Ross Pruden on selling arts in the digital age

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

I've met some resistance to my ideas about selling books. One amusing term was "marketing bollocks". :) So: let's clarify.

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Publishing's traditional method was: find an author, nurture, publish, reap profits from (physical) book sales. Worked great. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Traditional publishishing sold content bound with the scarcity of paper, a scarcity rendered obsolete with the internet. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

The Internet, as with all disruptive tech, has altered consumers' behavior and redefined what should be paid for. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

As with all legacy businesses, traditional publishers are trying to mold the Internet to sell a scarcity that no longer exists. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

The way forward isn't to force new tech to work in old business models, but to build a new business model on top of the new tech. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Traditional publishers don't want to cannibalize sales of their old product, books, but they must be willing to adapt at all costs. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Authors selling books is a time-worn model, and still feasible, but the market has changed and new approaches are needed. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

As Amanda Palmer says, we are entering the age of the social artist. Gone are the days of just "lowering art to the crowd below." #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

So Seth Godin's permission-marketing approach is vital for authors—and all artists. Those who reach out and engage will win. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Selling books has been the main way authors make money, but in the end, it's about *making money* to keep making books. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

If authors can find an "authorly" way to make money without selling books, then they can keep writing books. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Selling books is not the point here—the point is to find a method of sustainability. If there is sustainability, books follow. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

The most social authors will be happy to reach out & engage with their audience, to really connect with fans. Fans love that shit. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Fans support people they like, and art they like. Sometimes one is more important than the other, but fans must like the author. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Art is advertising for the artist, and vice versa. Call it branding bullshit or whatever, but it's still true. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Every artist's objective: "How can I create an unforgettable experience for my audience, something with emotional resonance? #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Emotional art gets traction. It goes viral. People share it. As @gapingvoid says, it's a "social object". http://t.co/atW0nb1t #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Fans who've been touched emotionally by their art, or an artist, become deeply committed. They want more. They advocate. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

So what do authors/artists really sell? Are they selling books? Not really. It looks that way, but it's more complicated than that. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Authors sell a literary experience. And that, in itself, does not have to be limited to 300 pieces of paper. Its form is varied. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Authors' real value is their perspective. Fans of an author are enriched by seeing the world through an author's eyes. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

An author's perspective was vetted because publishing expenses were exorbitant. As costs plummeted, so did need for gatekeepers. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Does this mean more crap enters the stream? Of course. But that shouldn't matter if you've built up your own fan base. #infdist

Ross Pruden @rosspruden

Someone (can't remember who) nailed it recently: it's not selling writing as product, but writing as performing. Spot on! #infdist