Influencing the Influencer: Part 1
I feel like I’ve starved y’all enough for stories so I’m splitting up this current story I’m working on into two parts. Hopefully you guys enjoy this in the meanwhile and makes the story easier to digest.
“Ur so sexy!! 😍😍”
“Omg marry me rn”
“Fck I need you in me soooo bad”
Jay looked at the comments on his latest Instagram post with vain glee. Within a few days he had amassed a significant following by simply posting various pictures of himself. Mirror selfies, photos of him in different outfits, or even just short videos of him going to get lunch. On the second day, seeing how exponential his growth was, he made a TikTok account to amass an even larger following.
From those few days, Jay was consistently getting thousands of likes on his posts and had tens of thousands of followers. But to him, it wasn’t enough. He needed more. Jay wanted to be movie star-famous.
As he looked over his recent post, the number of likes increasing by the thousands, Jay decided to lay back and check the post later. He decided to head to the bathroom and fix himself up before preparing another post he was sure would go viral.
Looking into the mirror, Jay couldn’t help but feel a massive sense of pride flow through him. His long, curly hair stuck out above his model-status face. Jay had eyes that were so beautiful that even he himself sometimes got lost looking into them. His lips were perfectly luscious, tempting many into wanting to press their own into them. His thin face showcasing his perfect jawbones and chin. Jay’s outfit only added to his charm, keeping up to date with the most recent fashion trends and styles. Lifting his light gray shirt up, Jay admired the slight abs on his light brown skin. He had recently started working on them to attract even more followers. When he looked back up at his face again, Jay couldn’t help but cry out, “Damn, I’m hot!”
After combing his hair to prep himself up, Jay opened his phone’s camera to take a picture. However, he was interrupted by a DM notification from Instagram.
“Man the fuck do you want?!” Jay whined, the distraction messing up his photo. He opened the app and went to his DMs. Most of them were from fans asking for nudes or to fulfill their sexual desires. Jay took up some of his female fans on the offer, but immediately deleted any from anyone else. Though it was never really brought up, Jay had some serious homophobia issues.
The account had a default profile picture and had posted pictures, but it was privated so Jay couldn’t see anything. He sent a request to follow, but they didn’t seem to accept right away. Jay just shrugged. It wasn’t like he didn’t get accounts commenting for shoutouts so he could grow his following on each post. Regardless, it didn’t look like a typical message asking for a dick pic or for a promotion, so Jay opened it purely out of curiosity. Plus, the bit of the message he did see intrigued him.
“I heard you want to be famous.”
The message was ominous, but to Jay it seemed more like a scam than anything else. He decided to play into it. If they asked for a credit card or personal information Jay would just stop the conversation there.
“Yeah.” He sent first, “Who doesn’t?”
Scarily, the anonymous texter responded in seconds.
“I can help you. I’m someone who deals in this kind of thing. I can guarantee results today.”
Jay laughed at the last part. There was no way this random person could just make him as famous as he wanted to today. Still, they hadn’t asked for anything crazy.
“What do I gotta do, then?” Jay text. He figured it was just some scam promoter or someone who was going to ask him to participate in a sponsored deal, the latter not sounding that bad.
Again, they responded within seconds.
“Just tell me what you want and follow what I say. Do that and your desires will be fulfilled.”
Jay, who was now sitting on his couch, leaned over and got prepared to type his “desires,” whatever the hell that meant.
“ight,” he started his text.
“I wanna be as famous as those celebrities in super hero movies. Like spider man n shit. I wanna blow up. Go viral, kno what I mean? I wanna have millions of followers and people liking my stuff, just pictures and videos of me being hot n shit.”
It took a few more seconds for them to respond, but eventually the stranger text back, “Your desires will be acknowledged and granted.”
Surprised that this person hadn’t asked him for a credit card or to sponsor some outlandish product, Jay went to his Instagram page to check his followers. “yaboi_jay07” the page read. To his dismay, it was still in the mid 4,000 range. Checking his TikTok wasn’t much better, still being in the high 3,000s. However, when the stranger text him again, Jay remembered his part of the deal.
“Right, I gotta do what this guy says.” Jay mumbled, expecting to receive a link to some fishy website that would likely hack his account.
However, Jay was surprised when the message read, “Eat the burgers and fast food you ordered.”
Jay didn’t remember ordering any food, much less food from some greasy takeout joint. However, after he read the text, Jay smelled something strong. It seemed like it was coming from the kitchen, so Jay got up and walked in, surprised to see two greasy, paper bags on the table. As he picked one up to investigate, Jay got a massive headache. Recoiling from the sudden pain, he stepped back before recollecting himself.
