#No Fees for Ticket Sales

[tktbyindia]

[tktby]

How Tktby Online Event Booking System Make Event Management Easy

Managing an event can be a complex and time-consuming task, but with the right tools, it can become a streamlined and efficient process. The Tktby online event booking system is designed to simplify event management and enhance the overall experience for organizers and attendees alike. Here’s how Tktby makes event management easy:

1. Centralized Event Planning

Tktby’s platform provides a centralized hub for all event-related activities. Organizers can manage event details, track registrations, and oversee ticket sales from a single dashboard. This centralization eliminates the need for juggling multiple tools and reduces the chances of errors or missed information.

2. User-Friendly Interface

The Tktby system boasts an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it accessible even for those with minimal technical experience. Organizers can easily navigate through the platform, set up events, customize booking options, and manage attendee lists without needing extensive training or support.

3. Automated Registration and Ticketing

Tktby automates the registration and ticketing process, allowing attendees to book their spots quickly and efficiently. Automated confirmations, reminders, and updates keep attendees informed and engaged, reducing the manual workload for organizers and ensuring a smoother event experience.

4. Real-Time Analytics and Reporting

With Tktby, organizers gain access to real-time analytics and reporting tools. These features provide valuable insights into ticket sales, attendee demographics, and event performance. Organizers can make data-driven decisions, optimize their strategies, and enhance future events based on these insights.

5. Customizable Event Pages

Tktby allows organizers to create customizable event pages that reflect their brand and event theme. From personalized ticket options to custom registration forms, the platform offers flexibility to tailor the event experience according to specific needs and preferences.

6. Secure Payment Processing

Security is a top priority for Tktby. The platform integrates with secure payment gateways to ensure safe and reliable transactions. Organizers and attendees can trust that their payment information is protected, reducing the risk of fraud and enhancing overall confidence in the booking process.

7. Efficient Communication Tools

Effective communication is key to successful event management. Tktby provides built-in communication tools that allow organizers to send automated emails, updates, and reminders to attendees. This feature helps maintain engagement, provides important event information, and minimizes last-minute issues.

8. Mobile-Friendly Experience

In today’s mobile-centric world, Tktby offers a mobile-friendly experience for both organizers and attendees. The platform’s responsive design ensures that event management and booking can be handled seamlessly on smartphones and tablets, providing convenience and accessibility on the go.

9. Seamless Integration

Tktby integrates with various third-party tools and services, including CRM systems, social media platforms, and marketing tools. This seamless integration allows for a cohesive event management strategy and enhances the overall efficiency of event planning and execution.

10. Support and Resources

Tktby provides dedicated support and resources to assist organizers throughout the event management process. From customer support to helpful guides and tutorials, organizers have access to the support they need to resolve issues and maximize the platform’s capabilities.

In conclusion, the Tktby online event booking system simplifies event management by offering a comprehensive, user-friendly, and secure platform. With its centralized planning tools, automated processes, and customizable features, Tktby ensures that organizing and managing events is as easy and efficient as possible. Embracing Tktby’s solutions can lead to smoother event execution and a more enjoyable experience for both organizers and attendees.

[pokecheckhooking]

price of pwhl takeover in Detroit in a middle row in section 120 at Little Caesar's Arena: $42

seat location for reference (green arrow indicates general vicinity)

[himbeaux-on-ice]

i am selling one (1) ticket to vgk@mtl on november 23rd

pspspsps look how much cheaper it is than everything else in the section around it don't you wanna buy it don't you wanna go watch the haaaaabs (or the shiny goldenboys if that's more your thing) https://my.ticketmaster.ca/ds/ZeuQGA7zQ4c/event/310060F97FE51E19

[waugh-bao]

*

[waterparksdrama]

one Single tour date sold out for spring tour. sad!

and it's in a 1k cap venue in a city they don't usually go to. well it's expected. also there's literally so many people within adjacent scenes touring around that time it's insane (like what do you mean fob, mom jeans, and sleater-kinney are touring the same week in my city and they're all on WEEKDAYS) - iz

[fabricatedgeek]

Spotify: The show you’ve been checking out is happening soon!

