Bobby Nash's Blog, page 429

THE DEADLY ART OF EXPOSURE...

It's Super-Bob-- Writer Guy and his big bag 'o cash!
Where's my money, honey?I read an article on The Beat asking the question, Should Writers Pay Artists Upfront? You can read the full article here. Basically, the point being put forth is that writers write comic book scripts and try to get artists to draw them for free. This happens, believe me. I’ve worked with artists this way a time or two, usually on a project we both enjoy and weren’t expecting to make much money on anyway.

The argument is valid, but seems a little skewed toward the writer being the initial point of creation. Experience has taught me that this is not always the case. Sometimes artists have an idea and seek out a writer, usually asking the writer to work for free or “for exposure” which is a dreaded term in creative circles these days. We’ll talk about that a bit more in a minute. Granted, some creators have reached a point in their career that working for exposure is not in their best interest. Others, well, maybe if you’re new to the game, a little exposure couldn’t hurt. Of course, each individual creator has to make that decision for him or herself.

Below is my response to the topic, which basically tells how I try to handle this as a writer. It also partly emphasizes why I don’t write nearly as many comic books as I used to.

Show me the money.There are different ways to look at this. 

I generally offer co-ownership and splitting profits (with the artists getting a larger split of the profits) for creator-owned work. I don't just stockpile and pitch stories. We don't start working on a project until the artist and I agree that this is what we all want to do and we work up a loose plot or idea together. In addition to writing, I also handle the contacts, shopping it around, marketing, etc. Sadly, even with all parties agreed, this doesn't always work and I end up having spent time writing something that never gets finished. It is frustrating at times, which is part of the reason I write very few comics these days. Some of these have languished for years and may or may not ever be completed.

Too funny.It is important to note that not all project ideas are started by the writer. I have had artists come to me wanting me to write the story he or she wants to tell or just saying they would love to work with me. Every time, I have done this as a partnership, co-owning it as opposed to asking the artist to pay me to write it for them. Sometimes these projects never see the light of day because the art doesn't get finished. I spent time writing that I was then not paid for and have a script I cannot use elsewhere because I only co-own the property.

Funny aside (or not so funny, depending on your POV): I had an artist pitch me his idea and asked me to write his idea into a graphic novel script. The artist then told me his page rate so I could pay him to draw his idea because he thought paying for the book was the writer's responsibility. Suffice it to say, I declined the offer.

Two words I don't want to write.I can definitely sympathize with both sides. I like to form creative partnerships. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. Ah, comics.

That was from the comment section on The Beat.

Exposure is one of those tricky beasts. Writers, artists, colorists, actors, musicians, singers, performers, and on and on and on are constantly being peppered with requests for them to do some type of work “for exposure.” As I mentioned above, the term “for exposure” is not a popular one to hear, but it sure seems popular to use, especially by non-creative people.

But is working “for exposure” a bad thing?

This is totally how a writer makes money.It depends. The first question you should ask yourself is, “do I need exposure for my work?”

In my writing career, I have worked on many royalty-based pay projects. Most prose (novels, short stories, novellas) publishers pay royalties, as a matter of fact. Some publishers offer work for hire and pay a set fee for a story, but when it comes to novels, most of the time it’s royalty all the way. That means, if the book makes a profit then I will make money. If it doesn’t, well, then I won’t. A lot of “for exposure” offers are cloaked in the phrase, “if it makes money, you’ll make money.”

In my case, I have done “for exposure” work on a few occasions. My first professional comic book work was done “for exposure” because the publisher wanted to try me out so I scripted a story from a plot and artwork that was already completed. I knew up front that I would probably never see a dime from this, but it got my work in front of the publisher. My “for exposure” work got me the gig and a few other writing gigs, each of them paying. In this instance, working for exposure paid off for me.

Must be a writer. :)I wrote a draft of an episode of a web series “for exposure” because I knew it would be produced and I would have a screenwriting credit to my name. I did another for that same reason. One of those experiences worked out better than the other because I ended up not being credited for the work so the exposure I sought wasn’t there.

At the end of the day, working for exposure or not comes down to what you, as a creative person, want to gain from it. If you think the opportunity to expand your brand or move into a new type of creative endeavor is there and “for exposure” is the only way to get started, then you have a decision to make and no one else can make it for you.

