Benjamin Jones's Blog, page 7
January 4, 2011
For The Love of Spike
Shelton Lee, better known as Spike, is a man that generally divides people into one of two sides - you either love him or hate him. I fall into the "love him" category. I can't lie, I am a proud card carrying member of the Spike Lee fan club. I wanted (and still want) to be be Spike Lee when I grew up. Before throwing all my efforts into being a writer I wanted (and, again, still want) to be a film director and, to me, then as now, Spike is the gold standard when it comes to directors and, especially, African American directors. I could go on and on and on about Spike Lee and how he, to this day, influences my writing but that's not the topic of this post.
I've always been bothered by the seeming lack of respect for Spike and his varied body of work over the last 24 years. Did you read those last three words - 24 years. The man is almost a quarter of a century in and his box office success (or lack of) has never caught up to the critical success he has received. Why is that?
In my opinion, African American film audiences have never embraced Spike with the same love (at least at the box office) as they do a Tyler Perry film. Check the numbers of their first 10 directorial efforts - the numbers are staggering:
Tyler Perry
Diary of a Mad Black Woman Budget = $5.5 million Gross = $50,652,203
Madea's Family Reunion Budget = $6 million Gross = $63,308,879
Daddy's Little Girls Budget = $10 million Gross = $31,068,283
Why Did I Get Married? Budget = $15 million Gross = $55,862,886
Meet The Browns Budget = $20 million Gross = $41,975,388
The Family That Preys Budget = unknown Gross = $37,105,289
Madea Goes to Jail Budget = $17.5 million Gross = $90,508,336
I Can Do Bad All By Myself Budget = $19 million Gross = $51,733,921
Why Did I Get Married Too? Budget = $20 million Gross = $60,095,852
For Colored Girls Budget = $21 million Gross = $30,920,000 (so far)
Mr. Perry is working with an average budget of $14.888 million (not counting The Family That Preys) and the above films have grossed a total of over $620 million so far for an average of over $62 million which, considering the relatively low budgets, are nothing short of blockbusters.
Let's analyze Spike Lee's first 10 directorial features:
She's Gotta Have It Budget = $200,000 Gross = $7,137,502
School Daze Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $14,545,844
Do The Right Thing Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $37,295,445
Mo Better Blues Budget = $10 million Gross = $16,153,600
Jungle Fever Budget = $14 million Gross = $43,882,682
Malcolm X Budget = $33 million Gross = $48,169,910
Crooklyn Budget = $14 million Gross = $13,642,861
Clockers Budget = $25 million Gross = $13,040,603
Get On The Bus Budget = $2.4 million Gross = $5,731,103
Girl 6 Budget = $12 million Gross = $4,903,000
Mr. Lee has an average budget over those ten films of $12.36 million and the above films have grossed a total of $123,420,000 with an average of only $12,342,000 for each feature. So, based on the figures, Spike's movies actually are LOSING money, granted that changes if you take Girl 6 out of the equation.
How is that audiences, over the first 10 films of their respective careers, have given Tyler Perry more almost $500 MILLION more dollars than they have to Spike? Is it that movie audiences are unwilling to support something that's new to them or different? My problem with Mr. Perry's films have been that, to me, they've all been the same - you've seen one you've seen them all; only thing that changes is the location. The formula is the same: black person + tragedy/crisis + a dash of humor (ie Madea) + a sprinkle of religion = box office gold.
If you analyze spikes films they are never the same and they always offer a different perspective. In the first ten films alone you have a story about a woman and her three lovers, a story about light skinned vs. light skinned blacks, hate and bigotry in Brooklyn, a jazz musician, interracial love, a WONDERFUL biography of Malcolm X, a portrait of a family in 1970's Brooklyn, drugs, the Million Man March and finally ending with the story of a woman who is a phone sex operator. We haven't even gotten to He Got Game, Inside Man, Summer of Sam, 4 Little Girls, Miracle at St. Anna, etc...
