The Lobby - 5

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Hello there.

I've spent the last month or so looking into options and trying to figure something out for at least the "short term" of Idol.

Both Indiegogo and Kickstarter have the advantage of being extra advertising to get the word out about Idol - which I like. But they also involve extra fees and needing to put together incentive packages, etc. Which means anything raised would automatically need to be higher to take those into consideration.

After talking with a number of people on the subject, and ignoring Mark Burnett's advice of "Never Explain", and figuring out what actual expenses would be over the course of Season 9 - and going with the figure that several of you reading this threw out there as a "fair number", I'm going to try to raise $1,000.

Which means, if there are indeed 300 people coming in for Season 9, it would be like sponsoring everyone for just under $3.34/person.

I don't want to have any sort of fee for people to enter Season 9. But it would take the sponsorship idea off the table, that so many people seemed to not like, and quite frankly, it means that I would be able to concentrate on the serious business of kicking the grap out of all of you by forcing you through your paces without any of these "commercial breaks".

It's a rough time for year - and visually, it's a big number. So, it might not happen. But people have asked - and asked - and asked - so now I've worked myself up to the point that I feel momentarily confident enough to tell.

Those who can't contribute - hey, I'm right there with you. I totally understand. I'm pretty sure you weren't the ones asking about it! :D Just keep on scrolling and keep being cool. See you in a couple of months.

For those who were:

My hope is to have Season 9 ready for you by Jan. So, until then, enjoy your Novel Writing/Turkey Eating/Trying to Get Off the Naughty List.

Comments

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

You didn't ask, but I'm going to share anyway. I would personally find it much easier to feel like I was following the writings more effectively if we were put in teams of about 10 - 20. I hate not being able to compare a single writer to everyone else. But when there's 100 or more that I am encouraged to vote for, there's no way that I can manage to read all of them. Then maybe you can recombine the teams when about 50% have been winnowed out of each team.

I also think that the service and entertainment that LJ Idol provides ought to be worth we all contributing $5 - $10 for entering the contest. You certainly should pick up an operator's fee. Perhaps people who are eliminated in the first three rounds could get a refund.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of teams/tribes; it is definitely hard to try and read everyone when there are hundreds of players, and having the players divided up (sometimes it has been newbies vs veterans, sometimes they have been divided up via Flist size, etc) makes the polls easier to handle (at least for me) - I know I'd rather get (for example) two polls completely read and voted on, and just let the other polls fall as they may, rather than feel like I'm just randomly picking and choosing between a huge field of competitors!

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I can say that 10-20 is very unlikely. I have a pretty good idea (about 80% positive) of how things are going to be arranged at this point.

Tribes that small would be good for readers, in some ways. But if it's 300 contestants, you are looking at 15 groups. Which means 15 people would be going out every week. Sure, some of the people going out in the first couple weeks would be "not very good", but a lot of them will be newbies, who haven't gotten their feet under them or a chance to figure out what this Idol thing is. There are a ton of people who went from being in danger Week 1 to going far into the game, because of bigger groups where they had the time to grow.

It's a balancing act - trying to find the right level of "giving people a shot" and keeping it at "reader friendly levels".

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

With the number of people expected the groups would likely have to be 40 - 50 people .
Thinking of a community chest for the season?

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I'm honestly not sure if there will be or not.

Originally, there was no plan for one.

At the end of Exhibit A I was thinking "It might be fun" but B left me rethinking that. I'll definitely let people know as it comes closer.

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

I truly feel that having too many people for people to read is unfair to everyone. Why not give newbies a few extra "free survival " passes. Or put them all in one group and encourage all Idolists to read them and make comments to help them find their way.?

[porn-this-way.livejournal.com]

That'd blow the lid off alts who're trying to fly stealth about the fact that they're alts, though. It's also majorly unfair to those of us who came in cold and clawed our way up on our own steam (which is pretty much everyone who's participated in seasons 1 - exhibit B, because we were all new once). Giving unearned advantages to people right off the bat just doesn't sit well IMNSHO.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

You seem to have a knack for balancing everything out pretty well!

[joeymichaels.livejournal.com]

Donated. Don't know if I'll ever be able to play again, but always eager to serve mankind.

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

With a nice red wine and fancy cheese I suppose.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I hope you are able to find the time! This is likely the final full season. So you should come back and play one more time!

[joeymichaels.livejournal.com]

The love is there but the time is not. We'll see.

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

Are you familiar with the Twilight Zone episode, "To serve Mankind?"

[joeymichaels.livejournal.com]

Can I interest you in a cookbook?

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

Which parts do you like best, the arms, the thighs or the breast? Oh wait, I think I can guess the answer.

[joeymichaels.livejournal.com]

The gizzard.

[ashgaelsonaria.livejournal.com]

I have no monies to spare even though I am making gifts this year. Still costs - just costs less.
Made some peppermint white chocolate
Got some vanilla orchid clippings
Have a funeral for my grandma this Saturday
Been keeping buisy even if I have not done a lot of writing.
I am going to make suckers and some other stuff.
I haven't done candy in years and figure its time to clean up the molds and get going on it.

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

Condolences on your grandma.

Good luck with the candy making!

[michikatinski.livejournal.com]

I shall be donating (probably tomorrow) and spreading the word! Gooooo, Gary!

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

I really appreciate that. The plus side of not doing it through a kickstarter/indiegogo is that I don't have to then make up *a lot* in fees. The downside is that there isn't the exposure to new people.

Granted, I'm not all that sure how to explain Idol in a way to brand new people that would make them want to show up to give! Maybe links to all of the articles and books that have come as a direct result of former contestants? :)

[michikatinski.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna say "Yes" to the links-to-all-the-articles-and-books idea.

Seriously. What a list that would be.

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

As cool as that is though, I think the "lives changed/influenced by coming into contact with Idol" would be a bigger and more impressive one.

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

I vote for this one...

[porn-this-way.livejournal.com]

Will def be donating, but need to wait until the first week of December.