreclosures, and more. I've had my fill. And now I refuse to let the Bastards in my door! The Bastards I'm talking about here are not people or corporate entities. They are the negative and destructive thought forms that are hypnotizing you and me and much of the population these days. If you want to truly survive and thrive through this (or any other) economy, you must send these Bastards packing and not let them get anywhere near the door to your psyche. Note of Clarification ... I am NOT talking about burying your head in the sand and denying that many people are hurting financially these days. There is some very real pain being experienced by good people. There's a pretty strong chance that someone close to you is facing an economic challenge, or even you yourself are. I get that. I have felt the pinch myself, and I have watched and am watching good friends wrestle with it. But the best way for you to help them and help yourself is to rise above the misery mentality. Don't buy into the mass consciousness of lack and limitation. That will serve no one. It's one thing to be aware of global economics and have empathy for those who have been affected. It's quite another to shrivel up and become a card-carrying member of the Doom and Gloom Association. The Bastards are trying to infiltrate your brain, your mindset, and your entire belief system. Don't let them in the door! The Best Medicine for Economic Doom and Gloom 
Again, these Bastards (with a capital B) are not people or things. They are perceptions, attitudes, and highly contagious viruses of the mind that must be obliterated from your life at all costs. They must be dealt with like the diseases that they are with swift and radical treatment. Otherwise, they will continue to fester and grow within you -- and before you know it, your physical world will reflect the sickness that permeates your mind. In fact, your current circumstances already reflect your internal belief system -- whether you know it or not. Your physical reality is formed by what you think is possible, combined with the actions you take and how you show up in the world. The U.S. government may have a debt ceiling, but you have internal ceilings of your own. And one of them can be described as a "growth ceiling." That's right, your personal experience of income, joy, creativity, love and much more is very much determined by what you believe is possible and what you feel you deserve. These factors are at work in your life whether the media is saying the economy is soaring, plummeting or in neutral. So it's a good idea to not let the Bastards in your door at any time. But during times of mass gloom-filled hypnosis, it's especially important to stand guard at the doorway to your mind. I Repeat ... Don't Let the Bastards in the Door! By remaining in control of your attitude and outlook, you are in a much better position to see opportunities, maintain your enthusiasm, and take constructive steps to get out of any financial mess you may be in (or to help loved ones get through a challenge they are going through). The other choice is to be sucked into the doomsday rhetoric, let the Bastards get a foot in your door, and before long your entire mental house will be filled with poison. This will cause you to retreat, miss opportunities because you are too pessimistic to see them, withhold taking action because "everyone is hurting now," and on and on. In which position would you rather be? One way you remain empowered and in control. The other way you succumb to being a victim. Here are three quick ways you can keep the Bastards outside your door: 1) Go on a news and media diet. It's okay to be aware of world events and to be an informed consumer and citizen. But that doesn't mean you have to submit yourself to a constant barrage of negative news programming. (There's a reason it's called "programming.") Cut way back on your weekly intake of traditional media. To keep the Bastards from getting in your door and infecting your mind, you may need a big dose of preventative medicine. My drugs of choice are books and audio programs that remind me of my potential and recharge my outlook and skills set. Doing this will strengthen the hinges on your mental door. The media would have you believe there's a boogeyman "out there" trying to get you. But the real culprit is the Bastard that you willingly allow inside your door! 
2) Be extremely grateful for what you have. I don't want to get all "Oprah" on you and tell you to start journaling (although that can be very helpful if you're into it). But I can't stress enough the power of appreciating what you already have. So start today to count your many blessings. When you truly appreciate the richness and abundance of the life you already lead, it gives you a much firmer launching pad from which to grow. When you only focus on what's missing and what's wrong, there's little gas in the tank to get you moving. So, what are you grateful for? Your health or your family? Do you have a place to live, a car to drive, or clothes to wear? What about the amazing technology we have today that allows us to communicate so effortlessly? How about your gifts, talents, friends, fans, and the good deeds you have personally witnessed recently? Going on a "rampage of appreciation" will improve your outlook. I guarantee it! 3) Be open, available and eager for more. Hand in hand with your extreme gratitude should be an openness and eagerness to experience more. Being deeply appreciative of what you have and where you are does not mean you have to settle - that this is as good as it will ever get. Life is all about growth, evolution and expansion. All you have to do is observe nature for a while to understand this concept. You should live your life in accordance with these natural laws too. Appreciate what you have, and simultaneously open yourself up to be, do, have, and create more. Both factors are needed. Gratitude without growth can lead to stagnation. And wanting more without appreciating what you have will leave you feeling empty along the journey. So appreciate where you are AND where you are going! Of course, this state of eagerness for growth must be combined with action. The good news is, your actions will flow more energetically and much easier once these three steps are fully embraced. There you have it. My prescription for overcoming the disease of economic doom and gloom: Go on a news and media diet; be extremely grateful for what you have; be open, available and eager for more; take affirmative action. I hope these ideas help you through this and any other troubling time ahead. But whatever you do ...
Several weeks ago I closed the Music Marketing Mentorship Program to new members so I could focus on serving the needs of the charter members.