IT’S IN FIVE FUCKING MONTHS CALM THE FUCK DOWN THERE.

[tktbyevents]

Selling Event Tickets Online Like a Pro & Maximize Sales | Tktby

In the fast-paced world of event planning, mastering the art of online ticket sales can be the difference between a sold-out success and a near-empty venue. Whether you're organizing a music festival, a conference, or a community gathering, leveraging online platforms like Tktby can elevate your ticket sales strategy to new heights. In this blog post, we'll dive deep into proven strategies and tactics to help you sell event tickets online like a seasoned professional, all while maximizing your sales potential with Tktby's powerful tools.

Content Outline:

1. Understanding Your Audience

Identifying your target audience and their online behavior.

Crafting personalized marketing messages that resonate.

2. Leveraging Tktby's Features

Overview of Tktby's platform and how it benefits event organizers.

Key features for optimizing ticket sales and attendee engagement.

3. Creating Compelling Event Listings

Best practices for creating eye-catching event listings on Tktby.

Utilizing visuals, compelling descriptions, and SEO-friendly content.

4. Implementing Effective Pricing Strategies

Strategies for setting competitive and attractive ticket prices.

Leveraging early bird discounts, bundle offers, and tiered pricing.

5. Promoting Your Event Online

Harnessing the power of social media, email marketing, and digital advertising.

Collaborating with influencers and partners to extend your reach.

6. Seamless Ticketing and Attendee Experience

Ensuring a smooth ticket purchasing process on Tktby.

Providing excellent customer support and post-purchase engagement.

7. Analyzing Performance and Optimizing Campaigns

Using analytics tools to track ticket sales and attendee data.

Iterating and optimizing your strategies based on insights.

Conclusion:

Mastering the art of selling event tickets online requires a blend of strategy, creativity, and effective execution. By leveraging Tktby's platform and implementing the strategies outlined in this blog post, you can maximize your ticket sales and ensure a successful turnout for your next event. Start implementing these tips today and watch as your event grows from strength to strength, powered by a robust online ticketing strategy.

Ready to elevate your event ticket sales? Create your event listing on Tktby today and start maximizing your sales potential. Visit Tktby to get started!

[thoughtfulcandymiracle]

Crafting the Perfect Music Event Quotation: Tips for Event Planners and Organizers

Organizing a music event involves meticulous planning and attention to detail. As an event planner or organizer, one of your most crucial tasks is crafting the perfect music event quotation. This document not only outlines the services you'll provide but also sets the tone for your professionalism and expertise. Here are some tips to help you create compelling and comprehensive quotations that impress your clients:

Understanding the Client's Needs

Before you can craft a perfect quotation, it's essential to understand your client's vision and requirements. Schedule thorough consultations to discuss their expectations, preferences, and objectives for the event. Take note of specific musical genres, preferred venues, and any special requests they may have.

Key Components of a Music Event Quotation

Event Details: Include essential information such as the event name, date, time, and venue location to provide context for the quotation.

Services Offered: Outline the specific services provided, such as live music performance, sound system rental, lighting equipment, and stage setup.

Pricing Breakdown: Mention itemize the costs associated with each service clearly, including fees for musicians, equipment rental, transportation, and any additional expenses.

Customization Options: Offer flexibility by providing options for customization, such as different music genres, band configurations, or package upgrades.

Terms and Conditions: Clearly state the terms of the agreement, including payment terms, cancellation policies, and any other relevant contractual obligations.

Additional Services: Offer optional add-ons or complementary services, such as DJ services, event planning assistance, or audiovisual support, to enhance the overall experience.

Contact Information: Provide contact details for inquiries and bookings, including phone numbers, email addresses, and website links, to facilitate communication and follow-up.

Researching and Selecting the Right Vendors

To deliver a memorable music event, you'll need to collaborate with reliable vendors and suppliers. Research and select vendors who align with your client's preferences and budget. Negotiate contracts carefully, ensuring that all terms and conditions are clearly defined and agreed upon.

