Storyteller Harlynne Geisler
http://storyteller.swiftsite.com
858-569-9399
storybag[a]juno.com
REVIEWS OF
Storytelling Professionally; The Nuts and Bolts of a Working
Performer
Review One
Whether you tell stories occasionally or as a
full-time profession, Harlynne Geisler's volume is a treasure-trove of advice, hints,
and practical tips on organizing your storytelling life. She covers all aspects of
the "business" of storytelling from how to organize your office and paperwork
to how to cope with performer burnout and the sticky questions of "controversial"
topics in folklore. A chapter titled "Only You Can Answer" includes advice
on how to handle some of the difficult questions regarding copyright law, finding
your own voice, researching stories from other cultures, and respecting the material
of other storytellers (summarized in a Storytelling Etiquette Statement). A valuable
appendix gives tips on how to host a freelance storyteller in a school or library.
Harlynne has given permission for this to be rewritten and distributed to potential
bookers. She also includes information on booking conferences, mailing list companies,
and national organizations that may hire storytellers. Even if you are not a full-time
teller, her advice on setting a scene, controlling an audience, and using movement,
props and music will help to improve the quality of any performance. A thoroughly
valuable resource.
Connie Rockman HearSay; The Connecticut Storytelling Center
Newsletter
Review Two
Whether you're a seasoned teller
or a novice, a full-time freelancer or just trying to fit storytelling gigs around
your other job, you'll find lots of useful information in Harlynne Geisler's book,
Storytelling Professionally; the Nuts and Bolts of a Working Performer. Her bright,
clear style makes this an enjoyable read straight through, but it's real value is
as a reference tool. No matter what your question, consult the detailed table of
contents and an answer is there. Challenges, such as how to write a contract, set
your fees, deal with censorship, promote yourself, design and rehearse a program,
and more. For greater depth, each chapter ends with a list of sources for further
information. A professional, by one definition, is someone who makes a living from
an activity. By another, it is someone who operates under high standards of quality.
This book shows how to be both. I highly recommend it. Editor's note: Josephine Pedersen
called and said, "You have to get Harlynne's new book. Everything you want to
know about storytelling is in it!"
Leslie Slape, Mount Tahoma Storytelling
Guild newsletter, Rainer, Oregon
Review Three
San Diego
storyteller and author Harlynne Geisler covers just about everything you can imagine
and a lot beyond, in this advice-and-resource-packed book. From identifying oneself
as a professional to getting the world to agree with and financially support that
view of oneself, she charts a course for performers of all types. A believer in organization,
Geisler gives advice on how to get a LOT done, and how to be efficient in each new
situation.
No magical secret to success is presented except diligence, a
positive attitude and a great deal of hard work. This includes learning from other
performers, from the audience and from the people who hire a performer. Sometimes
these are hard lessons, and Geisler shares funny and poignant stories about her experiences
and the experiences of other performers.
Beyond the logistics of storytelling
as a business enterprise, Geisler adds her own common-sense advice about ethics issues
involved in storytelling. She presents a well-written credo of common respect for
the works of others, as a means of protecting individual rights and enriching the
storytelling community. You will also find a number of excellent organizational statements
and essays in support of the art of storytelling included in the book.
Although
the title suggests this book is written only for full-time professional performers,
it offers much more. A wealth of organizational information can be found in Storytelling
Professionally for people who have either careers, and for those who try to balance
storytelling within a busy life. Useful information is presented as well for producers
of storytelling events.
Barb Stevens-Newcomb, Stretching the Truth; A Quarterly
newsletter of Northwest Storytelling, Eugene OR
Review Four
At first glance you might wonder why I'm reviewing a book like this in MLS. But I
can assure you that it is not only relevant, but that it is a delightful read that's
full of great information.
