I Publish My Work Independently
I don’t use the phrase “I self-publish.”
I hate that phrase, it sounds like our work is amateur. The attitude seems to be if you don’t have someone else publishing your work then it must not be very good.
BULLSHIT!
As an Independent Filmmaker for 40+ years, I handled everything myself. I didn’t have an agent, or a distributor, and I didn’t want one.
I make films because I have to. I have stories I need to tell. I wrote my own scripts, made the films, and distributedthem. I have never said “I self-make my films.” I am an independent filmmaker.
I write books for the same reasons. I have stories I need to tell. So I write them, publish them, and distribute them. I call that being an Independent Author.
Why am I not interested in agents, distributors, or publishing houses? I have nothing against any of them. What I am against is having to prove my work is salable, commercial enough for an outside individual or company to believe they could make money off of me. That’s really what it boils down to, making money off of someone else.
When I started off, I made a documentary film. It was a subject I was very interested in, and wanted others to know about it as well. A distributor was interested and we signed a contract. For three years, I worked my ass off making that film. I spent a lot of my own money, and a ton of time on it. I signed a pretty good contract and the distributor was/is a very honest company. They worked hard to get my film out into the marketplace, where it did pretty good.
When I started getting statements I was appalled by how little I made, and how much they made. Of course you can say they put a lot of resources into getting my film, and others, out into the market. That is correct. And of course, “They know the market.” and by signing with them I didn’t have to think about distribution and could go on and make more films. Which I’m sure they would want to distribute as well.
But I believe, considering the amount of time and money I put in, that I deserve a bigger share of the profits. And here is the problem as I see it. It is the artists that put in their time, their talent, and often their own money. And then, at the end a business person comes in and takes all of that, packages it and they truly believe they are owed a bigger share of the pot than the person who created the work.
Our society convinces artists of all types that they need business people to get their work out. Without them our work is worthless and will never make money, which is the most important thing in our society.
This is why I loved the original punk/DIY movement. They said “fuck it”, and put their work out themselves. They sold it at their shows and appearances. I remember Les Blank coming to the NW Film Study Center, showing his films and selling copies (along with t-shirts and other merchandise), to the audience afterwards. I’m sure there were other filmmakers doing this as well, but he was the first one I saw do it.
From 2005 to 2012, I travelled across the US, well over fourteen times, in a van with my 120 pound Chocolate Lab, Moses. We did around 180,000 miles, showing my films and doing readings at Independent theaters, media arts centers, colleges, universities, bookstores, even bars. Wherever I could get a screening or a reading. But that’s a story for a different time...
One of my problems with submitting work to others is, You are hoping that someone else deems your work worthy of an audience, based solely on it’s commercial appeal.
I get it if you’re a small publisher or distributor and you believe in someone’s work. You want to promote it but you need to make your costs back as well. I have no problem with that.
Jeff Bezos Doesn’t Need Any More Of Your Money
Personally, I don’t have time to wait for other people’s approval. Especially agents, lawyers, big publishers, and distributors. I put my work out there, promote it, and let others decide if they like it, by purchasing it from me.
If you know people who publish their own work, or distribute their own films, call them what they are, Independent Authors or Independent Filmmakers.
As usual, Thank You for reading, subscribing, and supporting my writing and filmmaking.
Remember, if you don’t like what I’m writing these days then unsubscribe. And don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
This is a story I wrote that combines what I know about one of my Grandfathers and my Step Grandfather. I never met my Grandfather and only met my Step Grandfather once when I was very young. I don’t remember him. My Uncles told me stories about both of them. They were both characters and no strangers to loss. It sure sounded like they both had interesting lives. I combined what I knew, and took a few liberties with their lives and came up with this story about a dying old man and the conversation he has with his stepson. Personally, I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever written.
This story appears in my collection, Dennis Barton Is A Bastard And Other Stories. This is just a few pages of the story.
If you like the story you can head over to my website (www.angryfilmmaker.com) and pick up a copy of the book. I would appreciate it.
Don’t let the bastards get to you!
Please Support Independent Artists! Even the crazy ones.
Check out my books, as well as my films, and Angry Filmmaker merchandise on my site. www.angryfilmmaker.com