GoingPro

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One Year Anniversary of GoingPro

Posted by scottbourne on October 18, 2012
Posted in: News. Tagged: , .

It’s been a long road and thanks to everyone who’s traveled it with us.

The last print  book I will ever write is one year old today. The book (which I wrote with Skip Cohen) – Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer started shipping a year ago today. It’s been translated into four languages and thanks to all of you, has been near the top in the professional photography category at Amazon almost every week since.

Skip and I wrote the book for one simple reason. We wanted to help photographers thrive, not just survive. I’ve rarely promoted it here. I’ve tried not to sound like a commercial because I know you come here for help. I make a whopping $1.00 per book sold so it’s not important to me at all financially. It is important to me that those of you who are seeking to make a living as a photographer have the best tools available to accomplish that goal. So with that in mind I will take today as an opportunity to mention that for less than $20, you or someone you love who wants to turn pro or be more successful might want to pick the book up before it goes out of print.

Skip and I have walked away from the second book we were offered by our publisher because we both think E-Pub is the future. Someday, we will write Part II. But for now, you should know we shared all of our secrets in Part I.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful, giving and helpful professional photographers who helped us put GoingPro together. We didn’t stop with our own experience. We went to our friends – some of the most accomplished and well-known professional photographers in the business, and got their input. There are quotes, tips and photographs in this book from people like Vincent Laforet, Gregory Heisler, Stacy Pearsall, Kevin Kubota, Tamara Lackey, Nick Vedros, Chase Jarvis and many, many more. Even if you aren’t interested in what Skip and I have to say about this subject, you should be interested to hear what these amazing and successful photographers we’ve recruited to help us have to say. This book is as much about and by them as it is us. Our names are on the cover, but they contributed too. We are very grateful for their help on this project and through this journey.

So that’s it. I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who have purchased the book and especially to those who have taken time to write me and Skip and tell us you found it valuable.

Now go out and find a client. We’re rooting for you.

Come To Vegas To Learn How To Become A Professional Photographer

Posted by scottbourne on January 24, 2012
Posted in: News. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Guest Post by Skip Cohen

I recently saw an email blast from my buddy George Varanakis at Rangefinder/WPPI. He listed the top ten reasons not to miss WPPI. Personally, I’d drop a few and add a few, one of them being your ability to interact with vendor after vendor to help strengthen your business. I’d also add, one trip to Vegas gets you exposed to hundreds of new products and concepts, one of them being GoingPro Bootcamp.

A trip to Las Vegas in February isn’t just about WPPI anymore. It’s about adding new building blocks to your business and some of them are outside WPPI programming. For two years I’ve started every marketing presentation with the same statement.

Just because the media says it’s going to be a bad year, doesn’t mean it has to be!

That’s a big part of the GoingPro theme and the GoingPro Bootcamp. We started the project because there are so many aspiring photographers interested in going pro and missing the boat on the right way to get started. Frustrated, they jump into the market with lousy quality and low-ball pricing. Instead of building a business on a solid foundation, they try and build it on the word “professional”, having no understanding of the importance of how to sustain a business.

Well, it’s been two years since we started GoingPro, which originally was just a book with Random House. Now it’s a blog with an estimated 50,000 followers and sixty-four podcasts, resulting in 120-150,000 downloads a month. Last but not least, it’s our second Bootcamp, an all day event helping you with everything, but photography.

George missed  the last GoingPro Bootcamp, but we didn’t and neither did about 100 aspiring professional photographers. He’s got another chance and so do you. With the combination of Michele Celentano, Scott Bourne and me we’ll help you with ideas on marketing, pricing, building your business, insurance, social media, community involvement and local networking, just to name a few. Most important of all, we’ll help you figure out how to promote yourself and your work so you can get your second customer.

Anybody can get their first customer. The trick of building a solid business is getting your second customer and even better, getting the first customer to come back a second time. You know how to focus your camera. Well, we’re going to help you focus on concepts like quality, value, integrity and the ability to exceed customer expectations. Those are the key attributes of any business that brings customers back!

And speaking of exceeding expectations – that’s just what we intend to do on February 18. It’s only $99 for the day. So, whether you’re just getting ready to take the plunge into the pro side of the business or you’ve been out there for a few years and need some help – we intend to exceed your expectations.

See you in Vegas! Signing up for GoingPro Bootcamp is just a click away.

Last Chance On A Special Deal Includes A Free Copy Of My New Book

Posted by scottbourne on October 31, 2011
Posted in: News. Tagged: , , , .

