Re: Nick Gravenities

Thanks for paying tribute to Nick.

I have a lot of great memories of Nick.

It’s interesting that he has a current album out. I’m honored to have played on it while remembering rehearsing with Nick in his parents basement in Chicago in the early 60s. So much happened between then and now that it’s hard to remember it all, but I’ve got stories.

I hope Nick passed peacefully.

-Charlie Musselwhite

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Re: Nick Gravenities

Thanks for posting about Nick. Such a unique fixture in the start of white Chicago blues and the west coast rock and roll.

We released his last album in April, “Rogue Blues.” The recording were from 2022 and 2023 and produced by Pete Sears with Charlie Musselwhite, Jimmy Vivino, and Lester Chambers.

Mark Carpentieri
M.C. Records

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Re: How are you coping with the hurricane

Still no power. There is a very little cell service or Internet, where we live as well. We have to drive to Greenville to get full service, which is about 20 minutes away. Talking Friday ETA for it to be restored. The number of trees down here is really hard to explain, so widespread, so random. Generators running all over the neighborhood. The mountains in North Carolina are absolutely devastated. Big tree landed on my parents house. Overall though, we are perfectly fine and very lucky. Thanks for asking.

Marty Winsch

At about 3am Friday morning they reported the the storm was tracking 50-70 miles east of what they forecasted putting us right in the path of the eye which meant more wind, but making it less of a rain event. The issue was the 5-12 inches of rain we received the days prior to the hurricane so the ground was already saturated. So, when the winds came, it was game over for thousands of trees, power lines, the electrical grid.

My mindset? I retired in July so things were weird already. This just was the next weird thing. I’m fine, focused on helping as many people as I can. The lines for gas, stores being out of food, having to drive for internet with hundreds of texts popping up once you hit the grid is a touch unnerving. But we’re fine compared to the folks in the mountains. They are cut off. Lots of suffering. Very sad.

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From: Rishon Blumberg

Subject: Re: Re-Nova Festival Exhibition

I’m the son of a holocaust survivor. My mother passed two years ago. I’m thankful she hasn’t had to experience what is happening now. That said, it wouldn’t surprise her.

I went to the exhibit when it was in NYC. It was, I believe, the only night a massive, organized pro-Palestinian protest engulfed the exhibit block and we were trapped inside for over an hour. While I personally wasn’t overly worried for my safety, people who were on line to enter when the protest arrived were terrified. Security slowly let the most concerned into the exhibit to take shelter. One such woman was quite young and pregnant and with her husband. She was hysterically crying when they finally let her in. In the exit room where we all waited, a minion formed and prayers were audible. A few survivors (which was part of the program) were speaking to some of us about what they experienced.  I was watching some of what was going on outside via the Citizen app. The organizers did a good job of trying to keep everyone calm but as time passed, as you can imagine, people were getting more and more agitated.  Luckily this was NYC and the middle of the financial district so the police mobilized fairly quickly. When we were finally let out, the police helped guide myself, my wife and our friend to a safe path through the streets to avoid the remaining protestors.

The entire event was quite surreal, from the exhibit itself to what transpired afterwards.  One minute you feel totally safe, the next, not so much.

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Subject: Re: The Nova Exhibition

I agree with every word of this Bob.

I went to Israel for the first time in March and I am 56 years old. I wanted to bear witness and volunteer. Going to the Nova site and seeing with my own eyes that patch of land in the Negev where these beautiful young adults, my own three children’s ages were brutally raped, tortured, murdered and stolen tore me apart in ways I will never be able to put into words.

It’s always been hard to be Jewish carrying the history of our ancestors and now more so than ever. I wouldn’t exist if not for that small piece of land in the desert. My maternal great great grandparents escaped the Pogroms in Belarus in the late 1800’s to live there. My Great Great Grandfather was buried in 1926 in Mt Olive cemetery behind the Wailing Wall.

Tragic. The world truly feels upside down and I have never felt more scared for the future of that beautiful country filled with people of all religions.  The most misunderstood country and all because of hatred for the Jews.  It really is that simple. Otherwise there would have been peace long ago.