I'm ready to let a handful of new members in - but only for the next week or so.If you're truly interested, send an email to my assistent Kendra at kendra@bob-baker.com with the subject line "Interested in 3MP."She will send you a private link with a very special offer to join this cool group of proactive artists, managers, promoters, and music biz pros.But you better jump on it, because I'll be closing the door to new members once again very soon.Cheers!BobTuesday morning, June 28, I will send an email to my entire mailing list about a rare collection of music marketing workshops, interviews and teleclasses.
These recordings have never been made available to the public before. Seriously. They've been sitting on a hard drive in my office ... until now.
It includes more than 11 hours of audio, along with PowerPoint slides, worksheets, and more. It's an insane amount of stuff.
On Tuesday, June 28, the price for the whole collection will be $47 USD. After Friday, July 1, the price will jump to $77.00.
But between now and Tuesday ... you can get the whole thing for only $29.95 USD.
Here's a private link to get it now:
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/classic-audio.html
Ignore the $47 price on the page. Just click "Add to Cart" and you'll see it's only $29.95 in the shopping cart.
That's my special, advance, deep-discount rate for you — but only until Tuesday morning.
It would be best if you got it by Monday night - heck, just go and grab it now, while you're thinking about it ...
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/classic-audio.html
I appreciate your support of me and my work ... and I want to reward that support by extending this discount.
Hope you're having a great weekend!
Bob
P.S. Remember, the price goes up to $47 on Tuesday. After Friday, July 1, the price jumps even higher to $77.00.
Go check out this incredible workshop collection now at www.bob-baker.com/buzz/classic-audio.html
Here's the nudge you've been looking for ... 
Get 33% to 50% Off these four music marketing resources - now till 12 Noon EST on Friday, June 3.
Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition
50% Off
Learn more about this title or Order Now
Killer Music Press Kits
41% Off
Learn more about this title or Order Now
Killer Music Web Site Critiques
33% Off
Learn more about this title or Order Now
Indie Music Confidential Mega Package
33% Off
Learn more about this title or Order Now
Perhaps you've been browsing all the music marketing books and resources available here ... but haven't made up your mind about which titles to get.
Now would be a good time to move ... and save 33% to 50%.
Note: The regular prices still show on the individual sales pages. But when you click "Add to Cart" the sale price will display ...
But only until 12 Noon Eastern on Friday, June 3.
So start saving now!
-Bob
Thanks to everyone who voted for what titles and topics I should work on next. Getting this feedback from you is so important.
I promised ebooks to three lucky people who retweeted my message. Well, I decided to up it to five.And the winners are ...James O'Toole
http://twitter.com/spiralsequence
THE PHILOSOPHY:
“Earn It Yourself” is the idea that one must earn one’s successes in life the right way, without compromising his/her integrity, ignoring his/her instincts, or going against his/her values. One must earn every dollar in his pocket by means of his mind and his will — not by means of others’ pity for him, by begging for alms, or by being dishonest. It is not a philosophy for those who make “fame” or “fortune” their goals; rather, this is a philosophy for those whose goals are tangible, and have substance and meaning. This is a philosophy for those who want to contribute goodness to the world, and build a career — and a life — that is full of joy, purpose, and truth.
The basic tenets of the philosophy are as follows:
(1) You don’t have to cheat, lie, steal, or compromise with evil in order to reach your goals. There is another, alternative route. It may take a bit longer, but your conscience will be clean, and therefore the things you earn will be rightfully yours, and will bring you true joy. Aim to reach your goals by being honest, truthful, hardworking, and steadfast
(2) Always be developing a clear idea of what you believe, and what you stand for, by constantly asking yourself why you want the things you want, do the things you do, think the things you think, etc. Continue to ask yourself “why?” for each answer you give yourself, until you can’t answer “why?” anymore. These “end of the line” answers are, in essence, your “values.”
(3) Never go against your “values” in the face of temptation, or in order to get something you think you want. If you do go against your values in order to skip a step, you will not have truly earned the thing, and therefore you will lose it (because it was never really yours), or you will only receive unhappiness and a feeling of “unsettled-ness” from it.
(4) Strive to bring meaning to whatever you do, in your daily effort to achieve your goals. At the end of your life, the most important thing is that you were honest in your attempts (your means) to reach your goals — NOT whether or not you reached the goals (the end). The end does not justify the means; the means justify the end.
The goal for the EIY movement is to show by application in the world of independent music that the “earn it yourself” philosophy is the right way to live your life, and the best way to be truly happy in your life.
Bob Baker is an author, musician, and workshop leader who is dedicated to helping creative people of all kinds get exposure, connect with fans, and increase their incomes through their artistic passions.
His books include "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook," "55 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Book on the Internet," "Unleash the Artist Within," "Guerrilla Music Marketing Online," and more.
Bob is on a mission to empower artists using his articles, ezine, blog, podcast and video clips. Visit www.TheBuzzFactor.com, www.MusicPromotionBlog.com or www.FullTimeAuthor.com for more details.
