Marketing, not Music

While the piece about Jonathan Coulton never really comes out and says it, much of what holds my attention as a reader is the constant attention that is given to the common problem with B list artists, regardless of which art form they practice.
The idea of the “struggling artist” has long existed, and for the most part is proven to be true. Artists that fail to make it to the mainstream stay relatively unknown and struggle economically. Coulton, however, has found a creative way around this problem. As a result, the entire piece works in multiple ways, offering a story, problem, and solution all in one flowing work. I feel that most features of this length might get boring and old, but this works well to really engage the reader in the piece.
One major difference I noticed throughout the piece is the prevalence of relevant details. For example, the price that Coulton pays for each CD from CD baby, along with the breakdown of how he makes his income and how much he brings in. These details not only work to keep the reader interested in the piece, but also create a strong, open relationship with the character. I find this piece to be as much about how the internet is changing the world as we know it as it is about artists. As a reader I found this appealing because of the many opportunities I have seen throughout the Internet, which creates a vast marketplace for any merchant. It’s not about the music Coulton creates, but rather the market and how it is changing, something that was a welcome surprise.