Story times are probably some of the most popular
and most prevalent programs in public and school libraries today. Compared to other
programming efforts, they are relatively simple, inexpensive, and easy to prepare
for. They are a great way to keep people coming into your library, and they provide
a good excuse for periodically sending out announcements, printing flyers, or contacting
your local newspaper. Story hours are simple good ways to help market libraries.
Storytelling Professionally; the Nuts and Bolts of a Working Performer has good information
for you no matter where your library is in the storytelling arena. If one of your
staff members does these programs, there are tips for them from professional tellers.
If you're looking to hire someone from outside your library, there's a how-to section
for that. If you've never done a program like this before, this book will walk you
through each step. And if you're a storyteller yourself, then you will definitely
love every page.
Author Harlynne Geisler is well-qualified to write this
book: Not only has she been a professional storyteller for 17 years, but she also
has spent 14 years as a school and public librarian. Additionally she is the editor
of The Story Bag; A National Storytelling Newsletter. Her writing is clear, concise,
easy to understand, and, as I imagine her stories would be, enjoyable.
The book's
press release says, "Advising storytellers of the importance of marketing and
public relations, Geisler describes how to sell yourself to schools, libraries, museums,
and other organizations through brochures, business cards, press releases, flyers,
mailings, showcases, performer lists, and giveaways." So readers will learn
plenty of marketing tips that they can use in other situations as well. The publicity
also says that teachers, librarians, and puppeteers will benefit from this book.
I have to agree.
The softback book is divided into four parts each of which
has several sections: 1) THE STORYTELLING PROFESSION (Performing, Being Professional),
2 TAPPING THE MARKETS (Becoming Known, Getting Hired), 3) THE BUSINESS OF STORYTELLING
(Money, Contracts), and 4) SITUATIONS REQUIRING SPECIAL ATTENTION (Preventing and
Solving Problems, When It's Your Fault).
Two appendices follow. Luckily for
MLS readers, Appendix A is called "Hire the Pros: How to Host a Freelance Storyteller
at Your School or Library." It's short and sweet but wonderfully complete, answering
all these questions and more: What is a storyteller? and Where do I find one? What
should I ask before hiring someone? How much do I pay them? Do I need to provide
lunch? May I tape the presentations? How do I prepare my space for the event?
Appendix B contains resource lists of addresses and contacts for conference organizers
and appropriate organizations. There is also a handy index and an author biography.
The text is organized in logical order. Geisler starts the book with tips to helps
storytellers learn how to "Be the Best they Can Be." She continues with
discussions of show organization, building a repertoire, setting the stage, getting
props, etc.
After this introductory materials, she moves into marketing discussions.
There are subsections on selling your craft, establishing Your Niche, getting promotional
Materials (stationary, brochures, signs), dealing with The Media, and finding Audiences.
And the rules she mentions here are basically the same as those for other types of
marketing and publicity, so they make a good primer or review. After that section
the author goes back to the material that is of more interest to the professional
teller, like getting hired, planning bookings, doing workshops, making tapes, etc.
All his is good material, but is of less interest to you as MLS subscriber.
Later in the book, though, there is actually a small section called "telling
in libraries" (p. 104). It discusses use of space, working in small areas, and
asking a library staff member to stay around during the show to handle restless children
or people who start talking too loudly. Then, however, she jumps on our marketing
bandwagon, writing "The greatest challenge facing America's libraries (and those
of us who wish to perform in them) is a decreasing funding base. Join your local
friends of the Library group and help them raise money. Be sure to write letters
to your politicians and to get out and vote whenever library funding is an issue.
I still give the libraries in my county the best deal in price because I value libraries
and their services. " Way to go, Harlynne!
So, if you're looking
to hire a storyteller, to become one, or just to do a few programs in your own library,
Storytelling Professionally; the Nuts and Bolts of a Working Performer is an invaluable
book. Order a copy today.
