A hard truth is that you have to be a specific type of person to be good at sales. A talented writer is not often a talented sales person. In the indie community we have to find a way for our authentic roots to blossom into roses no one can ignore.
So true (and poignant). I hope for us all that there are ways to efficiently garner the biggest wins from the easiest sales strategies and get our voices heard. But ya know. Capitalism.
The ads are so sneaky! The sweaters are so good! The phrase "monetize the self" is really sticking with me here. Art (in my opinion) in any form is so much of the artists self that it almost feels slimy to have to then sell it. I think that's why there is such a surge (especially in music! think Chappel Roan, Sabrina Carpenter) of artists working within/as a persona. It adds a level of separation between the actual person and the art that's selling. The consumer has this idea of the persona, but is often unaware they're actually being held at arms length by the artist. I think this is why influencer ads are so successful; instead of arms length, they are trying to give you a hug. Because they aren't selling art or anything personal, they are selling us things.
Kat, this is so beautifully said. That phrase -- “trying to give you a hug” -- is chillingly accurate, and I think you’ve hit on something essential about why influencer content feels so seductive (and so hard to resist, even when we know what’s happening). The illusion of closeness ("parasociality") without the protective veil of persona is exactly what makes it effective. And also what makes it feel, as you said, slimy when applied to actual art.
Your point about the persona as buffer -- especially in music right now -- is spot on. It’s almost like a protective glamour: Artists can reveal so much while still preserving the sacred parts of self. The grifter/TikTok mom wave feels like the opposite. They often monetize not just their own identities, but their kids’ lives too, without any barrier. It’s raw access all the way down.
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment. It’s got me thinking about what it means to craft a persona with intention -- not to manipulate, but to shield the parts of us that need to stay whole.
My voice these days is a shifting grab-bag of personae, unwilling to settle on any one thing. Re expectations, I'm thinking of adopting different author personae for different types of voices - at least two, maybe more - so the reader doesn't get the bad impression that I'm more than one thing.
To learn from grifters without being of the the grift is a tricky discipline. But the grift might be to sell something that's normal and expected, do a rug-pull and hey presto! You've just bought a different experience and learned to think differently despite yourself. You've just grown... Sucka!
Some of what I’m writing has a political feel to it at times, especially my upcoming novella. It’s full of militarized police, street drugs, sex and werewolves.
I hate it when I get caught by an ad of any variety, especially when it tries to sell a lifestyle of aesthetics.
I’m waiting for an actual order link, for some reason Amazon won’t let me have it for preorder.
It’s called The Sweep, and there is a post I’ve put up with the cover and stuff. People who like extreme horror are my primary target audience, and especially left-leaning people.
A hard truth is that you have to be a specific type of person to be good at sales. A talented writer is not often a talented sales person. In the indie community we have to find a way for our authentic roots to blossom into roses no one can ignore.
So true (and poignant). I hope for us all that there are ways to efficiently garner the biggest wins from the easiest sales strategies and get our voices heard. But ya know. Capitalism.
The ads are so sneaky! The sweaters are so good! The phrase "monetize the self" is really sticking with me here. Art (in my opinion) in any form is so much of the artists self that it almost feels slimy to have to then sell it. I think that's why there is such a surge (especially in music! think Chappel Roan, Sabrina Carpenter) of artists working within/as a persona. It adds a level of separation between the actual person and the art that's selling. The consumer has this idea of the persona, but is often unaware they're actually being held at arms length by the artist. I think this is why influencer ads are so successful; instead of arms length, they are trying to give you a hug. Because they aren't selling art or anything personal, they are selling us things.
Kat, this is so beautifully said. That phrase -- “trying to give you a hug” -- is chillingly accurate, and I think you’ve hit on something essential about why influencer content feels so seductive (and so hard to resist, even when we know what’s happening). The illusion of closeness ("parasociality") without the protective veil of persona is exactly what makes it effective. And also what makes it feel, as you said, slimy when applied to actual art.
Your point about the persona as buffer -- especially in music right now -- is spot on. It’s almost like a protective glamour: Artists can reveal so much while still preserving the sacred parts of self. The grifter/TikTok mom wave feels like the opposite. They often monetize not just their own identities, but their kids’ lives too, without any barrier. It’s raw access all the way down.
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment. It’s got me thinking about what it means to craft a persona with intention -- not to manipulate, but to shield the parts of us that need to stay whole.
My voice these days is a shifting grab-bag of personae, unwilling to settle on any one thing. Re expectations, I'm thinking of adopting different author personae for different types of voices - at least two, maybe more - so the reader doesn't get the bad impression that I'm more than one thing.
To learn from grifters without being of the the grift is a tricky discipline. But the grift might be to sell something that's normal and expected, do a rug-pull and hey presto! You've just bought a different experience and learned to think differently despite yourself. You've just grown... Sucka!
"The bad impression that I'm more than one thing" We laugh to keep keep from crying. The multitudes external deny the multitudes within. </3
Some of what I’m writing has a political feel to it at times, especially my upcoming novella. It’s full of militarized police, street drugs, sex and werewolves.
I hate it when I get caught by an ad of any variety, especially when it tries to sell a lifestyle of aesthetics.
Absolutely -- and your upcoming novella sounds so good! Do you have it linked on your profile here?
Who do you think its perfect readers are?
I’m waiting for an actual order link, for some reason Amazon won’t let me have it for preorder.
It’s called The Sweep, and there is a post I’ve put up with the cover and stuff. People who like extreme horror are my primary target audience, and especially left-leaning people.
Excellent vibe, and happy early birthday. I'll keep my eyes peeled now that I'm subscribed.