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New Book: SOLO – Survival Guide for Creative Freelancers

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If you’re on the newsletter, you’ve no doubt heard about my upcoming English language book SOLO – Survival Guide for Creative Freelancers.

The book is an attempt to gather my 20 years of experience as an independant creator in several fields – writing, drawing, comics, YA, children’s books, podcasting, teaching.

It’s a well-known fact that more and more jobs will be outsourced to freelance contractors or be project-based. The so called “steady jobs” are a thing of the past. It is time to take control of your own destiny, ownership of your career and your future.

SOLO is written for people who believe in creative living on their own terms. It will focus on people who want a sustainable career, mixing freelance work with creating and selling their own art. My promise is that diving in to the tactics and strategies of this book will help you find a clearer vision to strike out your own path.

Here’s some of what the book covers:

  • How to get started with freelancing
  • How to create a network of people to help build your career
  • How to handle clients and pricing your work
  • How to handle the business side of things
  • How to gain new clients and create several income streams
  • What tools, tactics and templates you can use to sustain you over the long haul

The opportunities for running your own creative business have never been more optimal and the book gives concrete examples and ideas for what your next step could be, no matter where you are in your creative career.

Click the image below to download a free 20-page sample.

Con Checklist

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I’m just back from Munich, where I had a table at the Munich Comics Festival alongside other talented Danish creators. This was my second visit and I thoroughly enjoyed both times. Two years ago I made a lot of mistakes though – the main one being not bringing any books for sale! For some reason I’d missed the fact we had a table and only brought copies to show to potential publishers and had to send many interested readers away empty-handed. Instead of selling books I started doing little sketch cards that I sold for 2 euros each. Live and learn, right?

This time around I had made a checklist and came well prepared. I even sent a box of books ahead, so I could avoid lugging too much weight and fly hand luggage only. I LOVE just getting off a plane and whizzing past everyone waiting for their suitcases! 

As I’m sure many of you go to conventions from time to time, I thought I’d share my ideas for packing with you. You can download my one-sheet comic con checklist here:

Let me know if there’s anything I missed, I’m always looking to improve!

Related posts:
https://comicsforbeginners.com/bonus-vid-lucy-bellwood-and-her-100-demons/
http://palleschmidt.dk/top-10-travelling-tips

My book STILLETO released in the US today!

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When my book The Devil’s Concubine came out from IDW in 2011 I was obviously super excited. Having a book out in the US was a decade-long dream of mine and now it was finally happening!

All fired up from going to Comic Con and doing signings in San Francisco and LA, I could not wait to present the follow-up to my editor. STILETTO was/is in my mind a much better book, more weighty in subject matter and more solid in the artwork. I really poured my heart and soul into it.

And they turned it down.

You hear a lot about “breaking in” to the US comics scene. Well, I thought I was in and it turned out it was a revolving door!

In the years after I always carried a copy of the Danish graphic novel (a beautiful hardcover edition) with me everywhere I went. I’ve shown it to editors at restaurants, in bars and at shows both in the US, Canada, France and Germany – never finding a home for it. Frustrating when you know you have a great book and for whatever reason no publisher picks it up. I really want people to be able to read STILETTO, regardless of their nationality.

And guess what? TODAY YOU CAN!!!!

STILETTO issue #1: Officer Down is out today from Lion Forge and you should be able to order it through your local comics store.

Here’s what the editor, Greg Tumbarello, says about the book:

[quote]Palle Schmidt is one of those visionary writer/artist combos you rarely see… His artistry and storytelling pull you into an intricate underworld that engulfs the senses and blurs the line between reality and fiction, making you feel like you’re there on a ride-along with our detectives as they desperately search for a cop-killer. Stiletto weaves a thrilling mystery that flips the entire crime genre on its head and keeps you guessing until the pulse-pounding conclusion.[/quote]

To read the full press release and download an 11-page sample, go to palleschmidt.com/STILETTO

Thanks for letting me tell (part) of this story. Hope you’ll give STILETTO a chance too.

Tiny Habits and Baby Steps

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Hey, it’s a new year! Maybe you made a resolution that has to do with your creative craft, like write the script for your graphic novel or draw a page a day. A big goal, something to strive for! That’s the way to go, right?

Turns out 80% of new years resolutions fail by February.
There’s a better way to achieve your goals: Little habits, that can build skill and confidence over time. Small steps towards your big goal, instead of the big goal itself.
Making things a habit is a great way to get things done. Because a habit means it’s something you do without thinking about it. The more you rely on inspiration for your creativity, the less likely you are to be creative.
Being more creative is no different than trying to eat more healthy or getting fit. You need to make it super easy for yourself. Set the bar for success really low. Like “sit down at my desk and look at my comic every day for ten minutes.” You can do that, right? You don’t even have to work on it, just sit there. But I’ll bet you can’t helping doodling a little once you plant yourself in front of it. Maybe those ten minutes will turn into a good productive hour. Maybe not. The point is to set yourself up for success by lowering your expectations.
You also need to make it hard to fall into whatever traps you tend to fall into. I had a TV addiction once. I had this tiny little TV that fit inside my cupboard, so I coiled the antenna cable around it and put it in there. Every time I wanted to watch TV I had to pull it out from the cupboard, unwrangle the cable and plug it in. Bit of a hassle but totally doable. Here’s the thing; just making it a little harder to watch TV and putting the damn thing out of sight made me forget I had the option.
The same goes for Facebook. I deleted the app from my phone, so now I have to open the browser to check my feed. Again, totally doable. But you bet I go on Facebook a lot less since the app is no longer right there reminding me of it’s existence every time I look at my phone.
There are several apps for monitoring iPhone usage, I never tried any of them. I know the result would make me feel ashamed and miserable, even though my notifications are off and it’s always on silent. But we all check our phones more than we need to and it’s stealing precious time from us. Time we could spend flexing our creative muscles, even if just for a few minutes.
Waiting at the bus stop?
Instead of checking your phone, how about pulling out a small sketchbook and just draw what you see. Pick some small detail, like the window in the house across the street, the telephone pole or the old lady on the bench. Just look and notice the lines, understand the three dimensional object. Try to copy it on your notepad with as few lines as possible.
Bored on the train?
Draw one of your fellow passengers. Don’t judge your drawing, just make it. Then do another.
Standing in line at the post office?
Try to think of the main character in your story. What would he or she be thinking about right now, what would their posture be like, their look on the world around them.
There are many small things you can do that over time will move you towards your big goal. Try listing 3 things you can easily do, maybe a daily or a weekly thing. And then list 3 things you can easily stop doing, something that’s really taking you away from your goal. Commit to doing or not doing ONE of those things for a month, see if it sticks. If not, then maybe that strategy wasn’t built for you. You still have 5 other things to try out.

Three Books All Creatives Should Read

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In this video I give three book recommendations that might seem kind of left field. Nevertheless all three have had a huge impact on me and how I see myself as an artist – and as a human!

Here are direct affiliate links to all three books on Amazon:

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick), by Seth Godin

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, by Mark Manson