Renee Litt, LMFT

www.reneelitttherapy.com

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From: Karen Ruttner

Subject: Re: Re-Nova Festival Exhibition

Date: September 25, 2024 at 7:39:18 AM PDT

I live in Union Square in NYC. I’ve lost count of how many “Free Palestine” protests have disrupted my daily existence. Now that NYU is back in session, I fear it’s only going to get worse. Last night, for about an hour, there was a full MARCHING BAND and DANCE TROUPE with what was clearly a rehearsed performance on 14th street chanting things like “f*ck Israel” and “f*ck the oppression”. This generation of “students” who have gleaned the bulk of their education from TikTok and other social media are chilling me to the bone.

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Subject: Re: Re-JD Souther

Since hearing of J.D.’s passing I’ve thought a lot this past week about the amazing door our band America stepped through into the L.A. music scene in 1972. At that time in our new career while living in London, we were suddenly given a management offer by long-distance phone call. A phone call we could not refuse…from David Geffen and Elliot Roberts. Would we like to join their stable of artists at their Lookout Management office on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles? We couldn’t get on a plane fast enough! In retrospect we were dropped in the deep end of that pool as 3 young American songwriters arriving on the strength of our #1 first album with the #1 single Horse With No Name, and we thought we knew how it was done! But we were far from the seasoned artists we joined in those offices who had actually inspired us…CSN, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young among others! In addition we met artists we were not so familiar with around the office…Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey with this new band called the Eagles, David Blue, Judee Sill, etc…and a guy named J.D. Souther. We began recording our 2nd album as soon as we settled, and Geffen began arranging our first major tour of the U.S. playing large venues, arenas etc. We had only played a week at the Whiskey a Go Go in L.A. on a club tour as our introduction to the U.S. earlier that year, before returning to London. We did not even have a rhythm section, as we were accustomed to sitting on three stools with just our acoustic guitars and our three-part harmony vocals.

And then we became aware that J.D. Souther would be our opening act for that first big tour (Jackson Browne would open the following tour) and we started hanging out together at rehearsals etc. From the beginning he was obviously his own man and experienced in ways we were not, and he had great songs and a beautiful voice. Being 7 years older and wiser with a wicked sense of humor we bonded on that tour and I remember being taken by his confidence and comfort in his own shoes as he stood alone at the mic, in front of what was actually our audience curious to see this upstart band coming out of nowhere with this huge hit record. J.D. had to endure some heckling at times and always rose to the occasion with a sharp response, “Hey I’ve only been doing this for a little while, you’ve probably been an asshole you’re entire life!” He would sometimes have his girlfriend at the time, Linda Ronstadt, fly out for a few days as we would stay out for 2-3 months in those days of long tours. And we would get him out to sing now and then for the finale…a grand time was had by all! 

That was a great tour and our formal initiation into that special group of artists and musicians that we interacted with for decades to come. The arrival of Irving Azoff with Joe Walsh was great news too, as we were fans by then, and Joe is still a good friend. Now it’s 50+ years later, and as with the passing of Glenn Frey 8 years ago, and having drifted away from most of those early friendships, I am saddened to know that we  have now lost J.D. and time continues to march on. May he rest in peace and spice things up out there in the somewhere!

Dewey Bunnell

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From: Jennifer Feeney

Subject: Re: Re-JD Souther

Hi Bob,

One of my favorite stories is about J.D. Souther. I hosted him in our Los Angeles showroom (Gibson) many years ago. Before he left, he pulled out his calling card—not a business card. It had his name, and just below that, the word ‘Songwriter.’ That was it. He then took out a pen and wrote his phone number on the back.

I thought to myself….classy.

Best,

Jennifer

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From: Jack Tempchin

Subject: Jackson Browne

I’m so glad you wrote about him.  That album from Japan is one of the BEST ALBUMS I EVER HEARD.  Peak of the magic for him.  Wow.

Then I looked at Running Down The Road…live 1972.

I was Shocked to find that he recorded Peaceful Easy Feeling…!!!!

What a guy, he sure did not have to include that song.

I had only heard him do the version where he stops in the middle, I never heard him do the entire song…..fantastic.

I will see him on September 29th at the Coach House in San Clemente.  There is a benefit for Richard Stekol, my old bandmate in the Funky Kings.  I will get to play a few songs with Richard and Greg Leisz, they both played in my bands for about 16 years.  It will be magic for me to play with them again.

And Jackson will be there and Honk will close the show…

Bob, I can’t thank you enough for writing about these two albums…

Yeah, the magic is still here Bob, still here!!

