Virginia Postel's review of Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson pretty much sums up my attitude about almost anything I plan on writing or producing these days. After eight years of watching freelancing opportunities dwindle and the payment-per-piece remain largely flat, the age of free creative content is upon us. This is no earth-shaker, I know. But it is an adjustment for those of us trained way back in the 20th Century.
I'm happy to write all kinds of things for all kinds of people, and I always have been. Moving to the free content model has required a little bit of technological savvy -- but at least I get to own the shop. The learning curve hasn't been that steep, and it's well worth the trouble to end up with complete creative control. These days, the ease with which I can publish in any number of media and reach any number of people means that, with the proper advertising program and retail partnering, there's even money to be made -- if only pennies at a time. But 10,000 pennies is still $100, and that'll buy me more server space. Of course, this approach is based on trends Anderson wrote about in his previous book, The Long Tail.
To be honest, I already have a day job ("Don't quit it!" Thank you, wiseguys.), and I'm just happy to have readers. Or listeners. Or even a reader or a listener. (Yes, you're the one.)
Postel's piece is in the New York Times Sunday Book Review.
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