I love being a writer, but let’s face it, at the end of the day it is pretty much a crapshoot whether you make a living or not. I’ve worked on royalty-based projects that have not put a single dime in my pocket, even though, in some cases, others were paid. In other cases, my “for exposure” project netted me a paying gig on another project.
This has happened to me.
The choice falls on the individual creators. You have to follow the path that feels right for you. You are in charge of your creative career and have to make those decisions. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but either way, you’re sure to gain some valuable knowledge from the experience.

Happy creating.

Bobby

FEEDBACK...

It's such a wonderful feeling when I get positive feedback on something I wrote. That never gets old. Makes the long hours totally worth it. 

Speaking of long hours, I'd better get back to it. But first...

I did have an addendum to my schedule for the upcoming Dragon Con convention on labor Day weekend in Atlanta, GA.
Title: Reading - John Hartness (Big Bad Anthology Launch Party)
Time: Fri 05:30 pm Location: Roswell - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

You can see the rest of my Dragon Con schedule here.
Oh, and congratulations to Peter Capaldi, our next Doctor Who.
Bobby
PS: keep those questions coming for next week's Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff... column.

A SATURDAY NIGHT TEASE...

Here's a little taste of the as yet unannounced top-secret project I’m working on at the moment. This is how I spent my Saturday night.

“Now are you going to talk me through this? Or do you want me to just go in there and start pushing buttons at random?”

Rehn blew out a breath. “Fine, but if we’re going to do this then let’s be smart about it, okay?”

“I’m a big fan of smart, professor.”

More to come soon.
Bobby

CLEAN OR CLUTTERED? SPOT THE WRITER'S DESK...

The cartoon above was shared around social media today. I'm not sure who the artist is, but she clearly understands the writing life. How closely does this resemble your writing desk? Sadly, coffee spills aside, my desk is usually a cluttered mess. So, naturally, I decided to take a photo of it for comparison, It's below.

Bobby's office.So, how does your writer's desk look? Do you like it neat and orderly or does clutter rule the day for you like it does me?

Bobby

PENSACOLA PARA CON CANCELLATION

I have had to cancel my Pensacola Para Con appearance on August 17 - 18 in Pensacola, Florida. I would like to thank Ericka Marcia Boussarhane for inviting me to the show and for being understanding about the unexpected change in my schedule. If she will have me, I hope to attend next year's Pensacola Para-Con and apologize for any inconvenience my cancellation may cause. I look forward to hearing reports and checking out photos from the convention.

Learn more about Pensacola Para-Con here and here.

Thanks again.

Bobby

BOBBY NASH’S DRAGON CON SCHEDULE REVEALED [UPDATED]

Updated.

2012 Pulp PanelI have received my tentative panel schedule for the upcoming Dragon Con convention, which will be held in Atlanta, GA over the Labor Day Weekend, August 30 - September 2. There will be a reading and autograph signing session added as well. I will post those times as soon as I know them. I will have a small assortment of books with me at panels and signings available for purchase. If you see me running around the con floor, please say hello. If any changes to the schedule happen, I will update as the con gets closer.

I look forward to seeing you at the convention.

Bobby
2012's 1982 movie panel
Friday (8/30/13)

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Title: Pulp: From Paperbacks to Film and Beyond
Description: Pulse-pounding adventure is just the beginning. Our group of all-star pulpsters will take a look at all things pulp.
Time: Fri 01:00 pm Location: Augusta 3 - Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
Moderator / MC for panel

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Title: SeaQuest DSV: 20th Anniversary Under the Sea
'nuff said.Description: Underwater. In the future. A talking dolphin. It's not hard to fathom why you should celebrate with this show's league of fans.
Time: Fri 04:00 pm Location: M303-M304 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

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Title: Six Million Dollar Fans
Description: From bionics to Bigfoot, celebrate the slow-motion superheroes.
Time: Fri 07:00 pm Location: M303-M304 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

Saturday (8/31/13)

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Title: Podcasting Authors Roundtable
Description: A roundtable discussion of working writers who utilize podcasting to distribute and promote their work.
Time: Sat 10:00 am Location: 203 - Hilton (Length: 1 Hour)
Earth Station One
-------------------Title: Reading - Bobby Nash 
Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: University - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

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Title: Earth Station One Goes Classic Sci-Fi
Description: Strap yourselves into the Geek Seat and be part of this live podcast performance.
Time: Sat 04:00 pm Location: M303-M304 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

