RE-SCOPING: My Future in Social Media

Hello Everyone,

In my last few posts I mentioned that I may be making some changes in creative trajectory in the near-future. I have been doing a lot of inner reflection the past few months and want to share my insights with you and what my future plans are . . .

Social media had, for a time, been the primary mechanism in which a creative (writer, artist, musician, etc.) can get their voice out into the world. As the traditional publishing houses died in the early 2000s, social media became the primary outlet in which a creative could advertise. But, the struggle to become a creative became even more burdensome: what was left of publishing soon realized that they could cut costs and still barely survive if only they didn't have to pay for marketing; in fact, if the entire burden was on the creative themself, the publishers could save money and still reap 90% of the proceeds. So, even when an author manages to get a book deal, they have to manage a shitty contract (which often locks the author into a right-of-first-refusal rule so they can't go to competitors) with minimal proceeds (anywhere from 6 - 20%) and no advance, all while the material is no longer within your copyright control, as well as having to have a strong social media presence where they are often solely responsible for getting the word out to readers old and new. My last book contract, I alone scheduled every single interview to promote my upcoming release. More and more, publishers weren't even looking at prospective authors unless they had a viable social media presence, so for the past decade or so creatives went to Instagram and TikTok, rapidly pumping out content to beat the algorithms and bank on making that one video that would hopefully trend. Even when that happened, though, there was no promise those "Likes" and "Hearts" translated into book or art sales. So, many creatives just focused on social media content itself: the more followers you have, the more you can monetize. Might as well make some money.

However, things are shifting. With how tight machine learning has become, social media has quickly morphed into an echo chamber for consumers where it is near-impossible to find new content. Remember back in the day you could browse a book, movie, or music store and come across something new you would otherwise not have found? The possibility for just such an occurrence is becoming more and more rare with each passing day. The mountain climb to get noticed, let alone make sales, is now a sheer cliff with no ropes and footholds. And as the economy gets worse and worse, people are becoming (rightfully so) more and more stingy with their purchases.

Over the years, I often lamented that I having a full-time job since leaving college that has had nothing to do with art or writing. It bothered me for years and I hated it. But now, as I am in my mid-40s, I am thankful I have financial stability, health insurance, and a retirement plan. I look at my fellow creatives who write or draw full-time and (unless they have a rich spouse who supports their work) I watch them struggle with survival, living off GoFundMe campaigns if a medical issue crops up, begging others to support their umpteenth Kickstarter so they make make rent. The industry guts artists, writers, and musicians for everything they have, then leave them in the gutter when crisis strikes. It is, truly, a gross paradigm, and I no longer wish to make it my future.

WHAT IS IN THE FUTURE?

I am not going to stop creating. However, I am going to stop putting so much energy into pumping out content and advertising on social media. I don't NEED the money from my art and writing, and I certainly no longer have the desire to try to make that a viable source of income for myself. I don't have enough of a fanbase so that I can live off of it, so why do I need to hold myself to any kind of schedule or standard? I appreciate those of you who have supported my work and I am pretty confident you will continue to do so regardless of the schedule I keep.

My goal is for my creative works to be published, not to have a social media following. In fact, recent research is showing that one does not need a social media following in order become published anymore. If you are interested in learning more about that, literary agent Alyssa Matesic breaks down some new data on this very subject:

Am I going to drop social media altogether? No. But, I am going to reign in my focus. Again, my goal is to get published, and if a social media platform is no longer a major factor in that, then I don't want to have to keep it up. It's exhausting tending to multiple elements that I have to interact with and support. So, here is my breakdown of upcoming changes, re-scoping my energy and focus, and where you can find me from now on.

PATREON

I will be cancelling my Patreon this month. I have tried for years, but I just cannot keep up a regular schedule on that platform. I love my Patrons but with Patreon's fees and then with supporting the other artists I know, I essentially make no money there. It is hard enough for me to have the time and energy to create what I do, I don't want to be beholden to people who are paying me and for which they are not getting the return I feel they deserve. So, if you are following me there, that platform will be shutting down soon. I appreciate your support in the past, it means a lot to me!

YOUTUBE

I have been for the past six months or more producing three videos a week. Although my subscriber count and interactions have increased, I am still nowhere close for monetizing. Also, that hasn't translated into book sales at all. I will still make videos ad hoc, but am no longer going to tend to a weekly cadence . . . again, that takes A LOT time and energy I would rather spend that writing and drawing.

FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE

My "official author" page on Facebook Daniel Moler: Artist, Author, Astral Entrepreneur barely gets any views, likes, or interactions. When it does, it is usually the same few people that interact with me on my personal Facebook page (when, actually, is my largest interaction point on social media). I will be keeping my personal Facebook page, of course, but will be deleting my author page. If you happen to be following that page, make sure you are following my personal Facebook page instead so you don't miss out on anything: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.moler.50

THREADS

I tried Threads but it has become a complete dead zone. I will be deleting that account.

CARA

Nothing ever came of Cara either, so I am deleting that account as well.

INSTAGRAM

Instagram is easy enough to keep around, as it feeds directly into Facebook. Also, I do get the occasional new follower there who seems interested in my work. So you can of course still find me there: https://www.instagram.com/therealdanielmoler/

SO, WHAT'S NEXT?

Well, I am working. Again, this re-scoping is about aligning my energy so I can give a better focus on producing PRODUCTS, not CONTENT. There is a huge difference in those things, and I am reasserting my focus to what I find is most aligned with my values: as a creative, as a storyteller, my concern is in making hard, tangible products that last through time, not digital postings that get forgotten about in an hour. So, my journey there continues.

Here is the latest news:

You can still follow Next Panel Press to get a preview of my comic PSYCHONAUT PRESENTS issue 5. I am still plugging away at those pages.
THE SIMON MYTH CHRONICLES: BROKEN CHALICE issue 5 is also still coming along, slowly but surely. There is no definitely release date for that yet, and I am still in consideration regarding a publisher for the series.
SINAI is coming along slowly as well, and I will be posting chapters on here soon.
INVISIBLE HORIZONS has been on hold, but I will be revisiting that this next year.
I was just informed from the publisher that they are returning the all rights to SHAMANIC QABALAH back to me. So, you just may see an updated version of the book coming out in the next year or so that is completely self-published from yours truly.