I rarely use this space for this sort of thing but it’s such a good deal I can’t resist. If you sign up for one paid month of AnimotoPro – the online service that turns your photos and videos into animated slide shows – then you will get another month free AND a copy of my new book, written with Skip Cohen, called Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer.

Here’s a link to the Animoto offer: http://animoto.com/blog/photofocus-exclusive-offer/

Animoto Pro is $39 a month so if you take advantage of this offer, you’ll get a second month free AND a copy of my new book GoingPro.

This deal ends today and won’t be repeated. I am sorry for those of you who can’t take advantage now, but for those who can. Don’t delay. I love Animoto and really appreciate their support of Photofocus and my new book.

Thanks!

Want To Turn Pro? The GoingPro Book Is Here

Posted by scottbourne on October 19, 2011
Posted in: News, Site Info. Tagged: , , .

FINALLY! My new book with Skip Cohen – Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer has started shipping.

Between us, Skip and I have had more than 10 books published. This book was easily the most important of any of those. Both Skip and I have been thinking about, planning, and working on this project for almost two years. We’ve interviewed dozens of photographers for input, gathered hundreds of salable images, built and maintained a blog featuring more than 400 free posts, recorded and published more than 50 podcasts, done a few webinars, responded to more than 1,500 audience questions and comments, held a national bootcamp workshop in New Jersey, maintained a dedicated Twitter account, vetted and recruited the best sponsors we can find and now – it all culminates in this book.

For all this hard work, Skip and I make about $1 each per book. Yep it’s true. Unless you’re famous like Stephen King, you don’t make much money writing books. We didn’t pour our hearts and souls into this project for the money. We did it for the most old-fashioned of reasons – we want to help.

For those of you who are thinking of becoming a professional photographer, or those who have recently (within the last two years) become a professional photographer, we’ve aimed this project directly at you. Additionally, professional photographers who are already out there and working, but who are just surviving rather than thriving, we also targeted this book at you.

We believe that we can help any professional or emerging professional photographer improve their business. We have both gone through a lot of hard work, pain, difficulties and challenges in life and we think we’ve learned a thing or two that will help you. We hold nothing back and share all of our secrets in the book. It’s written to help you succeed at the business of photography.

But we didn’t stop with our own experience. We went to our friends – some of the most accomplished and well-known professional photographers in the business, and we asked them for their help too. There are quotes, tips and photographs in this book from people like Vincent Laforet, Gregory Heisler, Stacy Pearsall, Kevin Kubota, Tamara Lackey, Nick Vedros, Chase Jarvis and many, many more. Even if you aren’t interested in what Skip and I have to say about this subject, you should be interested to hear what these amazing and successful photographers we’ve recruited to help us have to say. This book is as much about and by them as it is us. Our names are on the cover, but they contributed too. We are very grateful for their help on this project and through this journey.

This entire experience has already paid off for Skip and I and it goes beyond money. Our payment is in the satisfaction we get knowing we’ve helped hundreds of photographers already. We hope to help more photographers with the launch of this book. We feel like we’re rich already in the friendships and lifelong relationships we’ve both called upon and built during the authoring of this book, and we hope you’ll enjoy, respect, benefit and prosper by reading the result of all this work – by so many people.

If you are interested, you can order the book here at Going Pro: How to Make the Leap from Aspiring to Professional Photographer. It is in bookstores now and available from numerous online resellers. We’ll be making a few books available as prizes in some up-coming giveaways and trying to do everything we can to use this book to help more of you.

Thanks for supporting us and believing in us as we put this together. It’s been a long, sometimes hard road, but we’re excited to see where it leads. We hope you’ll come along for the rest of the ride.

Thanks

Scott Bourne for
Skip Cohen

Update to GoingPro2010 Bootcamp

Posted by scottbourne on September 14, 2010
Posted in: News. Tagged: , .

A week ago we announced the first ever GoingPro Bootcamp for photographers who want to turn pro, or who have already made the jump to the profession and yet need a hand.

We’re excited to see such a big response right off the bat. A full one fifth (1/5) the tickets for this event sold in just six days. And here’s another reason to attend. We just worked out a special deal with Photo Plus Expo. Everyone registered for GoingPro Boot Camp gets a FREE registration, no matter when you decide to go, to the PhotoPlus Expo Trade Show, October 28-30, kicking off the following week at the Javits Center.

So if you’re in the New York area and want to go to TWO shows, you can. GoingPro Bootcamp is Oct 24. Registration is just a click away.