Discovering Your Own Mysterious Sense of Importance

HOW TO BUILD A PLATFORM

"Build it and they will come."

No one reading your stuff? Join the club. Meaning, join my book club. Make this your club and beat everyone over the head with your stuff. I'll show you how.

THE GRAPHIC NOVEL BOOK CLUB. Where every book we offer is free for interested readers. We know they're interested and not just looking for freebies to sell on eBay because they have to make a minimal effort and register at our site and at a few others to get your books. (Read above blog posts to learn more.)

Besides, even if someone is just looking for a freebie to resell somewhere, he's working on your behalf by finding you an appreciative audience and getting your book into the hands of a person who is interested in your book enough to buy it. That's more passionate readers for you. And that's your main objective here.

There is no greater reward than the sudden recognition of another that I am just like him. That I am just like her. That sudden realization in their eye that I am them. That we are not alone. Worth its weight in gold.

COME TO THE DARK SIDE, LUKE.

I recant. Perhaps there is a greater reward. Perhaps that greater reward is the sudden realization of ones own powers, especially ones superior powers. That superior sense of satisfaction and pride that only a sense of superiority can give. That sudden visceral surge of idol power that comes from the powerful recognition that I am better than them. That my stuff is better than theirs. More beautiful. That I am, in fact, more deserving than them. Stronger. Smarter. More talented. More virtuous. More powerful because I am more truthful. More truthful because I am more powerful.

Perhaps, focused on me up there upon the stage, the audience is thinking "he is just like me" while I am thinking how great I am. No time for false humility. No time for cynical skepticism. No time to think. Just enjoy. Enjoy being the center of attention. The center of attraction! Bask in the glory!

MAY THE MARKET FORCES BE WITH YOU.

Authors, actors and artists need a platform (from which to preach or defecate) because they need an audience. They made their minds up long ago not to suffer in silence. If they must suffer, they want others to notice. They want others to watch. They want others to care. They want to be important. Everyone thinks he is important. But like scientists or lawyers, we want proof of it. We want proof we are important to you. We want recognition for it. A reward. An award. Publicly appreciated. Acknowledged. Celebrated. Remembered. KNOWN.

Yes, known. Not alone. Not meaningless. Not insignificant and nonexistent. Not dead and forgotten. Being known is the only antivenin for being small and unimportant. Yes, being known is the best way to be. Being known is the only way to be. Watch as I create this platform for unknown authors. Watch as I mount the steps of this launching pad for fame and fortune. Watch as I twist in the wind waiting for you to come.

WHY MAKE YOUR BOOKS FREE?

To increase readership.

You may have the best book in the world. But if no one knows about it, no one knows... no one cares.

GET KNOWN... MAKE YOUR MARK... LET THE WORLD SEE YOU EXIST... THAT YOU WERE HERE.

Want/need others to pay attention to something? Want/need others to pay attention to you? Want/need to promote something? Want to promote yourself?

Advertise.

Art is the future of advertising.

Art is advertising.

Everyone is a salesman trying to sell the world on the value of his existence. Everyone is a salesman trying to sell himself to himself on the value of his own existence.

Everyone is a billboard: walking sandwich boards for why his life matters, why he is important, why you should care... about him. On this matter, we're all hungry for prospects, desperate for leads.

No artist or author is above self-promotion. No artist or author is above promoting who he is, what he does and offers. Every artist or author wants an audience... regardless of whether it's a paying audience or not.

It's all advertising. It's all promotion/self-promotion. Even when it's for a good cause. Even if you're not asking for money. The only difference is that some advertising is free and some advertising is bought.

The reason I want to offer free paperbacks of my books is to find a larger audience. And if I can find a way to break even doing it, well, it's free advertising.

Don't sell yourself short you say? Don't give the store away? No one will buy the cow if they get the milk for free? I don't pretend to know the value of anything. A nihilist would say all value is imaginary... a speculative delusion. A narcissist would say I need only get people to look at my work for them to fall in love with it... Fortune will follow fame.

Yes, if the book is free it could mean it is worthless. But I will leave that up to you.

~ Joy Rip