true fans...
this is the type of idea that should drive poets, painters, musicians, etc. if you are serious about making a living at what you do artistically. for me, it might include not only the little poem books, but the longer poem books, the stories, the paintings, etc. and it's the entire reason why I try to add a little extra to my chaps and such. it should drive us to constantly produce new and better work, since we hope to get it in the hands of those true fans.
it's a lot like the GPP in the sense that the GPP tries to reach readers who are already predisposed to poetry in some way by targeting likely book purchases.
and it might not even need to be 1000 fans, it might only have to be half that number to support the work of an artist over the course of a year. it just means that the artist has to hustle on some level, mostly thru personal contact and the help of their friends (and true fans), if he/she doesn't want to spend their entire life in a factory or a cubicle. some folks hate the hustle (I know I do) but it is necessary if earning something from your creation is at all important. there are ways.
one more gamble: the life of an artist.
it's a lot like the GPP in the sense that the GPP tries to reach readers who are already predisposed to poetry in some way by targeting likely book purchases.
and it might not even need to be 1000 fans, it might only have to be half that number to support the work of an artist over the course of a year. it just means that the artist has to hustle on some level, mostly thru personal contact and the help of their friends (and true fans), if he/she doesn't want to spend their entire life in a factory or a cubicle. some folks hate the hustle (I know I do) but it is necessary if earning something from your creation is at all important. there are ways.
one more gamble: the life of an artist.
posted by christopher cunningham at 1:16 AM
7 Comments:
Ahhh. The schmooze.
Of course I'm really so bad with that.
Do you realize that at one time I
had a fan base that paid me 80
dollars for a handwritten book of
one hundred eighty pages? It's
true. In one hour I had sold
sixteen hundred dollars worth of
merchandise
VOID - NULL - NO LONGER VALID!
FATHER LUKE'S HAND PRINTED BOOK! BOOK
I say this in all modesty, for
illustration, and to validate the
theory from my own experience.
I had to return the money, of
course.
It can be done. It takes work, but
it can be done and it is worth it
if you are interested in making
some dough.
- -
Okay,
Father Luke
Once more:
The offer is void.
- -
Okay,
Father Luke
um, is that offer still available?
;)
indeed, that is exactly the deal. and the schmooze is a difficult hurdle to accomodate with the artistic mentality, the loner hovering over a typewriter under a sixty watt. but it's good, I suppose, that in the digital age it is possible to build if not a "fan base" at least a community of folks who can support each other with cold cash via purchases of creatively produced items, unavailable in stores near anyone.
the days of snail mail were difficult and wonderful, and like all things in moderation, it is possible to take the best of all worlds and assemble them in a package that works and maintains its integrity and honesty.
and isn't that what we're after? communication? with our words and emails and even those silly myspace pages and these sillier blaughs?
but I digress:
is that offer still valid?
Then there is another consideration:
Do I want just anyone buying
my stuff? I'd just as soon
give it away sometimes. But
you know me.
I don't mean to be stuffy,
but I actually didn't want
some people buying my work.
"Oh, Father Luke, so and so said your writing is magnificent, and I think it's great, too. You know. Just like so and so said. So. Where can I read what you write?"
It may seem arrogant, but I
just told these guys to look
for my stuff in the bargain
bin at Barnes and Noble.
Gets back to the I'm a jerk
when it comes to schmoozing.
Today I would rationalize it
differently.
I'd show them where to find
me, and hopefully they would
dig it. If not, I was no
worse off. But if they dug
it, then . . . you know?
So, the key is being
proactive in the marketing.
Luck played a big factor for
me, which had little to do
with schmoozing. A "NAME"
was turned on by my stuff
and literally shoved a
heaping helping of fame
in my lap.
You may understand my
reluctance to being famous...
...but I digress.
I have your address. Maybe
for the winter solstice, the
sun may shine a pretty
little ray of warmth your way.
Who knows.
Who knows.
Who knows.
But that's the topic, no?
- -
Okay,
Father Luke
in our restaurant (in the near future, hopefully) you won't be able to come in on your cellphone and demand service. you won't be able to be rude to a server. you won't be an asshole. because it's OUR place and OUR rules. and we can feel free to say fuck off, if that's what the situation calls for.
so I get you on the idea that you just don't need EVERYONE as a 'fan,' nor would you WANT everyone as a fan.
I can think of a few folks right now I could care less if they ever read any of my stuff. it's like those friends you've accumulated simply by their proximity to other friends you might have chosen. folks you wouldn't seek out but now somehow are in your life.
not us: we cut out that fat a long time ago, and now are wary and careful and very selective about who comes into our lives, and especially about who we call "friend."
unless it's in the sentence, "friend, you and I are gonna have a problem...";)
oh and I'll light a bonfire on that solistice and wait by the mailbox for some kind of sign...
I read about a restaurant
that served good food, home
made, and there was a cigar
box by the front door. When
you left you put in what you
thought it was worth.
Check out a book called:
Honest Business by...
Michael Phillips and Sali Rasberry
The gift is in the making...
The fire will burn, baby.
- -
Okay,
Father Luke
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