Creating a Detailed Budget

Crafting a music event quotation requires careful budgeting to ensure that all aspects of the event are covered. Allocate funds for venue rental, entertainment, catering, equipment rental, and any other necessary expenses. Be sure to account for unexpected costs that may arise during the planning process.

Customizing the Quotation

Every client is unique, so tailor your quotation to their specific needs and preferences. Offer customizable packages that allow clients to choose the services that best suit their requirements. Provide transparent pricing breakdowns to ensure clarity and avoid any misunderstandings.

Tips for Tailoring Quotations to Different Types of Music Events

Understand the Audience: Tailor the quotation to the specific audience demographics and preferences of the music event, whether it's a corporate gala, wedding reception, or outdoor festival.

Customize Music Selection: Offer a diverse range of music genres and styles to cater to the tastes of the event attendees, from jazz and classical to pop and rock, ensuring a memorable and enjoyable experience.

Flexibility in Services: Provide flexible options for different types of music events, such as solo performances for intimate gatherings, full band setups for large-scale concerts, or DJ services for dance parties.

Consider Venue Requirements: Take into account the logistical constraints and technical specifications of the event venue, such as stage size, sound system capabilities, and acoustic considerations, when preparing the quotation.

Budget-Friendly Options: Offer budget-friendly packages or discounted rates for smaller-scale events or nonprofit organizations, while also providing premium services for high-end clientele or luxury events.

Communication and Collaboration: Foster open communication and collaboration with event organizers or planners to understand their vision, preferences, and budget constraints, ensuring that the quotation aligns with their expectations and requirements.

Value-Added Services: Highlight value-added services such as event planning assistance, sound and lighting design, or audiovisual production to enhance the overall quality and success of the music event.

Emphasizing Value Proposition

Highlight your expertise, experience, and unique selling points in your quotation. Showcase successful past events, client testimonials, and any industry awards or recognition you've received. Conveying your value proposition effectively will instill confidence in your clients and set you apart from competitors.

Clear Communication and Follow-up

Communication is key throughout the quotation process. Ensure that all correspondence with the client is clear, concise, and timely. Follow up promptly on inquiries and provide updates as needed to keep the client informed and engaged.

Incorporating Flexibility

Flexibility is essential when crafting a music event quotation, as clients' needs may evolve during the planning process. Offer flexible packages that can be adjusted to accommodate changes in guest count, venue requirements, or other factors. Being adaptable to last-minute requests demonstrates your commitment to client satisfaction.

Presentation Matters

The presentation of your quotation can make a significant impact on the client. Design visually appealing proposals that reflect your brand identity and professionalism. Incorporate multimedia elements such as photos, videos, or audio clips to enhance the presentation and give clients a preview of the event experience.

Including Terms and Conditions

Be sure to include clear terms and conditions in your quotation to protect both parties involved. Specify payment terms, cancellation policies, and any other relevant information. Clarify the responsibilities of both the client and your team to avoid any misunderstandings later on.

Seeking Feedback and Revisions

Encourage clients to provide feedback on the initial quotation and be open to making revisions as needed. Incorporate any suggested changes or adjustments to ensure that the final quotation meets their expectations. Seeking feedback demonstrates your commitment to delivering a tailored and personalized service.

Finalizing the Quotation

Before presenting the final quotation to the client, double-check all details for accuracy and completeness. Ensure that pricing, services, and terms are clearly outlined and agreed upon. Obtain client approval before proceeding to the next steps in the event planning process.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Real-life examples of successfully crafted music event quotations can provide valuable insights and inspiration for event planners. Case studies and success stories showcase effective strategies and best practices in action, illustrating how well-crafted quotations have led to successful events and satisfied clients.

Industry Trends and Innovations in Music Event Quotations

Staying abreast of industry trends and innovations is crucial for event planners looking to stay ahead of the curve. Emerging technologies, changing client preferences, and evolving market dynamics all influence the way music event quotations are crafted and presented. Event planners should stay informed and adapt their practices to meet the changing demands of the industry.

