Marketing the Exciting, Exotic and Extremely Erotic: An Interview with Author Eden Baylee
Marketing and promotion can be challenging for small businesses and independent artists, authors and musicians. Author Eden Baylee makes it pretty damn sexy, too.
Eden writes erotica, provocative stories incorporating all her favorite things: travel; culture; and sex. Sometimes there’s romance, sometimes not. Sometimes there’s a happy ending, sometimes not. What is consistent are the multi-dimensional characters who grow and change as the stories progress. Sex is the backdrop, but a very important element in their evolution.
We interviewed the Toronto-based author of the erotic novella anthology Fall Into Winter about her work, her marketing techniques and more.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: How long have you been writing and why did you start?
Eden Baylee: I’ve been writing erotica since I was about fifteen. I started because I enjoyed reading the genre and wanted to see if I could also write it. My first piece was a short story for my high school English class which garnered a good grade, but my teacher told me never to show it to my mother! I liked that I got a rise out of him, and it reinforced my thinking that I could actually write. I’ve had a love affair with words ever since I was a child. I was very shy (still am) and could easily get lost in reading books. I always thought it would be a cool profession to be a writer and be able to earn a living from it.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: How do you market your book?
Eden Baylee: In several ways. I had a book launch to get the word out initially, and it was successful in that everyone and anyone I knew were aware I had a book coming out. I also got connected with a respected book buyer in the city which was important for me. It never hurts to know someone like that. I used Facebook to create an event invitation to my launch, and emailed people personally as well. If you’d like to learn about my process to set up the launch, you can read my guest blog called “Anatomy of a Book Launch.” It lists the steps I took.
When given the opportunity, I do radio interviews, and podcasts so readers have an idea of what I sound like. I really enjoy reading for podcasts because it’s a great way to hone my writing skills. Reading aloud draws attention to deficiencies in my writing such as repeated words, alliteration, and those “what the hell am I trying to say?” moments.
Within the next couple of months, I hope to line up some book signings, and of course, guest interviews such as this are wonderful to get my name out too. Thanks Alex!
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: My pleasure! What tools do you use to reach and stay connected to your fans and prospective fans?
Eden Baylee: Twitter is my main network to connect with other authors. It’s a great place to make short and sweet announcements about myself and other writers. The community is made up of exceptionally supportive individuals, and I’ve learned to do some imaginative writing within 140 characters!
I also have an author’s website and a very active blog. The blog is my lifeline to showcase my writing, other authors, and give readers an idea of who I am. I always look forward to hearing from readers, so please visit my blog. If you like it, I’d be thrilled if you subscribe to it. I’ve included my links, which you can also access by going directly to my website at www.edenbaylee.com
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: Why do readers like your book?
Eden Baylee: My book, Fall into Winter, is an anthology of four erotic novellas, two that take place in the fall, and two in the winter. It provides the reader with a diverse collection and introduces them to my style of writing.
The three comments I’ve heard the most often from readers are that the book:
- Is well written
- Is sexy/sensual/erotic/romantic
- Has a great variety of stories
Some readers seem to enjoy getting their sex in small doses. I’ve had people tell me they’ve read the first two stories, put down the book because they found it very “hot” and needed a break before reading the second half. That’s the wonderful thing about an anthology, you can read the stories out of order, and savor each one as a completely different book.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: Why erotica?
Eden Baylee: Ha, Alex! Why not? I’ve always loved the genre of “sexy.” I read Story of O when I was eleven. I’d never endorse anyone so young reading a tale of BDSM, but I did, and it left an indelible mark on my psyche. Writing erotica also makes me feel alive. Most adults have had sex. It’s a common experience that human beings share, which makes it challenging to write about in a way that is fresh and exciting. I try my best to exercise restraint when I write sex scenes. Ultimately, they can either advance a story or halt the reader’s interest. Words on a page can be incredibly seductive, yet, as there are natural ebbs and flows during sex in real life, so should there be when writing about it.
My wish is that my readers feel emotionally connected to my characters, deeply aroused by their story, and fully committed to reading my book.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: Does erotica present any particular PR/marketing challenges or advantages other genres do not?
Eden Baylee: The only marketing problem I had was with Google who refused to advertise my book with the book cover, so I basically refused to advertise with Google. It’s ridiculous really. There are so many pictures you can find on Google Images that are much more revealing than my book cover.
