Comments on: Navel-Gazing http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/ News, Views and Artifacts from Howard Cruse Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:47:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Music-Band http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-5793 Music-Band Sun, 05 Aug 2007 16:49:47 +0000 http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-5793 Hey I was surfing the web and i saw this site, pretty cool. Currently im running and adult site:<a href="http://www.vnvnation.biz/queries.html" rel="nofollow">Reachton</a> k, just want to say hi :) Can i link you from my site? im looking for quality content like yours. If no let me know if i can add u in exchange for a montly fee or something. Hey

I was surfing the web and i saw this site, pretty cool.
Currently im running and adult site:Reachton
k, just want to say hi :)
Can i link you from my site? im looking for quality content like yours. If no let me know if i can add u in exchange for a montly fee or something.

]]> By: Jonathan Jensen http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-3021 Jonathan Jensen Sat, 02 Jun 2007 03:00:54 +0000 http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-3021 Hi Howard, Wanted to let you know I came over from Blake Bell's site, and gave your blog a reading. Very interesting stuff, its been a while since I've read new stuff, and I don't get out much to shows and stores (a truck driver on the road only gets where his 80 foot long beast will take him, truck stops and the like, which is where I sit writing this on my laptop. Thank god for wireless!). Anyway appreciate the insite into blog writing been thinking of doing same from the road. My problem being, I have too many interests, comics, pulps, music, wines, whatever. Oh, and what Blake said about lists is correct, I first saw his comments on the Timely Atlas lists and come from there, so that works. Jonathan Jensen Hi Howard, Wanted to let you know I came over from Blake Bell’s site, and gave your blog a reading. Very interesting stuff, its been a while since I’ve read new stuff, and I don’t get out much to shows and stores (a truck driver on the road only gets where his 80 foot long beast will take him, truck stops and the like, which is where I sit writing this on my laptop. Thank god for wireless!). Anyway appreciate the insite into blog writing been thinking of doing same from the road. My problem being, I have too many interests, comics, pulps, music, wines, whatever. Oh, and what Blake said about lists is correct, I first saw his comments on the Timely Atlas lists and come from there, so that works. Jonathan Jensen

]]> By: Blake Bell http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-3007 Blake Bell Fri, 01 Jun 2007 17:03:13 +0000 http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-3007 Hi Howard. I wrote about this topic and posted a link to your blog, in today's BestOfMostOf.com web log entry... http://www.bestofmostof.com/07jun/index070601.htm Gearin' up to read SRB next week! Hi Howard. I wrote about this topic and posted a link to your blog, in today’s BestOfMostOf.com web log entry…

http://www.bestofmostof.com/07jun/index070601.htm

Gearin’ up to read SRB next week!

]]> By: Gregory Scheckler http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-2809 Gregory Scheckler Sun, 27 May 2007 19:21:56 +0000 http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-2809 I love that she-devil muse of yours too -- keep that dame happy. As for the inevitable conflict of money versus muse, well, I'm clueless. I'd guess paid jobs are better than volunteer work; but I sure do appreciate stopping by here sometimes and reading your experiences and ideas. Actually I like it best when it's just an entry every few weeks, which is enough for me to read. Have you considered approaching Berkshire Eagle, Transcript, or that entire media group to do a weekly or something where you and your muse could have more freedom? I love that she-devil muse of yours too — keep that dame happy. As for the inevitable conflict of money versus muse, well, I’m clueless. I’d guess paid jobs are better than volunteer work; but I sure do appreciate stopping by here sometimes and reading your experiences and ideas. Actually I like it best when it’s just an entry every few weeks, which is enough for me to read. Have you considered approaching Berkshire Eagle, Transcript, or that entire media group to do a weekly or something where you and your muse could have more freedom?

]]> By: Martha Thomases http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-2806 Martha Thomases Sun, 27 May 2007 18:18:24 +0000 http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-2806 Wherever your muse takes you, Howard, we want to go, too. So blog if you can, but definitely keep making stories. Wherever your muse takes you, Howard, we want to go, too. So blog if you can, but definitely keep making stories.

]]> By: Blake Bell http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-2767 Blake Bell Sat, 26 May 2007 14:02:42 +0000 http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-2767 By the way, your blog entries are awesome, a huge cut above what others do. By that, I mean you obviously work really hard to provide original content, and interesting imagery to go with it. That doesn't solve your problem, of course (nor does it address my own)... :) ...but certainly don't doubt what you've done isn't top drawer. By the way, your blog entries are awesome, a huge cut above what others do. By that, I mean you obviously work really hard to provide original content, and interesting imagery to go with it.

That doesn’t solve your problem, of course (nor does it address my own)… :)

…but certainly don’t doubt what you’ve done isn’t top drawer.