Conclusion

Crafting the perfect music event quotation requires careful planning, attention to detail, and effective communication. By understanding your client's needs, customizing your offerings, and presenting your proposal professionally, you can impress clients and secure successful events.

[break-upclub]

im gonna have a benefit show! what are some good organizations to donate to in support of Palestinians!

[tktby]

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Event Tickets for Free on Tktby

Selling event tickets can be a significant cost, but with Tktby, you can eliminate ticketing fees and maximize your revenue. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps to successfully sell event tickets for free on Tktby, ensuring a smooth and profitable experience.

1. Setting Up Your Event on Tktby

Create an Account: Start by signing up for a Tktby account if you haven’t already. The process is straightforward and will give you access to all the tools you need to manage your event.

Build Your Event Page: Once your account is set up, create a new event. Fill in all relevant details, including the event name, date, time, location, and a compelling description. Use high-quality images or videos to make your event page visually appealing and informative.

2. Optimize Ticket Pricing and Options

Set Your Ticket Prices: Even though Tktby allows you to sell tickets for free, it’s essential to set appropriate ticket prices. Consider your event’s value and audience when determining ticket prices. Offer different tiers (e.g., early bird, general admission, VIP) to cater to various preferences and budgets.

Manage Ticket Types: Tktby allows you to create multiple ticket types. Use this feature to offer a range of options, from single-day passes to multi-day packages, depending on the nature of your event.

3. Promote Your Event Effectively

Leverage Social Media: Use social media platforms to create buzz about your event. Share engaging content, including event highlights, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and countdowns. Include direct links to your Tktby event page to make it easy for your followers to purchase tickets.

Email Marketing Campaigns: Build and segment your email list to target potential attendees. Send personalized emails with updates, special offers, and reminders about your event. Ensure each email contains a clear call-to-action and a link to your Tktby event page.

Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with influencers or industry leaders who align with your event’s theme. They can help promote your event to their followers, expanding your reach and increasing ticket sales. Offer them complimentary tickets or exclusive access as incentives.

4. Utilize Tktby’s Features

Analytics and Insights: Tktby provides detailed analytics to help you track ticket sales and monitor performance. Use this data to understand your audience’s behavior, identify successful marketing strategies, and adjust your approach as needed.

Customizable Event Pages: Take advantage of Tktby’s customizable features to enhance your event page. Add special offers, embed videos, and include testimonials to make your page more attractive and engaging.

5. Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Ensure a Smooth Experience: Address any customer inquiries or issues promptly to ensure a positive ticket purchasing experience. A hassle-free process encourages attendees to purchase tickets and enhances their overall satisfaction with your event.

Follow Up: After the event, send thank-you messages to attendees and request feedback. This helps build a loyal audience for future events and provides valuable insights for improvement.

6. Analyze and Learn

Review Your Results: After your event, review the performance data provided by Tktby. Analyze ticket sales trends, marketing effectiveness, and overall attendee feedback. Use this information to refine your strategies and improve future events.

By following this ultimate guide, you can successfully sell event tickets for free on Tktby and focus on delivering a memorable event experience. Leverage Tktby’s features, optimize your marketing efforts, and provide excellent customer service to maximize your event’s success. Happy event planning!

[larentslovechaos]

I have 2 tickets I am selling for Louis' show in Cincinnati on June 3!!

message me if interested!

[reasonsforhope]

Yesterday [April 30, 2024], a bipartisan collection of US Senators introduced the Fans First Act, which would help address flaws in the current live event ticketing system by increasing transparency in ticket sales, and protecting consumers from fake or dramatically overpriced tickets.

Today, the artists and Congressmen allege, buying a ticket to a concert or sporting event requires negotiating a minefield of predatory practices, such as speculative ticket buying and the use of automated programs to buy large numbers of tickets for resale at inflated prices.

The legislation would ban such practices, and include provisions for guaranteed refunds in the event of a cancellation.