A bigger challenge is that the genre of erotica can be misunderstood at times. When a friend suggested my book for her ladies’ book club, the other women refused to add it to their list. Some people consider it porn and think it’s just page after page of sex. Well, I’m telling you right now, erotica is not just about pounding sexual images into the reader’s mind, it’s not page after page of sex because that would be damn boring—an instructional sex manual at best. God knows when you get that technical; there is nothing erotic about it!
To make it an enticing read, there has to be context. You need to ask: Who are these people? Why are they having sex? Why are they having this type of sex? Erotica is very much about character-driven plots with sex as an important element, but not at the expense of a good story. Sex in a vacuum sucks, pardon the pun.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: I agree, and having read your book, I can honestly say I found your characters compelling–which made the book very…well, you said it best. Moving on–where are your books available?
Eden Baylee: Paperback copies are sold in specific stores only, and of course via the online market. You can find all the links here:
http://www.edenbaylee.com/books.html
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: Ever get any strange fan mail?
Eden Baylee: Strange fan mail? No, but I’ve received some extremely sweet tweets and emails from both men and women.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: What are you working on now?
Eden Baylee: I am currently editing my second anthology entitled Spring into Summer. I’ll have all the seasons covered by the time the book comes out! Following that, I’m switching gears to write full-length novels. They will certainly be erotic, but I’d like to make them darker with more intricate storylines.
Though my novellas fall into the erotic/romance genre, I also enjoy writing edgy and humorous erotica. You can get samples of these on my blog, and I’m always open to criticism, so feel free to leave a comment if you like them, and especially if you don’t!
Here’s the link.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: I’m looking forward to your new work! You’re Canadian–does that help or hurt you as you try to sell books and/or build an audience in America?
Eden Baylee: I don’t think there are any boundaries for authors given that so much is done online. I socially network with writers from the States, Australia, England, etc. and what comes across loud and clear is how similar we are. We all love to write and want to get our books into readers’ hands.
Sure, the States is a huge market, but online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters/Indigo cater to Canada and the U.S. and the U.K., etc. The Internet has made the world a whole lot smaller—which is a good thing for authors.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: Any regrets about going the indie route?
Eden Baylee: Not at all, though I haven’t closed the door on traditional publishing. I’m so much better informed than when I first started. I no longer feel the tremendous pressure to publish via the big houses, but I can still learn about what they want. I also have more confidence in my writing, which makes me less anxious about getting published. Knowledge is power, and learning about self/indie publishing gave me that power.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: Any advice for writers?
Eden Baylee: Not for the technique of writing, but for “newbies” who want to write but have not done so for whatever reason—my advice is: Just do it—longhand, on a computer, via a blog—that’s unimportant. The main thing is to put your story down and to be persistent and believe in yourself. I worked twenty years in corporate banking before I decided to quit and write full-time. It’s never easy to give up the comfort of a regular pay cheque, but life is short, and I’m fortunate to be able to live my dream right now. I know, without a doubt, that I will never go back to banking because it’s not what drives me. Today, I’d rather wait tables to support my writing because that is my passion.
If you’re able to write and work a full-time job, more power to you!
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: Well, I’m trying to! Anything I forgot to ask that you’d like to say?
Eden Baylee: I’d just like to thank you, Alex, for generously offering me some space on your site to babble on about myself. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you, and I hope your readers enjoyed it too.
As always, food for writers are comments or questions, so I invite all readers to leave a note with any thoughts you have about what I said. It’s always wonderful to hear from you.
AlexanderG Whiz Blog: Thanks Eden. It was a genuine pleasure!
I encourage readers to check out Eden’s exceptional work. It’s elegantly written, character-driven erotic fiction that’s sexy and fun.
Disclosure: Ms. Baylee is not a client of AlexanderG Public Relations.
Indie Music Marketing in the Age of Twitter
Dan at his sold-out show at the Prinz Willy in Kiel, Germany.
Longtime readers of this blog will remember singer/songwriter Dan Coyle, a folk artist who has done tremendously well at marketing his music–and himself–using social media tools. Presently, he’s taking a break from his European tour, hanging out in the south of France, writing new material. We interviewed him via email–Dan talks about his use of social media to meet new people interested in his music as well as stay connected to his longtime fans.
Dan is one of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet. I’m proud to call him friend–though I envy him his travels! After a moment of intense envy of his cool life, I let the man behind the music talk about his Twitter addiction, wild requests from fans and the occasional knife fight on the road.
How long have you been making music and why did you start?
