ErinLaing.com

Scott Kirsner has a new book out called Fans, Friends and Followers: Building an audience and creative career in the digital age. He’s offered up a free 35 page PDF preview that you can download from his site.

The preview is short but insightful, offering small excerpts from the book (success stories from various artists). You get a good sense of what the book will have to offer - more success stories from all types of artists (comedians, musicians, writers etc) who have used the internet to launch their careers. The book goes into more detail as to how these artists built their online audience and created a web community.

An excerpt from the preview:

A small cadre of artists is taking a different tack. They’ve become convinced that the old power players – studios, record labels, publishers and the like – can no longer create and sustain individuals’ careers the way they once did. So they’re taking responsibility for building their reputation, telling their story, and assembling a fan base that can support them financially. They are experimenting with new ways to finance their work, promote it, and sell it. They’re creating new connections between themselves and their audience. They’re exploring new genres in which to work, and releasing their work in new ways and at
different tempos.

I can’t wait to read it. You can buy the book from Kirsner’s site, download it in ebook form or order it through Kindle.