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Title: The Many Worlds of Pulp & Speculative Fiction
Description: The writers of pulp and speculative fiction discuss the
Bobby Nash and Jeff Allenwide range of stories to tell: from hollow earth, sword and sorcery, and so much more.
Time: Sat 05:30 pm Location: Augusta 1-2 - Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

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Title: New Pulp, Old Pulp
Description: Pulp fiction has been enjoying quite a resurgence recently.
Time: Sat 10:00 pm Location: Embassy A-B - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Sunday (9/1/13)

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Title: Autograph Sessions
Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: International Hall South - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

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Title: Earth Station One Live at Dragon*Con
2012 New Pulp panelDescription: Shows that celebrate their love for all things Pop Culture Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Comics and more. It's LIVE.
Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: 203 - Hilton (Length: 1 Hour)

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Title: GI Joe Anniversary: Celebrating Is Half the Battle
Description: Earn major flag points at this tribute to the cartoon, the toys, and the MASS Device.
Time: Sun 07:00 pm Location: M303-M304 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)
The ESO Network Live 2012 ed.
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Title: The Earth Station One Network Podcast Live Recording at Dragon*Con
Description: The podcasters of The ESO Network record an episode of the Earth Station One podcast live from Dragon Con. Everyone is welcome.
Time: Sun 10:00 pm Location: signing area - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

CASTING A CONSPIRACY OF INNOCENCE

Farragut Films has announced casting for the next production in the Starship Farragut film series, “Conspiracy of Innocence”, written by Bobby Nash. Starship Farragut held an open audition at Farragut Films Studio-2 in Kingsland, Georgia, on February 16th, 2013 to fill several open roles.

You can see the full list of guest stars here.

Learn more about Starship Farragut here.

Starship Farragut: Conspiracy of Innocence films Winter 2013.

Earth Station One Episode 173 – The Wolverine Movie Review

With ‘Howdy’ Mike Gordon sick in bed, Mike Faber, Bobby Nash, and Jennifer Hartshorn carried on and headed back to the theater for a screening of the latest adventure of everyone’s favorite clawed mutant. That’s right, we’re reviewing The Wolverine and are joined by the ESO movie reviewer Ashley Bergner and Drew Leitner to join the crew and talk about their thoughts on the film. But wait, bub, there’s more. We also take a look at Wolverine’s teammates as The X-Men celebrate their 50th anniversary, and we give a peek at their history and some must read stories. Plus, as if that wasn’t enough, we’ll also have the usual Rants, Raves, Khan Report and Shout Outs.

Join us for yet another episode of The Earth Station One Podcast we like to call: The Wolverine Movie Review at www.esopodcast.com
Direct link: http://erthstationone.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/earth-station-one-episode-173-the-wolverine-movie-reivew/
My Rave for the week
Table of Contents
0:00:00 Intro / Welcome
0:07:25 Rants & Raves
0:23:33 The Wolverine Movie Review & The X-men Turn 50
1:19:27 The ESO Khan Report
1:29:44 ESO Shout Outs & Show Close

Next on Earth Station One...

ESO gets weird!

Next week, the ESO crew has a sing-along as we look at the career of everyone’s favorite performer,
#1 with a bullet (train)Weird Al Yankovic. Plus, as if that wasn’t enough, we’ll also have the usual Rants, Raves, Khan Report, Geek Seat, Shout Outs, and a special guest or two. You get all this and more on the next exciting episode of Earth Station One.

ESO would love to hear from you. Share your favorite Weird Al songs and memories with the ESO crew at esopodcast@gmail.com, www.esopodcast.com, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. We love hearing from you. Who knows, we might just read yours on the show.

RICK RUBY P.I. - SUITABLE FOR FRAMING

Rob Moran, the Pulp Factory Award winning artist on The Ruby Files Vol. 1 has made prints available of his gorgeous The Ruby Files illustrations.

Artist Rob Moran won the Pulp Factory Award this year for Best Interior Illustrator for his pieces in THE RUBY FILES. What most people do not know is that Rob sells limited edition prints of these gorgeous black and white illustrations that are perfect for matting and dressing up one's office.

For further information, contact Rob Moran at from-the-mind-of-moran@voodoovisionstudios.com

See more print samples here.

Airship 27 Productions’ The Ruby Files Vol. 1 is still available for purchase.