I started in about 2006, writing my own songs. I never really meant to start making music, I just enjoyed playing the guitar and had always written poetry. One day this song just came up and leaned on my ear as I was walking down the street. I rushed home to write it down. About ten minutes later I had my first song, “Break Me Into Pieces” which later became the first track on my debut album, “Briar St – The Acoustic Sessions.” I guess after opening myself up to writing my own songs, I really enjoyed the process and it still boggles my mind how it comes about. I always like to do things that boggle my mind, so I suppose that’s why I’ve kept at it.
How do you market your music?
I use (maybe overuse) Twitter a lot. It has yielded me some great connections, sold some CDs, and made me fans. Of course I have a Facebook fan page too, but Twitter seems to work better for me; I like the constant contact. This brings me to my most important “marketing” strategy: which is to make real connections with warm bodies at live shows! I like to actually sit and engage people who come out, really get to know them a little bit. Sometimes this can be a little overwhelming, and sometimes people take it to the extreme, but overall it has been my greatest asset as far as making people see that I’m a real person and am interested in what they have to say.
What tools do you use to reach and stay connected to fans and prospective fans?
I have a newsletter that I send out every 2-4 weeks, which people can sign up for at http://dancoyle.fanbridge.com (and they get a free MP3 download when they do!). As I said before, I like to use Twitter. My Facebook fan page is cool because it has songs and video on it for people to play, it can be found at http://bit.ly/ltWBxC. Another great place is YouTube, since I’ve started posting a few videos each month. Folks can always send me a message or leave comments there as well. (Click here to check out the cool videos.)
Why do listeners like your music?
Ha! Who knows? I never really know what people are going to like or dislike. In fact, my favorite songs are usually some of the least popular with my fans and vice-versa. I think that I am building a wide array of different songs. Some are upbeat, and I’ve even caught people dancing to them. Some tell a story, others bring out the sadder points of life, some are melodic and meant to just be fun, and so on. I think having several different kinds of songs out there it gives people something to connect to. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Some people only listen to melodies, some listen for the lyrics, and some do both. I often notice that when someone tells me what his or her favorite songs are, I can pretty quickly tell how or why they listen to music. This ended up to be a very long answer (what a surprise!) for something that I can answer in fairly short form: people connect to certain songs of mine, find some truth in it, or build a relationship to what that song is; I think that’s it.
Why folk?
It’s just what comes to me. I never set out to write any certain kind of music, like I said before I never truly set out to write any music. The best way that I can describe it is this: I can feel a song coming, like you can feel the rain coming. When this happens, I just let it sing itself to me. I can’t really change it, or I ruin it. It comes up to me and leans on my ear; I just have to listen and let it be what it is. Thus far the songs that have come to me happen to be singer-songwriter, modern folk oriented. Why that is, I cannot truthfully say.
Would you consider writing/singing in some other genre?
I will listen to any song that comes to me. My 2009 “Bliss in Motion” release is a good example. There is electronic, funk, jazz, and world music on that album. All of those songs came to me in six days. I never wrote them down, I didn’t do anything to them. I set up a keyboard, drums, mics, etc, and just listened to them and gave a voice to what I heard. So yes, I will recount whatever I hear regardless of what genre it might fall into.
Do your folk sensibilities present any particular PR/marketing challenges or advantages that other music genres do not?
I’m not sure, I don’t really think about it. When I do my “marketing” I just try to be myself, and people seem to appreciate that; which is good for me.
Where is your music available?
I always prefer if people purchase my albums directly from me at http://dancoyle.com/7, this gives me an opportunity to sign the albums and include a little thank you note, which I always do. I also have a page where they can get MP3 downloads directly from me at http://mp3.dancoyle.com. But I know that people love iTunes, so I have all of my songs available there. My direct iTunes link is http://bit.ly/a8gfta, Amazon is http://amzn.to/g4JMQ8 and at CDBaby http://bit.ly/jzFpY2. Folks can find my music anywhere that music is sold online.
Ever get any strange fan mail?
Of course! I get the occasional “Do you have a girlfriend” or sometimes “boyfriend!” Sometimes people tell me what a certain song of mine means to them, which is always very interesting to me – in a good way. Nothing too odd I suppose, pretty much what you would anticipate. Regardless of what people write to me, I always enjoying hearing what they have to say!
What are you working on now?
I’ve written seven new songs in about five weeks, which I will put on a new album that I’m going to record in Berlin in August and release in September. I’m leaving room for about three more songs to come my way, if that happens; which I think it will. Also, I’m on a year-long tour in Europe which is going really well. Those things are keeping me busy.
