Online Carnies and the Social Media Circus

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Folks have been raking muck for attention since we left the Garden of Eden. Human nature is a) constant and b) fallen, so stirring up controversy is an evergreen way to get eyes on you.

That’s one reason why online creatives can’t help but stir up eDrama. If you have a knack for raising Cain online, you can amass a following fast. Keeping a media circus-driven audience, however, is another matter.

For the curious and impatient, here’s the basic strategy: Find a scene in or adjacent to your industry, and get involved. Wait for conflict to crop up. Don’t worry, it will – inside your circle or with a rival group. Start throwing rocks at the other guy’s windshield. Whoever throws hardest, and with the pithiest notes tied to his brick, wins. Repeat when the next outrage comes along.

Now, that’s to explain the social media circus model, not condone it. Because like all shortcuts, fanning the flames of eDrama comes with a price tag.

I’m old enough to remember the era of Internet Bloodsports. From about 2016-2019, an incestuous cabal of YouTubers would go on each other’s streams and go at each other’s throats. Picture nightly methed-up Friars Club roasts.

What set IBS apart from garden variety flame wars was that a handful of prominent personalities accumulated big followings–and small fortunes.

But that was way back in the Trump years. Scan the online landscape now, and almost all of the IBS stars have moved on or even passed on.

The takeaway is you can only rattle the cage for so long. Everyone is gunning for the champ, but winning the title means pinning a target to your back.

That’s a lesson for creatives of every stripe, authors included. I took my turn slinging mud at the target of the month back during the Sad Puppies days. But then I noticed a pattern: Many of the followers I attracted with eDrama turned their attention elsewhere when I switched to talking about stuff that actually mattered.

Sure, a few might pick up a book or two. But they didn’t stick around to become regular readers.

That’s the eDrama trap. The audience it draws didn’t come for main act. They’re just here to catch the sideshow. What they crave are dopamine hits from seeing their tribe’s online enemies burned in effigy. And like all addicts, getting the same high takes ever-bigger doses. In the end, when you can’t give them their fix, the drama fiends drop you for more bombastic carnies.

Related: The eDrama Egg Timer

Your grandparents were right all along. Slow and steady wins the race.

Build your following by offering people valuable content consistently. Conduct yourself with integrity and professionalism. Put in the time and effort to learn effective marketing techniques.

You may not get a gold play button or a million bucks. But you can draw and maintain a dedicated audience who’ll show up for every new release. Treat them right, and a portion of your regular readers will graduate to become your patrons. Provide enough quality and consistency to retain both while growing your visibility, and you just might make a living.

What if Tolkien had written a novelization of Berserk? Find out in my captivating Arkwright Cycle. Book II: Lord of Fate, is funding right now on Kickstarter.

There’s just 1 week left to fund The Burned Book audio version! So don’t wait for the 11th hour. Unlock the audiobook in time for everyone to claim it. Back Lord of Fate now!