Shaun Costello's Risky Behavior

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Some of you may be interested in contributing to Mr. Costello's kickstarter project linked here.

He's been trying to get his book published for a while and has had it rejected plenty of times, enough it would seem, that he wants to do the self publishing thing.

A $20 donation gets you a copy of the book, shipped, when it's done. Other rewards include autographed DVDs and more.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Ooh. I'm backer #4. haha.

[Apronikoff Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Apronikoff]

Surely kickstarter is gonna shut him down right? Offering Passions of Carol as a reward is gonna have him up against the same problems Project Misty had...

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

No idea. Hopefully not but you raise a good point.

[Barry M Super Fiend Find all posts View Profile Close Barry M]

I'm in. I was going to order PASSIONS OF CAROL anyway (christmas is coming), and I'd probably buy the book one day.

He had me at sex addiction, actually, but the list of conclusions he came to as reasons for writing the book is pretty great:

1. That I'm probably the only one living who knows as much as I do about a business and an era that still fascinates so many people, even after all these years.
2. That I'm an acceptably good writer with time on his hands, and a story to tell.
3. That there's a market out there for a true story about an educated guy with a sex addiction who, unknown to his family and friends, took secret a run at the porno business when that business was in its infancy and became successful, but stayed too long at the fair and paid the price.
4. That sex addiction is an often ignored and embarrassing affliction which can, and often does, have serious consequences.
5. That this all took place in the Seventies, the last great romantic decade. The time of Johnny Carson, and Watergate, and Studo54, and Rocky, and Reggie, and “Groovy”, and cocaine, a white-collar drug that couldn't possibly hurt anyone. It was the last decade before promiscuity could kill you.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Project is up to $680 with 15 backers - not a mind blowing start but still 24 days to go. Anyone interested in Shaun's career ought to check this out, I'm sure it'll be an amazing book.

[Barry M Super Fiend Find all posts View Profile Close Barry M]

$20,000 is a pretty high goal. It's not unreasonable -- that has to include both the production/sales costs as well as the initial Kickstarter sales -- but it does seem pretty daunting.

If this fails, maybe a "hey kids let's fund a print-on-demand setup" model would work better. POD books work well for this kind of niche market, and the quality can be pretty good -- a surprising number of books from Amazon are print-on-demand these days, and it's not just self-published stuff. Colour plates and odd trim sizes are about the only real gotchas left. POD doesn't preclude mass sales to normal distribution channels, but was anybody really expecting to be greeted by a pyramid of RISKY BEHAVIOR as they walked into Barnes & Noble? Please let there also be a life-size cardboard Shaun Costello cutout...

I hope this gets some social media traction soon, though -- facebook* it, you facebookers**.

* suck
** lesbians

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I pushed it on Facebook and Twitter, but my reach isn't massive there. But you're right, a POD option might be the way to go if this doesn't work out.

[Barry M Super Fiend Find all posts View Profile Close Barry M]

I don't do either of those things.

(Suck, lesbians or facebook, twitter: either way.)

[Randy G Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Randy G]

Hoping this will take off, I think it should be good, Costello's stories of shooting films for the mob sound fascinating.

[Barry M Super Fiend Find all posts View Profile Close Barry M]

Costello on movies he watched as a kid:

http://shauncostello.wordpress.com/2...26/movie-magic

And ten best private eye movies:

http://shauncostello.wordpress.com/2...te-eye-movies/

He should join up here.

Currently $1090, 21 backers...

[Barry M Super Fiend Find all posts View Profile Close Barry M]

Fifty bucks saved.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...avior-a-memoir

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Yeah, a shame this didn't work out. Maybe Shaun can do some sort of print on demand deal.

[sukebanboy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sukebanboy]

Would love to read this autobiography....

I am sure if he aimed that KICKSTARTER page at the right demographic (ie cult movie lovers and general weirdos!!!) he could have made the money...

Anyone know any rich lovers of golden age adult movies who can finance this???

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

He's got a FB page going for this now.

https://www.facebook.com/RiskyBehavior