He now remembered that he ordered some food to eat because he hadn’t eaten all day and was starving. Usually Jay wouldn’t order out, but he decided to treat himself today, especially with how much his following had grown. As he was about to take the food into the living room, Jay felt his phone vibrate and noticed another DM from the stranger.
“Stream yourself eating the food.”
It was a weird request, but Jay just shrugged it off and decided to adhere to their demands. If they were going to make him famous, who was he to judge what they wanted. Going to his page, Jay started a livestream on Instagram since he already had it open.
“‘Sup y’all.” Jay said as his fans started to tune in. Immediately there were several comments about how attractive Jay was, but a few started to ask what he was doing.
“I decided to treat y’all today and livestream, since I’m in a good mood,” Jay started as he pulled out a burger, “I ordered lunch cause I was so hungry, so maybe we can do a little Q&A while I eat.”
The wrapper was covered with grease, but Jay didn’t seem to mind. Slowly, he unwrapped the delicious morsel before setting it down on the table, pulling out the fries and placing his soda in front of him. Hearing his stomach grumble, Jay finally decided to grab the burger and take a bite. He let out an audible moan that even his phone camera picked up. Jay looked up at the live stream to see his fans going crazy for it, so he took another bite. It was like he couldn’t help himself from basking in how good the food tasted.
“Mmm, damn this shit’s good.” Jay mumbled to himself. He barely noticed the grease covering the edges of his mouth before he finished the first burger. While he was surprised he finished the burger so quickly, his hunger soon hijacked his thoughts and Jay went to grab another burger. He took a swig of soda and ate a few fries before tackling the burger.
Continuing to devour the burger, Jay remembered he was live streaming and had fans asking questions. “Sorry y’all,” Jay chuckled, “I forgot I was streaming.” He then started to answer some questions, happy to see the same typical ones.
“What’s your favorite song?”
“Do you have a favorite outfit?”
“What’s your favorite thing to do?”
“Are you single?”
There were plenty like the last question, Jay happy to indulge his ego by answering them the most. However, Jay read over a question he wasn’t normally used to seeing.
“Can you show off your fat @$$?”
Jay was about to laugh off the question, but got another headache. It wasn’t as major this time, but it still messed with him a little. His ass wasn’t that big, but it kinda made sense his fans would want to see it. At least, it was starting to make sense to Jay. He always let his pants sag in photos, so maybe that’s where the question came from. As Jay started to stand up and lift his pants down there was a bit of cognitive dissonance. Was his ass fatter than he remembered?
Turning around to show off to the camera, Jay instinctually felt himself move his body up, only to let it back down and cause his ass to jiggle. It was never that big, he was sure of it. But taking another swig of soda cleared his mind. His ass was part of why people loved him. Boys with big asses were trending right now, so of course he had a fat one.
Peaking over his shoulder to see the stream, Jay was giddy with glee seeing the amount of praise and likes, as well as new viewers and followers. He continued showing off his rotund rear, happy to see it was making him more popular.
Jay put his hands under his rear to jiggle it some more, the feeling now pleasureful to him. “That good? Y’all like the fatty I got?” He teased. Turning to the side, Jay continued his routine of jiggling his rear. It stuck to his underwear like it was tightly packed in. “How ‘bout now?” He devilishly smirked again.
Not forgetting about his meal, Jay continued to eat the fast food on the table in front of him. He took a bite of a burger before moaning at the taste. Jay hadn’t realized how he let some of the burger fall to the floor when he took another bite. Looking over at the stream, Jay thought he saw his ass grow out when he ate more of the burger, but knew that couldn’t be the case. It was probably just the angle he was at. However, Jay did notice more comments coming in and quickly realized he had nearly double the viewers from when he started. In fact, his following count was exponentially increasing, Jay mentally thanking the stranger from before.
Jay continued to play with his ass and eat the burger, picking up another one after he finished this one. He hadn’t even kept track of how much he was eating at this point. He was about to take a break and read some requests and comments, but one in particular caught his eye.
“Take off ur shirt!”
It sparked a movement, many fans typing things like. “Off with the shirt!” or “#NoShirt4Jay” and even “Less shirt more skin!” Jay was never one to turn down any exhibitionism, so he decided to follow through with his fans’ request.
“If that’s what y’all want,” Jay started, “I’ve been tryna go gym a bit more recently.” It wasn’t that noticeable because of how much he ate, but Jay’s slight abs did show through on camera. He took another bite out of the burger before drinking some soda. His fans went crazy, but not as much as they had when he showed off his ass for the first time.
