Give Away Your Best Stuff

Chris,
I like the sentiment and the theory is MOSTLY sound. But in Ogilvy’s day (not so long ago) people knew how to think for themselves and they took the time to do so.
These days, and I really am an optimist contrary to how this is going to sound, people are greedy, uninformed little wretches who don’t observe or honor copyright protection or other ownership and they feel free to reuse whatever they ‘find’ on the Internet.
As a professional writer, I’m certainly going to share my best stuff on my blog and podcast and other venues that are currently low or no-pay pursuits. But I’m doing a disservice to any professional writer and to myself if I give away my services just to try and gain a competitive advantage.
I liken it to any service industry. I have yet to convince the lawn guy to do my lawn because hundreds of cars will see it and ask me who the artiste is that manicured my expanse of green.
Likewise, the plumber won’t fix my toilet for free just because I might have a party and the guests will be so impressed at how well it flushes that they’ll want me to refer my plumber.
And perhaps something more in line (instead of these random ramblings) is the blog outlet that says they can’t pay me for my writing because they don’t pay anyone. But this blog outlet is an arm of one of the largest media concerns in the United States, AND their print side (losing money hand over fist) is able to at least cut me a check for every piece I write for them. Why would I do the same amount of work for one place for nothing when I can get paid for it. AND if I retain my copyright on the stuff I write, then I can post it at Bowlofcheese.com and get some additional exposure there myself without ‘giving’ it away.
Thanks for listening.

I view my blog and podcasts as a virtual resume; building my own audience, building a demonstration of my skills and POV, making the triage of whether or not my work is “worthy” a much easier yes or no decision for everyone concerned.
I find I am increasingly incapable of “holding out” my “best” stuff- even if I could judge what was best. Frankly, the judging of what’s best is not really done by me, it’s done by you and the whole community. So I’ve gone with the “put it all out there, and let the marketplace of ideas decide what’s good and what’s not”- isn’t that simply intellectual capitalism?
Everyone will approach this from their own vantage point. But in the end, the free flow of ideas and insights help everyone, in big and small ways. It’s ultimately about community and democracy for me- creating community, empowering individual voice, and making everyone realize we are all part of the same web of life- real and virtual.

I view my blog and podcasts as a virtual resume; building my own audience, building a demonstration of my skills and POV, making the triage of whether or not my work is “worthy” a much easier yes or no decision for everyone concerned.
I find I am increasingly incapable of “holding out” my “best” stuff- even if I could judge what was best. Frankly, the judging of what’s best is not really done by me, it’s done by you and the whole community. So I’ve gone with the “put it all out there, and let the marketplace of ideas decide what’s good and what’s not”- isn’t that simply intellectual capitalism?
Everyone will approach this from their own vantage point. But in the end, the free flow of ideas and insights help everyone, in big and small ways. It’s ultimately about community and democracy for me- creating community, empowering individual voice, and making everyone realize we are all part of the same web of life- real and virtual.

Chris, I agree – I do give my stuff away, but here’s the rub. What if your accountant handed you the IRS tax code and said- here it is, now go do your taxes. Oh- and here’s 3 tips to reducing your taxes. Good luck.

It’s not that easy. Yes, I give my best stuff away, but I do it to demonstrate my expertise. Also, what works for me on a Tuesday may not work for you on a Wednesday.

So while I am very good at doing what I do, and do give tons of stuff away, I am still in business to run a business.

Look at what you do: you are a master of organizing communities. Sure, I follow your stuff, read your self-improvement habits, but while I may be better than you at PR, you are far better than me at doing community development.

All this to say is that in principle as a matter of good kharma I agree with your idea, but in reality you may be setting false expectations for the seeker of “free.”

I think of my two shows: The 7 O’Clock News and Yo Dude, It’s Tony D .com as showing what I can do. The viewer sees each episode I try and improve my talent.

So in a sense I give away my best stuff.

Thus far, I have been experimenting with video and audio. I think I’m ready to take the step towards putting something together to give away. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Chirs,

This is ‘open source blogging’. The idea has been around in software of a very long time. Infact, it predates the ‘Open Source Movement’ (what ever that is). In academic software writing, quantum mechanics being where my experience comes from, it has been common practise since forever to put the source code at the back on ones thesis or to publish it.

Unfortunately, over a period of time starting in the 90, an attitude that money should be made form the code rather than the people who wrote it has spread. I am not going to point any fingers, but it travelled west across the Atlantic!

Slowly but surely, people in software are realising that trying to make money from the software alone is a mugs game. Some people manage, but they are the exceptions, not the rule. The real place to make money is from giving away software so that someone learns about you and then plays you to write something for them or do some other form of technical consulting.

Am I correct in thinking this is much the same as you are proposing for blogging an vlogging? I hope so :)

AJ

Chirs,

This is ‘open source blogging’. The idea has been around in software of a very long time. Infact, it predates the ‘Open Source Movement’ (what ever that is). In academic software writing, quantum mechanics being where my experience comes from, it has been common practise since forever to put the source code at the back on ones thesis or to publish it.

Unfortunately, over a period of time starting in the 90, an attitude that money should be made form the code rather than the people who wrote it has spread. I am not going to point any fingers, but it travelled west across the Atlantic!

Slowly but surely, people in software are realising that trying to make money from the software alone is a mugs game. Some people manage, but they are the exceptions, not the rule. The real place to make money is from giving away software so that someone learns about you and then plays you to write something for them or do some other form of technical consulting.

Am I correct in thinking this is much the same as you are proposing for blogging an vlogging? I hope so :)

AJ

Arrrr – I meant East – not West – and there is no edit button. Hay ho – another addition to my ever growing pile of web typos :(

Very nice – I agree. At one point I was afraid people would take something I came up with, then I moved in the opposite direction!

Very nice – I agree. At one point I was afraid people would take something I came up with, then I moved in the opposite direction!