Comments for Richard Wright http://www.richardwright.org author of strange, dark fictions Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:58:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Merry Xmas! by Richard Wright http://www.richardwright.org/2011/12/merry-xmas-2/comment-page-1/#comment-5944 Richard Wright Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:58:38 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2583#comment-5944 Merry Xmas Jo - hope you're enjoying some festively prepared canine treats! Merry Xmas Jo - hope you're enjoying some festively prepared canine treats!

]]> Comment on Merry Xmas! by jo abbott http://www.richardwright.org/2011/12/merry-xmas-2/comment-page-1/#comment-5943 jo abbott Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:53:43 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2583#comment-5943 happy christmas to you all jo vietnam happy christmas to you all
jo
vietnam

]]> Comment on Births, Deaths, and Bawbags by Jackie http://www.richardwright.org/2011/12/births-deaths-and-bawbags/comment-page-1/#comment-5938 Jackie Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:57:23 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2538#comment-5938 Terribly sad to hear about K's mom. I remember her from the wedding; she definitely seemed to adore her granddaughters. I'm sure this is hard for Ava. (As well as everyone else, of course.) My sincere condolences. xo Congrats on the nephew! Terribly sad to hear about K's mom. I remember her from the wedding; she definitely seemed to adore her granddaughters. I'm sure this is hard for Ava. (As well as everyone else, of course.) My sincere condolences. xo

Congrats on the nephew!

]]> Comment on Living From Writing I: The Wolf At The Door by Where is this revolution in digital media taking us? Part 2. | Jiva Technology http://www.richardwright.org/2011/10/living-from-writing-i-the-wolf-at-the-door/comment-page-1/#comment-5935 Where is this revolution in digital media taking us? Part 2. | Jiva Technology Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:37:27 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2478#comment-5935 [...] how not to become a loser. Take the many players in the book industry as an example. As the author Richard Wright points out, ‘long tail’ sales don’t really cut it for him, nor will they ever; [...] [...] how not to become a loser. Take the many players in the book industry as an example. As the author Richard Wright points out, ‘long tail’ sales don’t really cut it for him, nor will they ever; [...]

]]> Comment on Living From Writing I: The Wolf At The Door by Where is this revolution in digital media taking us? Part 1. | Jiva Technology http://www.richardwright.org/2011/10/living-from-writing-i-the-wolf-at-the-door/comment-page-1/#comment-5933 Where is this revolution in digital media taking us? Part 1. | Jiva Technology Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:23:04 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2478#comment-5933 [...] Wright’s blog posts, on the parlous state of a book publishing industry that’s being lashed by the twin storms of [...] [...] Wright’s blog posts, on the parlous state of a book publishing industry that’s being lashed by the twin storms of [...]

]]> Comment on Living From Writing II: Why Publishers? by Richard Wright http://www.richardwright.org/2011/10/life-from-writing-ii-why-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-5871 Richard Wright Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:43:29 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2492#comment-5871 Yep - there will be new avenues to explore, for publishers, in some avenues. I think you're right too, that these will become more specialised concerns. Big, trad publishing can't narrow down enough to focus on these things well enough to make the most of them in a timely fashion, I suppose. Yep - there will be new avenues to explore, for publishers, in some avenues. I think you're right too, that these will become more specialised concerns. Big, trad publishing can't narrow down enough to focus on these things well enough to make the most of them in a timely fashion, I suppose.

]]> Comment on Living From Writing II: Why Publishers? by mark http://www.richardwright.org/2011/10/life-from-writing-ii-why-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-5870 mark Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:24:33 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2492#comment-5870 Brilliant series of blogs. The curatorial aspect of publishing is going to become a much bigger deal - it's already a key buzzword and watch it come much bigger of the next couple of years. (and also watch of the second death throw of the publishers as they realise that the curatorial aspect is done much better by smaller fish than themselves) I think you missed one throw of the dice for the publisher. The kind of publisher project coffee table type thing becomes an app - I have the utterly excellent app of the wasteland from faber for example. Some publishers will head off down this road and we will also see a whole new branch of writing based around apps I imagine Brilliant series of blogs.

The curatorial aspect of publishing is going to become a much bigger deal - it's already a key buzzword and watch it come much bigger of the next couple of years. (and also watch of the second death throw of the publishers as they realise that the curatorial aspect is done much better by smaller fish than themselves)

I think you missed one throw of the dice for the publisher. The kind of publisher project coffee table type thing becomes an app - I have the utterly excellent app of the wasteland from faber for example. Some publishers will head off down this road and we will also see a whole new branch of writing based around apps I imagine

]]> Comment on Living From Writing II: Why Publishers? by Richard Wright http://www.richardwright.org/2011/10/life-from-writing-ii-why-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-5863 Richard Wright Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:38:52 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2492#comment-5863 Sorry, yes. Democratisation for artists, rather than product access. In that case, the parallels are a lot closer. And the question is therefore similar. As you say, what's the model? Or is there one yet? Sorry, yes. Democratisation for artists, rather than product access. In that case, the parallels are a lot closer. And the question is therefore similar. As you say, what's the model? Or is there one yet?

