Attention Artists, Writers, Musicians, Poodle Groomers, and Horticulturalists:

Flier Exchange

If you aren't published with a mainstream press and you can't afford your own publicist, you may feel like you're huffing along on the side of the road, boinging on your pogo stick while the sports cars go buzzing by.  The truth is that all the free-standing kiosks in bookstores, and all the TV commercials on CNN, and all the glossy mailers in the world can't sell a book for which there is shitty word of mouth.

I've always found my best readers are people to whom the book has been recommended by a live person. And knowing this, I always try to recommend books to people I think would enjoy them. This is nice, but sometimes indy artist solidarity needs a physical manifestation.

Here's what I'm proposing. At the left are thumbnails of two of my promotional fliers for High Drama in Fabulous Toledo. Clicking on them will get you a PDF which you can print and hand to someone, or just forward on to a friend in an email. 

Email me and tell me what you did with my flier, and I'll try and do the same for you, if you include a PDF with your message. Go ahead and try to stump me. Hang it in a bookstore, drop it from an airplane, post it at your university, tuck it into your granny's knitting bag, leave it in the back of an airplane seat -- whatever. Let's get the word out about each other's doings. I promise to be as brave and helpful as you are, and this goes for anyone with something to promote, as long as it's not illegal or boring.

It's the confetti theory of promotions: Spread around enough little pieces of paper, and eventually someone's going to get one in their eye.

Below are links to the web sites of people who I like and who have helped me. Spreading the love means spreading information, so visit these sites, participate in the dialogue, make friends with each other. If you would like your site to appear on this list, let me know. If you know me and you wonder why you aren't here, the answer is that I probably couldn't immediately lay hands on your web address, or you don't have one. If you don't have one, let me know what link you'd like posted instead.

Clark Humphrey: http://www.miscmedia.com

Lance Olsen: http://www.cafezeitgeist.com

James Stevens-Arce: http://www.stevens-arce.com/

Elizabeth Treadwell: http://www.sptraffic.org

Fred Willard: http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/~fwillard

Finally, don't forget to sign up for the Lilylit Loveline on your way out through the exit. If you have anything you'd like announced to the list, like an event or publication or gallery show or concert, email it to the list, and I'll send it through.