So what does this say and what is it saying about our movie habits? What it tells me is that the numbers don't tell the whole story. What it tells me is that we're stuck in a box, afraid to venture out of our comfort zones and would rather give our money to see men in dresses (Tyler Perry as Madea and Martin Lawrence in Big Momma's House) instead of supporting one of the greatest film directors of the last quarter decade.
There needs to be a balance. I can't lie, 90% of the music and movies that I see that are produced by African Americans is pure GARBAGE. Just because something is made by someone that has the same skin tone as you doesn't mean that it's good. I hate hearing people say that "support such and such because they're black". My answer is why? Just because that person looks like me doesn't mean that they have talent. I'm not saying that Tyler Perry doesn't have talent as he wouldn't be where he is today if not for talent but we've got to start supporting Spike (and other up and coming artists of all races) who are just as talented (if not more so) but aren't reaping the same benefits that they have deserved.
Next time you're at Blockbuster or on Netflix pick up one of Spike's joints and re-discover Spike Lee. I guarantee you that he has something for you. Don't wait until he's gone like everyone did when Michael Jackson passed away to proclaim how great he was - show it today by not forgetting about him while he's still alive. If it wasn't for Spike, chances are there would be no Tyler Perry.
I've always been bothered by the seeming lack of respect for Spike and his varied body of work over the last 24 years. Did you read those last three words - 24 years. The man is almost a quarter of a century in and his box office success (or lack of) has never caught up to the critical success he has received. Why is that?
In my opinion, African American film audiences have never embraced Spike with the same love (at least at the box office) as they do a Tyler Perry film. Check the numbers of their first 10 directorial efforts - the numbers are staggering:
Tyler Perry
Diary of a Mad Black Woman Budget = $5.5 million Gross = $50,652,203
Madea's Family Reunion Budget = $6 million Gross = $63,308,879
Daddy's Little Girls Budget = $10 million Gross = $31,068,283
Why Did I Get Married? Budget = $15 million Gross = $55,862,886
Meet The Browns Budget = $20 million Gross = $41,975,388
The Family That Preys Budget = unknown Gross = $37,105,289
Madea Goes to Jail Budget = $17.5 million Gross = $90,508,336
I Can Do Bad All By Myself Budget = $19 million Gross = $51,733,921
Why Did I Get Married Too? Budget = $20 million Gross = $60,095,852
For Colored Girls Budget = $21 million Gross = $30,920,000 (so far)
Mr. Perry is working with an average budget of $14.888 million (not counting The Family That Preys) and the above films have grossed a total of over $620 million so far for an average of over $62 million which, considering the relatively low budgets, are nothing short of blockbusters.
Let's analyze Spike Lee's first 10 directorial features:
She's Gotta Have It Budget = $200,000 Gross = $7,137,502
School Daze Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $14,545,844
Do The Right Thing Budget = $6.5 million Gross = $37,295,445
Mo Better Blues Budget = $10 million Gross = $16,153,600
Jungle Fever Budget = $14 million Gross = $43,882,682
Malcolm X Budget = $33 million Gross = $48,169,910
Crooklyn Budget = $14 million Gross = $13,642,861
Clockers Budget = $25 million Gross = $13,040,603
Get On The Bus Budget = $2.4 million Gross = $5,731,103
Girl 6 Budget = $12 million Gross = $4,903,000
Mr. Lee has an average budget over those ten films of $12.36 million and the above films have grossed a total of $123,420,000 with an average of only $12,342,000 for each feature. So, based on the figures, Spike's movies actually are LOSING money, granted that changes if you take Girl 6 out of the equation.
How is that audiences, over the first 10 films of their respective careers, have given Tyler Perry more almost $500 MILLION more dollars than they have to Spike? Is it that movie audiences are unwilling to support something that's new to them or different? My problem with Mr. Perry's films have been that, to me, they've all been the same - you've seen one you've seen them all; only thing that changes is the location. The formula is the same: black person + tragedy/crisis + a dash of humor (ie Madea) + a sprinkle of religion = box office gold.
