• xionzui@lemmynsfw.com
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    18 hours ago

    It’s a reasonable concern for a publisher. A book being good doesn’t necessarily sell books. But having a famous name on it does.

    • peregrin5@lemm.ee
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      16 hours ago

      You can be a master with 30 years experience in something like pottery, but you will make less money than an amateur who started doing pottery this year who has even a moderate Instagram following if you don’t have any social media presence.

      You have to whore yourself to the masses if you want to make money in art or literature.

      • Grimtuck@lemmy.world
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        18 hours ago

        Instructions unclear. I’ve literally whored myself to the masses and I don’t know how to make pottery.

      • huppakee@lemm.ee
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        18 hours ago

        You have to whore yourself to the masses if you want to make money in art or literature.

        I think that has been the case since forever maybe. Most people use the verb to market because it sounds less awful, but it’s not like a medieval painter got a job without having made a name for themself. Same for dancers, actors, scriptwriters etc. It is much easier to sell people people food and beer and sweaters and baskets and whatnot. Marketing your work is as essential to running your business (= making a living) as managing finances. I can understand you don’t like this, but it’s not really been different.