for around $325. Remember that ideas can be stolen on the Internet. Even if you have copy-
right protection, it’s impossible to police much of the world.
Send press releases to the trades. Send out releases on any awards that you might win.
Offer to write stories about your pitching experiences, production process, or anything else
that might be of interest. Editors look for fun, first-person stories. Keep your company
history, show notes, artwork, a bio, and photo of yourself and your project ready to give to
the press.
You can offer to volunteer your services to the children’s wards at the local hospitals.
You might take your original artwork and weave a spell as a storyteller as you show your
artwork to the kids. Or record your script using voice-over actors and contribute the CD to
those children’s wards. Have character costumes made and visit the hospitals in costume.
Volunteer your costumed characters for events at the local schools. Offer your costumed
characters for local small business events (like openings) or church events or health fairs or
festivals.
Sell the rights to use your characters for time-specific, local advertising. Sell limited
rights for the use of your characters for merchandise (mugs, T-shirts, etc.). Of course, you
should be careful that any contracts you sign would not interfere with the later sale of those
characters for a TV series or feature.
Publish your own children’s book with your original characters and story. It’s difficult
to get booksellers to distribute a self-published book, but you might be able to get
some local distribution. Certainly you can donate the book to hospitals and other children’s
organizations. Try distributing it to pediatricians and to children’s dentists. And just having
the book in hand should help your pitch when you pitch your series for television.
Does your project lend itself to a self-produced video? The first Baby Einsteinvideo
was shot in a home basement.Veggie Tales was first sold out of a spare bedroom and a
website. Pitch your project to publishers as a children’s book. Pitch it as a comic book or a
syndicated comic strip. Sell original artwork from your project. Try selling your characters
for greeting cards. Pitch them for flags. Pitch your characters as plush toys. Plush toys are
easier to pitch than action figures. They don’t require expensive molds; they’re unlikely to
cause injuries; they take less time to get from idea to the shelves of toy stores. Give away a
game as shareware, selling upgrades, new levels, and new characters. Sell your merchandise
over the Internet. Come up with more merchandising ideas of your own!
International Marketing and Co-productions
Marketing opportunities are growing internationally. Many programmers like Cartoon
Network, Disney, Fox Kids, and Nickelodeon have programming offices around the world
to beam their product to an international audience. Most of these companies employ area
development people who buy some original series or make acquisitions locally to broadcast
along with the programming that comes from the United States. Internationally, networks
in many countries have programming and development staffs that may be eager for local
programming. Additionally, animation suppliers worldwide buy and sell internationally and
enter into co-productions with international partners who can help with financing and dis-
tribution. Of course, it helps in getting financing for international co-productions if you have
a commitment from a U.S. network first, but this may not be possible.
Marketing 305