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Subject: Re: The Road East-Live In Japan

Hey Bob

Thanks for writing about JB. Only nice and kind things to say about our musical big brother and patriarch Jackson Browne.

He shows up for his musical community when we need it not only in his capacity doing the benefit concerts since the 70’s for every good cause but just as a mensch.

One not well commonly known fact about Jacksons kindness is that he gave

Stevie Ray and Double Trouble (Chris and Tommy) his Downtown Browne studio to make his Texas Flood record over the Thanksgiving holiday 1982.

In 2019 when I was about to produce and track James McMurtry’s Horses and The Hounds,

I got bumped out of one the bigger studios I had booked for a bigger client, I called Jackson and he paused his own sessions so I could use his studio Groovemasters.

His response when I asked for studio time was, “James McMurtry ? I wanna hear Jame’s new songs, so of course we will work it out.”

JB is the real deal

Late for the Sky has been the soundtrack to my life. I don’t know what I would do without it.

The stanza from “ For A Dancer” plays in my head every time someone close dies. JB sang it at David Lindley’s memorial a year ago as we all teared up…

“I don’t what happens when people die

Can’t seem to grab it as hard as I try

It’s like a song I can hear playing right in my ear

But I can’t sing. I can’t help listening”

In a world without record stores and real A&R men, I appreciate your occasional shining a light on things that I find interesting and important

Thanks again

Sincerely

Ross Hogarth

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From: John Hartmann

Subject: Re: The Road East-Live In Japan

Bob: Throughout more than fifty years in artist management I saw thousands of concerts from The Beatles on down. Only twice did a performer bring me to tears. Both times it was Jackson Browne.

As ever, Hartmann

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Re: Steve Poltz At McCabe’s

It’s about time that you wrote about Steve Poltz. Without a doubt, one of the finest and funniest singer/songwriter/entertainers out there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told people the same message you ended your piece with. “You’ve GOT to go see his show. If you don’t love it, I’ll reimburse you for your tickets. But I won’t need to do it because once you see him, you’ll never want to miss his show again.”

I’ve been fortunate to know Steve for the past 15 years or so. I operated a high quality house concert venue in San Diego known as the Oasis House Concerts, and we kept the bar high for who we booked. Without a doubt, Poltz’s shows were always the fastest to sell out. We’d advertise one, and it would sell out within an hour. We’d add a 2nd show that would sell out within 6 hours. Then we’d add a 3rd show that would sell out in a little over a day. Then extra people would show up for the concerts and we’d have standing room only. I once told Steve that there was no rule about when the show had to end. He could play as long as he wants. I guess he took that as a challenge and played for about 5 and a half hours that night.

I’m a full time musician for a living, mostly in local restaurants along the Florida coast. But whenever I go out on a house concert tour, I try to make a point of catching one of Steve’s shows before go just to inspire me to “up my game” for my performances. He’s such a clever writer, a really good guitarist and a kind & generous guy. He’s taken the time to sit down with me and show me how he plays some of his songs. He’s genuinely happy to meet (most) every fan he encounters and give them a little one on one interaction.

Yeah, Steve could be a bigger star than he is, but he refuses to play the game and compromise for a big record company. He’d rather be true to himself… and that’s a beautiful thing.

Charlie Imes

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Subject: Re: Don’t React To The Snapshot

Bob, talk about media not getting it. Bad Bunny does not have the influence they think. He might have in 2021-2022. But he has steadily eroded it with his actions. When he started dating Kendall Jenner the mood in Latino circles was that this guy had forgotten his people and his background. (The hashtag #kardashiancurse started trending at one point). And he has only reinforced it since. He took all of that goodwill and didn’t do sh*t with it..

Also, I’m sorry to say this, so many of my people are gone. They’re turning out to be a combination of the same horrible MAGA racism aggravated by the Green Card phenomenon. Once they get one they feel superior to their undocumented peers. And it’s worse if they are second or third generation. Now those, those really don’t want to be perceived as the POC masses. If they could bleach themselves they would. It’s embarrassing to me as a first generation US citizen.

