The film industry has changed and in many ways, it’s more challenging than ever before, but with change comes new opportunities. Success can still be had by those who work to create it. Independent film companies aren’t as great and as varied as they were when Mean Streets, Do The Right Thing, Blue Velvet, or Pulp Fiction initially made their marks, but there are now new and different ways to succeed, develop an audience and build a strong career

It’s not only the film industry that has been stood on its head, perhaps no other industry is reeling as much as the music biz. And publishing too is also undergoing massive changes.   In the past authors expected to sign a publishing deal, get an advance and then prepare for a book tour. Well times have changed. Fewer and fewer publishing houses are investing in tours unless it’s for one of their reigning literary superstars.

Whereas in the music arena it’s all but impossible to make a living by simply selling music, more and more bands and singers are hitting the road and touring. Yet on the literary side, fewer and fewer authors are out there meeting the public and bookstore owners.

Book tours are more important that many realize. They are about making connections with individual stores, store owners and managers. Even those inevitable signings that end up with a handful of people in the audience can be beneficial, if a relationship is forged between the writer and a bookseller. Making it even more challenging is the fact that bookstores themselves are facing some of the roughest times they’ve ever encountered. Independents are falling by the wayside; Boarders is gone and Barnes & Noble is doing all that it can to simply survive.

As with all types of intellectual property, book sales are being hit hard. The model that worked so well only a few years ago, is now broken. Still, in both film and publishing as the old models begins to falter, new avenues and opportunities are surfacing. For filmmakers and authors that take their careers and their works into their own hands there is a new world of opportunity out there.

The tough part here is that artists either have to become marketers, or they have to hire PR and marketing firms to handle their promotional needs for them. Particularly when it comes to films and books, marketing cannot be looked at as a luxury. Marketing, particularly public relations, is a necessity.

The upside to the internet is that every area of interest has its own bloggers and social media sites. Savvy authors and filmmakers are using social media and blogging, to create an inbound marketing funnel for their books and films. Some are launching and investing in their own tours, others are offering online events. Those that are truly savvy are launching traditional public relations campaigns to reach their target market, establish themselves as experts in their field and gain the validation and legitimacy of being in the news.

With the right buzz both filmmakers and authors can, with a bit of creativity, generate their own sales, build their brands, and establish their own successful careers.