David Hendley on tue 13 mar 01
The book authors on Clayart sound just like the ranchers out
here in East Texas:
"How're the cows doin'?"
"There's no money in runnin' cows."
"How long you been doing it?"
"25 years."
The truth is, both the ranchers and the authors get compensation
that is agreeable to them or they wouldn't continue.
"Exposure, publicity, opportunity," the authors say.
Now they sound like a speaker at a multi-level marketing
recruitment meeting.
In reality, the authors themselves, not photo contributors,
receive the lion's share of name recognition and invitations
to speak or show that result from publication. When you donate
a photo to them, you are helping to further their careers as
much, or more, than your own.
This is the classic pyramid sales set-up. If you are on the
bottom rung, you do the work, and are paid for it, but the
higher-ups are also paid for your work, since they brought
you into the organization.
Just substitute "publicity" for "pay", in the case of photos
published in books.
So, is this a bad system you should refuse to participate in?
Well no, it works because everyone benefits.
Can you make a reasonable argument that contributors should
be compensated for sending in photos that are used to make
money for the publisher and help promote the author? Absolutely.
So what's a potter to do?
Well, you have to decide for yourself. I think I'd be better off to
have thousands of people look at photos of my work than to
have $50 that will be gone after one evening out on the town.
As my neighbor Glen Parsons says, "Once them dang cows get
in your blood you can't never quit."
(Glen is very thankful he lives in Texas, and not the U.K.)
--
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com/
Janet Kaiser on wed 14 mar 01
Sadly the situation in the UK is really grim. Visitors to
rural areas
are cancelling accommodation and the numbers visiting The
CoA are down
70% on the same time last year. Whole areas are under
quarantine, so no
walking on public paths and many attractions are closed to
the public.
Even some beaches are closed in this area.
As the majority of potters I know are based in rural
communities, please
give them a thought... Without the tourists they will be
facing a very
hard time this year. The Chapel of Art is a major outlet
for many
artists and if we are already hurting, they will too...
Coming on top of
a terrible year 1999-2000 when the poor weather and the
high pound
exchange rate saw a huge drop in tourists, this is not
just a threat to
the farmers, it is a threat to the whole rural economy in
many parts of
the UK.
Plummeting prices on the stock exchanges around the world
are the least
of our worries, although an economic depression would be
the final
straw... Just think of it... Because too many jumped on
the new
technology band-wagon and thought they could become
dot.com
millionaires, the whole financial world crashes.
Thanks to a fully-functional, vociferous lobby, our
farming friends (who
BTW have land and other resources) are promised
compensation from the
government, but what have the rest of us? Who will come to
our aid?
Yet you are only reading this mail thanks to the same
technology
revolution that will worsen our lot, coming as it has at
the worst
possible time for the UK and maybe the whole of Europe...
What a queer
world we live in.
100s of thousands of healthy sheep are going to be
slaughtered and now
we hear imports of meat from Europe are banned in USA &
Canada. People
arriving from the UK are being subjected to checks by
sniffer dogs, just
in case they are smuggling ham sandwiches or dairy
products. In the
meantime, the UK is importing beef from Latin America,
where foot and
mouth is endemic! It is not only a queer world, it is
positively mad...
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
> As my neighbor Glen Parsons says, "Once them dang cows
get
> in your blood you can't never quit."
> (Glen is very thankful he lives in Texas, and not the
U.K.)
Richard Jeffery on thu 15 mar 01
This is a post I meant to write 3 days ago - I just wanted to say that last
weekend I had the pleasure of meeting Janet and Eckhard, and staying with
them for one night.
They have a splendid gallery - the sort of place that makes you relax as you
walk through the door - a haven of peace, warmth and culture, full of some
splendid ceramics. A wonderful place, too. Leave their front door, cross
the road, and if you don't stop walking you are in the sea. If the seagulls
miss you, look down the coast and you see the splendour of Snowdonia (they
may to hills to you, but where we are they pass for mountains... ). Beyond
the headland, the beaches and sand dunes roll on for miles.....
If you are passing, go there - you will not regret it....
I saw the Path, too. Now, I don't make tiles (and I work in raku, so they
wouldn't last anyway), so I have an excuse. So all the rest of you out
there that do, get on with it! It's a labour of love, and the sooner it's
finished, the sooner the pair of them will be able to walk with straight
backs....
And on Janet's other post,
<place! Should I start proxy drinking for you?
Would that help? I will start with the wine,
because we are out of beer. No whisky though...
Have given it up for lent and to give my liver a
break.>>
on the ghastly thought of 4000 potters in a dry town (actually, there's a
touch of irony here, given the state of liquor licensing in the not too
distant past of North Wales), I left her with a new vice to replace the
whiskey - Pinneau. Just remember it's an aperitif, Janet, and ye'll do
fine... Thanks again.
Richard
Bournemouth UK
www.TheEleventhHour.co.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of Janet Kaiser
Sent: 14 March 2001 23:16
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: There's no money in runnin' cows
Sadly the situation in the UK is really grim. Visitors to
rural areas
are cancelling accommodation and the numbers visiting The
CoA are down
70% on the same time last year. Whole areas are under
quarantine, so no
walking on public paths and many attractions are closed to
the public.
Even some beaches are closed in this area.
As the majority of potters I know are based in rural
communities, please
give them a thought... Without the tourists they will be
facing a very
hard time this year. The Chapel of Art is a major outlet
for many
artists and if we are already hurting, they will too...
Coming on top of
a terrible year 1999-2000 when the poor weather and the
high pound
exchange rate saw a huge drop in tourists, this is not
just a threat to
the farmers, it is a threat to the whole rural economy in
many parts of
the UK.
Plummeting prices on the stock exchanges around the world
are the least
of our worries, although an economic depression would be
the final
straw... Just think of it... Because too many jumped on
the new
technology band-wagon and thought they could become
dot.com
millionaires, the whole financial world crashes.
Thanks to a fully-functional, vociferous lobby, our
farming friends (who
BTW have land and other resources) are promised
compensation from the
government, but what have the rest of us? Who will come to
our aid?
Yet you are only reading this mail thanks to the same
technology
revolution that will worsen our lot, coming as it has at
the worst
possible time for the UK and maybe the whole of Europe...
What a queer
world we live in.
100s of thousands of healthy sheep are going to be
slaughtered and now
we hear imports of meat from Europe are banned in USA &
Canada. People
arriving from the UK are being subjected to checks by
sniffer dogs, just
in case they are smuggling ham sandwiches or dairy
products. In the
meantime, the UK is importing beef from Latin America,
where foot and
mouth is endemic! It is not only a queer world, it is
positively mad...
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
> As my neighbor Glen Parsons says, "Once them dang cows
get
> in your blood you can't never quit."
> (Glen is very thankful he lives in Texas, and not the
U.K.)
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
| |
|
