These letters document my journey of monetizing creativity. Take what inspires you and leave what doesn't resonate. xx

The Pitch

Many of you may not know this, but "Möther's Creme Diaries" was conceived as a television pitch.

What's a pitch?

In the film world, a pitch is essentially a quick chat (sometimes with visuals) where a screenwriter or director tries to sell their idea for a film or TV show to a producer or executive. They're hoping to secure funding to turn their idea into reality.

My primary goal is to transform Mother's Creme Diaries into a television program.

However, after a failed pitch meeting with an executive at OutTV, I decided to veer away from the traditional route of nervously selling my show.

I knew I had something special and didn't want to sit on it. So, what's the next cost-effective step to further enhance the show's brand awareness? Podcasting!

Not just any podcasting, but scripted podcasting and it was a game-changer. I managed to develop an entire season of eight episodes, really establishing the show's tone.

This was that "ah-ha" moment. This concept is something really something special.

Moreover, the podcast was able to "pitch" itself to a larger audience at once. Instead of setting up time-consuming one-on-one meetings, I had between 10 and 50 people listening to my project at one time.

But that's not a pitch, Derek?!

Yes, it is! It only takes one person to appreciate what you do and reach out. That's a pitch. Your brand is a pitch, whether you like it or not. Cue Gaga.

There are roughly 250 workdays in a year. If you were to meet and pitch one new person each day, it would take you a year to meet 250 people. However, by launching a podcast or hosting a live show, something that targets groups, you could reach the same audience in just one day. #smarternotharder

I'm applying the same principle to the live show of Möther's Crème Diaries, which involves filling up seats and sharing my perspectives on drag entertainment. I have strong ideas and opinions about this show, which may upset some people. But hey, these are my thoughts and they're going to pull in individuals who think the same way or at least appreciate my way of thinking.

All that said, I will figure out a way to get MCD on television, whether by self-funding and uploading it to YouTube or by finding a network that's as excited about the project as I am.

In the meantime I’ll be working on the live show.

Not Giving A F—k

Easier said than done.

I immediately began reaching out to podcast networks, including World Of Wonder and Forever Dog. I was convinced that this was it. Someone was bound to snatch up this show, but nothing happened.

The general consensus is that podcasts mostly generate revenue through ads. Therefore, if a podcast only has 8 episodes compared to the usual 24 in regular interview programs, it doesn't earn as much revenue. Plus, it's much easier to produce non-scripted content vs scripted.

I could have read many books on how to pitch a show, but the issue wasn't the pitch.

This goes back to my third newsletter, "Same Shit and Expecting a Different Outcome." In it, I state, “I've spent my entire life working for others, either in a corporate setting or in a gig job. I'm accustomed to following rules and doing the basics. I feel less inclined to challenge myself when I'm working for someone else. I generally do what's required—no more, no less.”

I've trained myself to behave passively around authority figures and not to challenge them. In meetings, I often smile a lot to keep the mood light, as I don't want others to suspect I'm a fraud. However, I now recognize that this was a strong case of impostor syndrome.

I realize I need to rewire years of habitual thinking. This means purposefully challenging myself in different areas of my life. One way I determine if I should tackle a task is by how much it scares me. A prime example of this is this newsletter.

Sharing my challenges and outlining my goals was very uncomfortable at first, but has been very therapeutic in its own unique way.

DragCon UK 2024

I don't even know where to begin.

Actually, I'm lying. I do know where to begin. This trip serves as a great example of trusting your gut instincts. I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do at DragCon UK, but I knew I needed to be at the convention.

My initial plan was to roam around the convention, possibly filming myself interviewing guests about their favorite queens. However, at the very last minute, I got the opportunity to help A’Whora from Drag Race UK, season two, with her booth.

It was incredible to see the diversity of people visiting the booth. I was basically the point person for Awhora. If she left for a performance or needed to use the restroom, I was there, reassuring everyone with a smile that she was worth the wait. Awhora remains a sought-after queen.

Also no shade all tea, It was interesting to observe how the other queens managed their booths. Some arrived a few hours late, overlooking the fact that their fans had paid $80, or more for VIP, to stand in an empty booth.

Understandably, there's a lot of work that goes into this convention, but these are the people who ultimately pay your bills. From a business perspective, the queens missed out on two hours of merchandise sales.

DragCon UK was one for the books. Even though I was there facilitating A'Whora's booth, getting to interact with everyone behind the scenes was incredible. I got to meet a lot of people in their natural habitat and pitch what I’m working on in the states. #plantingseeds

HERE’S MY BACKSTORY 5.0

This is a continuation of my backstory that I have woven into prior letters. Reader discretion is advised.

Just as a reminder, I filmed a few scenes for my short film "Pimples n'Nipples" using a casting call on the app, Scruff. Although I got enough footage to complete the film, one of the shots was compromised due to my lack of cleanliness.

The rest of the film was shot on July 20th, 2019. It was a night shoot to keep with the slumber party ambience.

There was a director of photography, an assistant, a sound technician, and a photographer who also served as a stand-in.

Everything went smoothly, but I would have been more comfortable with a female director. It was just me and my cast of women, with a crew of straight men I didn't really know. But that's my problem.

Editing

I knew very little about editing beyond cutting up sketches on iMovie, but I wanted to use better software. I was familiar with Final Cut Pro and, once I found out it was an improved version of iMovie, I quickly purchased it.

I love editing! Especially when it's your project. I had the best time researching numerous YouTube tutorials on all the different techniques for editing. People were surprised when I told them I worked on my own sound and editing.

I describe the tenacity to learn the editing software to my drive in getting the film done. However, there's actually a principle coined as the Pareto principle, or what's sometimes called the 80/20 rule.

Pareto's Principle

It’s the idea that 80% of your consequences stem from 20% of your actions. To apply this to learning and a new skill, focus your efforts on the 20 percent that really matter.

For instance, my focus in editing was to learn precise cutting, color grading, and transition usage. So, I religiously studied these particular videos on YouTube. Had I attempted to learn everything that FCPX is capable of, it would have taken months, slowing down my editing.

Tim Ferris conducts an experiment using the same principle, setting out to learn thirteen very difficult skills. These include driving a racecar, learning a foreign language, and playing a musical instrument, to name a few.

He gave himself five days to learn each skill using Pareto's Principle. You can find the whole thing on iTunes under the name "Tim Ferriss Experiment".

This week's newsletter is a bit light as I returned from London last week. Plus, I've just received a fantastic opportunity to manage a hotel bar full time. I literally started this week.

I'm usually very against the system, but I know I can make the system work for me this time.

I don't know about you all, but life has been presenting me with the strangest opportunities. The old me would have looked the other way because i wasn't ready, but now I'm just... grabbing.

I'm sure I'll touch on this in the next letter.

Thanks for reading xx

Derek Viveiros

P.S. If you have any questions or suggestions for the newsletter, please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]. This is an open creative space!