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About Chris EastvedtI am fascinated by human behavior and will happily watch hours upon hours of PBS documentaries in an endless quest to understand the species. How could a man live in his car for six months while he started his own business? Why would that woman agree to go on Jerry Springer? These are questions that need answers! I write to give people a chance to laugh and think about the little things that concern us all. |
Bricks & Mortar Just Aren't Relevant Anymore
I would love to go into a B&M establishment that is intuitive and thought-provoking and keeps me guessing as to what really cool new thing is going to show up next, but the reality is that commoditization is where most retailers are at. I don't want to reward any business that treats me like sheep, either with my money or my attention, but that's all I'm being offered. More marketing is not the answer (dear God help me, it's not); B&Ms can only compete on personalization, fun, and things that make you go WOW! Getting a price check for all the coffee shops in the area might help me find the cheapest cup of coffee today, but it's not going to make me call up my friend and talk about it. This is just another form of commoditization- a race to the bottom, if you will. How is that going to inspire loyalty?
If B&Ms really want to bring me back into the fold, they need to give me a reason to care about them. Club cards and weekly sales just aren't going to cut it./div>
#13
Re: #1
You've got to provide quality content, obviously, but you also need to follow up by giving people reasons to care about what you're doing and inspire them to spread the word.
Techdirt often calls out stupid behavior and lapses in logic, which both informs and inspires its more rational thinkers to take some sort of action to restore balance- as in Dan Bull's videos, for example. Mike also jumps on the comments board and engages further which helps readers feel like he cares (whether or not this is true is another issue). Then they started CwF + RtB which connected with fans on a whole different level: merchandising and experiences- taking readers' appreciation of Techdirt off the screen and into the real world. Everyone wants to be heard, but if Al doesn't like writing comments, he can wear a Looooooots of T-shirts logo on his chest and start a conversation that way. The goal is to find ways to expand the conversation, not control it./div>
Re: Ugh, no thanks
Physical stores are over-rated because their prices are often higher and inventory is limited; they're really only good for customers looking for instant gratification. Other drawbacks are that many physical stores won't carry self-published titles and expect the right to return books they don't sell for up to a year after the initial purchase (an accounting nightmare). Online opportunities, however, level the playing field. Bookstores like amazon.com and the like not only link up readers reviews to each book, they give the author space for book trailers, blogs, and search inside features. Marketing is much more author-friendly in cyber space than in the real world./div>
Re: AC #11
When partnering with a publisher, authors sign away their rights as to what can be done with their work and how much is charged for it, and then get only a small percentage of the royalties (15% of what's left after the middlemen take their shares is pretty standard for paper copies). Authors are also expected to help support the publisher's marketing and PR efforts, and invest their own money when the publisher falls short, while at the same time continuing to research/write the next book to fulfill their contracts.
Even if they do have a publisher, the responsibility for successful sales lies primarily with the author. An author serious about success/making money can't afford to treat their work like an artist; they must approach their careers like businesspeople. Yes, the up-front costs for self-publishing are often greater, especially when you add in freelancing fees for cover art and editing, but if authors have to get involved in the business of writing anyway, they might as well keep the control for themselves, and maximize their profits as well. Self-publishing is the lesser of two evils./div>
Ostriches in the Sand
Like all dinosaur companies, publishers are comfortable in their condescension. As long as they can control everyone's behavior, all is well. Until they let go of the delusion that they're the best game in town, nothing will change on their end. At this point, the outsiders and indies have the best chance of restoring sanity to this industry./div>
Re: Hasn't been a crutch so much as a feather bed.
Really? So things like entertainment and culture are meaningless extras? What a sad, colorless box you must live in...
Yes, industry dinosaurs are completely out of touch with consumers, which is why I, as a content creator, have chosen to take them out of the equation and play my own game. I'm actually happy dinosaurs exist because 1) they piss people off, pushing them towards independents who appreciate them and 2)they teach me what not to do.
Again as you say, maybe industry dinosaurs rely on selling content in limited ways, but as Mike keeps pointing out, smart innovators can do more. You can sell more than a book, translations, movie rights... why not develop a toy version of the story for collectors, or offer an exclusive, real-life reenactment of a pivotal scene in the story? Anything can be a potential moneymaker, depending on how relevant your offerings are to your audience. The only limitation here is lack of imagination.
I think the biggest mistake industry players make is treating people as potential one-time customers rather than lifelong fans. Smart creators appreciate the difference and respect their part of that relationship./div>
(untitled comment)
Re: For a while...
Re: AC #10
Anyone with the capacity to learn from mistakes and the passion to persevere has a decent shot at reaching success. That's what's so amazing about this point in time; technology is a great equalizer. It's not about having a bottomless wallet, but how wisely and creatively you apply the resources you do have. That's what grassroots campaigns are all about, and some of them, do make it big. Politics is a prime example./div>
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