If you analyze spikes films they are never the same and they always offer a different perspective. In the first ten films alone you have a story about a woman and her three lovers, a story about light skinned vs. light skinned blacks, hate and bigotry in Brooklyn, a jazz musician, interracial love, a WONDERFUL biography of Malcolm X, a portrait of a family in 1970's Brooklyn, drugs, the Million Man March and finally ending with the story of a woman who is a phone sex operator. We haven't even gotten to He Got Game, Inside Man, Summer of Sam, 4 Little Girls, Miracle at St. Anna, etc...
So what does this say and what is it saying about our movie habits? What it tells me is that the numbers don't tell the whole story. What it tells me is that we're stuck in a box, afraid to venture out of our comfort zones and would rather give our money to see men in dresses (Tyler Perry as Madea and Martin Lawrence in Big Momma's House) instead of supporting one of the greatest film directors of the last quarter decade.
There needs to be a balance. I can't lie, 90% of the music and movies that I see that are produced by African Americans is pure GARBAGE. Just because something is made by someone that has the same skin tone as you doesn't mean that it's good. I hate hearing people say that "support such and such because they're black". My answer is why? Just because that person looks like me doesn't mean that they have talent. I'm not saying that Tyler Perry doesn't have talent as he wouldn't be where he is today if not for talent but we've got to start supporting Spike (and other up and coming artists of all races) who are just as talented (if not more so) but aren't reaping the same benefits that they have deserved.
Next time you're at Blockbuster or on Netflix pick up one of Spike's joints and re-discover Spike Lee. I guarantee you that he has something for you. Don't wait until he's gone like everyone did when Michael Jackson passed away to proclaim how great he was - show it today by not forgetting about him while he's still alive. If it wasn't for Spike, chances are there would be no Tyler Perry.
A Writer's Website & Why You Need an Online Store
For an independent/self publishing, author having a website is akin to having a drivers license – everybody should have one. Believe it or not, there are some of us who haven’t taken that necessary step and setup their own website so, if you’re one of those, stop reading this post and head over to www.weebly.com, www.webs.com or any of the other sites where you can setup your own site for free. We’ll give you a minute to do that before proceeding…..
Alright, now that that’s taken care of (and all joking aside), one of the first things I did when I seriously started pursuing this writing career of mine was to start my website and begin building my “brand” as your website becomes the main way that people really begin to notice you and your work and becomes a “one stop shop”, serving as nucleus of your writing world on the web. Something I have found useful (which I didn’t think of when I first got my website) was the ability to cross promote with other authors. I have linked up with fellow authors on Twitter and have put either a banner ad or a link to their book on my page in exchange for them doing the same thing for me on their site. It’s not only a good way to build publicity for your site but also a good way to link up/network with other authors.
There are many things that people put on their websites but I find these to be the core pages that every writer should have:
•Contact page – it’s imperative that people be able to contact you, be it via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc… It allows you a chance to interact and build a fan base, especially via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
•Reviews page – if you have gotten any reviews on your work then you need to show them off (even put a few on the front/home page of your site to entice potential readers/customers to keep reading). I don’t know about you but, if I read/see that someone likes something, then I’m going to be more inclined to check it out for myself. Be sure to provide a link to the original source of the review so that people don’t think you made it up. Also, you can use this page to provide little snippets/excerpts of your work to entice people to buy (or create a whole new page for this purpose). Give the reader a little bit to get them interested so they’ll want to buy the rest.
•A page for updates – as you continue to build your fan base you will want to let your fans/readers know what’s going on with you and your work so update your site often to keep them coming back.
Besides the above things the other necessity is an online store which I feel is important enough to warrant it’s own separate paragraph. When I first decided on setting up an online store for my site I thought that it was going to be hard but it is/was surprisingly easy. After setting up my site I then headed over to Paypal where I already had an account due to my eBay usage and clicked on their “Merchant Services” link and from there it was setting up descriptions and prices for my items, copying the HTML code for the checkout button onto my site and then voila – my store was up and running! As a note: I’m sure there are other sites that will let you setup an online store through them but Paypal is the one I use and the only one I’m really familiar with.
