Debra J. Dickerson's Third BookOrganized by Debra J. Dickerson |
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For Those of You Who Are Unfamiliar with my Work
It just occurs to me that I should provide a few links to my writing.
Here are a few of my greatest hits: Salon, Too Sexy for my Shirt Salon, Not In My Backyard Either Salon, Raising Cain Salon, Old School I'll post more when I finish kicking myself for -- you guessed it--missing Imus yesterday. Am Still Kicking Myself for Missing My Shot with Don Imus
Pathetic tech issues kept me off the air yesterday. Mine, certainly not Don's. Consummate professional that he is, I can only pray he gives me another shot. Eventually.
Argh! Doing Imus 630 am tomorrow/Tuesday
Will be talking up this project. Will provide a link for those of y'all lucky enough not to be up that early.
Will Believe It When I See It
Comcast, by way of covering its ass, is mumbling about providing $20M in venture capital for minority new media stuff.
This is really about smoothing the way towards buying GE's NBC Universal, but what the hell? I took the survey. BTW: "minority" doesn't just mean black or brown? Be creative. Good to know I'm not Alone
Farai Chideya, an excellent, very hardworking journalist I've known for years, has added her 'two cents' in on my gambit. She writes, after acknowledging my struggle to keep working at my craft:
"Like many people, I have had to make my own decisions in this economy. I chose to roll the dice and freelance while exploring new business opportunities. I have been lucky enough to find various ways to pay for what was essentially a year of learning to be an entrepreneur. In this past year I have done everything from earning money doing social media consulting for media companies and nonprofits; lecturing at universities on the future of journalism and the role of participatory culture and social media in journalismâ??s evolution; taking technology classes; moderating events of many shapes and sizes and constituents (including TedxOilSpill); and taking a LOT of meetings just to inform myself about the business environment and what role I might play in it. What I have not been doing a lot of is journalism. I found it was actually harder to support myself doing journalism than it was to admit that I could make more money in less time doing other things and to focus on raising the capital for my new project. Thanks, Farai. Makes my day to know that those of us who take our craft seriously and work hard at it (as opposed to those who bring you all the news that's fit to print about whether or not Lindsay Lohan is wearing underwear) have each other's backs. Update
Have raised $856 so far! Unbelievable!
I'll be on Imus Tuesday at 630 am talking about the project. More soon and THANKS!!! OK. About five hours in and...drum roll please...
Have received $10 from the chick who is my new best friend and the one chick I would go gay for!
IF her payment clears paypal. Just kidding hairlyleggedfeminist@biteme.com Also received 18 'out of office cuz I got a job w/benefits be-yotch. You know it's summer, right?' autoreplies and about eleventy-seven 'undeliverable' rebounds. Got this technology/marketing thing licked. Am off to great start! Be a Patron of the Arts: Support an Independent Author
The publishing industry and I have agreed to see other people. Of course, we're still friends, but we just don't understand each other any more. So I turn to you, the reading public, for help in doing my job.
I don't know if you've noticed, but the internet has body-slammed traditional journalism and publishing into gibbering madness. No one knows anything about what's going on, and in an atmosphere like this, my options are a) to continue writing for free (see: blogging/writing for websites none of which can pay a living wage), b) get a real job (believe me, I've tried), c) or hope that my DIY attempt to self-publish will succeed. So, here's my brilliant plan: raise $75,000 to support three or so months of reporting then six-nine months of writing, exploit a college kid as a part-time, minimum-wage research assistant (plus all the coffee he/she can drink), hire an editor to save me from myself before it's too late and -- TA DA -- master the mysteries of self-publishing and the beast of technology. Genius, right? You'll love the kicker. I plan to give the finished product away for free. Well, free up to the break-even point, if that point ever comes. Free in e- and audiobook format. The print-on-demand thing'll cost 'em. My inspiration in all this is some strange, internet loving writer named Cory Doctorow. He learned to love all this technology early and is conducting an experiment which I am hereby aping. I've read his explanation a million times and almost understand it. Check it out for yourself here. Then explain it to me. I've spent the years since the internet destroyed my world fighting it. It's time to capitulate and embrace it. It's also time to accept that, two successful books and a solid journalism career notwithstanding, those of us who are not Stephen King will be writing for peanuts. OK. Just let me be in charge of distributing the peanuts. I'd give up writing if I could, but I can't. I'm hoping that serious readers are willing to chip-in to keep folks like me afloat. What's the book about, you ask? You know I can't say. Or, at least, not until it's well underway so I'm not ripped off. So, that's it from me. You can check out my blog here and follow me on twitter here for regular updates. |
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