A thousand billion yeses to this!! The entertainment is exploitive to creators on all fronts. By focusing small we combat the culture that they’ve created!
Dig this. Been trying to publish a novel traditionally for two years, and more and more it seems like direct-to-readers is the way to go. So much opportunity now to go punk-style and figure it out, without compromising profit or artistry for the corporations. And maybe get some street cred along the way
I was a big zine contributor when they first took off in the 1980s and 1990s, and I was there when “DIY” wasn’t a marketing slogan for Home Depot. Not only do I enthusiastically agree with you, but I like to note that so much of the noncommodified culture of the 1990s came from indie efforts, whether books, movies, music, comics, magazines, or art. This time around, we can include episodic television and feature-length film, and I cannot wait.
Paul! This is such an optimistic comment - I'm grateful you left it. Things probably won't go back to the way they were in the 80s/90s, but I'm confident that as creatives grow sick of ultra-commodification and branding and franchising and growth growth growth, we can steer our attention back to the very indie efforts you listed out. And you're right: we have more options now than before!
Love this!! My husband is in game development so we talk about this all the time. And I think the next post in my queue is on a very similar topic. Couldn’t agree with you more ❤️
He is actually just jumping ship from his company which is in rough shape to another one that seems really promising on paper but doesn’t have much of a history so it’s really scary 🫣
OY startups are so nerve-wracking. “Promising but no history” sums it up so well. I sincerely hope he finds that it’s a good match and that he’s able to stay there a long while! 🤞🏻
Yes yes yes, I love this! What's your take on indie publishers? I get the sense that they're not a big thing in the US yet, but I think quite a few have been sprouting up in the UK and Brazil. A friend of mine recently published her book of short stories with an indie press in Brazil and her experience was a bit like self-publishing - she still has to do all her marketing, sales, distribution, etc - but she still got her book in print at the publisher's expense, didn't need to hire an artist for the cover, etc. I feel like the traditional publishing industry is becoming a bit stale and risk-averse and indie publishers could shake things up.
“As creatives, it’s our responsibility support each other because we’re small, not in spite of that fact.” Absolutely
So much this!!! My massive art print collection agrees!!
Omg, I have so many art prints that I have an excess folder in my garage 🫠 need more wall space
A thousand billion yeses to this!! The entertainment is exploitive to creators on all fronts. By focusing small we combat the culture that they’ve created!
Exactly! And we give creatives who might otherwise be skipped over a chance to thrive. :)
How did I miss this zine?! Purchased!!
Aaahhh thank you so much Ash!!! 🥹 I hope you love it. Miss you!! 🤍
I love indie creatives and I really think they are the ones running the industries💛
Dig this. Been trying to publish a novel traditionally for two years, and more and more it seems like direct-to-readers is the way to go. So much opportunity now to go punk-style and figure it out, without compromising profit or artistry for the corporations. And maybe get some street cred along the way
Heck yes! You deserve to share your creation with the world—and at least that way you'd maintain control!
I was a big zine contributor when they first took off in the 1980s and 1990s, and I was there when “DIY” wasn’t a marketing slogan for Home Depot. Not only do I enthusiastically agree with you, but I like to note that so much of the noncommodified culture of the 1990s came from indie efforts, whether books, movies, music, comics, magazines, or art. This time around, we can include episodic television and feature-length film, and I cannot wait.
Paul! This is such an optimistic comment - I'm grateful you left it. Things probably won't go back to the way they were in the 80s/90s, but I'm confident that as creatives grow sick of ultra-commodification and branding and franchising and growth growth growth, we can steer our attention back to the very indie efforts you listed out. And you're right: we have more options now than before!
It won’t be like the 1990s: it’ll definitely be different, and that’s a very good thing by itself.
Absolutely! I’m going the indie pub route myself and I’m so excited about it🤩
I like this a lot, with AI, now is the time to support passion projects!
this was so nicely put! i love the zucchini doodle
Aw thank you so much! 🥒
Love this!! My husband is in game development so we talk about this all the time. And I think the next post in my queue is on a very similar topic. Couldn’t agree with you more ❤️
I can’t wait to read your take! I hope your husband has been having an okay time with everything going on lately 🫶🏻🎮
He is actually just jumping ship from his company which is in rough shape to another one that seems really promising on paper but doesn’t have much of a history so it’s really scary 🫣
OY startups are so nerve-wracking. “Promising but no history” sums it up so well. I sincerely hope he finds that it’s a good match and that he’s able to stay there a long while! 🤞🏻
Yes yes yes, I love this! What's your take on indie publishers? I get the sense that they're not a big thing in the US yet, but I think quite a few have been sprouting up in the UK and Brazil. A friend of mine recently published her book of short stories with an indie press in Brazil and her experience was a bit like self-publishing - she still has to do all her marketing, sales, distribution, etc - but she still got her book in print at the publisher's expense, didn't need to hire an artist for the cover, etc. I feel like the traditional publishing industry is becoming a bit stale and risk-averse and indie publishers could shake things up.
Yes yes yes to all of this!!