It’s time for some hard facts about marketing your work that applies to authors, filmmakers, and creatives. Contrary to popular myth – and it is a myth – books don’t market themselves, films don’t sell themselves. We don’t live in a world where you just ‘write the best book you can and let readers find you.’ That doesn’t work any more.
If I’m being honest, the marketing and business aspects of publishing are confusing and intimidating. Yet, it would be a mistake to think that I can write a letter to ‘get out of gym.’ At least, that’s what I took from J. Horton’s discussion in the Youtube clip below. You’ll pick up twenty years of experience in eleven minutes as Watch J. Horton, a filmmaker from Fort Wayne, Indiana, talks about what it takes to make money off of his work:
Watch it? Good, there will be a quiz at the end. j/k. ‘They don’t think about the business … it doesn’t have to be all business, or business first and then creative, no – your movie has to be good and the creativity has to work – that’s a given … you have to market yourself, not just your movie.’
So why don’t more people do it? Horton breaks down the mindset: ‘We just want to make our movie and give it over to something and then that thing is going to bring our money in, and we don’t have to worry about it, it’s somebody else’s problem. It’s somebody else’s job to market it, it’s somebody else’s job to distribute it. It’s somebody else’s job to think about the audience.’
But does it mean you’re a bad person to be leery about marketing yourself, your creative brand? No, not at all. ‘I think a lot of people are really scared of it … they’ll twist that into ‘I’m too good for it,’ or ‘I shouldn’t have to do it.’ I think a lot of bad behavior in filmmaking comes from being scared.’
Even Horton admits that with his social anxiety, marketing and brand building are hard work! Nonetheless, you have to find a way to do it that feels organic to you, something that makes you happy. He’s been working through his own personal concerns, fears, and regrets and I’m grateful that he was so vulnerable and honest. Gives me hope for what I’m trying to do, too.
Hope you found this helpful. You can also watch his ‘Film Marketing 101: Five Steps to Market Your Independent Film‘ for tips on marketing your personal creative project. They’re quick and insightful!
