8 Ways to Market Your Solo Show

My plays have  had readings, workshops and productions in theatres (both off broadway and regionally), producing venues, schools, cultural arts centers, festivals, a Ted Talk and much more.  I've earned at least $200K in the last decade from my plays that sometimes I perform and other times are licensed out for others to perform.  Since I first started writing in 2003, I've written and produced 2 plays.  My solo show, Liberty City and my multicharacter, period play Good Bread Alley.  It feels small at first, but when you look back on all the places your storytelling will take you, it adds up.  All that matters is that you start, right where you are.  That you refuse to take no for an answer and put your work and your dreams first.  You have to believe that your story is important and life changing.  That belief will fuel you and keep you honest in your work.  Got questions?I'm listening. Hit me up here and let me know how I can help you

8 Ways to Market Your Solo Show
1. Start recording, writing, sharing information about your solo show from the very first moment you have an idea.  That's right. You don't need anything written, you just need to have an idea and share it everywhere.  The more real it will become to your, the more real it will become to the universe and people around you who can position themselves to help you spread the word, build a following, introduce you to a producer.  Start sharing your journey, your fears, your successes, your little moments of inspiration. Do this consistent sharing and opportunities will show up because you're placing your dream first even if you don't know how to get there. 

2. Figure out your major themes in your solo show and begin using those hashtags to connect you to people, theatres, organizations interested in those themes. 

3. Send your script to theatres, festivals, developmental writer residencies from Sundance Lab to National Black Theatre Festival to The Moth, to United Solo and Edinburg Fringe to name a very few of many.

4. If you'd don't have a website, facebook page, youtube channel dedicated to your solo show, then you're not serious about getting your show produced. For example, I added a page to my website AprilYvetteThompson.com and then I built a website for my play GoodBreadAlley before it was even written.  You heard me.  I even raised $100K in 30 days for a play that was not finished. But by putting myself out there, my audience held me accountable to finish. 

5. Running a fundraiser was incredibly useful for building an audience, because the people who contributed as little as $5  became supporters who started following my work, tuning into my TV appearances, off broadway and broadway gigs.  If you can demonstrate to a theatre that you have a story that has proven marketability, they are much more likely to produce you.
 
6. What My Marketing Coaches Taught Me
Now to some technical secrets I learned about marketing and raising money: the biggest one is pay someone to coach you through your process.  Make sure this someone has successfully done what you want to do.  I hired a self-produced jazz singer and a filmmaker who had both run successful kickstarters.  I PAID THEM before and during my campaign.  They saved me hours of mistakes and a shit ton of money and ensured I would reach not only my $100K goal, but also generate a 50K contact list.

7. Make sure your marketing journey is its own story.  Tell your audience a story about why you're telling this story.   In this video, recount where the title "Good Bread Alley" came from; it's historical significance and how it prompted me to write this story (remember, I still had no script yet, just some ideas burning in my belly.)  From that story came the slogan, Give us some dough so we can make some GoodBreadAlley. This lesson came straight from one of my marketing coaches. 

8. Figure out early exactly why you want to tell this story. This is where your emotional chords come into play.  If this story isn't burning inside you, how will you get other people excited about it? You do this in: your morning pages, a weekly writer's group and stay consistent in your desires by taking small daily steps

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