Kathy Miller, MLS (Marketing Library Services)
magazine, June, 1997
Review Five
Those tellers who are
selling their services will want to get their hands on Storytelling Professionally;
the Nuts and Bolts of a Working Performer by Harlynne Geisler (Libraries Unlimited,
1997). Drawn from her own experiences as a professional storyteller, Harlynne makes
useful suggestions about setting fees, promoting yourself, handling difficult audiences,
and much more. She includes good bibliographies for further information on all topics
too. This is an excellent tool for the teller who is interested in making a business
of story.
Margaret Read MacDonald, In the Wind; Seattle Storytellers' Guild
newsletter, Summer, 1997
Review Six
Harlynne Geisler has
drawn from her nearly two decades of and her editing a national storytelling newsletter
to write this guide for storytellers. Although the book is directed primarily to
those who have dreamed about becoming professional tellers, it is also written for
professional tellers who will find themselves nodding in agreement with Geisler 's
witty insights and practicality.
Storytelling Professionally is an easy to
read, detailed reference divided into four parts and fourteen chapters. Each chapter
ends with a list of resources, and, at the end of the book, Appendix A, "Hire
the Pros," discusses how to hire and host a storyteller while Appendix B, "Resources,"
lists booking conventions, performance organizations, and potential clients. Throughout,
Geisler includes stories and anecdotes to entertain while she illustrates her points.
The book begins with a definition and discussion of storytelling and how to get started.
It moves on to the performance and covers how to build a repertoire, an audience,
and how to use voice, props, and other stage devices. This section ends with how
to be professional and offers advice on rehearsing, on being "on," and
on being on time.
The second part details marketing storytelling (especially
to schools and libraries). It emphasizes business cards, stationary, brochures, and
in-person promotions. Here, Geisler includes examples of fliers and press releases
as models, and she cautions against amateurish brochures and photos. Chapter 6, "Getting
Hired," offers valuable information on how to get booked for performances. Geisler
suggests that tellers compare themselves with their competition (by viewing the competition),
and she offers suggestions for those who think they fall short of the competition.
Very sensible advice follows on turning down bookings that are inappropriate for
the teller. Details on school bookings (complete with information on school packets,
workshops, concerts, and classes) follow.
Part Three, "The Business
of Storytelling," is eye opening, even for seasoned tellers. Geisler discusses
fees and reprints an article by Chris Holder, "Set Your Fees for...the Decent
Buck." Holder points out that fees must cover expenses, health and disability
insurance, retirement, and taxes. Contracts are next (they prevent serious performance
and payment problems) followed by how to handle video and audio taping requests.
A sample contract and a video tape agreement are included. "Organizing Your
Time, Your Office, and Your Research" ends this section by examining ways to
keep calendars, files, handouts, books, and research organized. This chapter begins
with "We all get 24 hours in a day and have our own priorities for how we use
that time." In the rest of the chapter, Geisler suggests ways she and other
tellers manage their time.
The final section (chapters 12-14), covers how to
prevent and solve problems including burnout, being late for a performance, and handling
sensitive issues of cultural diversity, male/female stereotyping, and copyrighting.
Storytelling Professionally is a manual, but it is not just a how-to; it offers advice
but allows personal decisions. It is a must for those who want to become professional
storytellers (it will provide a center), and it is also a must for those who are
already professional tellers (they'll say, "Been there, done that," but
they'll also say, "I wish I'd done that)."
Joy Pennington, Tale
Trader newsletter, May 1997
Review Seven
Harlynne Geisler:
Storytelling Professionally; the Nuts and Bolts of a Working Performer [Libraries
Unlimited] is now available. It is the most complete manual for the professional
storyteller I have seen to date, from how [and why] you get started to handling regular
and irregular problems that are bound to come up.
Kate Frankel, Storyline;
Publication of The Storytelling Association of Alta California. Summer, 1997
Table
of Contents of Storytelling Professionally
Description of Storytelling
Professionally
ORDERING INFORMATION for Storytelling Professionally
Back
to Index to Storyteller Harlynne Geisler's pages