The political campaign organizers, calling themselves “Fix the Tix” write that included among the supporters of the legislation is a coalition of live event industry organizations and professionals, who have formed to advocate on behalf of concertgoers.

This includes a steering committee led by Eventbrite [Note: lol, I'm assuming Eventbrite just signed on to undermine Ticketmaster and for PR purposes] and the National Independent Value Association that’s supported by dozens of artistic unions, independent ticket sellers, and of course, over 250 artists and bands, including Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews, Cyndi Lauper, Lorde, Sia, Train, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, and hundreds more which you can read here.

“Buying a ticket to see your favorite artist or team is out of reach for too many Americans,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

“Bots, hidden fees, and predatory practices are hurting consumers whether they want to catch a home game, an up-and-coming artist, or a major headliner like Taylor Swift or Bad Bunny. From ensuring fans get refunds for canceled shows to banning speculative ticket sales, this bipartisan legislation will improve the ticketing experience.”

Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Peter Welch (D-VT) also signed on to the Fan First Act.

In the House, parallel legislation was just passed through committee 45-0.

[Note: That's a really good sign. That kind of bipartisan support is basically unheard of these days, and rare even before that. This is strong enough that it's half the reason I'm posting this article - normally I wait until bills are passed, but this plus parallel legislation with such bipartisan cosponsors in the senate makes me think there's a very real chance this will pass and become law by the end of 2024.]

“We would like to thank our colleagues, both on and off committee, for their collaboration. This bipartisan achievement is the result of months and years of hard work by Members on both sides of the aisle,” said the chairs and subchairs of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

“Our committee will continue to lead the way on this effort as we further our work to bring this solution to the House floor.”

“The relationship between artist and fan, which forms the backbone of the entire music industry, is severed,” the artists write. “When predatory resellers scoop up face value tickets in order to resell them at inflated prices on secondary markets, artists lose the ability to connect with their fans who can’t afford to attend.”

-via Good News Network, May 1, 2024

[dimension20official]

🚨If you're looking for tickets for the Dimension 20 live shows in 2025 in Los Angeles (The Hollywood Bowl), Seattle (Climate Change Arena), or Las Vegas (MGM Grand), general ticket sales have begun! Just head over here.

Disclaimer: there will be 150 tickets for the Hollywood Bowl show that will be subject to dynamic pricing. These are charity tickets where the 100% of the uplift (minus fees) is donated to LA County Parks Foundation.

And if you're still looking to get tickets for the Madison Square Garden show in NYC - great news: Dimensioneer Tickets submissions are now open! Here's how it works - we're offering 400 tickets for a mere $35 each (and that's ALL-IN pricing, fees and taxes included) to ensure there are accessible and affordable tickets making their way to fans. All you need to do is submit your payment information and the number of tickets you'd like (limit of 2). A week before the January 24th show, the winners will be notified and the tickets purchased automatically using the pre-entered payment information! The late notice is to discourage ticket reselling and encourage local fans. Password to unlock tickets is “D20MSG”

UPDATE: We are aware of the issue with submissions to the Dimensioneer Tickets page! Ticketmaster is working on the issue now and it should be resolved shortly!

[mariacallous]

The US Department of Justice has sued Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, for abusing their alleged monopoly in the ticketing market to trample competitors.

Filed on Thursday in the Southern District of New York, the lawsuit focuses on Ticketmaster’s long-term exclusivity contracts with many of the largest music venues, making it the predominant ticketing service available to concertgoers. The firm secures these deals in part by “threatening and retaliating against venues that work with rivals,” the DOJ alleges.

In the complaint, the DOJ accuses Ticketmaster and Live Nation, which acts as a promoter for hundreds of high-profile artists, of exploiting their relationship to establish a “self-reinforcing flywheel” that blocks competitors from gaining a foothold. Live Nation parlays its exclusive promotion deals into exclusive ticketing deals with venues, the DOJ claims, which are left with no practical choice but to go with Ticketmaster, for fear of losing access to sought-after acts represented by its parent company. The DOJ is seeking to break up the joint organization.

