1,000 True Fans
Kevin Kelly’s idea for making a living through creative works between the Long Tail and corporate superstardom: attain a thousand True Fans — those who will buy almost everything you put out, those who will travel far for a book signing or a concert or another event related to you, in short, the most dedicated kind of fan — or 500, or 2,000, or some other number, whatever pays your bills and affords you the kind of freedom you want. This, at least according to Kevin Kelly, is enough to make a decent living, especially when you consider that these thousand True Fans probably will bring lots more lesser fans who aren’t quite as fanatical but will nevertheless, in numbers, add to your income.
The idea isn’t new. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve read words to this effect several times before. But the idea deserves exposure, since it’s essentially worthless unless put into practice, and because now, people are trying it out in practice (read the comments for some examples).
I’m not a starving artist, so this advice isn’t aimed at me, but if this model were put into widespread practice, it would have consequences for the consumers/fans, too, so it’s worth thinking about. While it would be hypocritical of me to hate large companies in the creative businesses, being that I consume lots of what they put out, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s easier to have a genuine connection with your fans and not compromise your artistic vision if you don’t have to go through many layers of corporate, sales-oriented indirection, the kind you find in modern record labels and publishing houses and whatnot. (link via Waxy)
