Boston Listings

Boston Globe allows you to submit requests for your events to be posted and highlighted on their site:

http://calendar.boston.com/listings/event/66023271

I bet most other newspapers do also. Thoughts?

Radio and Podcast Readings.

KQED's Writer's Block invited us to read the Opium6 Bookmark Stories on-air, and then distributed them via iTunes. So cool.

I'd love to use reading our contest or short stories on-air as a tie-in to promoting the magazine.

Thought Leadership

We should look into awards opportunities for publishing and design. 

Awards = critical validation, important for gaining traction. Also free publicity. 

I'll do some research. 

Buttons Designed By Artists

Literary Death Match buttons designed by artists.

Instead of me designing them, we give artists the 1.25" template, let them know who's involved, and let them create images for us to make into full-colored buttons.

Selling point:
Promote artists on Facebook and live at LDM.

Bonuses:
Further associations with artists (eventually use them as part of OpiumStudio.com--our art-based website that's in need of a developer).

People we Can lean on:
Jessica Wallen, Opium Studio's Eventual Director
James J. Williams III, Opium board member, artist

Excellent article on viral marketing

Three secrets to make a message go viral

by Dan & Chip Heath

1) Emotional: people compulsively share emotional ideas

2) Public service: people who share feel as though they are doing a public service

3) Trigger: an environmental stimulus to continue talking about the idea

Commercial to Youtube Expansion

You can use youtube broadcasts as extended commercials, one of my fav examples is Cherry Chocolate Rain made by Dr. Pepper to promote their Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper.  If it is popular it would also be a good indicator that people would watch a tv show and could be used as valuable collateral when pitching to broadcast markets. 

An idea for an extended commercial:

A mock LDM between famous dead authors put on by improv comedians. Could start with a batch of fairly well-known famous comedians (andy samberg dear god please) and interchange with up-and-coming/unknowns.  It has the potential to add/interest a new audience for the LDM and verify Opium as a humor-based pub.  

We could suggest it to Scott Adsit on Thursday after the LDM and gauge his reaction, maybe see if some of his fellow 30 rock people or comedian friends would be interested. 

Opium Commercials

Commercials to promote Opium8 (and LDM?).

10-second commercials (4-8)
20-second commercials (3-4)
30-second commercials (1-2)

NYU interns to shoot/edit?

Schedule Opium Commercials Brainstorm Wine Party