Why would I need an online store you maybe asking? The real question is why wouldn’t you want an online store? Yes you can have your books on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, etc… w/out having them listed on your site but let’s take a look at the benefits of having your own online store:
•If people are already on your site then they are more willing to buy if the link/page is right there as opposed to having to go to a different page and find it. You can always post links to the other places where your book is located on your online store page but have the focus be on your site first because….
•You keep more of the money! Amazon and Barnes & Noble (and the rest) can get your book in front of more eyes but they’re going to keep more of YOUR money for that service. Using Paypal I get to keep about 95% of the sale price where some places the royalty rate is anywhere from 35 to 70%.
•You can sell stuff other than books. You can have posters, magnets, calendars, t-shirts or any other number of things to go along with your book and any extra income is good income.
These are just a few of the reasons why you should have an online store on your site.
In conclusion, if you don’t have a website, GET ONE! If you have a website make sure that you have an online store where you can sell your books (and merchandise). Remember that your website is an extension of you and should be looked at as a part of your “brand”. Make it accessible to the readers, keep it updated regularly and let the reader know about the author as well as the books you’re writing.
Good luck and happy writing!
Ben Jones.
Alright, now that that’s taken care of (and all joking aside), one of the first things I did when I seriously started pursuing this writing career of mine was to start my website and begin building my “brand” as your website becomes the main way that people really begin to notice you and your work and becomes a “one stop shop”, serving as nucleus of your writing world on the web. Something I have found useful (which I didn’t think of when I first got my website) was the ability to cross promote with other authors. I have linked up with fellow authors on Twitter and have put either a banner ad or a link to their book on my page in exchange for them doing the same thing for me on their site. It’s not only a good way to build publicity for your site but also a good way to link up/network with other authors.
There are many things that people put on their websites but I find these to be the core pages that every writer should have:
•Contact page – it’s imperative that people be able to contact you, be it via email, Twitter, Facebook, etc… It allows you a chance to interact and build a fan base, especially via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
•Reviews page – if you have gotten any reviews on your work then you need to show them off (even put a few on the front/home page of your site to entice potential readers/customers to keep reading). I don’t know about you but, if I read/see that someone likes something, then I’m going to be more inclined to check it out for myself. Be sure to provide a link to the original source of the review so that people don’t think you made it up. Also, you can use this page to provide little snippets/excerpts of your work to entice people to buy (or create a whole new page for this purpose). Give the reader a little bit to get them interested so they’ll want to buy the rest.
•A page for updates – as you continue to build your fan base you will want to let your fans/readers know what’s going on with you and your work so update your site often to keep them coming back.
Besides the above things the other necessity is an online store which I feel is important enough to warrant it’s own separate paragraph. When I first decided on setting up an online store for my site I thought that it was going to be hard but it is/was surprisingly easy. After setting up my site I then headed over to Paypal where I already had an account due to my eBay usage and clicked on their “Merchant Services” link and from there it was setting up descriptions and prices for my items, copying the HTML code for the checkout button onto my site and then voila – my store was up and running! As a note: I’m sure there are other sites that will let you setup an online store through them but Paypal is the one I use and the only one I’m really familiar with.
Why would I need an online store you maybe asking? The real question is why wouldn’t you want an online store? Yes you can have your books on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, etc… w/out having them listed on your site but let’s take a look at the benefits of having your own online store:
•If people are already on your site then they are more willing to buy if the link/page is right there as opposed to having to go to a different page and find it. You can always post links to the other places where your book is located on your online store page but have the focus be on your site first because….
•You keep more of the money! Amazon and Barnes & Noble (and the rest) can get your book in front of more eyes but they’re going to keep more of YOUR money for that service. Using Paypal I get to keep about 95% of the sale price where some places the royalty rate is anywhere from 35 to 70%.
•You can sell stuff other than books. You can have posters, magnets, calendars, t-shirts or any other number of things to go along with your book and any extra income is good income.
These are just a few of the reasons why you should have an online store on your site.
In conclusion, if you don’t have a website, GET ONE! If you have a website make sure that you have an online store where you can sell your books (and merchandise). Remember that your website is an extension of you and should be looked at as a part of your “brand”. Make it accessible to the readers, keep it updated regularly and let the reader know about the author as well as the books you’re writing.