“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” says attorney general Merrick Garland in a statement. “The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation–Ticketmaster.”

In a lengthy statement provided to WIRED, Live Nation disputes the DOJ's allegation that it and Ticketmaster wield monopoly power. “The DOJ's lawsuit won't solve the issues fans care about relating to ticket prices, service fees, and access to in-demand shows,” the company says. “Calling Ticketmaster a monopoly may be a PR win for the DOJ in the short term, but it will lose in court because it ignores the basic economics of live entertainment, such as the fact that the bulk of service fees go to venues, and that competition has steadily eroded Ticketmaster’s market share and profit margin.”

The charges brought by the DOJ mirror allegations made previously against Ticketmaster in two ongoing private lawsuits.

In December 2022, Ticketmaster was sued by hundreds of Taylor Swift fans, who brought a case in response to a high-profile ticketing debacle that reportedly left them queuing for hours to pay for tickets that they had been assigned under an early access program, with many ultimately unable to claim their allocations. The incident led to a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee on consolidation in the ticketing industry and, reportedly, helped catalyze the investigation into Ticketmaster by the DOJ.

In their lawsuit, the Swift fans accused Ticketmaster of abusing its dominant position to impose “higher prices in the presale, sale, and resale market for concert tickets.” The company has “effectuated this anticompetitive scheme by forcing fans of musicians to use Ticketmaster exclusively to buy concert tickets,” the lawsuit alleged.

In the second case, a class action brought in 2022 on behalf of Ticketmaster customers in the US, Live Nation and Ticketmaster were accused of abusing the complementary relationship between their services to overcharge consumers and sustain their monopoly. “Live Nation controls the vast majority of the big national touring acts and, either explicitly or implicitly, coerces concert venues into selecting Ticketmaster as their ticketing service provider on pain of losing high-value acts,” claims Adam Wolfson, a partner at Quinn Emanuel, the law firm representing the plaintiffs.

This type of conduct, known as tying, was explicitly forbidden under the consent decree imposed upon Live Nation and Ticketmaster by the DOJ as a condition of their 2010 merger. “Our allegation is that they did it anyway,” says Wolfson. “Ticketmaster’s behavior is an open secret—everyone talks about it.”

In a corporate blog post published in March, Dan Wall, executive vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs at Live Nation, rejected allegations that Ticketmaster is driving up the price of tickets. The face value of a ticket is decided by the artist, he wrote, while the service charge—from which Ticketmaster draws its cut—is set by the venue.

In a call with reporters, a senior DOJ official described this line of defense as a “red herring” in the context of the alleged antitrust violations. “Our position is that removing the chokehold that Live Nation has at all levels of the ecosystem will be beneficial with respect to the way prices are set.”

A problem common to antitrust disputes, says Bradley Justus, an antitrust attorney at law firm Axinn, is the difficulty in distinguishing easily between practices that amount to anticompetitive behavior and those that might be considered sensible business strategy. The DOJ will argue that the exclusive deals entered into by Ticketmaster are categorically anticompetitive. “The antitrust question is: How extensive is the scope of those agreements? Are they truly so broad that another competitor couldn’t enter and scale?” says Justus.

The DOJ claims that the terms of the contracts mean that “venues cannot consider or choose rival ticketers or switch to better or more cost-effective ticketing technology.” The effect, it claims, is both to stifle competitors and minimize the pressure for Ticketmaster to improve its own product, to the detriment of concertgoers.

Although the DOJ has petitioned for Live Nation to be broken up, it has not outlined the specific structural changes it will go after, nor any injunctions it may try to impose with respect to the company’s exclusive contracts. “A breakup is absolutely on the table, but it’s important not to put the cart before the horse. In antitrust cases, any remedy has to be specifically tailored to the violation found,” a senior DOJ official told the press. “Based on the allegation that Live Nation and Ticketmaster have exerted control at every level of the ecosystem, aspects of the company need to be broken apart in order for competition to flourish in the live music industry.”

