The Business Model

Got around 8 people reading various parts of my manuscript. Expecting something soon. It really feels like the wind has shifted. People are ready to hear it. Much more so than when I first put it out. I suppose that something like this (a work with mostly legs) only gets more lovely and clear with age. Comes into focus. I still listen to the Pixies once in a while, but almost none to Nirvana. Van Gogh, yes, Tulouse Latrec, no. The Pixies were harder to hear at first, but have aged much better, in my opinion. Same with a lot of stuff. I’m not saying that difficulty or “legginess” is a sign of value (far from it—and don’t ever believe this hipster, obscurist, manipulative bullshit), but it is important to weigh carefully when you want to make your money and when. I want back-end. I want long money. I’ve been living on tuna fish and ground chuck so long it doesn’t really phase me, just so long as my family never has to labor at the ass-tight pace of production again (the Hawaiian term for white folks Howlie (sp?) means “doesn’t breathe”). It doesn’t matter if it takes 10 more years. If that’s god’s will, so be it. If I can raise one child with the feeling of constant and unconditional support (not niceness, or pervissiveness, but support)—and by that I mean emotional, physical and mental support—then my job here will be done. Or if I feel within myself and can radiate these same things through my actions and beliefs.

I just want to get into the game. Take this show on the road. Get some money for fuel. Or I could just goof off this summer and get the album ready. Either way.

I suppose I should be real about my book up front so there are no surprises. Since it will cost $40 up front, I’m going to ask that an agent take closer to 5% than his or her usual 10%. If the best agent I can find insists on 10%, I’ll do it for a limited time and retain the right to choose someone else down the road (if you get one thing from my site—let it be that all belief is radically rewarded). As I don’t have any plans to write five more books, and the bulk of promotions will come from other aspects of White Gold, they can expect a leisurely life themselves (if they so desire). But they gotta go to the mattresses when needed (so don’t give up your gym membership quite yet).

Then there’s the matter of a publisher. I can imagine a publisher who believes in a $40 book, on the outside chance that I can’t get to him or her, though, I’ll do the same thing. They can charge what ever they want up front, but I’m going to retain the pricing rights and ownership—gold master, etc. Maybe they get it for 5 years. Maybe 2. I don’t care about that either. But if they think I’m going to let them have my work for what authors usually get, well you can read it when I die (or buy a copy direct). Or never. I’m not even going to compete with what’s out there currently. God bless it. And if I do, it will be for as short as I can manage with as many measures of discouragement to the people I’m working with as possible. Anything else would be dysfunctional.

And as soon as I have $2 in my bank account, and am represented in every Borders, I’m gonna yank it and go to $40 with one of the new converts. Eventually, someone will just print it and distribute it for a couple of bucks a book ($7?). White Gold label only. If they don’t see how this benefits them, then there are plenty more people out there looking to produce and distribute successful products. In 10 years I expect the price to be at least $60. It’ll be as much a sourcebook for what’s happening as a good read. In my opinion.

But that’s the downside—not very appealing. Or very good salesmanship. Why not sell it exclusively at Amazon online and at Borders in the real world? Why not charge them for the privledge? This is how business works. It’s not like they’re the only game in town. Or are producing anything themselves. If they don’t want to the same thing. Flip it and jack up the price. They’ll get in now for a song—anyone will. And I’m not saying this just because I wrote the book—do it with a better book if you have one (and please send me one!). This will be commonplace as creatives come to realize and exercise their power in this idea, time, reality, and love-starved culture. The corporate world looks big and scary now, but the material world ain’t nothing but a sandwich. And you can’t eat two in a row. Bread is dirt cheap now. Love is rare. Where would you invest?

At some point it’s like shooting fish in a barrel, which is why I’m a bit dumbfounded it’s taking this long. It’s even rational. This is business’ language: a $40 book would get so much press for the price alone you wouldn’t have to spend much to promote it. Why bother. (Although to not do so would be a mistake). This whole book is a love virus. Ready to loven up the world. Loven up Western Culture. Loven up our damn neurotic dusiness. Dizz-I-ness. Busy-ness. Business. –Ask yourself this: How are we ever going to get more loving than the place we spend the bulk of our day and have the bulk of our interactions? (They had a great article in the paper the other day about how 20-somethings were creating a huge problem because they feel “entitled” to enjoy their work. So they leave lame jobs and look for something they like more. Good lord save us all. Hate dies hard—even self-hate).

What else? I’m wearing leather pants, if anyone cares. You’re certainly entitled not to. I kinda like them. They’re brown and nice leather, although in the interest of full disclosure I’ll admit I got them at the Brown Elephant Thrift Store for $15 I don’t really have. Fake it ‘til you make it, baby. Keep your hustle strong! I’ll be able to tell you soon if success comes as soon as you believe all the way.

Love to the love. Onward and Upward. Soft and tender kisses (theoretical ones—except for my future wife. Real ones for you, Sweetheart).