]]> By: Blake Bell http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-2766 Blake Bell Sat, 26 May 2007 14:00:37 +0000 http://www.howardcruse.com/loosecruse/2007/05/25/navel-gazing/#comment-2766 Hi Howard. To Blog or not to Blog: the eternal question. I started mine on February 1st, determined to blog everyday with original content (not just linking to other people's links) and it's rough and has you questioning why you spend 2 hours a day doing it on those days you do. I cut out weekends and now, if I want (so it doesn't seem like a prison), I'll take a "long weekend." I guess it can come down to whether it can be justified, in terms of "if I keep blogging, is it going to generate work/funds directly or indirectly?" "Directly" can mean in terms of money generated from a web site's store, advertising, or referral fees; "indirectly" can mean generating more awareness of one's name, reminding people that you are out there for employment purposes, and also continuing to generate what I used to call the "Cerebus Experience." This was Sim's Stan Lee-ish marketing tactics of not just having the work in the book, but also his Notes from the President, and those wild letters' pages. He's recreating that now with his blog, and it appears to be paying off, although I don't know if it drives an income that could sustain even a spartan lifestyle. I don't know if such an example would apply to you, Howard, but there's also the Catch-22 of "am I using the internet and its promotional abilities to its furthest extent?" One can have someone set up a yahoogroups.com discussion group in your name and moderate it, collecting all your fans in one place to discuss the work. In my experience, those tend to work better than message boards or blogs, in terms of generating exchanges between the people on the group. Let it be known that you're on the group and willing to answer questions, and it can really drive up membership. Publicize the group in the right places, and it could be worth your time. I say it's a Catch-22 because it means some more time, and you're already questioning how much time you can dedicate to efforts that don't directly generate an income. That's where having "volunteers" comes in; fans/people you have a good sense you know you can trust to represent you well, and letting them do a great deal of the work. You might even have ways of "rewarding" them that doesn't cost you hard cash ("here's a sketch from my files for all your hard work," or something like that can satisfy a volunteer). You may have already thought of all this, Howard, but I just wanted to share similar emotions that I've gone through these past couple of months. Should I be taking the blog time and starting the Bill Everett book I want to do? Can I really economize my time on the blog, to get the maximum bang for the buck, for the least amount of time required to get that bang (without cheapening the whole process). I know I enjoy coming here, so maybe it's just selfish of me! :) Say hi to Eddie for me! Thanks, Blake Hi Howard. To Blog or not to Blog: the eternal question. I started mine on February 1st, determined to blog everyday with original content (not just linking to other people’s links) and it’s rough and has you questioning why you spend 2 hours a day doing it on those days you do.

I cut out weekends and now, if I want (so it doesn’t seem like a prison), I’ll take a “long weekend.”

I guess it can come down to whether it can be justified, in terms of “if I keep blogging, is it going to generate work/funds directly or indirectly?”

“Directly” can mean in terms of money generated from a web site’s store, advertising, or referral fees; “indirectly” can mean generating more awareness of one’s name, reminding people that you are out there for employment purposes, and also continuing to generate what I used to call the “Cerebus Experience.”

This was Sim’s Stan Lee-ish marketing tactics of not just having the work in the book, but also his Notes from the President, and those wild letters’ pages. He’s recreating that now with his blog, and it appears to be paying off, although I don’t know if it drives an income that could sustain even a spartan lifestyle.

I don’t know if such an example would apply to you, Howard, but there’s also the Catch-22 of “am I using the internet and its promotional abilities to its furthest extent?” One can have someone set up a yahoogroups.com discussion group in your name and moderate it, collecting all your fans in one place to discuss the work. In my experience, those tend to work better than message boards or blogs, in terms of generating exchanges between the people on the group. Let it be known that you’re on the group and willing to answer questions, and it can really drive up membership. Publicize the group in the right places, and it could be worth your time.

I say it’s a Catch-22 because it means some more time, and you’re already questioning how much time you can dedicate to efforts that don’t directly generate an income. That’s where having “volunteers” comes in; fans/people you have a good sense you know you can trust to represent you well, and letting them do a great deal of the work. You might even have ways of “rewarding” them that doesn’t cost you hard cash (”here’s a sketch from my files for all your hard work,” or something like that can satisfy a volunteer).

You may have already thought of all this, Howard, but I just wanted to share similar emotions that I’ve gone through these past couple of months. Should I be taking the blog time and starting the Bill Everett book I want to do? Can I really economize my time on the blog, to get the maximum bang for the buck, for the least amount of time required to get that bang (without cheapening the whole process).

I know I enjoy coming here, so maybe it’s just selfish of me! :)

Say hi to Eddie for me!

Thanks,
Blake

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