Jay wondered why his fans weren’t as excited about his abs, but he continued to eat to distract himself. He took a long drink from the soda before going back to eat some more fries, but surprised himself with a long and loud belch.
“Damn, where’d that come from?” Jay mumbled to himself just before his brain went fuzzy again. It wasn’t as bad as the headache from before, but it still felt strange. It didn’t last as long as the headaches either, so Jay just shrugged it off as him being tired and continued to eat. Looking over at his stream, Jay was a bit surprised by the new comments rolling in.
“I LOVE your little belly!”
“Ur so cute with that tummy!”
“U might wanna think abt going to the gym more…lol”
Jay was so confused, until he looked down and saw a belly instead of abs. Again, his mind got fuzzy. Why would he have abs and eat so much junk food? If he was trying to get fit, he definitely wouldn’t have downed four burgers within half an hour. Another belch brought him back to reality, and Jay knew what was right.
“Yeah, I should probably cut back on all the fast food I order.” He chuckled before belching again. The chubbier boy grabbed a handful of fries and shoved them in his mouth. Jay knew his appetite was catching up to him, but he didn’t think it was that big of an issue. He really wasn’t that big, and if his fans liked him a little chunkier then what was the harm?
Jay belched before taking another bite of his burger. Did he look a little bigger than before? He thought his ass looked bigger, but chalked it up to the camera once again. Shaking his rear around for it to jiggle, Jay thought his ass certainly felt bigger. However, he felt the strange impulse to jiggle his belly as well. Doing both caused his viewers to skyrocket. The fans were loving him, and Jay smirked as he took another bite of his burger. All the jiggling was getting to him though, and he let out one more long belch before finishing off the burger. He went to reach for another, but was disappointed when there was nothing left.
The influencer sat back down before starting to rub his bare belly. “Sorry y’all, this big boy’s all stuffed.” Jay chuckled, which caused his brain some confusion. Why would he call himself a ‘big boy’? He wasn’t trying to promote his weight, and in fact he thought he should probably lose some of it. The fans seemed to like it, though, so Jay wasn’t too bothered.
Looking over the stream, Jay noticed a familiar notification pop up. It was a new message from the stranger who was making him popular. Jay had almost forgotten about them and was almost confused as to why they were still talking to him. However, he remembered the terms of their deal and opened the message for any orders from them.
“Nice job to start. I hope you’re enjoying some more fame.” They first sent. Jay awaited the next message, as they typed it up.
“Go eat that cake in your refrigerator. I’m sure you’re still hungry.” Was their next order.
Not questioning it this time, Jay went to his fridge to fulfill his next task. He barely noticed how his belly was starting to hang over the waistband of his underwear, nor how it and his ass jiggled with every step he took. Opening the fridge, Jay looked in awe at his next meal. It nearly took up the entire fridge, and Jay thought it looked suitable for a wedding.
“I don’t know if I can eat all this.” Jay mumbled to himself, but his growling stomach disagreed. “I guess that burp gave me some room.” He chuckled under his breath. Struggling to not drop the dessert, Jay slowly carried the cake back to his dining room table. Sitting back down, Jay greeted his stream once again.
“Sorry y’all, had to get dessert.” He panned over the cake to show it off, “Let’s see how much I can eat.” Jay grabbed a fork and a knife before cutting out a small slice of cake. It had pink white icing and was a yellow cake, and Jay figured it would just be a boring sweet he would quickly get sick of. Thankfully, to his surprise the cake was delicious! The icing tasted like silky sugar and the cake was still moist. Jay had to hold himself back from eating too fast and choking on the food.
Jay belched after destroying the slice of cake. “Fuck man, that was the shit!” Jay exclaimed. His fans seemed happy, and wanted him to gorge himself more. Before Jay could go back to the cake, he noticed the stranger had text him.
“Eat the cake with just your hands and mouth.”
It seemed like a weirdly specific request, but Jay could do it pretty easily so he didn’t object. Grabbing a chunk of cake, Jay ate the cake from his bare hands. He found it came strangely fast, quickly starting to alternate between each hand of cake.
“Mmpf, man this shit is good!” Jay mumbled out between stuffed bites of cake. He was completely lost in the taste, unable to realize just how messy he was getting. Icing started to cover his lips and cheeks, crumbs got on his table and his hands looked like he had dug through a bakery’s garbage.
Jay’s moans of pleasure went on for a few minutes, his viewership skyrocketing. He didn’t know this kind of stuff was so popular, but he definitely wasn’t complaining. Usually Jay wasn’t too happy about his body, and showing off his extra bulk was the first thing he found useful about it.