We like to say “el peor enemigo de un inmigrante es otro inmigrante con papeles”. (The worst enemy of an immigrant is another immigrant with legal papers)

-Jose Luis Revelo

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Re: Self-Published Books

Regarding your book non-promotion email.  I agree. Getting a book out there is very hard. I know, I have tried. Spending hours, days, back in 2017 reviewing the bios of Amazon reviewers and managing to find several (even in their top 500) to review my journalistic ode to books, even having several published authors review me, even doing a virtual book tour, even getting a Washington Post reviewer interesting, (they can’t review indie work alas), it did not sell. You really do need a big social media base today. I can’t imagine what writers and even editors of yore, think Maxwell Perkins, Michael Korda, Agatha Christie, James Clavell, … would think of today’s corporate writers world where books do not even pretend – esp. genre fiction – to be anything but product. I am a book reviewer of audiobooks for Library  Journal and received their Audiobook Reviewer of the Year (2018) Award. Yes, I know, it’s not the fabled New Yorker. I have reviewed for them since 2006, covering nearly all genres and even nonfiction, and will soon review book 131.

David F.

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Re Kristofferson

Kris was a great friend and supporter of my band the Unforgiven, and my songwriting, and he gave me the title of my first hit song, based on something I said on stage to the crowd when we were playing together. In the run up to one of our songs I said to the 60000 plus people in Cornhusker stadium: “on a day like this I feel like I can change the world!” After the set Kris grabbed me and said: “‘Days like These I feel like I can change the world!’ That’s your next song.” I didn’t realize until much later that he’d tweaked it just a little bit because, after all, he was the poet laureate of rock n roll and that’s what he did. And when the guy who wrote “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose” gives you the name of your next song… you f*cking write it. I did. It changed my life. And I owe Kris a big debt. Move aside as the man goes thru to the other side. Respect must be given. RIP Kris Kristofferson.

Steve Jones

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Re: Nick Gravenites/Banana

Banana has a vintage musical instrument business in Inverness, CA, across Tomales Bay from……………….. Elephant Mountain. I met him at a guitar show in San Rafael many years ago while searching for a mandolin. I came across a wall of vintage mandolins and after getting the lowdown on mandolins from guru Larry Cragg, I picked one and introduced myself to Banana. It was an honor! I was in Vietnam in 1968 and found a shop in Vung Tau that made reel-to-reel tapes for GIs. I bought “Elephant Mountain” put it on my brand new Akai reel-to-reel, and played it multiple times daily through a mostly plastic Singer Sewing Machine audio “system” holding the speakers up to my ears. (Yes, Singer was in the music business for a long weekend in the 60s)

I thanked Banana and said, “Elephant Mountain got me through Vietnam”, and he said that that was probably the most rewarding aspect of making that music… as many vets expressed similar views over the years. I then asked if he offered any discounts and he firmly said “No”, which I thought was funny. Thank you for your service.

I bought it anyway, of course, a 1935 Gibson, and it’s sweet, although I rarely play it

I started seeing his name a couple of years ago playing locally at Hopmonk Novato and elsewhere.

Cheers!

Don Forbes

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Re: Lauren Christy-This Week’s Podcast

Greatly enjoyed your podcast with one of my earliest signings, Lauren Christy.

Not only a great lyricist, melody writer and producer, but a great human being as well.

And with all the various artists, producers and songwriters I worked with in my 25 year career in the “old school” record biz, Lauren is the one who has achieved the most success by re-inventing herself and following her muse.

Proud to have signed her, though Ed Eckstine and I jumped through numerous hoops to get her over here to make a record. And trust me, it wasn’t easy! Like she said in her interview, “she was standing on the verge” when things suddenly went upside down with a regime change and Ed leaving the label, and myself also being shown the door soon thereafter.

But Lauren and I have remained friends over all these years. This past January she did a short set at the Hotel Cafe, and it was truly amazing/awe inspiring to hear a room full of younger music fans singing every word of the iconic hits she wrote.

Good on ya Bob for recognizing her talent and conducting a great interview.

All the best,

Tom Vickers

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Re: Lauren Christy episode

Bob—What an incredibly thorough overview of the industry’s inner workings.    So much detail calls for repeat listenings.  Brilliant.  Thank you!   Paul Lanning

Paul Lanning

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Subject: Tony Levin podcast

A couple anecdotes about Tony Levin. I was chief engineer at Artisan Sound Recorders in the late 80’s and Rod Stewart was there working on the “Every Beat of My Heart” album with Bob Ezrin producing. I asked Bob who was the best musician he had ever worked with and without hesitation he said Tony Levin. Around the same time period I was walking from the studio to the kitchen when I heard this song blasting out of the mastering room. It was so infectious I had to walk down the hall and ask Greg Fulginiti what the hell it was. As I was walking towards the room I was struck by the great bass playing. After observing Greg’s Knock, Pause, Enter sign I asked Greg what the hell is that? He said It’s Peter Gabriel, Sledgehammer. A legendary track with some of the best rock bass playing you will ever hear!