You’re an American on tour in Europe–does that help or hurt you as you try to sell out venues and sell music there?
It seems to help. I think a lot of people are interested to hear someone from another country (or continent) and see what they’re all about. For the most part it has really worked in my favor. I’ve met a lot of great new fans here, and have been selling a lot of albums. My fans are always the best at sharing my music with their friends and turning them onto me and my music, which means more than I can tell you.
Any regrets about going the indie route?
Not at all. It has given me the opportunity to grow my career at a rate that I’m comfortable with, to tour when I want, write the songs that I want, and show people who I really am. I think it’s important to me to have a genuine representation of myself out there, and no one can do that better than me.
Any advice for musicians/singers/songwriters just starting out?
The age-old question. I get about 3-5 musicians writing to me per week asking for advice and it’s really hard to say. It truly depends on what they want to accomplish, what they’ve done, and what they’re willing to do. As a general piece of advice I will always say a few things: Do it for the right reasons. Make music because when you’re doing it you can’t get enough, and when you’re not doing it it’s all that you can think about. Don’t pursue fame and fortune as your main goals for making music. Also, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to continue. There will be many more roadblocks than there will be people who are encouraging you to keep going, and you have to be able to overcome that because there isn’t any other option. If you have those things, you’re well on your way to a long and successful career.
Anything unusual happen on tour in Europe so far?
We saw a knife fight in Paris at about five o’clock in the afternoon on a busy street, right across from the Moulin Rouge actually. That was interesting. We saw the beggars on the streets of Prague who prostrate themselves, head down and hat extended. We were nearly stranded getting back to Berlin after a show in Dortmund, Germany when our ride canceled at the last minute. Oh, and we were accosted and interrogated by the customs officer as we were entering England, but that was no surprise. Other than that, London was rainy, Berlin was awesome, Prague was beautiful, Paris was breathtaking, and the south of France is warm and cozy – all of these things have been very expected! If people want to see more about our European adventures they should check out the blog “Of Revolt” at http://ofrevolt.com. It’s very well written (not by me) by my wonderful fiance who is on this fantastic trip we’re taking.
Thanks for taking a break from songwriting and living the good life to chat with us, Dan.
Well, thank you so much for this interview, and for all of the folks who take the time to read it. I truly appreciate each and every one of my fans and the amazing work that they do spreading my music around.
Disclosure: Mr. Coyle is a client of AlexanderG Public Relations.
Use the Tools–Don’t Let the Tools Use You
The numerous online and social media tools vying for attention are enough to give some small business owners an anxiety attack.
Case in po
int, I met with a prospective client last week, and she was a little worked up after attending a class led by a social media expert. Apparently the expert had the class pretty amped about using social networking tools right this minute. My prospective client fired off several questions at me, including:
“Facebook? I use that, yes. My blog–working on it. LinkedIn? How important is that? Twitter? MySpace–is that still around? What about using Foursquare–is that important?”
Foursquare really stuck out–the expert apparently said “You better be using Foursquare or you’ll get left behind!” (Or something to that effect).
For the uninitiated, here’s what Foursquare is:
Foursquare is a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore. By “checking in” via a smartphone app or SMS, users share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges. Foursquare guides real-world experiences by allowing users to bookmark information about venues that they want to visit and surfacing relevant suggestions about nearby venues. Merchants and brands leverage the foursquare platform by utilizing a wide set of tools to obtain, engage, and retain customers and audiences.
It obviously has its uses–particularly for businesses that wish to increase foot traffic. Personally, I think it’s right up there with doing my mileage report–tedious. I don’t use it also because it’s just one more thing I don’t have time to do well–and I have my doubts that even doing it well will do me any good at all. That aside, it also has a potentially dangerous aspect, as this article in Time magazine highlights:
Think before you tweet. You might not be aware of how much information you’re revealing.
That’s the message from the founders of Please Rob Me, a website launched on Tuesday that illustrates just how easy it is to rob people blind on the basis of the information they’re posting on the Web. The site uses streams of data from Foursquare, an increasingly popular location-based social network that is based on a game-like premise. Players use smart phones or laptops to “check in” to a location, recording their position on a map for friends using the service to see. The more often you check in, the better your chances of being declared the mayor of a particular location, be it a restaurant, bar, office or even your own home.
The problem comes when users also post these locations to Twitter, says Boy van Amstel, one of the founders of Please Rob Me. Then the information becomes publicly available, making it theoretically possible for a robber (or anyone else) to keep tabs on when you say you’re in your home or not.