Letting out a deep belch, Jay finally decided to take his focus away from the cake and return back to his stream.
“Ur burps are soooo cute! <3”
“The way you eat the cake is super sexy 🥵🥵”
“I love how chunky you are!!”
Jay laughed at the last comment. Looking down after stuffing some cake in his mouth, he jiggled his belly a bit. It moved and wiggled for a bit before resting, Jay letting out a belch as a result. The jiggling reminded him of his ass, which he promptly decided to show his fans by standing up.
“Yeah I’m a bit of a chunky boy.” Jay giggled. It brought some dissonance in his brain again, but he just shrugged it off. The cake and attention were too good for him to stop eating and showing off. He looked at his viewer count again. “chunkyboi_jay07. Stream in progress. 20.6k Viewers.” Jay smiled at the statistics. Whoever this person helping him out was really knows stuff.
Jay took another handful of cake before grabbing his belly in both hands and shaking it up and down. It not only caused his ass to jiggle, but his newfound moobs as well.
“Damn, maybe I should go to the gym more. I have my own tits!” Jay jokingly exclaimed, grabbing one of his moobs with his cake covered hand. He jiggled it around as he fed himself more cake. His viewers sure did love it when he played with his body. Jay smirked as he jiggled his belly some more before turning around and playing with his ass. His view count was innumerably higher than it normally would have been, so Jay saw no reason to stop playing with his flab.
However, Jay hadn’t realized how out of breath he was from standing for so long. “Man, maybe I should go to the gym more.” Jay thought to himself as he slowly collapsed onto the chair. He continued to eat the cake, not thinking about much else besides his shortness of breath. The cake changed his mind about the gym quickly, though, as he soon went back to grabbing handfuls with both of his greedy, chubby hands.
The viewers really couldn’t tell what he was saying, if he was trying to say anything at all. They didn’t care though, the comments continuing to flood in as Jay gorged himself.
“You go fat boy! Shake dat ass!🍑🍑”
“I looooove a man with extra meat on him❤️”
“U r suuuch a pig!🐷🐷🐷”
Jay felt the need to check his stream after that last comment sent. He hadn’t seen it, but for some reason he knew it would be there and he needed to check it. “Guess I am…a pretty big pig…huh?” Jay panted out, trying to put on a smile. He was getting worn out just from sitting there and eating. He was about to go back to stuffing himself with his bare hands, but Jay knew that would tire him out too fast.
Instead, Jay plunged his entire face into the cake, eating as much of the cake as he could right there. His viewers went crazy, cheering him on for taking on so much to eat. After a bit of nonstop eating, Jay sat back to let out an enormous belch that shook the table. He smirked at himself with pride, knowing his fans would love this.
However, Jay’s prideful pleasure was soon stopped when he heard an ominously large creaking sound. It was like someone was approaching him, but he wasn’t sure from where. It sounded so close, it was like they were on top of…
Not a second later, the chair Jay was on snapped and he fell down on the floor with a crash. Getting himself together, Jay felt oddly satisfied “Oooooh,” He moaned in pleasure, “I’m such a fat fucking pig.”
For some reason, Jay felt turned on by his ability to just break a chair by sitting on it, and his own comment about being a pig. He wasn’t sure why, but he was feeling too much joy to question it. His glee only increased as he checked his stream. “516k viewers” It read. And counting. Jay needed to thank whoever was helping him out. He paused the stream and went to go text them, but found they were already starting to type something to him.
“Good job piggy. Hope you like the attention.” They sent.
All Jay did was rapidly nod, very happy with his popularity. He was too into the rising stardom that he couldn’t think of words to express himself.
“Your next task is to go to your room and jerk off. Cum for all your viewers to see.” Was their next message
Jay was happy to do that. He was already starting to get a chub just from his size! Slowly getting up, Jay waddled to his stairs, realizing the near insurmountable task in front of him. Attempting to lift his sausage thigh higher than he had all day, Jay already started to feel sweat as he climbed the first step, his entire body jiggling from the movement. Slowly continuing this process, Jay thought he’d never make it up.
“Man…I really…gotta…lay off…the cookies…” He panted, only halfway there. Beads of sweat dripped in between his rolls on his stomach and in between his fat ass cheeks. It didn’t even cross Jay’s mind that he had been up and down these stairs countless times before, too eager for the attention and to fulfill the request for even more attention.
Finally stepping into his room, Jay collapsed on his bed. He was covered in sweat, his hair a mess and his body shimmering with a greasy shine. Letting out a belch, Jay took some time to recover before standing up again and setting his phone up against a lampshade to start the stream again. Tapping the resume button, the stream got the wide sight of Jay’s ass as he waddled back to his bed to talk to the stream.