— 

Peter A. Barker

https://www.spinmoveproducers.com/peter-a-barker

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Subject: Re: Tony Levin-This Week’s Podcast

Bob,

I’m the guy who Tony mentioned that told him where to buy his first electric bass. I had been playing in a Rochester NY Jazz club for a week with Jackie Cain and Roy Kral, husband and wife jazz singers. They were pretty well known and very “hip” at the time. Tony and Steve Gadd, with whom I later played in the Yoko Ono Plastic Super Band, came into the club just about every night during that week. So I talked to Tony about electric basses as he related in the Podcast, and that’s where it began for him in R&R. It was the late ’60’s.

I moved to LA in 1975 while playing with The Manhattan Transfer, got into the movie scene and other studio work there, never went back east to live – until five years ago when I moved to the Hudson Valley. I hadn’t been back long when I saw that The Levin Brothers had a jazz group and were playing at a local club. Of course I went to see them and reconnect. Tony as usual was playing great and was on a twenty first century version of the Ampeg Baby Bass that he described in the interview. But this thing was way better, sounded like a real upright bass. It had almost no body but the fingerboard was perfect, beautiful wood with great workmanship and amplified.

We hung out after the gig and I asked Tony about the instrument. He told me who to call, hooked me up with the company’s pro/endorsement guy and I got one right away.

And fifty plus years later Tony returned the favor of “where do I get the bass.”

Full circle, karma. Love it!

Andy Muson, Balmville, New York

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Subject: Re: Cowboy Carter Snubbed

Slipknot and the “mall goth” aesthetic are SUPER in with Gen Z. Ask a random teenager if they like Slipknot and Deftones and if they fancy themself at all alternative or cool, they’ll say yes. Nu Metal is having a revival through TikTok and the Y2K trend devoid of any cultural context.

– Miranda Shakes

Rock Music Teacher

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From: Dan Millen

Subject: Re: Universal Superfandom

Dumbest thing the labels ever did was sell their spotify shares after the lock up period expired!

Clearly they thought it was a fad, took the money and ran.

I was gonna email you about this but hadn’t gotten a chance to yet.  My wife has a family plan on Amazon music and wanted me to get on it and save a few bucks by ditching spotify.  I said hell no, that was five years ago. I’ve had spotify since it came out and started paying for it the moment they released a mobile app. No way am I gonna try to rebuild years worth of playlists on a crappy interface.

A couple years ago my now 16 yr old step daughter started begging mom for Spotify because all the cool kids have it and they snicker about Amazon music.  I was paying for two log-ins, one for me and one for a club that unfortunately didn’t make it through Covid in time for SVOG, so I gave her my other one.  Happy kid, happy us.

Last year my mother in law bought a brand new Ipad, which came with six months of apple music and apple TV+ and she got us the family plan. We love apple TV+ and kept that, but nobody wanted Apple Music.

Last night – at Midtown high in Atlanta they had a “coffee shop” performance where all the kids get up and sing songs and do skits, it’s a pretty cool thing that I wish my redneck small town high school had.

One of the running gags was “my mom will only let me have apple music” and everyone booed.  This was a call-back at least three times, maybe more, I left a little early.

Now, you know I’m an android guy but all these kids have Iphones and blue bubbles, and they all want spotify. I asked my step daughter afterward if there’s really a social stigma about Apple Music and she confirmed it.  She says everyone knows that spotify is better and apple music sucks, and people who don’t have spotify get laughed at.

I told her she better be nice to me or she’ll be back on Amazon 🤣

Oh and she also busts my chops whenever I play Taylor Swift’s original versions and not “Taylor’s Version” even though I like the originals better.  She knows all about Big Machine and how they FAFO’d Tay Tay, and she was devastated when UMG took Tay Tay off TikTok, and thinks Taylor is the most powerful person in the music biz because she told the label to pound sand and put her music back on TikTok.

