It used to be that an author could rise to a position of some cultural influence. I’m not just talking about inspiring future generations through their books. Think of J.K. Rowling and Stephen King for examples of celebrity authors whose public statements carry a lot of water in certain quarters. They’re among the more recent writers to be handed the megaphone. They’re also among the last.
Time was, if you happened to pen a breakout novel and the high rollers in New York liked the cut of your jib, not only would they keep cutting you Big Book Deals™, they’d make sure their friends at the trade mags and major newspapers reviewed your books. Meanwhile, their buddies in Hollywood got rolling on the film adaptations, which you’d be slotted to gab about on the daytime talk show circuit.
That’s all well and good. Getting talented and profitable authors onto the A list is what publishers are supposed to do. To this day, every writer who signs away 85% of his profits to a New York publisher does so in the hope that they’ll make him the next King or Rowling. The fact that publishers don’t have that kind of muscle anymore is one of the main reasons why NY publishing is now a scam.
The problem with the old media machine–at least as far as half the country is concerned–is how the machine picked who got the magic carpet rides. If you think they were running a meritocracy where rookies got scouted for the majors based on ability, you haven’t been paying attention.
By their fruits shall you know them. King uses his megaphone to agitate for disarming innocent people as atheist Democrats off their meds play DIY Nero. Rowling’s work has been embraced by the future cat lady food hive mind as their One Allegory.
Again, that’s not an accident.
The Left play to win. Ideological nepotism is a winning strategy, and the Leftists who control big publishing, the news media, and Hollywood have no qualms about playing favorites. Their monolithic in-group preference is why they’ve been able to push the Overton window ever leftward and thereby frame every national debate for at least 50 years.
For a minute there, it looked like normal people were about to build our own parallel Machine. Now it’s pretty clear that’s not in the cards. Our side’s pragmatism, individualism, and tendency to care about profits–ironically all traits you’d normally look for in successful entrepreneurs–keep us from enforcing the rigid ideological discipline and devotion to the cause over commercial success that’s seen the Left march from victory to victory.
If you’re a morally and intellectually sane writer who’s been waiting for a non-converged publishing, media, and film making apparatus to be put in place before unveiling your literary masterpiece, I’ve got bad news for you.
Not only is the cavalry not coming, the senior officers got into a big row over who should be in charge. And they can’t stop bickering over which direction to ride in. And those who initially led the charge keep having ADD attacks and veering off toward new objectives every time the wind changes. Now the more talented fighters are retiring to take more lucrative and lower profile civilian consulting jobs.
Much like the enlisted men in Apocalypse Now, us grunts are on our own. But there’s more than one way to win a culture war. The Lefty media-entertainment complex rode the second gen command and control model to victory. #GamerGate pioneered an even more effective strategy: a decentralized revolt that relies on a standalone complex of individual ops to break the corrupt media.
Authors drew a lucky hand this round. Thanks to Amazon, it’s easier than ever to get your book to market and even make a living from your writing–especially now that Nick Cole and Jason Anspach have figured out how to beat the algorithm.
The cavalry ain’t comin’. Don’t wait to be asked. Don’t ask for permission. Go out there and do some damage. We’re completely surrounded.The poor bastards can’t get away from us now!
>the future cat lady food hive
I see what you did there. Granted given the passage of time, it's the same thing.
>the senior officers got into a big row over who should be in charge. And they can't stop bickering over which direction to ride in. And those who initially led the charge keep having ADD attacks and veering off toward new objectives every time the wind changes
Yet another lesson to take from gamergate. No leaders. Not only are essential targets for Alinsky tactics, those who appoint themselves leaders are often the least capable of leading. Lead yourself.
>The cavalry ain't comin'
When the organized army falters, never underestimate the ragtag militia.
"No leaders. Not only are essential targets for Alinsky tactics, those who appoint themselves leaders are often the least capable of leading. Lead yourself."
Amen
"When the organized army falters, never underestimate the ragtag militia."
Calling all Wolverines.
I'm not sure if you saw Tempest K. Bradford's acolytes berating Dawn Witzke on Twitter for saying agents are useless, but man is it a sight to see.
They really have no idea the pillars of their palace are falling down around them and about to crush them to death.
It would be sad if these people didn't do this to themselves.
That was entertaining.
Fiction writers as a group have the worst case of Stockholm syndrome I've ever seen.
"They really have no idea the pillars of their palace are falling down around them and about to crush them to death."
Therein lies the paradox. Going all-in for the cause, even to the extent of taking heavy financial losses, won the culture for the Left. But the overreach and business ineptitude that ensure the impossibility of social justice convergence are what's making them burn their own house down.
On the other hand, the Right's laser focus on ROI to the exclusion of any ideological factors whatsoever leaves the door open for SJW convergence.
"Fiction writers as a group have the worst case of Stockholm syndrome I've ever seen."
We really do. It's like the woman being beaten by her boyfriend who turns on the white knight that comes to her rescue.
"On the other hand, the Right's laser focus on ROI to the exclusion of any ideological factors whatsoever leaves the door open for SJW convergence."
This is why the Current-Year Right can't be trusted with The Culture.
They'll all have to be recycled, just like the Alt-Left.
Job security, am I right?
You are correct.
I hate how these last few years have proven that everything Christian conservatives said about Harry Potter is more or less true. Sure, there probably aren't many Potter fans who actually engage in spirit cooking, but they're still fighting alongside those who do practice it.
"…everything Christian conservatives said about Harry Potter is more or less true."
That's a bold statement.
Brian
A good call to arms. We're back to thr late medieval/early modern period. Writers would write stuff and then send ot to publisher who then publiahed the stuff. The public would then buy and read .
I completely agree with you:we don't need permission we just do it.
And the Kindle revolution has opened the doors. I bet if Amazon or Netflix were yruly 'diabolical' they could do something similar for movies/ t.v. shows. Imagine self published shows. Yeah terrifying but there'll be some
gems
xavier
Amazon Video has them. And yes they are cringe inducing.
No doubt but with time there'll be some gems