“Hey…y’all…” He said, still taking deep breaths. Jay rubbed his sweaty belly and jiggled his moobs while he took a few seconds to recover a bit more. “Today…I’m gonna treat y’all to something special.” Jay let out, smirking as he lifted his belly up.
Somehow, he was able to reach under his belly far enough to know where his hidden dick was. Despite it being in a swaddle of fat, Jay knew where to grab, jiggling the area of fat to get himself off. He let out a slight moan, which his viewers barely heard. However, they still went crazy for it.
Jay smirked as he saw the viewer count skyrocket once again that day. He let out a louder moan, and then an unintentional fart. For some reason, that turned him on, so Jay decided to let out a deep belch. His moans got louder and higher in pitch, the boy playing with himself for his viewers to enjoy.
Too busy getting himself off, Jay didn’t notice how his phone had become a tripod camera, his phone moving to the dresser on the side of his bed. Nor did Jay notice how the stream, now viewable from his laptop on a nearby desk, was on his OnlyFans account instead of his Instagram or TikTok ones.
Empty wrappers and bottles started to litter Jay’s room, a few appearing on his bed as he streamed. Letting out another fart, Jay noticed an uneaten TastyKake, quicky devouring it as he got himself off. He didn’t notice his growing body along with the changing room. His viewers loved it, so Jay didn’t care. He saw his count going up by at least another one hundred thousand.
Instinctively reaching under his bed, Jay grabbed the first rubbery thing he found. A long, thick black dildo appeared from under the bed, Jay looking directly at the camera with a devious sense. Taking a second to insert it into himself, Jay said, “OooOOoOh, I wish a nice, sexy guy was here instead.” He played off his pleasure to entice the viewers. “Someone who would just feed me and fuck me, all day long.” He said, tempestuously, “Hopefully I don’t fart it out.” Jay giggled innocently at the last comment.
After he got most of the tool between his fat ass cheeks, Jay started to feel himself come to a climax. His moans grew longer and louder, the amount of viewers exponentially growing.
“That’s a good piggy. Eat, grow and fuck.”
“God, you used to be so fit. Now you’re a fat pig.”
“Cum for daddy, piggy!”
It was all too much for Jay and he finally came, coating his underbelly in a white goo. As he came, something in Jay snapped. It was as if his entirely reality was shifting and turning, now finally settling into place. Falling back on his bed, Jay looked over at his laptop and saw his viewer count pass one million. He smiled, knowing he was a famous piggy.
Shortly after he came, Jay heard his phone vibrate.
“Excellent job piggy. Are you ready for your next task?” The anonymous texter said
Jay thought for a second, but his thoughts were dull. He wanted food and to show off.
“What do I have to do next?” Jay eagerly text, awaiting his next orders
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A music “company” just asked YOU for money...is it a Scam?
“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.”
This famous iconic quote about the music business, most often attributed to legendary novelist Hunter S. Thompson, is widely known even to those just starting their music careers. Whether the quote actually came from Thomson is debatable. Less controversial is the notion that most people in the music business actually agree with the premise, no matter who may have come up with it. And while those who choose to venture into the music industry are regarded as quite the cynical lot, most of us would agree that there are plenty of shady characters to watch out for, especially if you’re a DIY artist with a tight budget. Consequently, if you’re an artist and a so-called music executive asks YOU for money, like say $500 or more, read these guidelines below before forking over your hard-earned cash..
Yes - It’s Definitely It’s a Scam
Mike Myers in “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Not quite a scam artist but sure does look pretty shady, doesn’t he?
Record Labels
Any huckster in possession of a business card with “(FiLLInTheBlank) Records” on it can claim to be a “record label”. Fact is, most of these claims are pure bunk. So how does an artist determine which “record label’ is legit, and which are scammers? Easy - if the so-called record label asks YOU for money upfront, they’re not for real.
Here’s the basic business model for a legitimate record label: Labels make an investment in you (the band) in the form of an advanced payment, or covering your costs and/or living expenses. In return, you (the band) offer the label your rights to your songs’ or albums’ master recordings. It’s that simple. Now, whether a band wants to accept these terms is another matter. But if a guy is telling you he owns or represents a record label, then turns around and asks YOU for money, say, to cover expenses or for other “services”, then he’s not really a label. And the fact he’s representing himself as a “record label” makes him a scammer.
Managers
Timothy Spall as Mats, band manager for fictional rock group Steel Dragon in movie “Rock Star”. Scoundrel - yes; scammer - debatable.
