Le_Corsair
M-Press said:
M-Press: Cirom is Ciro Marchetti, creator of the Gilded Tarot, due to be released in 2004 by Llewellyn.
Bob
to publish or self publish
M-Press: Cirom is Ciro Marchetti, creator of the Gilded Tarot, due to be released in 2004 by Llewellyn.
Bob
M-Press
Oooooh!
VERY NICE work Cirom!
Well I've never been good with "current events", and thanks Bob for letting me know about this section in AT I was not aware about! So many decks!
VERY NICE work Cirom!
Well I've never been good with "current events", and thanks Bob for letting me know about this section in AT I was not aware about! So many decks!
cirom
Hi M-Press,
One additional point I didn't touch on in my previous post, but I think should certainly be part of your assessment is the fact that producing your own "top end" deck at least provides you with one safety net. Namely you can, (as I'm doing with the Gilded) produce them only as and when I receive an order. This means a delay of several days between receiving an order and shipping it, but it also means you don't take the risk of producing several hundred, or thousand units, paying up front for that inventory to be printed and then storing them in your bedroom, garage or whatever, hoping that the sales will come in.
Regarding the profile of what sort of customer might pay these higher prices, I don't have sufficient reference yet. My assumption was that they are Tarot enthusiast first, and collectors of decks as a by product of that, rather than art lovers who are collectors and who happen to add a Tarot deck to their general list of collectables.
I have not advertised the deck in a direct way, I've merely let it be known that the deck is available, principally through forums such as this. Also I'm fortunate in regularly recieving a reasonable number of visitors to my web site. People who are interested in my artwork, which generally has a mystical element to it anyway (thats why Lllewellyn contacted me in the first place) so if those visitors happen to also be Tarot fans, then viola!! a potential customer. In my case the range of customers to date has been very varied, but I'd say at least 75% female. Based on my general correspondence with them I also got the impression that they are not necessarily wealthy collectors by any means. On the contrary I believe that for most it was a significant expense. Therefore not suprizingly, most wrote to me asking for addition information or clarification prior to placing an order. I usually accompany my response by also sending them larger images of selected cards so that they have a better reference of the artwork other than the low resolution images on my web site.
I hope some of this info helps.
One additional point I didn't touch on in my previous post, but I think should certainly be part of your assessment is the fact that producing your own "top end" deck at least provides you with one safety net. Namely you can, (as I'm doing with the Gilded) produce them only as and when I receive an order. This means a delay of several days between receiving an order and shipping it, but it also means you don't take the risk of producing several hundred, or thousand units, paying up front for that inventory to be printed and then storing them in your bedroom, garage or whatever, hoping that the sales will come in.
Regarding the profile of what sort of customer might pay these higher prices, I don't have sufficient reference yet. My assumption was that they are Tarot enthusiast first, and collectors of decks as a by product of that, rather than art lovers who are collectors and who happen to add a Tarot deck to their general list of collectables.
I have not advertised the deck in a direct way, I've merely let it be known that the deck is available, principally through forums such as this. Also I'm fortunate in regularly recieving a reasonable number of visitors to my web site. People who are interested in my artwork, which generally has a mystical element to it anyway (thats why Lllewellyn contacted me in the first place) so if those visitors happen to also be Tarot fans, then viola!! a potential customer. In my case the range of customers to date has been very varied, but I'd say at least 75% female. Based on my general correspondence with them I also got the impression that they are not necessarily wealthy collectors by any means. On the contrary I believe that for most it was a significant expense. Therefore not suprizingly, most wrote to me asking for addition information or clarification prior to placing an order. I usually accompany my response by also sending them larger images of selected cards so that they have a better reference of the artwork other than the low resolution images on my web site.
I hope some of this info helps.
M-Press
Thanks Cirom!
I totally "hear" what you say...
Yes, you are sure right about preparing packs as orders come in...
but in my case, I'm a total "series" worker, and it would take me the same time to make one or many... I like to have things figured out, and when they are, i move in speed.... To do it from the start, is "all over again" for me...
Ther truth is that I had in mind like 25-50 decks as special smashnig edition, and I would charge A LOT (at least by my lawyer's standards!)
I have other problems with that though, such as printing, but that's another story...the idea was to provide with originals...bla...bla...bla
anyway, i have to say, that my customers would be 60-40 female-male... I was amazed how many guys are into that and like my style. This is something that makes me especially happy...
i feel as if this is a turning point for me, since up to now, I only cared to please my taste, and my needs as far as product and art, but now the "target market" in the middle...
In a way I don't see that as a bad thing, but just very different...
You have to start from within to create something good, and you don't just sit on your table and say "now I will create a hit"... We first need to do for us, what we want and need and like...
Anyway, as the new era, I feel that since so much Tarot art is being created, besides what is assigned by the big ones, things have to start shifting, and may be less "safe" decks can emerge...all the experimental kinds...
I guess that would be a big plus on the "self-published" stuff...
I totally "hear" what you say...
Yes, you are sure right about preparing packs as orders come in...
but in my case, I'm a total "series" worker, and it would take me the same time to make one or many... I like to have things figured out, and when they are, i move in speed.... To do it from the start, is "all over again" for me...
Ther truth is that I had in mind like 25-50 decks as special smashnig edition, and I would charge A LOT (at least by my lawyer's standards!)
I have other problems with that though, such as printing, but that's another story...the idea was to provide with originals...bla...bla...bla
anyway, i have to say, that my customers would be 60-40 female-male... I was amazed how many guys are into that and like my style. This is something that makes me especially happy...
i feel as if this is a turning point for me, since up to now, I only cared to please my taste, and my needs as far as product and art, but now the "target market" in the middle...
In a way I don't see that as a bad thing, but just very different...
You have to start from within to create something good, and you don't just sit on your table and say "now I will create a hit"... We first need to do for us, what we want and need and like...
Anyway, as the new era, I feel that since so much Tarot art is being created, besides what is assigned by the big ones, things have to start shifting, and may be less "safe" decks can emerge...all the experimental kinds...
I guess that would be a big plus on the "self-published" stuff...
M-Press
Buddy book
The buddy book....
I had dinner tonight with some friends who used to work with me in publishing...so we talked scedules, editing and proofreading...
Does anyone knows how these are done in the big companies? Do they assign one of their editors on the book, or the assistant intern does it, or can you choose your own editor?
If I will self publish, I would like to do it with the book, i think...
But then the book will increase expenses a lot, if I have to hire an editor/proofreader...
Now, i've seen books in many levels, some don't even have one line of bibliography and stuff...i hope to do a better job...
Last year I was still looking for someone to write the bookm for me, but I came to the realization that the kind of book I want with my deck, can only be done by me, so...
there is some pressure...
Oh, the post-pains of creating a deck...!
The buddy book....
I had dinner tonight with some friends who used to work with me in publishing...so we talked scedules, editing and proofreading...
Does anyone knows how these are done in the big companies? Do they assign one of their editors on the book, or the assistant intern does it, or can you choose your own editor?
If I will self publish, I would like to do it with the book, i think...
But then the book will increase expenses a lot, if I have to hire an editor/proofreader...
Now, i've seen books in many levels, some don't even have one line of bibliography and stuff...i hope to do a better job...
Last year I was still looking for someone to write the bookm for me, but I came to the realization that the kind of book I want with my deck, can only be done by me, so...
there is some pressure...
Oh, the post-pains of creating a deck...!
