Why bother to publish?

[Ankou]

OKy Doky... Just finnished searching the archives and have found many threads on the money aspect and the joy of making your own deck aspect, However, there are alot of people on this forum who are self publishing in small quantities, who probably are just covering cost by the time they're done.

I've done a couple of oracles now and am in the middle of a few more.

I'm curious why deck creators would want to publish, outside of the hope to make big bucks (being a freelance artist I have no hope that I will make big bucks doing this)... Is it just to share with friends? Does it make the deck feel more complete to have them in other peoples hands?

Thinking about self publishing, but I don't know why, except that I'd like to share the love...

Love and Light,

Ankou

(PS... if there is another thread that covers this particular bit please let me know, I'll definately read it )

 

[Astra]

Hmmm... I'm not at all certain that there has been a thread on this subject before.

My own feeling was that there's no way to tell if you've got something really good until you put it out in the world and see if anybody's interested in paying money for it. Okay, so "good" and "saleable" are necessarily the same thing, but that's the test I'm working with. (big bucks would be nice, but ...)

Actually, I'm not sure I started with that idea - I simply always figured that if I ever got a deck finished, I wanted it to be something other people would want to read with, and the only way that could happen is if it got printed.

I know that a number of the artists here hadn't really thought about publishing until other Aeclectic members started asking when they could order a deck, and a number of people start by assuming there's a market through one publisher or another and have dead-ended when they found out how limited that direction was.

I'll be incredibly interested in seeing other answers to this.

 

[Zephyros]

A big part of creating is sharing it with the world. A writer can write a ton of books, but they will in essence remain silent if the world does not read them. When God created the world he could have sat in the Garden of Eden and enjoyed it himself, but man was created so that he could enjoy all that was created. I myself have created a deck, at least, not gotten further than theory, but I suppose that if I ever get down to it, then I would attempt to publish it.

 

[baba-prague]

Hmm, yes it is an interesting question. Well, we may be atypical because Alex and I want first and foremost to establish a design studio in which we can (fulltime) do the work we really believe in and enjoy. We're both refugees from corporate and advertising work - which pays hugely much more, but which can also feel quite hollow at times. It just felt as though we had to take a deep breath and take the risk of doing the work we wanted to - MAKING it happen really.
So publishing and getting a reputation for doing good work is essential to us - otherwise it's all just personal dreams (which is fine, but wouldn't let us build the studio). Also, as I think Rota pointed out, a good deck should (with luck, some planning and all that) at least bring in the money for the next printing, so we HAVE to publish in order to be able to keep publishing, if you see what I mean.

Beyond that, well it seems to me that a deck doesn't live until it's used. I think I get more pleasure from hearing stories of our deck in use than from anything else. If we didn't publish, that could never happen.

 

[Simone]

There are those who create to learn.

I can tell you I have learned a great deal about tarot cards since I started creating, and every single card has revealed its essential meaning in the process. My thoughts about the card during the painting were importent to me and often held an insight.

This being said, it would of course be nice to be able to publish the deck to share it with the world and maybe give someone a tool which proves useful and insightful.

But if it is not possible, I will consider it a wonderful experience and learning journey

 

[Ankou]

Thanks for the great responces! and so quickly too

My Husband and I also have a design studio, but our bread and butter is mostly architectural engineering for weird signage and special events. He is a recovering corporate artist, I'm honestly to young to have ever hit that wall yet.

I'm still trying to find the gumption to throw "ART" out into the market, and I guess part of the question is because I need a better reason than money to get my but in gear...

Looking forward to what others are thinking!

Love and Light,

Ankou

 

[yaraluna]

can you share them?

hi

can you share a pic o fyour oracles? of course make sure you put Copyright all over, but just curious to see your creativity.

yaraluna

 

[Major Tom]

Hmmm. A very good question - Why bother to publish? You're certainly not going to get rich. A copy of your deck for yourself certainly is nice. Then perhaps you'd like to give a copy as a gift. Before you know it, you're chained to your printer, your fingers are bleeding from paper cuts, your thumb is numb from the corner punch and your fingers stick together from glueing boxes. A limited edition of 100 can quickly become attractive.

If it's inspiration you're looking for try this thread.

 

[Ankou]

Major Tom,

Just scanned the first page of that thread which is wonderful!
Some of my favorite deck makers on AT talking about why and how they got started yeah...will read the rest soon.

I don't really need any impetus to MAKE a deck, unfortunately, the muses have been riding me ragged!!! (how often does that happen, I think It's cause I've started leaving milk for the Browmies and carrying clover everywhere I go, but I could just finnally be crossing that fine line they're always going on about )

But Your explanation of the deck for yourself a deck for someone else and suddenly being covered in paste, souds like how I'll probably be publishing the first time it happens, hee

Yaraluna, and anyoneone else whos curious, I've posted a couple of treads with pics, "Pigeon Tarot", "Finnished New Oracle", and
"Rune Study Need Advice"

Anyone else?

Love and Light,

Ankou

 

[Eco74]

As someone who has not yet been published (except in the university magazine) I have an idea about it that does not involve big bucks.

It does however involve a dream of enough money to get by on doing something I love and that feeds my spirit while I do it. Atleast to some extent. I don't think any job includes beeing perfectly happy all of the time even if one is working on that perfect job.. Sometimes sewing with beautiful fabrics or drawing or painting is bound to get exhausting, and we've all heard about writers-block.

If I do ever finish one of my sideproject I would love for it to be published, renowned, wanted and appreciated because it would make that "perfect situation" I dream of just that little bit more realistic.
Not that I'd mind getting lots and lots of money and never Really have to work ever again if I didn't feel like it, but that's an added bonus if it happens, and not something I would ever really expect.