]]> Comment on Living From Writing II: Why Publishers? by Steve http://www.richardwright.org/2011/10/life-from-writing-ii-why-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-5862 Steve Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:28:06 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2492#comment-5862 yes. I know there are fundamental differences between writing books and writing music. For one, recording and performing are part of the same rather than an alternative income stream, so on that front it would appear writers have the rummer deal. I guess the point I'm making is that things were different in the past and are going to be different again in the future and we have to be able to adapt and stay one step ahead of 'the man'. Recently in the news was the sale of big kids animated programmes. These things are no longer commissioned by a broadcaster and the broadcast fees are so low now that the programmes themselves are made purely to generate a market for spin-off merchandise. It's a sad state of affairs, and one that is slowly leaching to other parts of the media. The democratisation I'm referring to is the increasing ease to which general joe can play on par with the big guns. Youtube was a start. Bandcamp for musicians is really interesting too. There will no doubt be something similar with enough clout for writers using print on demand (there's plenty of smaller operations already). The fact remains that only the top fraction of a percent of all writers/musicians/artists ever earn a living from what they do. I saw some stats recently on the state of visual artists. There are millions of us working professionally. Of that around 10,000 are represented by a gallery. Of them only around 800 are represented by a gallery in more than one continent. There's a world ranking system for artists - I'm around the 9,000 mark! So what is the new business model for writers, musicians, artists, photographers? Look at those at the top of their game in any genre. How many of them got there through the standard routes? That's the point. yes. I know there are fundamental differences between writing books and writing music. For one, recording and performing are part of the same rather than an alternative income stream, so on that front it would appear writers have the rummer deal. I guess the point I'm making is that things were different in the past and are going to be different again in the future and we have to be able to adapt and stay one step ahead of 'the man'. Recently in the news was the sale of big kids animated programmes. These things are no longer commissioned by a broadcaster and the broadcast fees are so low now that the programmes themselves are made purely to generate a market for spin-off merchandise. It's a sad state of affairs, and one that is slowly leaching to other parts of the media.
The democratisation I'm referring to is the increasing ease to which general joe can play on par with the big guns. Youtube was a start. Bandcamp for musicians is really interesting too. There will no doubt be something similar with enough clout for writers using print on demand (there's plenty of smaller operations already).
The fact remains that only the top fraction of a percent of all writers/musicians/artists ever earn a living from what they do. I saw some stats recently on the state of visual artists. There are millions of us working professionally. Of that around 10,000 are represented by a gallery. Of them only around 800 are represented by a gallery in more than one continent. There's a world ranking system for artists - I'm around the 9,000 mark!
So what is the new business model for writers, musicians, artists, photographers? Look at those at the top of their game in any genre. How many of them got there through the standard routes?
That's the point.

]]> Comment on Living From Writing II: Why Publishers? by Richard Wright http://www.richardwright.org/2011/10/life-from-writing-ii-why-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-5861 Richard Wright Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:01:36 +0000 http://www.richardwright.org/?p=2492#comment-5861 Jagger's is not an argument I'm unfamiliar with (though I don't know how well it translates to the movie business). However, it's not one that I think sits well with publishing. The difference is that a musician writes a song, and then has the power to generate income from it in different ways. Recording and releasing is, as you say, increasingly a way to generate interest in gigs (again), for all but the top tier of musicians. For the 'mid list' of music though, those gigs do allow for an established professional living to be made from playing said music. Full of peril, yes, but a definite possible career path. Where's the equivalent alternative income stream for the author of novels though? There really isn't one, that I can currently see (unless you're prolific enough to do speaking tours, after dinner events, and so on - and if you're that big, you're probably still getting those critical advances anyway). Your last point is right, but I think that while the rise of piracy in digital music (which I refuse to equate with democracy) is being mirrored with digital publishing, I don't think the effects on the artists and the solutions available to them equate comfortably. Jagger's is not an argument I'm unfamiliar with (though I don't know how well it translates to the movie business). However, it's not one that I think sits well with publishing. The difference is that a musician writes a song, and then has the power to generate income from it in different ways. Recording and releasing is, as you say, increasingly a way to generate interest in gigs (again), for all but the top tier of musicians. For the 'mid list' of music though, those gigs do allow for an established professional living to be made from playing said music. Full of peril, yes, but a definite possible career path. Where's the equivalent alternative income stream for the author of novels though? There really isn't one, that I can currently see (unless you're prolific enough to do speaking tours, after dinner events, and so on - and if you're that big, you're probably still getting those critical advances anyway).

Your last point is right, but I think that while the rise of piracy in digital music (which I refuse to equate with democracy) is being mirrored with digital publishing, I don't think the effects on the artists and the solutions available to them equate comfortably.

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