RIP CORY MONTEITH

The world is saddened by the sudden death of Cory Monteith.  The Canadian actor/singer was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room on Saturday, July 13^th. The cause of death has yet to be released.  Monteith passed away at the young age of 31.

            Fans and celebrities took to social media to grieve over the loss of Cory Monteith.  Mario Lopez tweeted, “RIP Cory Monteith… Such a nice guy, very down to earth.  Incredibly sad… #TooYoungToDie”.  Rihanna also shared her sadness tweeting, “Cory Monteith, may your spirit be at peace, and may you fly with the angels….Heartbreaking, my prayers are with all of his loved ones!”  Other celebrities included Kim Kardshian, Taylor Swift, Alyssa Milano, and Lance Bass, just to name a few.

Cory Monteith is best known for his role as Finn on the hit television show Glee.  He and the rest of the Glee cast were scheduled to start shooting their 5^th season in August.  One has to wonder how his death effects the direction of the show’s storyline.  According to an article on FOX officials say it is way too early to tell how the death will be handled, but producers are proactively deciding how to move forward with the show without Monteith’s character, Finn Hudson.  Hollywood entertainment expert, Scott Huver told FOX411 “Not only has Monteith’s character Finn been part of the show’s most significant romantic relationship opposite Lea Michele’s Rachel, in the fourth season he appeared to be being long-term positioned to eventually assume the role of glee club coach. … He leaves a major hold in the heart of the show that will be challenging for the writers and producers to address. 

            With no obvious cause of death, the autopsy report will better clarify the cause of death.  It has been rumored that Monteith overdosed.  He struggled with addiction for years, and admitted himself to a treatment facility in April for substance abuse.  He had previously received treatment for his addiction at the early age of 19. 

            Cory Monteith’s spirit and talent will truly be missed.  FOX tweeted, “He was a true joy to work with and we will all miss him tremendously.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.” 

Traditional Publishing or Self-Publishing

              After an artist finishes their book, album, play or movie script, it is time for them to consider publishing options.  Traditionally, talented writers solicit their work to knowledgeable agents in their industry.  This agent represents the artist and shops his/her work to publishers.  If a publisher is interested in the work, they offer a contract to the artist.  The agent receives a negotiated percentage of sales from this deal.  This process could take up to a year or more before the cycle is complete.  The traditional form of publishing was developed in the late 1700’s.  However, recently artists have taken the route of self-publishing.

An artist that has chosen self-publishing skips the agent and publishing houses and does the publishing themselves.  The artist is responsible for funding marketing and advertising, distribution, bookings, etc.  This is a costly and tedious venture but not an impossible one.  As far as distribution goes, there are tools available for self-publishers such as Print on Demand, the Internet, and online book and music sellers.  Self-publishing gives artists a way to work independently, with full control of their work. KeithMartinSmith.com

Pros of Self-Publishing: Self-publishing initially seems like an artist's dream.  Anyone can self-publish, no matter what the content is.  There is no middleman.  The artists have the freedom to market and distribute their work in the way that they desire. 

Cons of Self-Publishing: There is a lot of financial risk that comes with self-publishing.  Because you are fronting the money for all aspects of the publishing and distribution process, you are also taking 100% of the financial risk.  Also, without a known publisher associated with the work, it may be difficult for artists to get their book or composition in stores. 

Pros of Traditional Publishing: With traditional publishing, artist’s work is associated with credible publishing houses.  There is little to no financial risk involved, because publishers come with financial assistance. 

Cons of Traditional Publishing: This is very slow process.  It could take a year or more for an artist to find a publisher for their work.  Also, profit made off of the published work will be subject to publishing and agent commission cuts.  
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