Music Managers are among the shadiest scoundrels in the music industry. Under no circumstances does a legitimate music manager collect upfront “fees for services” from a band. No way. Never. Legitimate Managers make their money as a percentage of what the band makes - usually between 10-20% of everything. Some “super-Managers” may charge more, perhaps up to 25% - expensive, yes, but probably still legit. However, if a so-called Manager is asking you for money, run. And, don’t sign any contracts where the Manager is raking in 50% or more of your money, like Justin Timberlake did. Unfortunately, this happens all the time in the music business.
Booking Agents
A real Booking Agent, like Music Managers, earn their money as a percentage of what the band makes. The only relevant difference is, while a Manager usually earns a percentage on all income from the band, a Booking Agent earns a fee from touring only. The Agent books a show, gets roughly 10% of the gross, paid by the venue and/or promoter. Booking Agent then pays the band. Pretty simple. If a “booking agent” is asking you for money to cover costs or fees, they are not for real. Chances are, it’s just a guy with no connections and needs a job.
Publishers
Music Publishers work for artists in a similar fashion as do Record Labels. The Publisher advances you money; in return, you share the songwriting rights with the publisher. At most, it’s a 50/50 split. There are many types of publishing deals, but any deal that requires an artist to invest upfront fees is not legitimate.
Might Not Be A Scam - But Watch Out
Alec Baldwin plays Dennis Dupree, owner of fictional venue the Bourbon Club in “Rock Of Ages”
“Pay-to-Play” Venues
For the “pay-to-play” Venues that ask bands for money upfront before taking the stage, most music industry experts will advise you to stay away. Perhaps as a result, most of these types of deals have been slowly phased out. Still, there are still some “brand name” Venues, namely on L.A.’s Sunset Strip, that require bands to attract a minimum number of fans, or else pay the difference. If you don’t draw enough warm bodies to your show, you can probably still get out of paying the Venue. Just don’t expect to be invited back anytime soon. In any case, you don’t have to take the gig, and that’s probably a good idea. This deal is just not good.
Radio Promoters
True, Radio Promoters take no back-end or share in the band’s success, as do managers and record labels. But Radio Promoters need to get paid somehow. Just don’t let that “somehow” be you. Most legit Radio Promoters charge fees well out of reach for a typical band’s budget. In other words, legit Radio Promoters usually work for major labels and not DIY bands. If a guy says he’s a “radio promoter” and asks you for a large sum of money, and to justify this arrangement he’s guaranteeing your song will receive heavy airplay on major FM radio stations, this is your red flag. Run for the hills.
Music Producers
Most music producers require upfront fees to work on your record - this is normal. Many will take back-end point along with fees, reducing the amount of scratch you need to come up with upfront. This should be a negotiation, so if a producer asks for fees before you start, don’t be alarmed. You can reduce this fee by offering more points on your record. It could be a “scam” if the producer is asking for an obscene amount of money for your acoustic record. It just doesn’t cost that much to record a an album these days.
Music Publicists
Yes, you’ll need to budget and pay upfront before a music publicist lifts a finger. Usually you can spread payments for a campaign over a few months, but it’s not cheap, and the minute your check is late, work stops. Music publicists don’t guaranteed results - also normal - but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shop around. Get a referral from a band you trust before working with a publicist.
**Probably Not A Scam**
Digital Distributors
Most digital distributors will charge bands modest upfront “set-up” costs and maybe a percentage of your sales. This is standard practice. There are many players crowding this space these days, so shop around and get the best deal for your music and strategy.
Recording Studios
Yes, recording your record in a place other than a basement is something you need to budget for. Even basement studios are pretty nice these days. Be prepared to come out of your pocket before setting foot inside any studio, or you could run into problems.
Final Word of Caution:
There are plenty of music companies not listed above for which bands may have questions regarding the legitimacy of services offered, especially if it’s a relatively small amount of money, say $100 or less. This doesn’t mean some vulture isn’t scamming you, even if you won’t exactly lose your shirt. As always, write or forward any deal you’ve come across to
[email protected] and I’ll be glad to offer my take. This offer goes to any “label”, “manager” or other music industry scoundrel who believes this article is way off base and you’d like to tell me off. I’m all ears.
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Good goin' stranger!
A NOTE FROM ADMIN R: This acceptance has been waiting for a while, for that I apologize. But welcome to CHW, Aurora !!! Thank you so much for taking on, Sloane/Stella from Desperately Seeking Susan. This application was truly incredible and I’m beyond excited to see you take on this complex character. Thank you so much for this application !!!
OOC NAME/ALIAS, PREFERRED PRONOUNS, AGE & TIMEZONE:
aurora, she/her, 25, pst.