SOMETIMES I GET ASKED STUFF PART 5

One of the best parts of being a writer is the interesting people you get to meet at conventions, store signings, through the Earth Station One podcast, and on social media. Sometimes I get asked questions so I thought it would be interesting to share some of them along with the answers. Some of these are questions asked to me directly, some come from social media, and others are asked to a group of writers. Regardless of where they come from, here’s a few of the latest.

Check out Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here.

Q: Why is the sky blue?

I have to thank my friend, Blake for this one. When he first asked, this was my answer. “Because there's a smartass in every group, Blake.” I then thought that I should probably expound further, but then decided that my first response was pretty good. HA! HA!

Q: What is an all-ages comic book?

An all-ages comic is a comic that both kids and adults can read. It's not just a kid's book or just an adult book, but suitable for both. The mainstream comics of the 60's - 80's were mostly all ages. These days there are few that are made for both. It’s cot comics, but I’d say the Pixar movies are mostly all-ages. You get different things out of them as an adult than as a child.

Q: Do you set up a new Facebook page for every series or book you have, or do you just have an author page?

Just the author page. There’s no need for a page for every one of my books. That becomes very difficult to manage and maintain. I rarely LIKE pages that are books for that very reason. Besides, I already spend too much time on Facebook.

Q: Any plans to write any other pulp characters?


Oh yeah. I just finished a Fight Card book last week. I have a story in The Avenger: Roaring Heart of The Crucible and in The Spider: Extreme Prejudice, both of which came out in the past month or so. Another The Spider anthology featuring a story by me is coming soon. Domino Lady: Sex As A Weapon will be re-released in October plus I wrote a Domino Lady novel that will come out sometime in the near future. Earlier this year I had Secret Agent X and Green Hornet stories come out. Plus, in a couple months I start work on a Honey West/Domino Lady novel for next year. Whew. And that’s not even all of it. You can check out the full list at www.bobbynash.com if you'd like.

Q: Who is your favorite golden age pulp character that you discovered relatively recently?

Domino Lady. I had never heard of her before I was tasked with writing a story. I love the character now. Secret Agent X is another. I had heard of the character, but hadn’t read much before I was tasked with writing him.

Q: What were the other tunes played in Evil Ways along with Carlos Santana’s Evil Ways?

You have to read the book to find out. :) Okay, I guess I can share. The other two songs were Bruce Springsteen's 'Glory Days" and 'Tryin' To Live My Life Without You' by Bob Segar.

This was covered in a previous Q&A, but here’s some background on how Evil Ways got its title.

There's a scene in the novel that takes place in a bar. The house band plays classic rock covers. One of the characters in the book is a singer. They coax him on stage to do a few songs. I turned on the radio and the next 3 songs that played were the songs he performed. One of those was Evil Ways and I thought it might make an interesting title until I came up with something better. It stuck.

Q: Should you as an author expect to do most of the legwork in marketing your book or should your publisher do it?

Ideally, both should do it. The publisher should do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of marketing in places where the author cannot, like magazines, TV, bookstore distribution, and the like. This is a short-term thing though because the publisher then moves on to the next book being released. The author should be spreading the word as well because, let’s face it, who should care more about the author’s book than the author? Plus, the author can market long term and keep sales going beyond the initial sales week. This helps keep royalties coming and can lead to publishers requesting more books from the author.

Q: How do you write about things you *don't* know?

I research when I can. Sometimes that means searching the internet, other times it means meeting people who have that knowledge, and sometimes it means just making it up as I go along.

Q: How are you doing on their creative projects/writing?

I'm up to my eyeballs in multiple deadlines so I've been chipping away at multiple projects every day. This will continue through August and into September. After that, I need a vacation.  :)

Q: What is your favorite Kurt Russell movie?

Tombstone. I absolutely love this movie. If I run across it on the TV I will sit and watch it every time. My second favorite is probably John Carpenter’s The Thing. Guilty pleasure favorite would be Tango and Cash.

Q: Favorite Michael Douglas movie?

Wall Street followed by Romancing The Stone.

Q: Where can I find your books?


As luck would have it, there are links in the tabs at the top of the page. Novels, anthologies/novellas, short stories, comic books, and audio. I also have the Amazon a-store link up top as well. Outside of that, you can ask your favorite bookseller to order them for you. Plus, most are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and the like. They're out there. I also sell a few autographed copies direct. There are buy it now buttons on the tabs as well. I'll add more as we go along. Just ask. I might have a copy or two on hand.

