Priscilla Howe – Making a living as a storyteller.
Fill out the form and press play to hear storyteller Priscilla Howe on how to make a living as a storyteller on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Show.”
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Priscilla writes…
“Is this…the only thing you do?”
“Are you a teacher?”
“Can you really make a living as a storyteller?”
I hear these questions regularly as I go about my storytelling life. Yes, storytelling is the only thing I do. No, I’m not a teacher in the traditional sense of the word, though my stories do teach. Yes, it is possible to make a living as a storyteller. I won’t say it’s easy, but it is definitely possible. As I think Elizabeth Ellis once said, “If anything can keep you from being a full-time storyteller, let it.” The converse is also true: if you absolutely must be a storyteller, go for it!
I’ve been doing this full-time since 1993. I don’t have another job, a pension, or a spouse to help support me. I am my own safety net.
In our interview, we spoke about:
* some of the ways I’ve found to make a real living,
* how to thrive as a storyteller instead of just survive,
* marketing (word of mouth, websites, blogs, direct mail)
* how to sustain the traveling life,
* remembering that we’re doing this because it’s so incredibly fun.
We’ll have a compelling, ridiculously wide-ranging conversation about how to make a living as a storyteller. Bring on the questions.
Disclaimer: I’m a storyteller, so there’s a possibility I’ll be making stuff up.
Disclaimer to the disclaimer: If I’m making stuff up, it’s because I’ve got a reasonable idea of the answer.
Priscilla
Useful books for the journey
Earn what you deserve by Jerrold Mundis. Beyond any other book, this one got me away from the “starving artist” mindset. Here’s a phrase to remember: “resentment blocks flow.”
How to be your own booking agent and save thousands of dollars by Jeri Goldstein. Incredibly helpful info on the arts world.
The storyteller’s guide by Bill Mooney and David Holt. This is a goldmine of information from storytellers who really make a living at this fabulous art.
Attracting perfect customers: The power of strategic synchronicity by Stacey Hall and Jan Brogniez. I’ve had great results with some of the exercises in this book (warning: new-agey!).
Who says: essays on pivotal issues in storytelling by Carol Birch and Melissa Heckler. This comes under the category of learning about the art form.
Eric Wolf also mentioned
The Ultimate Sales Latter by Dan S. Kennedy
Thick Face Black Heart. Chin-Ning Chu
About Priscilla Howe:
Priscilla is a former children’s librarian who makes her living hanging around with kids, sometimes with puppets, sometimes with songs, always with stories. She’s as comfortable telling silly stories to three-year-olds as she is telling Medieval epics to kids in Juvenile Detention. Priscilla is a native New Englander who now lives in Kansas. She travels around the country and abroad telling stories to listeners of all ages. Priscilla is also looking for the best restaurant pie on earth.
She’s looking forward to working with Sean Buvala at the Outside In Storytelling Boot Camp in February, where they’ll teach 20 storytellers about marketing. Priscilla is also a co-founder of Going Deep: The Long Traditional Story Festival, held in Bethlehem, IN in April (check out the websites for more info on how to register for both these events).
Read what priscilla has written about her time as my guest on the show…
http://storytellingnotes.blogspot.com/2008/01/making-living-as-storyteller-part-1.html
Tags: Arts in Schools, Kansas Storytellers, Midwest Storytelling, Schools Programs
Artistic Marketing, Creating Success, Episode List, Storytelling in Community, Storytelling in Schools | Brother Wolf | 
January 14, 2008 11:40 am