DESIRED CHARACTER:
sloane/stella tran.
HOW ACTIVE WILL YOU BE?
8.
SECONDARY CHOICE:
n/a.
DESCRIBE THE CHARACTER:
Sloane was dealt a shitty hand from the start but she plays the best game she can with the cards she was given. As a girl she dreamed of a loving family and ballet classes and a pony. She got bounced around from place to place instead. She was neglected and taken advantage of until she realized she could finesse her way through life. Sloane can walk into any room and become a shadow leaving with your wallet, car keys, or heart. Her relationships (romantic and otherwise) are fleeting and meaningless — she’s a fantasy. She’ll let you project onto her until it’s time to move on. When her back’s against the wall she’s a user and a liar and a master manipulator. She’s scamming today before today scams her. It’s a lonely existence, but she does what she has to survive. The little girl who dreamed of family still lives inside of her — she doesn’t need anyone and she doesn’t have anyone but she might still want someone to see her — and she’s fighting her way to the surface. Her world has been flipped on its head as of late where she has to face the father that abandoned her while being the daughter he kept. Personality wise. Sloane is attractive, charming, a chameleon, easy to get along with, vengeful, an escapist, she runs from her problems, guarded, transient.
SAMPLE WRITING:
It was an eventful childhood growing up in the foster care system. She was born to an average mother and had never met her father (she heard whispers that he’d skipped town upon hearing the news of her arrival) who was deemed unfit to parent. She wasn’t too sure about that one. The life she had before the system came in waves sometimes though. She was four the day two police officers and a woman with a kind face arrived at her door. The manager of the motel she’d been living in with her mother had reported a small child wandering around the parking lot by herself every night without supervision. He didn’t know the last time he’d seen her mother and neither did she. “Hello, Sloane.” The woman with the kind face and slicked back bun kneeled for her. She wore brown leather shoes and a navy blue skirt and spoke to Sloane in a calm voice. “I’m Sheila. I see you like to draw.” The social worker made her comfortable while the investigation happened. The motel room was all but trashed and her mom was nowhere to be found. She was given twenty minutes to pack up her entire life — it seemed cruel. She didn’t have many toys, or much of anything, really, but she collected what she did have and the picture of her father. Sloane’s mother showed up to court once before she stopped coming all together.
Her first foster home had locks on all the doors and a grumpy old lady who sat in the front room watching court shows and yelled if the kids spoke above a whisper. Sloane sat by the door the way dogs waited, hoping and wishing someone would rescue her, the kind faced woman, or her mom (who had never been much of a protector), until she didn’t anymore. After awhile she forgot what her mother look liked. All she could remember was red rimmed eyes and dark hair and emptiness. Breakfast was served at 6 a.m sharp and if you weren’t awake you didn’t get to eat the cold porridge sat out for you. Chores were mandatory, split between the seven children who lived there — Bobby, who was the oldest, a boy from Kansas with shaggy hair and a lisp, was in charge of punishment if they misbehaved — Sloane got punished twice before she learned how to properly wash a dish. They were to be in bed by 6 o’clock and attend church every Sunday. Sloane turned five, and then six, but in her seventh year the old woman died sitting in her chair. She’d never known anyone who died, and she felt wrong for being happy about it.
She was placed with another family soon after, Ted and Nancy Barber, an odd couple with no children and a house big enough for several. A silver lining presented itself when she and one of the girls from her old house were paired together. Margaret, who was a year older, acted as if they were sisters, and Sloane returned the favor by being nice. They shared a bed covered in plastic sheets and walked to school hand in hand, telling each other secrets and playing school girl games. She started to notice that when Margaret got good grades she was rewarded with dessert and new clothes so Sloane begin to do the same. In the summer, Margaret got adopted by a family in Wisconsin with a dog and never wrote like she promised, but Sloane didn’t have time to care, the slot for favorite foster kid opened up and she took it. Nancy was nice enough and kept her neat, but Ted….Ted took to her like picasso to a canvas. He took Sloane on solo fishing trips and made her sit on his lap while he baited the line. He spent his days off buying her things and creating secret hideaways, they shared secrets and laughter. Sloane had never had a father before and took his behavior as law. One night, without Margret to keep her company, Sloane was kept awake by their arguing, it was the worst argument to date. Ted’s shouting was hushed, but Nancy’s was slurred yet somehow clear as day: “I want that little bitch gone!”
