Paulo Coelho gets dirty...in a good way
I just came across an article in Newsweek, "Free Speech" discussing Paulo Coelho's recent marketing tactics. It appears that to HarperCollins unawares, Coelho has been offering readers free downloads of his books, in languages from German to Japanese and everywhere in between. Coelho says that along with more traditional marketing tactics for authors including book signings, readings and reviews, free downloads has increased his readership.
This ongoing fight in regards to who owns the internet, who gets paid off the internet and how people are paid from using the internet as a means of dispersing their art has caused its fair share of wars in various industries, most notably and recently, television. I think as an artist (and alchemist), our first inclination is to make the best art that we can and to get it out to as many people who will receive (If your first inclination for your art is to make money off of it, then you're no longer an artist -- you're a mechanic.)
Business folk are not on the creating end, yet they do want to make as much money as they can on the dispensing end. Further, nothing can be free if you're art is linked to the business -- even if it is dispersed freely there is always a means to the end and that comes in the form of advertising. Hence, if Coelho formed a partnership with, let's say, BitTorrent and allowed them to disperse free copies of his book embedded with advertising -- then both parties make money and of course, the fans are happy because they get to read some of the best writing around for free. Further, if Coelho formed a partnership with, lets say, YouTube and offered free vidcasts of his performed readings from around the world, then YouTube can make money off of the advertising embedded in the video and fans will be happy because they can view footage of Coelho live.
It may sound pretty simple and some of you may believe that placing advertisements in your art is like selling your soul to the devil, but I disagree. I think advertising in this form -- be it, you get the opportunity to choose what advertiser you would like supporting your art -- helps to balance the scales. I believe in the power of ad-supported content. Hopefully, with this, the word(s) "piracy" and "a free Internet" wont seem as dirty.
GREAT QUOTE
"I always thought that when, at the beginning of your career, you
strive to be read, you can't change your mind later and become greedy
about it," P.
Coehlo
Sayo is Currently Reading: The Pilgrimage by Paul Coelho; National Geographic "Black Pharaohs," February 2008.
Sayo is Currently Listening to: Her Band's Demos -- Bella Bella
