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This week: Don't Price Out Your Audience Edited by: Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline  
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Success can change everything. All of a sudden, you're at the top of your field. The money's rolling in... and it's tempting to get as much as you can while you can. But what about your base? Are you leaving them behind?
This week's Action/Adventure Newsletter is all about the temptation of money and how it can affect your audience.
Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline |
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I’m currently awaiting the countdown on the gnr.fm site , for an announcement that’s been hyped up by billboards and social media but will, according to those generally in the know, come down to yet more expensive merchandise.
I remember when I could afford to be a Guns N’ Roses fan. When my pocket money bought me an Appetite for Destruction cassette that I played over and over until it was so worn out that the lyrics began to slur. Of course, when CDs became a thing, I purchased Appetite all over again, and Lies, and the Illusions, and "The Spaghetti Incident?”. I had t-shirts, patches for my jeans jacket, the “Making of” videos. I’ve had my own, personal GN’R adventures, which were possible because they were my kind of band. A band made up of members who knew what it was to not have much. They spoke to me, as a working class girl. They were authentic.
In 1993, I attended my first GN’R concert. My dad had bought me a ticket as well as a seat on a special bus that would take me to the other end of the country, where they were to perform. To say that I was over the moon would have been an understatement. It was a hot summer day, and the concert was in a field. Being a shorty, I’d managed to get all the way to the front – Guns fans tend to be a friendly lot and everyone reckoned that they could see just fine over my head. Security passed us bottles of water, which we’d take a sip of and pass to the people behind us. The atmosphere was electric. The show everything I’d dreamed of. To hear those lyrics performed live, to witness the intensity of Axl Rose in person, the artistry of Slash, the coolness of Duff, was a highlight of my younger years. It’s a beautiful thing when creator and audience connect.
It wasn’t until 2006 when I saw them again. By then, Axl Rose was the only remaining member out of the Appetite 5. That didn’t matter to me, because I’m mostly about the vocals. I’d managed to get two tickets to front row seats in the second block by the stage for under £100, and had an amazing time.
In 2012, my sister and I were to go to a Guns concert and again I got a good deal – two tickets to the first block by the stage for just over £100. Unfortunately, that concert wasn’t meant to be for us. My sister was unable to fly over, and I was ill that day, so I passed on the tickets to a friend of a friend who, thankfully, was delighted to have the opportunity to see them.
Everything changed during the time I’d signed up to their official fan club. Back then, you could become a member for £15 a year, which was worth it. A few months after I joined the prices rose and rose – a semi-reunion was announced. Slash and Duff rejoining the band was great, of course. Put them and Axl together and you’ve got chemistry. What surrounded them getting back together was a lot less great. There was a push to sell, sell, sell, anything and everything, from $100 polyester pillows to a $100,000 Axl Rose watch .
I would have loved to attend a reunion show. I wasn’t able to. A mere four years after I’d last purchased tickets, decent seats would have cost me seven times the amount I’d paid before. Even seats all the way at the back of the stadium, where you’re basically watching the screens rather than the people on the stage, were far beyond what you’d expect. I pointed out this steep price rise on the official forum. I mentioned how, if the reunion were "for the fans", as had always been stated would be the case if it were to happen, this wasn't quite the way to go, because a lot of people wouldn't be able to join in with the celebration. In response, I ended up bullied by some of the most prominent members. Real fans would pay anything, they said. In fact, the fan club should raise its membership fees even more as that would get rid of haters like me. I was called various names, and the site moderation didn’t do anything about it.
Instead of attending a show, then, I watched footage online. Shaky cellphone recordings that I was grateful for, because it was better than nothing. Regardless of being sat at home, I had tears in my eyes when I saw them back together, playing Coma which hadn’t been played in a long while – history was being made. It did hurt that I couldn’t be there just because being a mature student, I’m not exactly rolling in cash.
Since then, official social media accounts are all about selling this and selling that. A jacket for $500, anyone? Or, $250 for a denim vest ? You can have a fleece blanket for $70... The fleece blanket on my bed cost me $20 and is super warm and fluffy. It’s got a snow leopard on.
It’s weird to me that GN’R has morphed from being a working class band to one that’s attempting to appeal to the middle classes. I’m betting that if there is a box set coming out, it’s not going to be cheap. The word “deluxe” kind of gives that away.
It may sound like I’m a Moaning Myrtle here, and I guess that I am. Just... it made me think of how, as artists, we’ve got to be careful not to alienate our base. Most of us on this site will publish stories, poems and/or novels, which most of our readers will be able to afford. But there’s always the temptation that if we engage with our readers, we’ll go to expensive conventions rather than sit in book shops where anyone can have a moment with us, a little chat, and get something signed. Such encounters can mean a lot to those who have invested time and money in our products.
The lure of exclusive events is especially great for action/adventure writers (and fantasy and sci-fi writers). And they can be a fun option, but it’s good to run them alongside other events.
I also know that there are lyricists on this website, who may go on to big careers in the music industry. For those, I recommend thinking about who you want as your base. If you write music aimed at people like you, and you place value on authenticity, what will happen when you become successful? Will you leave that base behind? Who will replace them?
The artist/audience bond is a special one. At its best, it’s reciprocal. The artist creates a product. The audience engages with this product, allowing the artist to keep on creating. There are limits to this bond, of course. I don’t agree with those readers who give George R. R. Martin grief because he hasn’t yet completed The Winds of Winter. Art happens at its own pace – it cannot be forced. But it is good to treat the other with kindness and respect. Imagine if he were to release the book at $250 a copy, implying that he only values those readers who have that amount of disposable income? It would – rightly – not go down well.
I realise that for musicians, concerts are where the money is at these days. Still, if in 2012 there was enough money to be made when selling tickets for several times less than they were in 2016, and than they are are now, there’s no real justification for raising the prices to such an extent. People do buy those tickets. The shows sell out. Not really surprising, though, when I see footage of fans standing around chatting rather than watching the stage, staring at their phones rather than engaging with the performance. When an artist changes, so does the artistic experience.
Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline
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Some contests that might inspire you:
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The Mental Health Challenge is open for a new round:
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I will be a judge for this month, and I look forward to reading your entries. 
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Announcement:
"The Quills" [ASR] 2017 ceremonies are coming! The dates and times have been set, so please make a note in your diary:
"Note: Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please!! ..."
The Quill Awards are always worth your time. The event highlights amazing work in a wide variety of genres and categories. There will be two live shows hosted by Elle - on hiatus  and attended by various other authors. Like last year, I plan on attending both of the shows, so I hope to see you there. 
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Action/Adventure Newsletter Team
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Action/Adventure: May 02, 2018 Issue [#8882]
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