No that is not a subtle reference to Joaquin Phoenix. What it is, is me announcing that my blog, and your favourite place to read about everything cinematic (hah!), has a brand new look (complete with brand new banner appropriately featuring the lovely Anna Karina), but not to worry true believers and faithful readers, for I am indeed still here.
You see, the shock and horror of my receiving nary a single nomination at the LAMMYS, made me reassess exactly what the hell it is I am doing here. Okay, perhaps that is a bit on the melodramatic side (but I do love a good melodrama) and is at least partially tongue-in-cheek, but it did make me think that I need to do some fancier maneuvering if I want my name to spread as far and as wide as I want it to spread. In other words, it is high time I get off my ass and make something of myself.
The new black & blue look (and new Anna Karina banner) is just the physical aspect of this change, but more needs to be done. Now I have never had a problem with my writing. It is one of the few things in life I am actually confident about. I consider my style a suitable blend of Andrew Sarris-inspired auteurism and Pauline Kael-inspired chutzpah (I suppose I will always be a Paulette, albeit second generation 2.0 version, at heart though). My reviews and other assorted cinematic ramblings are, for the most part, solid pieces of writing (perhaps a bit long-winded at times - my wannabe Proustian side coming to the forefront I suppose) and as far as I am concerned, they need not be changed.
But who the hell is even reading them!? Blogger claims I have 48 followers and I am sure some of these are actually following me (doesn't that sound creepy yet alluring?) and thus reading my reviews and such (both the classic film reviews and the new release reviews which are mostly published at my companion site, The Cinematheque, but still linked from here) but who knows for sure. One can track stats and see who is checking out your site, but who knows if they are actually reading your work or merely passing through trying to locate a picture of Asia Argento. Only a handful of comments come through to my posts (some get none at all) and they say that is the truest measure to a writer's core popularity. Regular readers will comment and it will become a community of sorts. What I want are regular readers dammit!!
I do not write for any major outlet (film criticism is a dying art they tell me but a freelance piece here or there on occasion would indeed be nice) so the only spot I have is right here and right now. I do not have that regular readership - that aforementioned community - that many of my fellow compatriots have. Somehow I must bring the readers to me (the whole Mohammad/mountain metaphor). But how to do that? I know I can always do more commenting myself. It is something I rarely do but should be doing. Perhaps then, as they say, the love will be shared. I can also try to get on the blogrolls of those fellow film writers I most admire - a thing I have mostly successfully done of recent. I have set up a facebook page (separate from my own personal one) but have only managed to corral 27 "likes" so far, but it is a start. But there is more to do I say - much more to do.
My goal for 2011 is to get my voice out there somehow. I know I am prolific enough. Maybe get one of those freelance spots I spoke of desiring earlier (are you listening Village Voice and Tribune Media!?). Maybe get some guest spots on other blogs (I do that for the fine folks over at 366 Weird Movies but there I definitely need to be a bit more prolific). Maybe then I can get someone - other than my true believer readers (and I know there are at least a few of you out there - Michael, Dan, Jack) - to listen to my cinematic ramblings. Because believe me, I can talk forever about cinema - just ask any of my friends.
And btw, feel free to go ahead and comment on this post - it will at least let me sleep at night. I will close out with a great picture of the man who gave me the name for my blog (or rather the man from whom I stole said name) and his lovely wide-eyed muse. This is the dawning of a new era for The Most Beautiful Fraud in the World, and in turn (hopefully) for me as well.
5 comments:
Good luck with your new era Kevyn.
It's an interesting question you pose but it's a sad fact that most movie bloggers only care about their own blog and pay cursory attention to other peoples writing no matter how good it may be.
Commenting on other peoples blogs will help you to attract attention back here, but then again some bloggers will only skim your posts and then leave a trite and banal comment expecting you to return the compliment on their blog.
I wish I had the the answers, but I hope you find the following you're looking for and by the way I love the Anna Karina banner.
Good luck Kevyn, I've only started reading your blog recently, but you are clearly far more knowledgeable than me in Cinema.
So I'll be reading any of your future posts.
As for getting more readers, I suppose commenting is the best thing, as well as participating in various events and maybe organising your own.
But your writing is certainly great.
It is very hard to build up a group of regular readers though...
Still, good luck with it, and I'll be sure you link to your blog every now and then.
Thanx Paul & Jack. See, I knew someone was listening.
I do plan on joining in on more blogathons and the like. I have only done four of them over the past year or so and should do more. Looking forward to the upcoming Roger Corman one especially. Looks like fun.
Thanx again guys.
and Paul, the Anna Karina banner took me hours to do. Not because it was difficult (actually rather easy) but because every time I put it up I noticed one tiny thing I wanted to tweak. I had to force myself to stop fiddling with it. Ever the imperfect perfectionist.
I may sound like a little girl but I almost never miss one of your posts out there and the way you write movie reviews influenced my learning in english writing. (My mother tongue is French...)
Keep on the good stuff going, I know it's hard to get regular readers but the constance, the comments on other blogs, and the quality of the writing will keep them coming back. Believe me there were some months that I posted 15 to 20 reviews without any comments. There are so many "zombies" as they call them who reads and stay passive towards anything you could write. While others will always have something to say...
Lastly, thanks for putting the banner of my poll on your blog!!!
Thank you Michael. I feel both honoured and all giddy inside. Never could stand zombies anyway.
As for putting the banner up, sounds like a fun thing (and I will be participating).
And you keep your good stuff going too.
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