For those who do follow me on Twitter, it’s no secret that I do weekly posts, typically on Wednesday, where I draw attention to all the other creators I interact with or follow that have books, comics, channels, and other creative things out there (or they’re working towards them in some way).
Sure, I market the hell out of my own books and other products every damn day, but as this Iron Age thing grows and expands, I think it is important to help grow what this movement is becoming. I think I’ve done really well with that and helped connect a lot of people that just want to manufacture real escapism in an era that is poisoned by mainstream entertainment and media that is overtly political and anything but an escape from reality.
Obviously, I want to succeed and sell as many books as possible. However, I see this movement as something bigger than myself and as a way to create real change in the realm of entertainment.
Frankly, escapism is something that seems to be underappreciated in how important it is. If we can never tune out from the chaos of the real world and have a breather, once in awhile, our mental health will degrade, hostilities will continue to rise, and the bad guys win. I also think that it’s obvious that this is all done by design but I’m not here to get all conspiratorial.
I am here, however, to combat what feels like a crumbling society. With that, I want those who just want to create stories and art without “the message” in it, to succeed. I want the world to have its escape. Since we all don’t like the same things, variety is important, and that’s why I try to shine a light on so many others.
I want the energy of what the Iron Age is to continue and to flourish. We’re off to a hell of a great start. That’s also because there are those of us who never fell into the trap of creating political/social “art”. The Iron Age has helped bring us together, though, and many of us coming to the forefront, were already working on our things before two words united us.
The thing is, all of us should really help one another build this into something even greater and more powerful than it is now. That’s why I want to use my growing platform (that is still rather small) to help lift up others who are either just starting out or who have struggled to get the spotlight that they need to reach another level.
People like IronAge Media and Royce of A Drink With Crazy are trying to do the same thing in their own ways. I wish others would step up, as well. Even if you’re not super keen on the “Iron Age” branding, I think the spirit of what it is (and things like PulpRev), is damn important. Plus, bigger creators have taken notice, such as RazörFist, who lit the fire, and Shad M. Brooks of Shadiversity and Knight’s Watch (also an accomplished writer).
Also, I know how hard it is to write a book, and then how much harder it is to get someone to buy it. Hell, reviews are harder than pulling teeth. I’ve grown my platform and my fanbase (which still feels weird to type) organically with hard work and consistency. If I can continue to grow, I want to make it easier for others who might be struggling to get real traction.
For me, there’s something more important here than just selling my own books.
Why I Promote Others So Hard
Not only is what you're doing admirable, but it's working. Between the other creators joining us beneath this umbrella and those like Razörfist and ADrinkWithCrazy, I've seen more growth in weeks than I otherwise have in the better part of a year, and I highly doubt I'm the only one. Here's to our continued success, and the success of anyone who is passionate about telling real stories and respecting those who invest their time and energy into reading them.