Some early ideas for t-shirts :)

[Moejoe]

Not so long ago the idea was floated that if writers could not make money on the actual digital product, that a secondary, tangible object might be offered (the Chris Anderson Free model I call it). So here's some early ideas I'm working on along those lines for my own stuff. I'd be interested to know what readers think of these ideas

In this first one which I'm calling a "Quotable", the reader will be able to request any paragraph or sentence from anything the writer has written through a simple form on the website. The writer then puts up this custom t-shirt (through cafe press or what have you).

In this example I have my logo (but the reader could request this be removed). The quotation is from my story "Sights a Bird" For what was the use of nine lives if you could not risk at least one in the service of adventure.



In this second example, which I'm calling Cover Versions, the writer offers the cover art for each of their novels / whatever is in print (I've been working on iconic cover designs so that they're easily transferable from one medium to another. Here, the symbol for my novel "The Song of Insects" is used (as with the earlier idea, the reader can request this symbol on other products like mugs, pads, bags etc...)



EDIT: Some more piccies I made while playing with all this tonight at different stores

[PennyPie]

Ah...moejoe....now a writer has to be a graphic artist too!!!! For someone like you, with talents in both areas, a good idea....t-shirts for the unreading masses!!

[zelda_pinwheel]

moejoe, i love these t-shirts ! and i think they'll do well ; people love to have t-shirts of things they like (music, books, whatever...) and yours are gorgeous. but i also like the idea of reprinting a selected passage from a book you like ; that means that a writer doesn't have to be a designer as well (not everyone is as multi-talented as you are ). great idea ! if they come in girly sizes i'll get one for sure. (now, how to choose which one ??? arg !)

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

moejoe, i love these t-shirts ! and i think they'll do well ; people love to have t-shirts of things they like (music, books, whatever...) and yours are gorgeous. but i also like the idea of reprinting a selected passage from a book you like ; that means that a writer doesn't have to be a designer as well (not everyone is as multi-talented as you are ). great idea ! if they come in girly sizes i'll get one for sure. (now, how to choose which one ??? arg !)

Glad you like them I'm taking the Chris Anderson model to heart and looking at way that people can support the writer who gives away his or her writing free digitally. There's lots of opportunities to produce customised products based upon the writers' work, I'm even thinking of having something like a commisioned story. A reader will ask for a story for their birthday or what have you, a single edition is produced through POD, something nice with a Hardcover and the like, and the writer signs it. Now that would be a lovely gift, and a one of a kind physical object

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by PennyPie

Ah...moejoe....now a writer has to be a graphic artist too!!!! For someone like you, with talents in both areas, a good idea....t-shirts for the unreading masses!!

You could fit a drabble on a t-shirt...mmmm...... that gives me an idea

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Glad you like them I'm taking the Chris Anderson model to heart and looking at way that people can support the writer who gives away his or her writing free digitally. There's lots of opportunities to produce customised products based upon the writers' work, I'm even thinking of having something like a commisioned story. A reader will ask for a story for their birthday or what have you, a single edition is produced through POD, something nice with a Hardcover and the like, and the writer signs it. Now that would be a lovely gift, and a one of a kind physical object

i think you're right, there are a lot of great possibilities here and it's wonderful to see you exploring them. you're so avant-garde. i like the idea of a one-of-a-kind signed hardcover for a gift, as well ; that's the kind of book people would really treasure and want to keep forever. i like the idea of using cover art as well, not just for t-shirts but other objects too. here's an example () http://www.cafepress.co.uk/MUsilliness/6391666

Originally Posted by Moejoe

You could fit a drabble on a t-shirt...mmmm...... that gives me an idea

"a drabble" ?

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i think you're right, there are a lot of great possibilities here and it's wonderful to see you exploring them. you're so avant-garde. i like the idea of a one-of-a-kind signed hardcover for a gift, as well ; that's the kind of book people would really treasure and want to keep forever. i like the idea of using cover art as well, not just for t-shirts but other objects too. here's an example () http://www.cafepress.co.uk/MUsilliness/6391666


"a drabble" ?

Ahh Harv & Vera, how could I forget A drabble is a story of exactly 100 words in length...

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Ahh Harv & Vera, how could I forget

i really don't know.

A drabble is a story of exactly 100 words in length...

ha ! sounds like an intriguing challenge !

[Moejoe]

Here's another one, just because I'm playing about with Zazzle.com and this was a fun picture

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Here's another one, just because I'm playing about with Zazzle.com and this was a fun picture

tee hee ! i'll take one of those in black please. maybe with red rings on the neck and sleeves. i'll even put my hair in pigtails when i wear it.

[Slite]

I want one of these

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Slite

I want one of these

heeheehee !! slite, what on earth is that ???

[Slite]

It's a dustpuppy ... or rather THE dustpuppy, a character born in a network server from the webcomic UserFirendly

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Slite

It's a dustpuppy ... or rather THE dustpuppy, a character born in a network server from the webcomic UserFirendly

oh, userfriendly ! i've seen a few of those, they're hilarious. clearly i should read more of them. (dustpuppy, hehehe... i've got plenty of dustkitties around here, some of them have probably grown legs, judging by how they get EVERYWHERE...)

[Slite]

It is the same at our house, but they really are dustpuppies, since most of them come from our dogs...

Oh, and sorry for the threadjacking MoeJoe