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Kickstarting the Red Team Blues audiobook, which Amazon won't sell (read by Wil Wheaton!)

Red Team Blues is my next novel, a post-cyberpunk anti-finance finance thriller; it’s a major title for my publishers Tor Books and Head of Zeus, and it’s swept the trade press with starred reviews all ‘round. Despite all that, Audible will not sell the audiobook. In fact, Audible won’t sell any of my audiobooks. Instead, I have to independently produce them and sell them through Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/21/anti-finance-finance-thriller/#marty-hench

Audible is Amazon’s monopoly audiobook platform. It has a death-grip on the audiobook market, commanding more than 90% of genre audiobook sales, and every single one of those audiobooks is sold with Amazon’s DRM on it. That means that you can’t break up with Amazon without throwing away those audiobooks. Under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, I can’t give you a tool to convert my own copyrighted audiobooks to a non-Amazon format. Doing so is a felony carrying a five year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine for an act that in no way infringes anyone’s copyright! Indeed, merely infringing copyright is much less illegal than removing Amazon’s mandatory DRM from my own books!

I’ve got amazing publishers who support my crusade against DRM, but they’re not charities. If they can’t sell my audiobooks on the platform that represents 90% of the market, they’re not going to make audio editions at all. Instead, I make my own audiobooks, using brilliant voice actors like Amber Benson and @neil-gaiman​, and I sell them everywhere except Audible.

Doing this isn’t cheap: I’m paying for an incredible studio (Skyboat Media), a world-class director (Gabrielle de Cuir), top-notch sound editing and mastering, and, of course, killer narrators. And while indie audiobook platforms like Libro.fm and downpour.com are amazing, the brutal fees extracted by Apple and Google on app sales means that users have to jump through a thousand hoops to shop with indie stores. Most audiobook listeners don’t even know that these stores exist: if a title isn’t available on Audible, they assume no audiobook exists.

That’s where Kickstarter comes in: twice now, I’ve crowdfunded presales of my audiobooks through KS, and these campaigns were astoundingly successful, smashing records and selling thousands of audiobooks. These campaigns didn’t just pay my bills (especially during lockdown, when our household income plunged), but they also showed other authors that it was possible to evade Amazon’s monopoly chokepoint and sell books that aren’t sticky-traps for Audible’s walled garden/prison:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/cory-doctorow/article/90282-we-wrote-a-book-about-why-audible-won-t-sell-our-book-and-snuck-it-onto-audible.html

And today, I’m launching the Kickstarter for Red Team Blues, and even by the standards of my previous efforts, I think this one’s gonna be incredible.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell

For starters, there’s the narrator: @wilwheaton​, whose work on my previous books is outstanding, hands-down my favorite (don’t tell my other narrators! They’re great too!):

https://wilwheaton.net/

Beyond Wil’s narration, there’s the subject matter. The hero of Red Team Blues is a hard-charging forensic accountant who’s untangled every Silicon Valley finance scam since he fell in love with spreadsheets as as a MIT freshman, dropped out, got his CPA ticket, and moved west. Now, at the age of 67, Marty Hench is ready to retire, but a dear old friend — a legendary cryptographer — drags him back for one last job — locating the stolen keys to the backdoor he foolishly hid in a cryptocurrency that’s worth more than a billion dollars.

That’s the starting gun for a “grabby next-Tuesday thriller” that sees Marty in between three-letter agencies and international crime syndicates, all of whom view digital technology as a carrier medium for scams, violence and predation. Marty’s final adventure involves dodgy banks, crooked crypto, and complicit officials in a fallen paradise where computers’ libertory promise has been sucked dry by billionaire vampires.

It’s a pretty contemporary story, in other words.

I wrote this one before SVB, before Sam Bankman0Fried and FTX — just like I wrote Little Brother before Snowden’s revelations. It’s not that I’m prescient — fortune-telling is a fatalist’s delusion — it’s that these phenomena are just the most spectacular, most recent examples in a long string of ghastly and increasingly dire scandals.

