The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 48 No 3 November 2009
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Technical: Selling <strong>Ceramics</strong><br />
A few tips about how to start a blog:<br />
1. Think about why you want to write a blog. A theme is a good way to start as it narrows down<br />
your perspedive and prevents your blog from becoming a boring list <strong>of</strong> things you have been doing (eg.<br />
"Strange Fragments " is about craft and design).<br />
2. Go to the Blogger website and sign up. It is easy to follow with step-by-step instructions, and it is<br />
free.<br />
3. Posting a blog is a bit like writing something in a Word document. <strong>The</strong> little row <strong>of</strong> icons at the top<br />
<strong>of</strong> the 'new post' box is used to add images from your computer, add links etc.<br />
4. Images are really important for artists' blogs. Consider signing up to a photography site such as<br />
Flickr which allows you to create an online gallery <strong>of</strong> your photos. You can put the photos onto your<br />
blog from Flickr. Your online gallery can also be used as a portfolio. Send galleries and other bloggers to<br />
your Flickr site if you want them to see your whole body <strong>of</strong> work.<br />
S.Sign up to Google Analytics so you can see how many people are visiting your blog, what country<br />
they come from, how long they spend on each page etc.<br />
7. Blurb is a wonderful resource for artists. On this website you can publish a book, choose the size,<br />
format, write your own text and upload images. When the book is finished you can buy as many hard<br />
copies for yourself as you wish and also put it up for sale in the Blurb bookshop. This is a great resource<br />
for creating a folio to show galleries.<br />
6. Start using the Internet. Post a few entries. Start putting up links in your blog. Contact blogs and<br />
websites you really like and introduce yourself and tell people you have linked to them. Comment on<br />
others blogs. <strong>The</strong> more you use the Internet, the more you build community. Be part <strong>of</strong> the online<br />
community.<br />
7. Bring the blogs down to earth. It is important to supplement online adivity with real events. It is<br />
no use being an online success if you are not getting work and orders or adually meeting people in the<br />
flesh. When visiting other cities, see if you can catch up with people you have met online. Conferences,<br />
art openings and industry events are great for this. Artists (particularly if you are a bit shy) can easily<br />
get caught up in the virtual world with no benefit to themselves or their pradice. Real contad with real<br />
people is the final and most important step for getting the web to work for you.<br />
To start a blog: www.blogger.com/start<br />
Shannon's Flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/5105746S@NOO/<br />
Google analytics: www.google.com/analytics<br />
Shannon's Blurb book: www.blurb.com/books/328375<br />
www.shannongarson.com<br />
Shannon Garson, Eucalyptus<br />
porcelain forms<br />
THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS NOVEMBER <strong>2009</strong> 63
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