I told her she’s probably right.

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From: Marty Bender

Subject: Re: Come And Go Blues-Solo Live 12/11/1981

I was on the air in Cincinnati on a Saturday night.

Request line rang—

“Hey man, it’s Gregg Allman and I just wanted to call and tell you how much I’m diggin’ what you’re playin.”

I was skeptical, but it sure sounded like him.

Knowing this was on the air, I asked the caller if he could prove he was Gregg Allman.

“Yeah, hang on, let me just grab this guitar.”

Then he laid the phone down and played/sang “Melissa.”

It was Gregg.

I thanked him for the song he played and he thanked me again for the song(s) I played.

Marty Bender

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Subject: Re: Come And Go Blues-Solo Live 12/11/1981

RE: “Come and Go” Blues: You have really captured Gregg here. I knew the guy and worked with him daily for years, but never felt I really knew him till the very end when I hugged his frail, failing body at his last Macon concert. I used his words from “Wasted Words” for my book title “No Saints, No Saviors”.

RE: ABB guitars on commercial flights. Neither Duane, Dickey, or Berry trusted checked baggage, so I made a deal with the airlines for a half-priced first class seat called “cabin baggage” and used a seat belt extension for obese passengers to strap them in.  

Willie Perkins

Macon, GA

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From: Tour Swag G

Subject: Re: Shot In The Dark

Pitty the poor roadie sentenced to a night in a guest room/cell at the Trump Taj Mahal when their rockstar boss took a gig there.

The rooms were damp, dingy, moldy the furnishings crap.

On load in, having to sweep aside food and drink wrappers to get the gear from the trucks to the concert hall floor.

Before doors the chair crew was lining up and numbering chairs with the previous show refuse still on the floor between rows of chairs.

Production Manager questioned and the House reply was that “our guests don’t mind”

That’s a culture.

We did not eat any of the food but ordered out.

And luckily our boss never accepted another engagement there

Cheers, TS

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From: Barry Lyons

Subject: Greg Kihn

So nice to see all the warm remebrancws about Mr. Kihn, I was especially moved to see the one from Marty Schwartz, a one -time Buffaloid like Myself.I arrived at Elehtra around the time that Marty talked about, the 60’s winding down along with the culture of the 40-s and early 50’s – much like the culture that made the 600’s through the 90’s what it was is down to it’s last gasp now.In those days, my musical tastebds got turned on by what I read in Creem and Rolling Stone and a few other regional outlets. So as the the 60’s prepared to exit, I was all aboard the Beserkley train and  had see Kihn once in Cleveland, and had developed a Kihnspicuous thirst for his stuff. Had a friend record his performance on the King Biscuit Flower Hour (now there’s a Kihnspicuous reference you don’t often see or hear nowadays). And when the Breakup Song arrived, I made up my mind that THAT was going to be my first opportunity to go out and really try to make something happen out of my little territory (Buffalo, Rochester, Erie PA, Syracuse, and Utica.Every station that COULD have played it, (even WKBW in Buffalo, , known for taking no chances) did, Every station that could have or should have done an interview with him, DID. And in short order, some of the other reps at Elektra in those days, Ray Gmeiner, Beu Siegal, Tom Jodka, Ray Carlton, got the message – forcefully delivered to us all by Mr.s Schwartz, Burt Stein, and Kenny Buttice, and the rest is history. Gave me the start on a nearly 50 year career that is only now winding to a conclusion. I am Ever so thankfulthat I got into it when I did, WhEN It  WAS FUN, something the current batch of youngsters today may never know or experience. So to Mr. Kihn, know that there will always be a special place for you in my heart, and in my memory banks. Rock on, Bro…

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Re: Breaking Records

Dear Bob,

Your article about the current state of the record business is right on. It was really better whenever hundreds of little Labels with people who really cared about Music. I just see Music losing its soul. As soon as it got corporate it began a big downhill run.

I just feel blessed to have been around from the late 60s and had a chance to touch the world.I just feel blessed to have been around and had a chance to touch the world.