Good luck and happy writing!
Ben Jones.
January 3, 2011
Book Review - People of the Sword
I was sent a free copy of People of the Sword by Mr. O'Donnell after stating on Twitter that I was looking for books to review. He graciously emailed me the book and here we are.
When I first started reading the book, I can't lie, I wasn't that into it. The subject matter instantly brought to mind the Lord of the Rings series and, as such, that's all I thought about while I was reading and it turned me off and I actually stopped reading it after about 50 pages. I didn't touch it again for almost a week - wanted to give my mind time to reset and view it through fresh eyes - and I'm glad that I did because the book is very highly enjoyable!
What the author has crafted with People of the Sword is a VERY rich and entertaining world that is full of lots of characters. It's evident upon reading that the author has put a LOT of time researching and crafting this book as a lesser author would've taken all the characters and elements of the story and created a half hearted mess but that's not the case here. If I were pressed to describe this book I would do so by saying that, if Lord of the Rings and Clash of the Titans had a baby, People of the Sword would be the result. Mr. O'Donnell has populated this world with knights, goblins, witches, druids, less than pleasant statues, deep mythology, and so on and so forth that really gives the reader something new to look forward to in each chapter.
One of the other things that I liked about this book is that, within all the fantasy elements of the book, there is a message behind it. There are several instances where characters realize that they have misjudged a race of people based off of stereotypes that had been handed down and they find that they have things in common with these people and, in several instances, risk their lives for them.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I highly recommend it to everyone. The ending (slight spoiler) opens the door for a sequel and I can't wait to read it.
Neil O’Donnell’s novels and short stories primarily focus on the genre of Fantasy. Drawing from his background as an anthropologist, Neil uses writing to reveal how societies and individuals impact one another through contact, conflict and mutual needs/understanding. For this anthropologist, writing is a platform for teaching without lecturing.
Having battled Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) throughout his life, Neil also found writing to provide a means of combating OCD. Now, aside from his fiction work, Neil utilizes writing outlets (blogs/manuscripts) to reach others battling OCD, letting them know they are not alone and that there is help available.
Barnes and Noble
http://flamingnet.com/index.cfm
Amazon.com (ebook and paperback formats)
http://www.a-argusbooks.com/StorePeop...
Borders.com
When I first started reading the book, I can't lie, I wasn't that into it. The subject matter instantly brought to mind the Lord of the Rings series and, as such, that's all I thought about while I was reading and it turned me off and I actually stopped reading it after about 50 pages. I didn't touch it again for almost a week - wanted to give my mind time to reset and view it through fresh eyes - and I'm glad that I did because the book is very highly enjoyable!
What the author has crafted with People of the Sword is a VERY rich and entertaining world that is full of lots of characters. It's evident upon reading that the author has put a LOT of time researching and crafting this book as a lesser author would've taken all the characters and elements of the story and created a half hearted mess but that's not the case here. If I were pressed to describe this book I would do so by saying that, if Lord of the Rings and Clash of the Titans had a baby, People of the Sword would be the result. Mr. O'Donnell has populated this world with knights, goblins, witches, druids, less than pleasant statues, deep mythology, and so on and so forth that really gives the reader something new to look forward to in each chapter.
One of the other things that I liked about this book is that, within all the fantasy elements of the book, there is a message behind it. There are several instances where characters realize that they have misjudged a race of people based off of stereotypes that had been handed down and they find that they have things in common with these people and, in several instances, risk their lives for them.
All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I highly recommend it to everyone. The ending (slight spoiler) opens the door for a sequel and I can't wait to read it.
Neil O’Donnell’s novels and short stories primarily focus on the genre of Fantasy. Drawing from his background as an anthropologist, Neil uses writing to reveal how societies and individuals impact one another through contact, conflict and mutual needs/understanding. For this anthropologist, writing is a platform for teaching without lecturing.
Having battled Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) throughout his life, Neil also found writing to provide a means of combating OCD. Now, aside from his fiction work, Neil utilizes writing outlets (blogs/manuscripts) to reach others battling OCD, letting them know they are not alone and that there is help available.