“We saw people checking in at their home addresses, or even worse, those of their friends and family,” van Amstel says. “Which we just thought was very wrong.”
My prospective client said she didn’t want to broadcast her location to the internet for just those very reasons, and I don’t blame her. What concerned me was she that was told–or it was strongly implied–that she needed to be an avid user of such tools in order to succeed.
That said, I told my prospective client to step away from the computer and put down her smartphone for a minute.
“All these things you mentioned are tools. Use the tools that you need–don’t let the tools use you.”
And there it was. She looked relieved!
Of course. Your car may have heated seats, but you don’t use them in the summer, right? You may have access to an air wrench, but you probably don’t use it to tighten a bolt on your kid’s bicycle. You could buy a full page ad in a newspaper about hiring a new account exec, but a notice on your company website is probably all that’s necessary. It’s about being sensible and practical with your resources and time.
Tools like Foursuare, Facebook, LinkedIn and your blog are tools that certainly have their uses to grow and enhance your business–if used correctly, sensibly and as proscribed. If you’re a person who makes a living driving long distances by yourself, “checking in” and tweeting your locations may not be a good idea. Your empty house could get robbed or worse, you could get into some trouble with ne’er do wells on the road.
A less dire consequence of using tools simply because you can is that it will certainly “rob” you of your time and you probably won’t use them effectively. I’ve covered that ground before in another post about having a blog and making it an asset rather than a chore. I’ve also recommended three relatively easy things you can do to get your business noticed.
People are very excited about social media and online tools as ways for even the smallest business to compete. That’s great.
But you have to keep your feet on the ground and remember that with a finite amount of time, energy and focus, you should choose to use tools that enhance your image, product or service. Don’t get so enamored with the latest “hot” online thing that you lose sight of your goal.
Or, to put it in a way my pre-internet grandfather would appreciate: don’t let the tail wag the dog.
UPDATE: Just found a great article here on cell phones “unleashing our inner rudeness” that has a quote from the first man to make a cell phone call back in 1973–it really resonates with the theme of this post (bold emphasis mine):
“You should not be a slave to your telephone,” he said. “The technology is there to serve you, not the other way around. If the technology is not making your life better — if it is robbing you of experiences in the real world that you would otherwise be enjoying — then you are working for it, when it should be working for you.”
Direct (E)Mail #Fail
They Didn't Have a Photo of Spam Fail.
Had to share. Besides the fact that it’s spam (and how the heck did it make it through my filter?), can you tell me all the things wrong with it? (Yes, I’m being a Scroogey Snark, but really–if you are going to be a spammer, at least get the fundamentals right….and yes, it is apparent English is not their first language, but still.)
{mail_to_name}
Hi Thanks for your time and we are here to offer the best service for you ,for the coming Christmas . Here you can find what you want,like cellphones ,laptops ,TV,LED. Although low price ,high quality! All of the products are brand new and original,you can enjoy a very good shopping from here . And now free shipping as a promotion for all of you except motorbikes!Hope we can have a nice cooperation! Have a look at www.###.com，Thanks in advance{mail_from_name}
Listening In the Internet ‘Hallway’
Photo credit: www.trueforcedloneliness.com/
Received some nice amplification of my recent interview with the Spiral16 blog:
You’re going to be hearing more about this as we get further into the social media age, but Alex Greenwood outlines the case for monitoring social media as a means of growing a business or other organization and protecting its interests. Isn’t that what PR is about?
[...]
Alex Greenwood likens social media monitoring to being out in the hallway, say, the Internet, listening to the talk there. How do you know your organization’s name will come up? You don’t until it does, or a reporter calls. But even if your organization doesn’t come up for a while, the names of competitors, or the emergence of new business conditions, will be generating buzz. If you’re listening, you’ll be gaining valuable new business intelligence.
“Companies and organizations that monitor the social media space today – and use the data to address problems and opportunities –are years ahead of the game,” Greenwood believes. “Aha,” he adds, “a competitive edge. Who doesn’t like that?”
Read more at: Listening In the Internet ‘Hallway’ | Flack Me.
Framing the Issue: One Political Party Stinks At It
Framing is normal; we think in frames.
Anybody who knows anything about framing social and political issues knows the name George Lakoff. I first encountered the esteemed linguistics professor by way of his seminal book on framing Don’t Think of an Elephant! when I was involved in politics.
