J ustin Luke is a muti-hyphenate talent: night-life promoter, novelist, social media consultant and overall impresario. His latest project, a book called The Gay Gospel reached its Kickstarter goal in less than two days. I talked to Justin about why we need this book.
What was the genesis of The Gay Gospel?
The Gay Gospel hit me like a falling piano, literally. I had just left a party where I spent an hour speaking with someone about an issue they were having in their love life, and on my way out to the street, I was stopped by someone else who thanked me for a status update I had posted a few months back that had helped them get a job and fix a problem they were experiencing with their boyfriend. I walked home mulling over all of the blog posts, status updates and conversations I've had over the past few years and thought: wow! I've got a lot of experience, both lived and observed, and NO ONE has ever done a gay survival guide for 20-somethings. I should probably get on that.
You're like LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow, you hit your goal two days after launching your Kickstarter, what advice do you have for other folks attempting to successfully use the crowd sourcing site?
The speed with which I raised my money is unbelievable! I am shocked and amazed by the generosity of my friends, fans, followers and colleagues. Money is still coming in even though I've blown past the goal. My tips for a good Kickstarter (that worked for me) are: make sure your project makes your potential donors passionate. Give great rewards. Don't come off as desperate and don't SPAM the crap out of them. Be sure to be gracious and clearly explain what the money is going to, and what they're getting in return. And good luck! Oh, and don't respond to any of those SPAMbots that message you through the site offering to help you meet your goal. I would never trust that crap.
What's something you almost overlooked when writing the book?
The only reason I'm not done with The Gay Gospel yet is because I keep coming up with new topics and chapters! I get these ideas by sending the draft around to friends to read and asking them what's missing, and by reading through the draft myself and being hit by the thought "hmmm... I probably should talk a little about fetishes in the section about sex." My latest chapters I've added are about fetishes, the pros and cons of going out to a party solo, in a duo or in a group, and I'm about to write a chapter on Irish Exiting.
How do employ your own advice in your life?
My advice is really just me writing down how I live my life now. I believe in working hard, trying everything, harming no one and living an honest and generous life. The Gay Gospel is basically the soundtrack of my brain, which was created by living out my full decade of 20-somethings, having two years to distill and reflect on it and spending every night and day in the gay 20-something world right here in New York City.