BOBBY NASH’S FANTASTIC FOUR

On a forum, I mentioned that I have always had an interest in and would one day love to write The Fantastic Four. Author I.A. Watson sent me these questions based on that response. I was aware of them from cartoons, but I've been a huge fan of the Fantastic Four since the mid-80's when I was introduced to their comic book adventures. My favorite FF uniforms are the black with white belts, gloves, boots, & neck piece.

My only caveat here is that I've not given any thought to stories I would tell since I haven't gotten this particular job. If I got the job as the Fantastic Four writer this might change because, as writer, you have to give the editor/publisher what they want.

Q: The FF has really only had about four storylines since vol 1 #20 - a member leaves/dies/is replaced, the team explores something, Reed invents something, or an old villain returns deadlier than ever. What would you do with the team that didn't retread that old ground?

You cannot simply jettison those parts because the Fantastic Four are, first and foremost, a team of explorers. I love that the FF is often discovering new races, new worlds, new galaxies, new dimensions, well, you get the idea. Reed not inventing something is out of character.

That said, I have no plans to have anyone leave. I like my Fantastic Four to be Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny. Of course, She-Hulk can pop by for a visit every now and again because I love that
character. Granted, as I type this I’ve not written any plots, but I would love to start the FF on an adventure that takes them on a great journey into strange lands and see what happens. I would also want to do more down to Earth stories between their grand ol’ adventures. Mix ‘n match.

Q: Likewise, the FF hasn't really had a major villain added to their rogues gallery since Lee/Kirby. What kind of threat might you come up with that has the staying power and returnability of the Mole Man, the Skrulls, or Anihillus?

Good question. If I were writing the series I would certainly create some new adversaries for the FF, as well as some allies and friends as well. That said, I wouldn’t rule out revisiting some of the classic villains as well. You have to mix and match. A new villain
going to war with an older FF villain with our heroes caught in the middle does have some appeal.

Q: What would you do with Johnny Storm? How do you make him as central to the series and as cool as he was in 1963?

Johnny is a cool character. I think he is sometimes written a little too childish. Is he childish at times? Sure. Is he that way all the time? No. Can he be a jerk? You bet. Is he always? No. Johnny is like that teen actor who becomes instantly famous and it goes to his head. Johnny is a hothead, prone to leaping without looking. This gets him into all types of trouble, both in her personal life and as a superhero.

Q: How would you handle Dr Doom? How would you cope with "Doom fatigue"?

Doom would not happen immediately in my run if possible. Eventually, I start in with Doom as a subplot. He’s up to something, but what? He’s searching for something, but what? How will this hurt Reed Richards?

Q: What role would Franklin and Valeria play in your run? How would you make Valeria less annoying and less of the sort of deus et machina her brother used to be?

I love the kids. Valeria being smarter than Reed makes her the magical fix to many of the issues they run into. I love the relationship between Val and Franklin. I would love to see that relationship continue. Family is an important part of the FF. You can’t be successful with this title is you ignore that.

Q: How would you develop the most neglected, cliche, and difficult-to-get-right relationship between the four, that of Reed and Sue?

Reed and Sue Richards are the longest running married couple in comics and I love that. It seems that a lot of stories about married couples fall into these categories: 1). They argue all the time and we fear they’ll split up. 2). One cheats, or is tempted to cheat, on the other. 3). They are the perfect couple.

Now, let me preface this by stating that I am not married so I am therefore no expert on the subject, but I like to think that, based on observations, a married couple doesn’t fit snugly into one of these categories alone. Get to know the characters and write them in character and you will see how their relationship develops. I imagine Sue gets rather irritated at Reed on a regular basis, but she also knew the kind of man she married. She knows how he gets lost in his work. To suddenly write her hating
that about him would be the wrong way to go. Reed and Sue are a team and I love them as a couple.

And that’ll do it for this round, I think. Do you have any questions you’d like me to answer? Post them here as a comment or send them along to bobby@bobbynash.com and I’ll answer them in a future installment of Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff...

Also, please sign up for my mailing list. Drop me an email at bobby@bobbynash.com and I'll happily add you to the list.

Thanks.

Bobby