It’s described as “the definitive handbook for understanding what happened in the 2004 election and communicating effectively about key issues facing America today…Lakoff explains how conservatives think, and how to counter their arguments. He outlines in detail the traditional American values that progressives hold, but are often unable to articulate. Lakoff also breaks down the ways in which conservatives have framed the issues, and provides examples of how progressives can reframe the debate.”
Lakoff’s framing philosophy is right on so many levels, though it’s apparent the Democrats don’t do a lot of listening to him these days. For example, their abysmal framing of the tax issue:
Let’s start with an example, the slogan “No tax cuts for millionaires.” First, “no.” As I have repeatedly pointed out, negating a frame activates the frame in the brains of listeners, as when Christine O’Donnell said “I am not a witch” or Nixon said “I am not a crook.” Putting “no” first activates the idea “Tax cuts for millionaires.”
Next, “millionaires.” Think of the tv show, “So you want to be a millionaire” or the movies “Slumdog Millionaire” and “How to Marry a Millionaire.” To most Americans, being a millionaire is a good thing to aspire to.
Then, there is “tax.” To progressives, taxes are forms of revenue allowing the government to do what is necessary for Americans as a whole — unemployment insurance, social security, health care, education, food safety, environmental improvements, infrastructure building and maintenance, and so on.
But the conservative message machine, over the past 30 years, has come to own the word “tax.” They have changed its meaning to most Americans. They have been able to make “tax” mean “money the government takes out of the pockets of people who have earned it in order to give it to people who haven’t earned it and don’t deserve it.” Thus, “tax relief” assumes that taxation is an affliction to be cured, and a “tax cut” is a good thing in general. Hence, conservatives make the argument, “No one should have their taxes raised.”
The conservative slogan activates the conservative view of taxes. But the progressive slogan “No tax cuts for millionaires” also activates the conservative view of taxes! The progressives are helping the conservatives.
Right or wrong, the conservatives have done a masterful job of framing this issue (and many others). And here’s the kicker, donkeys: Lakoff doesn’t think Dems are wired to change this.
The conservatives have a superior message machine: Dozens of think tanks with communications facilities, framing experts, training institutes, a national roster of speakers, booking agents to books their speakers in the media and civic groups, and owned medias like Fox News and a great deal of talk radio. Their audience will hear, over and over, “No one should have their taxes raised.”
There is no comparable progressive message machine. But even if one were to be built, the Democrats might still be using messages that are either ineffective or that help the conservatives.
Lakoff further explains that everything from education to moral beliefs are to blame for the superiority of the conservative message machine. (Read the article here for his compelling thoughts on the subject.) The takeaway is that your messaging has to be well-considered, logical and created with the conventional wisdom and thinking of your audience at the forefront.
I once worked in public television. As you probably know, public TV is in a perpetual state of war with those who want it to go away. The issue has been framed by opponents that public television is no longer necessary because of the range of educational programming on cable channels. Another argument is that it should get by without government assistance and let the invisible hand of the market determine its rise or fall. I’ll overlook political motivations that are also behind some of this and take these arguments at face value.
My frame of the issue is that cable television (unlike public TV) is advertiser-driven and the educational value of the programming isn’t the top priority (besides the fact that not everyone can or wants to pay for cable). Also, in many markets, the public TV station is the only one that’s effectively responsive to the needs and issues of citizens–it’s the only “locally owned” station in town. This establishes two value propositions for public television that I think are strong rebuttals to the opponents’ frame. These reasons–among others–make public television necessary and worthy of taxpayer support.
Note I didn’t say that opponents of public TV wanted to “kill Big Bird;” that kind of cheap shot doesn’t advance your argument. Whatever your beliefs about public TV, there’s a big difference in how the issue is framed by supporters and opponents. I think my framing was successful on some levels, though obviously the “war” continues.
A warning: framing an issue isn’t the same as spin:
Learn the difference between framing and spin/propaganda. Framing is normal; we think in frames. If you want to formulate a policy that is understandable, the policy must be framed so it came be readily communicated. Framing precedes effective policy. When you use framing to express what you really believe and what the truth is, you are just being an effective communicator. Framing can also be misused for the sake of propaganda. I strongly recommend against it.
As do I.
You Linger Your Little Hour and Are Gone
You Linger Your Little Hour and Are Gone
Prior to his show at RecordBar in Kansas City in November 2010, singer/songwriter Dan Coyle chats about his new album You Linger Your Little Hour and Are Gone, which is available in wide release today.
Learn more about Dan, read his blog and buy his albums at www.DanCoyle.com.