Sloane lost count of how many foster homes and group homes she lived in before she was eighteen. The caseworkers changed with the families but somehow remained the same. They took her to McDonald’s or some other cheap eatery like they were doing her a favor and flipped through the pages of her miserable life until they landed on the big red sign that said flight risk. And shortly after she was placed her with a family they believed could handle her. She became the queen of pretend and a model kid. At the Cooper’s she mastered the art of stealing food. She learned lock-picking and lying and manipulation. She learned to drive and ripped off every person she came in contact with. She kissed boys who had girlfriends and befriended people to get closer to what they had. It wasn’t all bad though. She took violin lessons for the five months she lived with a single woman who’d gotten her tubes tied just for her husband to marry and impregnate his mistress. She taught her about music and art, took her to gallery’s and fancy resturants and even tried to teach her a new language before letting her day drink and max out her credit cards. Between foster homes she drifted through towns and crashed on couches until the police caught up with her, and they usually did, it wasn’t hard to spot a wayward teen, but she wasn’t going to quit running, not until she found what she’d been looking for.
She was a long way from foster care, just shy of twenty-one, when a whim, an inkling of a clue (the worn photograph of her father), and the gull to find out for herself, led her to Rosewood. She found a cheap walk-up and slept all day to hang out all night — the night crowds were far nicer than the snooty day crowds. She let a stray cat live with her and named him binx. “We’re the same, me and you, I don’t have a family either,” she told him while they watched old movies and fell asleep on the couch together. She made fast friends with her neighbor and the old war vet who ran the store at the corner, but it was a few weeks before she finally took her neighbor up on her offer to go to Damon Winston’s club. Her money was drying up, and she needed a to replenish it, besides, her quest to find her father had hit a dead end and she was running on fumes.
“You shouldn’t be drinking alone.” Sloane pretended to be surprised by the stranger’s presence. It was an interaction that happened by chance, he saw a pretty girl and he went for it, that’s what he believed and Sloane was happy to play along. But he’d been her target the entire night. She spotted his car out front — a Benz — and sought him out in the dark club, positioned herself in his line of sight, laughed at an unfunny joke to grab his attention and took to the dance floor like a jaguar. Since her last trip she’d learned Damon’s club was a breeding ground for marks.
“Then don’t make me.” Sloane patted the bar stool with a succulent smile and he made himself at home. They talked about the club, or he bragged about knowing the owner, and didn’t let her get a word in edgewise, but she stayed attentive and interested with her wide eyes and an expressive smile. He bought her drink after drink without asking what she liked, she could feel his slime from her seat, he was the kind of guy who deserved all the bad luck he got. “If I didn’t know any better i’d think you were trying to get me drunk,” she chuckled and swept hair out of her face, playing dumb. He was too focused on her hand on his thigh to notice she’d been swapping their shot glasses back and forth the entire time; she was sober as a nun and he was drunk as a fish. He leaned in to kiss her and she brushed him off by laughing into his shoulder, slim arms wrapped around his waist and filled his mind with sinister thoughts — their embrace was short lived, but her slender fingers dipped into his back-pocket before it ended and fished out his monogrammed wallet. “I need to use the rest room,” she lied with ease. He all but begged her to stay and when she promised to return he lets her wrist go.
Sloane slipped into the thick of the crowd and looked down at the wallet in her hands. “Asshole,” she murmured, looking at his i.d before tossing it into a plant. Benjamin was a stupid name for an even stupider man. She counted out five large bills and pocketed a Starbucks gift card. Sloane was so busy assessing her earnings that she didn’t notice a tipsy blonde headed in her direction, dancing along to the music.
“Hands off!” She yelled at what she thought was the owner of the wallet, but instead found the blonde, smiling at her like she knew her or something.
“You’re drunker than I thought,” the blonde giggled now and Sloane’s face contorted. Her expression was weary but her voice was stern, “You’re the drunk one.” She looked around, hiding her nerves well, but wanting to get lost sooner than later, before Benjamin could discover what she’d done and seek revenge. “Let go of me.” She twisted out of the girl’s grip, ready to admonish her, but she was interrupted by another voice entirely.
“There you are!” When Sloane turned to see who the voice belonged to, she froze in her tracks, a total deer in headlights. In time travel you were supposed to avoid yourself at all cost or risk ruining reality as you know it, but Sloane felt as if she’d stumbled into a ripple in the space time continuum and faced herself, like she’d seen a ghost — except she wasn’t in a scifi movie, or the twilight zone, and she was very much alive. She stared at this mirrored version of herself and the mirror stared back, just as shocked as she was, confusion dancing across their eerily identical features, even their eyebrows threaded in the same fashion. She’d come to Rosewood to find her father, but she’d found a sister instead. Wait, she had a twin sister?
“I think I need some air.”
ANYTHING ELSE?
1985.
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