Fan To Pro - The Blog of Professional Geekery

Vaporized by Fire

Okay, we know the Kindle Fire is selling like crazy. To absolutely nobody's surprise, it's cutting into iPad sales this Christmas. (What is surprising, though, is that Apple's own MacBook Air is also cutting into iPad sales. So much for all those predictions of the death of the laptop at the hands of the tablet.)

However, at least one analyst says that the Fire is going to get so big, it's going to vaporize other Android tablets. Yes, that is the exact word that Evercore Partners' Robert Cihra used - vaporize. Pretty strong, isn't it? 

Making Stuff That People Will Want To Share

If you’re promoting your video/comic/whatever online, you’re probably hoping it will go viral.  Here are some things to keep in mind that will help it along.

1. It’s About The User
Think of the last few links you forwarded to your friends.  Were they cute kitten pictures that showed you have a softer side?  Was there a funny video that implies you have a great sense of humour for appreciating it?  Maybe it was an article about something complicated yet important, thus showing you’re on the ball about current events.

Make your video say something good about those who like it.  That is, make it funny or clever, so people will want to affiliate those characteristics with themselves.  Forwarding a kitten picture doesn’t just say, “here’s a kitten.”  It says “my name is _____ and I like cute kittens.”

2. It’s About Being Useful
We forward things for a reason.  We want to entertain, inform, or cheer up our friends.  If your video does not do any of those things, it is less likely to be forwarded.  This is why simple things like, “I have an owl, so your argument is invalid” will come up often enough in chats but indie film trailers do not. 

Your video can’t just be good in and of itself.  It has to relate to other things that people will do.  That’s the only way the link will be repeated.

3. It’s About Association
Does your video have a signature image or catchphrase that will be repeated later?  It couldn’t hurt.  I’m not saying you have to force a silly word into your video for its own sake, but it helps if people have something to remember your video by.  If you can incorporate a phrase that people would want to repeat, then you have a better chance of making it go viral.

4. It’s About People
If one person tries to start a meme all by themselves, it will probably fizzle out.  If several people pick it up right at the start, it stands a much better chance.  Therefore, you can ask your friends to pass it along. 

-Tamara Hecht

Launch or Be Lunch, Day 17 - Originality is SO Original, Part 2: Composition is Not a Crime

Aaaaaaand we're back.  Yesterday, we talked about the concepts of originality vs. unoriginality, and why unoriginality isn't rated high enough or that originality is overrated; in the end, it's how you treate the unoiriginality in an unoriginal manner.  In a sense, it's like the concept of Fair Use in copyright: it's the transformative and new meaning to the source that counts.

And now it's time to get into that little shibboleth. Hang on to your pens and pencils, boys and girls, because what I'm about to say is probably going to turn a few heads at best and floor people at worst.  Also, because I could go forever on the subject and all its different permutations, I'm only going to stick to how it related to manga and comics; I'll acknowledge that it happens all too often in other media and others can cover that better than I can.  

So with that, let's get started.

Launch or Be Lunch, Day 22 - Fonts, Part 1: Comic Sans MUST DIE

Okay, for today's little lesson, I'm going to be sending you to another site.  Yeah, really.  I want you to go here, look it over, and then come back.  No worries, we'll be right here when you return. 

Okay, for those of you who are convinced, you can just skip the next sentence.  For those of you who still think Comic Sans is a whimsical, cute font, read this, then meet me after the jump.

Launch or Be Lunch: 30 Days to Production

Hello, all, this is Rob Barba of Megami Studios.  I'm writing this article series for the wonderful folks here at Fan to Pro detaililng the launch of our primary series Claude & Monet.  After all, what better way to show moving from fans to professional geeks than to do it right before the cameras?  During the next 30 days (okay, well, 29, since we started late), either myself or Ayne Hart (the studio artist) will be presenting what we're doing while prepping for launch, from the high points to the low, from the scars to the bottles of aspirin, and everything in between.  You'll also get to see some of the behind the scenes look at what it takes to launch a work; even at the end of the 30-day-period, when there's just one starting page on the screen, it takes a lot more than people tend to realize, and we're putting that out there for you.

Now, one bit of warning: we're showing you all the ugly sides.  Which means that oftentimes, we're going to have opinions that may be different than the standard (because when you really want to make a good impression, start insulting people...right.....) and that many might vastly disagree with.  Well, that's what the comments section below is for.  Voice your opinions!  Let them fly!

And with that....

The Post Mortem

If you are part of a regular publication, or a product that has regular release dates, I recommend doing a “post mortem” analysis after each new edition.  Pick out a few things that worked well.  Pinpoint the things that didn’t work out so well, and brainstorm ways to improve. 

The Production Revolution Isn't For All: Money

I've been spending the last few columns on the Production Revolution, the changes in technology that let any of us produce media.  Specifically I've been bringing up the factors that limit people from taking advantage of the  tools and technologies available to them and making successful media careers or side businesses.  I've discussed the limiting factors of lack of time, the lack of technical skill, and the lack of marketing skill.

I'm not finished discussing the traumatic truths of the Production Revolution limits yet - I've got one more reason why the new tools and tech out there aren't going to turn everyone into a potential artist, musician, or popular author.

Money.

Mobipocket, Kindle, and More: My Amazon Publishing Experience.

I'm happy to say I've gotten both Fan To Pro and Progeek Rising up at Amazon for Kindle.  So of course in the interest of progeekery and self-publishing, it's time for me to tell you about my experiences of converting and publishing my book to Kindle format and Kindle itself.

The Production Revolution Isn't For All: Marketing

You're hoping to leverage the Production Revolution to get out your novel, your music, your comic, what have you.  I've been covering the reasons that the new tools for media creation and distribution aren't going to turn everyone into a potential media success (such as time and technical skill) and I'm going to continue to rain on the parade by noting another factor: marketing ability.

The Production Revolution Isn't For All: Technology

As I noted in my last column on the subject, the Production Revolution (the ability technology gives us to make many media and technical products) isn't going to make everyone an instant author/artist/whatever.  There were multiple limits, and the first limit I noted was some people don't have time time.

So let me continue, depressingly, on another factor that's going to keep the talented from realizing their goals.  Technical Skill.