In 2003 or so, I published an eBook called “Ten Tips on How to Bring the Fans Back Time and Time Again”. Today, I got my first criticism of it. Their complaint was that I sounded more like a politician than a musician.

I'm used to criticism when it comes to my music marketing tips. I've was really aggressive in the past. No where near as much now. But I decided to go back and read that book. I still stand by all those tips.

This ebook and all my articles are educational tools designed to build character that will lead to success. Sort of like Bob Baker's Artist Empowerment Podcast and stuff. Not all these tips are for everyone right now. To illustrate this, I'll repost my reply:

Thanks for the feedback. I understand your point, but I have a different philosophy which not everyone understands. It's the concept that if you give selflessly, you will receive. That article is designed to educate musicians on ways to give selflessly. I am an idealist and I look at the greater issues, not sales of CDs, but the betterment of humanity. Putting on a great show or showing your love and respect for you fans is part of that goal.

You see, to be successful in any business, you have to respect they people who support you. And the way to do that is to learn how to respect people. It's not an intuitive part of human nature. People naturally want to be greedy or to take care of themselves.

As an example, a few years ago, I decided to selfishly donate a percentage of CD profits to non-profit organizations. My goal was to publicize the donation and thereby attract media to build my fan base. The problem was I didn't publicize it.

Instead, I gave away money. I turned those donations into a habit. Now I regularly give away a few thousand of dollars a year to non-profits. And the most unexpected thing happened… I did not profit from the publicity. Instead, I profited internally, spiritually, I got thank you letters from organizations who said how much they appreciated my donations.

The same thing with the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. It began as an ezine to promote MY band. But eventually, I stopped promoting MY band selfishly and started promoting other bands. Then I started the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. All of a sudden, I got fan emails from people telling me how much they appreciated me sharing this great music with them!

The point I'm trying to make is that on the surface those tips may seem like “selling out”. But they are not. “Selling out” is a state of mind. If you do not agree with them and you are an artist, don't do them. Because THAT is selling out. But to read those tips and realize that by doing so you will make other people feel good, to ingrain those tips into your heart so the next time you see a “fan”, you give them a hug, because you learned to CARE about them. That is not selling out. That is improving your social conscience. And I believe that that is good for humanity.

I don't know if I made my point or not. But I do believe that if you act a way that you think will benefit you, you will learn one day not to “act”. It will become a part of your nature. And then you ARE that person. And hopefully, that person is better than the one that started.

I know I have a Lot of faults that still need correcting, but that is the opportunity of life.