Keep it up Bob

Robert Margouleff

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Re: Note

As a happily retired former publishing professional (i.e. I got paid) for nearly forty years, I really got a kick out of this letter. Getting a book published by a major or even minor publishing company these days is harder than ever, and if you’re an unpublished author next to impossible. Getting an editor or agent to look at your manuscript, no matter how good, was very very hard even in the 70s and 80s, and it only got tougher. Voicemail and e-mail make it even easier for editors to ignore would-be authors. Long ago, I spent hours going through the “slush” piles of manuscripts of would-be authors at Western Publishing/Golden Books, and the odds of finding a manuscript worthy of publication were between slim and none. I do know writers who publish their own books, but they find ways to market their books (mostly non-fiction) to niche markets and readers who might be interested, but they do it to see their manuscript in print, even if they have to pay to do it, then sell 500 or copies. If I were foolish enough to want to be an author or editor in today’s publishing world, like Rick Nelson said in Garden Party, I’d rather drive a truck.” It probably pays a lot better.

Chip Lovitt

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Re: Note

I used to be the arts editor of an ethnic newspaper in Toronto before, like most papers, we went belly up. And I used to do book reviews, so, as you know, every wannabe writer would send me their self-published novel to review.
One guy kept pestering me, and because I knew his brother, I decided to look at it.
On the first page there was a sentence that went something like, “He was in a square room, 12 feet by 10 feet.”

Dude, that’s a rectangle. I stopped reading

Joe Serge
Toronto

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Re: Note

As a retired newspaper book review editor, I got a chuckle out of this rant.

It’s how I felt, too, of course, and I would tell self-published authors as much. But in much more concise and polite terms.

I used to say: “When a legit publisher picks up your book, and you sell a million copies, I will be the first person to say I was wrong. And we will happily review your second book.”

Morley Walker

Winnipeg, Canada

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Re: Note

I can’t imagine what you are inundated with from your readers. You captured the disconnect. Even successful bands have a range of song quality. Why else did people get tired of buying albums with only one great song on them?

I love to write and I’m pretty good, you are verrry good. I know my strengths; articles in the local paper, storytelling. Writing great fiction, is incredibly difficult. Character and plot development, perspectives, mood, tone., the prose Less than one percent of all creative/artistic efforts reach the pinnacle of excellence. Nobody gets that.

I was talking to a really bright former radio gal from Boston and she sent me her first novel. I gave up after 30 pages. She was trying too hard and channeling authors that she loved. She got lost. Thanks for mentioning spelling and grammar. I still cringe at how we seem to have accepted referring to people as a ‘what’ instead of ‘who’ e.g. “She was somebody that knew every one in town”. Wrong, we are not things.

John Brodey

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I totally agree.

I’ve been working as a DJ for a while and run into this with musicians.  I often think…why shoot your shot with this track?  Why not wait…work on it, get someone else to like it and offer to pitch it.  Then at least 2 people think it’s good.  I’m much more receptive when someone says, “Have you heard of so and so.  Saw them last weekend and really liked their songs.”

This is why publishers and record labels are important — traditionally they set the bar as to what is good enough to be presented to those interested in that type of art.  If an editor and a business man are willing to spend their time and money to get a book ready to be published — it’s probably a reasonable book.   Self published books will always suck…the writer should at least pay an editor to go through the book and fix all the things writers don’t think about.  Consistent voice, timelines, dates, names, etc.  Editors fix that sh*t…not writers.  And, a graphic designer or page layout professional to create the personality of the layout – type faces, spacing, and other professional touches. (maybe not important for kindle, etc).

Same with records.  If an artist’s songs are good enough that someone is willing to fork over $10k to record it and $10k to release it, then it is more likely to be likable versus a garage band song and uploaded to Soundcloud.  There are always exceptions…but generally this is true to me.

Lid Dixon

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Thanks for another great and well-deserved rant.
I’ve always dreamed of writing a novel, wrote my first one at 17. It was about a guy who took acid in high school (go figure!).
Took it with me to a gig in Kodiak, Alaska and showed it to a kayak guide who said it reminded him of some guy named Thomas Pynchon, who had published Gravity’s Rainbow the previous year. As soon as I was home in SF, I hit City Lights bookstore and bought my first copy of GR, took it to Cafe Trieste and…that was the beginning of the end of my novel-writing career.
I was a reporter and columnist for a decade, where novelists go to die.

Jim Caroompas

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When it comes to proofreading you can’t have enough eyes.

Reminds me of a story a good friend of mine told me who was a legal proofreader and Herman Melville buff.

