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The Roller Coaster of Shipping AN ALBUM.

This is a “stolen” post from Seth Godin. Seth Godin is one of my heros. The text below in capital letters replaced Seth’s words about books and was added to put the focus on albums. Read Seth Godin everyday. Read the original post which this idea was stolen from Seth Godin here.

The roller coaster of shipping AN ALBUM.

Perhaps something like this has happened to you. Here’s an annotated graph of what it’s like to PUT OUT AN ALBUM, with ‘joy’ being the Y axis with time along the bottom.

The roller coaster of shipping from Seth Godin

1. The manic joy of invention. The idea arrives, it’s shiny and perfect. I can’t wait to share it.

2. The first trough of reality. Now that I’ve pitched the idea to someone (and I’m on the hook), the reality of what has to be done sets in precisely as the manic joy of invention disappears.

3. Wait! The epic pause of reality. It’s not quite as bad as I feared. I can see a path here, maybe. I’m still in trouble, sure, but perhaps…

4. The horrible trough of stuckness. The path didn’t work. The data isn’t here. Critical people have said no. People in critical roles have said no. I can’t find any magic. Sigh.

5. Flow. This is why we do it. The promises made as a result of #1 pushed me through the horrible trough, and the lights are coming on and my forward motion, my relentless forward motion, may just be contagious. Let’s not talk about this, because I don’t want it to dissipate.

6. The pre-MASTERING lizard-brain second-guess. I see the notes that have come back to me, the not-quite-ebullient look on the face of a trusted LISTENER. I am sniffing everywhere for clues of impending doom, and yes, there they are.

7. The realization that it’s good enough. This is the local max, but not the universal one. Optimists welcome. It’s not perfect, but it’s going to ship, and good luck to it.

8. Post-partum ennui. “Why haven’t you LISTENED TO MY ALBUM yet?”
9. Life. And this is the long haul, the book in MUSIC INDUSTRY, the hearing about an ALBUM you RECORDED ten years ago that’s still impacting people. There is no one left to write a snarky review, because the ALBUM is on its own, touching, spreading and being.

And then, sometimes, #1 happens again. Or not.

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Seth founded Rootfire while he was managing a group of influential modern reggae acts, including The Green, John Brown’s Body, and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. The goal of the project has always been to connect the people who participate in the modern reggae movement.

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