Red Team Blues blasted out of my fingertips in six weeks flat, during lockdown, when technology was simultaneously a lifeline, connecting us to one another during our enforced isolation; and a tool of predatory control, as bossware turned our “work from home” into “live at work.”

The last time I wrote a book that quickly, it was Little Brother, and, as with Little Brother, Red Team Blues is a way of working out my own anxieties and hopes for technology on the page, in story.

These books tap into a nerve. I knew I had something special in my hands when, the night after I finished the first draft, I rolled over at 2AM to find my wife sitting up in bed, reading.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I had to find out how it ended,” she answered.

The next day, my editor sent me a four-line email:

That. Was. A! Fucking! Ride! Whoa!

Within a week, he’d bought Red Team Blues…and two sequels. I finished writing the second of these on Monday, and all three are coming out in the next 22 months. It’s gonna be a wild ride.

Kickstarter backers can get the usual goodies: DRM-free audiobooks and ebooks, hardcovers (including signed and personalized copies), and three very special, very limited-run goodies.

First, there’s naming rights for characters in the sequels — I’m selling three of these; they’re a form of cheap (or at least, reasonably priced) literary immortality for you or a loved one. The sequels are a lot of fun — they go in reverse chronology, and the next one is The Bezzle, out in Feb 2024, a book about prison-tech scams, crooked LA County Sheriff’s Deputy gangs, and real-estate scumbags turned techbros.

The third book is Picks and Shovels (Jan 2025), and it’s Marty’s first adventure after he comes west to San Francisco and ends up working for the bad guys, an affinity scam PC company called “Three Wise Men” that’s run by a Mormon bishop, a Catholic priest and an orthodox rabbi who fleece their faithful with proprietary, underpowered computers and peripherals, and front for some very bad, very violent money-men.

Next, there’s three Marty Hench short story commissions: the Hench stories are machines for turning opaque finance scams into technothrillers. While finance bros use MEGO (“my eyes glaze over”) as a weapon to bore their marks into submission, I use the same performative complexity as the engines of taut detective stories. Commissioning a Hench story lets you turn your favorite MEGO scam into a science fiction story, which I’ll then shop to fiction websites (every story I’ve written for the past 20 years has sold, though in the event that one of these doesn’t, I’ll put it up under a CC license).

Finally, there’s a super-ultra-limited deluxe hardcover edition — and I do mean limited, just four copies! These leather-bound editions have Will Staehle’s fantastic graphic motif embossed in their covers, and the type design legend John D Berry is laying out the pages so that there’s space for a hidden cavity. Nestled in that cavity is a hand-bound early draft edition of The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues. The binding is being done by the fantastic book-artist John DeMerritt. Each copy’s endpapers will feature a custom cryptographic puzzle created especially for it by the cryptographer Bruce Schneier.

I often hear from readers who want to thank me for the work I do, from the free podcast I’ve put out since 2006 to the free, CC BY columns I’ve written for Pluralistic for the past three years. There is no better way to thank me than to back this Kickstarter and encourage your friends to do the same:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell

Preselling a ton of audiobooks, ebooks, and print books is a huge boost to the book on its launch — incomparable, really. Invaluable.

What’s more, helping me find a viable way to produce popular, widely heard audiobooks without submitting to Amazon’s DRM lock-in sets an example for other creators and publishers: we have a hell of a collective action problem to solve, but if we could coordinate a response to Audible demanding the right to decide whether our work should have their DRM, it would force Audible to treat all of us — creators, publishers and listeners — more fairly.

I’ll be heading out on tour to the US, Canada, the UK and Germany once the book is out. I’m really looking forward to as many backers in person as I can! Thank you for your support over these many long years — and for your support on this Kickstarter.

Today (Mar 22), I’m doing a remote talk for the Institute for the Future’s “Changing the Register” series.

[Image ID: A graphic showing a phone playing the Red Team Blues audiobok, along with a quote from Booklist, 'Jam-packed with cutting-edge ideas about cybersecurity and crypto. Another winner from an sf wizard.']