He ordered the definitive edition of Moby Dick from Northwestern Press and on the inside title page it had Moby Dick by Herman Meville.

Jim Eigo

Warwick NY

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My daughter Michelle writes young adult fantasy fiction. She signed with an agent and landed a publishing deal with a major house right out of college, even securing a decent advance. It was amazing seeing her books on shelves across the country, but the tradeoff was a low percentage and the publisher having control over everything. After learning the industry, she went indie and hasn’t looked back—she’s now sold over three million books and is a USA Today Best Selling Author. She publishes exclusively through Amazon and has complete control over her work.

You really can’t judge a book by its cover—or its publisher!

Rich Madow

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If you have a story to tell.. then you’ve got to tell it.. and if it means self publishing, your book to sell it one by one, that’s what you do.. I have a 50 year story to tell about my life in the music business and the extraordinary moments that I was a part of that the public would never see or know about what was the truth.. when I couldn’t find an agent who thought that maybe stories about working with Miles Davis and Luther Vandross, Sting, Chaka Khan and so many others that I was up close and personal with seeing a perspective that nobody else had an opportunity to see my friends encouraged me to self publish it and help me come up with a plan that helped me raise all the money I needed to put it out .. then thankfully the connections that I had in the press and around the world.. pre-bought over 200 copies and I was able to go from there..
Great reviews help me sell more, and I decided to write another one..

If you were going to sell publish, you have to have an audience and you have to be prepared to work your ass off.. I went to a company for Printing and they printed all the copies wrong.. To be done over again and it was painful, but I learned to roll with it.. now now I finished my second book .. and I’m going to try the same formula  wherever I go to perform or speak.. I bring books with me and always sell them out.. It is a continuing process and if you have a good book, there’s always somebody to buy it, but you have to put yourself in the position.. you have to have a strong story and you also have to have patience… a lot of it.

Peace,Jason Mles

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I hear you and I agree 100% most people might have an idea but that does not make them a writer.    I cant even imagine how much crap you have to ignore.   Out of the five books friends have written the only one enjoyable was written by a guy who has been a poet for 40 years, was Californias poet laureate for two years and knows how to edit and tell a story.

Hang in there and delete as needed.

Regards

Chris Hill

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There’s an alternative for authors. And it’s one not often mentioned. Hybrid publishing.

I’ve done books with major publishers in the past. I get a nice advance and they will print and distribute the book in 18 months. What the hell can I write that I know will be relevant then? If I insist it does, it proves I don’t know what I’m writing about.

My publisher, Forefront Books, is the product of a highly respected guy who worked with Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins and more. S&S offered him an imprint. Instead of an advance, I pay upfront for printing, editing, and design.

But it’s not “self publishing.” He turns down LOTS of wannabes. I know many who will pay the fee and get rejected because the quality of the work isn’t of the level the publisher will support.

Simon & Schuster handles distribution. On their website, I’m an S&S author. My royalties are infinitely better than a traditional pub deal. A Forbes online post rated my latest as one of the “year’s ten best” and sales have been great for my genre.

Few know it’s not a traditional deal. But it’s better for me – and because of sales, better for the publisher. We are doing more books together.

So — is there a music equivalent? If not, why not?

Scott McKain

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From: Seth Godin

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Unleashed!

Here it is again, but shorter:

FIRST, TEN

This, in two words, is the secret of the new marketing.

Find ten people. Ten people who trust you/respect you/need you/listen to you…

Those ten people need what you have to sell, or want it. And if they love it, you win. If they love it, they’ll each find you ten more people (or a hundred or a thousand or, perhaps, just three). Repeat.

If they don’t love it, you need a new product. Start over.

Your idea spreads. Your business grows. Not as fast as you want, but faster than you could ever imagine.

This approach changes the posture and timing of everything you do.

You can no longer market to the anonymous masses. They’re not anonymous and they’re not masses. You can only market to people who are willing participants. Like this group of ten.

The timing means that the idea of a ‘launch’ and press releases and the big unveiling is nuts. Instead, plan on the gradual build that turns into a tidal wave. Organize for it and spend money appropriately. The fact is, the curve of money spent (big hump, then it tails off) is precisely backwards to what you actually need.

Three years from now, this advice will be so common as to be boring. 

Today, it’s almost certainly the opposite of what you’re doing.

April 2, 2009

First, ten