Barnes and Noble
http://flamingnet.com/index.cfm
Amazon.com (ebook and paperback formats)
http://www.a-argusbooks.com/StorePeop...
Borders.com
January 3, 2011
Hello all. Hope you had a great New Years and I hope that 2011 brings you much happiness and prosperity.
2011 is starting off wonderfully for me. This morning I answered some questions for an interview with Vampire.com website for an interview to be posted on their site. It's supposed to be up later this week and, of course, links will be posted.
Joined goodreads.com after one of my twitter friends hit me up to it and it looks very promising. I'm gonna play around on there and see what I can do with.
Talked to Ms. Tiffanie Minnis this morning and our collaboration project is going to get started this month so that's very exciting. We will be discussing it more at length this Saturday after our Writers Movement meeting.
Posted a new blog post which is a review of Neil O'Donnell's book People of the Sword. Be sure to read the blog and his book because it is very good!
Work on the second draft of H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point is still on-going. Due to the holiday I haven't been able to get much done on it but that will change starting tomorrow.
Okay, I'm off to work on my Goodreads account. More later....
2011 is starting off wonderfully for me. This morning I answered some questions for an interview with Vampire.com website for an interview to be posted on their site. It's supposed to be up later this week and, of course, links will be posted.
Joined goodreads.com after one of my twitter friends hit me up to it and it looks very promising. I'm gonna play around on there and see what I can do with.
Talked to Ms. Tiffanie Minnis this morning and our collaboration project is going to get started this month so that's very exciting. We will be discussing it more at length this Saturday after our Writers Movement meeting.
Posted a new blog post which is a review of Neil O'Donnell's book People of the Sword. Be sure to read the blog and his book because it is very good!
Work on the second draft of H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point is still on-going. Due to the holiday I haven't been able to get much done on it but that will change starting tomorrow.
Okay, I'm off to work on my Goodreads account. More later....
December 28, 2010
Hello - hope you had a great Christmas. Me personally, I'm glad that it's over and done with.
Moving on, had 3 sales over the holiday so that was a good feeling to get. Maybe all the folks that good Nooks and Kindles for Christmas will go out and purchase copies of H.U.B. (hint hint).
Last night I finished the first draft of H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point so I'm in the process of typing that up right now to see what revisions/additions/subtractions I need to do for the second draft.
Got a $10 donation to my Kickstarter project (http://kck.st/cHGw6m) so that's put me at 11% of my goal with 23 days to go. Please visit and make a donation - even if it's just $1.00.
I'm continuing to network and reach out to websites to get reviews of H.U.B. and the process is going pretty good so far. I've sent the books off to several sites so now I'm waiting for them to look at it - I will keep you posted on the results.
Finished my blog post for Reena Jacobs and that will be posted this Friday (12.30.10) so visit www.reenajacobs.com/blog to check that out (and possibly win a book or two).
Made some updates to my website - http://www.whatishub.net/ - check those out when you get a chance!
Okay, that's it for now (I think). More later....
Moving on, had 3 sales over the holiday so that was a good feeling to get. Maybe all the folks that good Nooks and Kindles for Christmas will go out and purchase copies of H.U.B. (hint hint).
Last night I finished the first draft of H.U.B. Volume 3: The Tipping Point so I'm in the process of typing that up right now to see what revisions/additions/subtractions I need to do for the second draft.
Got a $10 donation to my Kickstarter project (http://kck.st/cHGw6m) so that's put me at 11% of my goal with 23 days to go. Please visit and make a donation - even if it's just $1.00.
I'm continuing to network and reach out to websites to get reviews of H.U.B. and the process is going pretty good so far. I've sent the books off to several sites so now I'm waiting for them to look at it - I will keep you posted on the results.
Finished my blog post for Reena Jacobs and that will be posted this Friday (12.30.10) so visit www.reenajacobs.com/blog to check that out (and possibly win a book or two).
Made some updates to my website - http://www.whatishub.net/ - check those out when you get a chance!
Okay, that's it for now (I think). More later....
