You have been doing as I’ve suggested: you read the trades on a daily basis; you’ve been watching TV to see what types of new shows are getting made, which old shows are getting canceled and which are getting picked-up, again. Additionally, you’re developing your own ideas in hopes of getting pitch meetings, selling the idea and then hosting your very own show. Basically, you’re a one-man/woman production company. Bravo to you; you’ve been listening to Tracy Metro! You get an A+.
Now what?
KEEP READING, but don’t just read the trades and let the info go in one ear and out the other… sock that info away for a rainy day. The key with this info is to have it easily accessible. Here’s how simple it really is. Step #1: Open a word doc. Step #2: Title it: Trades Info or some other sexy name. Step #3: Place said doc on your desktop. FYI, that’s a patent pending process right there, people, so be careful when using it in other areas of your life.
From that point forward, when reading the trades, you’ll see a nib-lit of info that you think would be helpful to re-read/quote/utilize down the road, so copy it and paste it into your sexily named document that lives on your desktop. DONE. See? I said it was easy.
Now, if you want to get CRAZY you can categorize the nib-lits (people, network, shows, etc) or even date each entry so you have an idea how relevant the info may be. Me? I’m bare-bones about it. I have my info just as a long list of nib-lits that I search when I’m looking for info about XYZ person, for example. One tip I can give is this, add entries at the top of the doc, so the most recent info is the first info you see rather than pasting it below the last item. Just makes it faster and like I said, the most recent info is at the top which means it’s the most current.
In the infamous words of my husband, Marty Metro, “Good luck and be yourself!”
Tracy Metro is a TV host who has worked for Fine Living, TLC, Discovery, Disney, Sony, Mark Burnett, et al hosting shows about cooking, DIY, shopping, eco-lifestyle, et al subjects. To learn more about her (because now you’re intrigued), go to www.tracymetro.com