1,000 True Fans
A cluster of articles centers around some issues relevant to crowdfunding, the famous "1000 True Fans" discussion. It concerns devoted fans who spend $100/year or more on a creative person's products, and whether or not it is feasible for a creator to amass enough such fans to make a decent living. This has become a benchmark in crowdfunding.
The original article called for 1000 true fans, a term now in wide use. I coined the alternative term k-fan, because I feel that fans can be true without spending money. It's spread to some other crowdfunders. Then there's the matter of amount. Plenty of people feel they could live comfortably on rather less than $100,000 per year. Rather more of a surprise is that some fans will spend more than $100 per year on a favorite project or creator -- sometimes a LOT more. Creators should watch for that, and support it in their reward system.
Some of the articles below stick to the original definition of $100 per year and the goal of 100,000. Others choose different numbers, factor in eyeballs or promotion, or do something else. But these are all about finding and keeping enough of an audience to support a creator, part-time or full-time. You'll find some good advice and a lot of savvy questions in these. For creators, that makes it easier to manage your budget and project(s). For supporters, that helps explain how you can help your favorite projects succeed.
Where It All Started
"1,000 True Fans" by Kevin Kelly
"Interview: 1,000 True Fans with Kevin Kelly" video
Where It's Going
"100 True Customers: A 1,000 True Fans Approach for Entrepreneurs and Freelancers"
"1,000 True Fans: Can Writing Actually Pay the Bills?"
"1,000 True Fans -- Maybe?"
"1,000 True Fans: Making Money Off Your Fiction"
"1,000 True Fans Model"
"1,000 True Fans -- Still Relevant?"
"1,000 True Fans in Teen Lit"
"5 Steps to Getting 1,000 True Fans"
"A 20-Step Process for Finding Your 1,000 True Fans"
"The Argument FOR 1,000 True Fans"
"Facebook and the 1,000 True Fans Concept" video
"Getting a Thousand True Fans"
"How 1,000 True Fans Will Make You 1000% More Profitable"
"How to Attract Your 1,000 True Fans"
"How to Turn 5 True Fans into 1,000"
"In Defense of 1,000 True Fans" series by Ariel Hyatt
"Jane in Her Infinite Wisdom: 1,000 True Fans"
"Keeping 1,000 True Fans" from The Online Photographer
"Kickstarter and the 1,000 True Fans"
"The Magic of 1,000 True Fans"
"One Million True Fans"
"The Passion of 1,000 True Fans"
"The Reality of Depending on True Fans"
"Rethinking 1,000 True Fans" from Novelr
"The ROI of One True Fan"
"The Secret to Attracting 1,000 True Fans"
"Smart Marketing: 1,000 True Fans"
"The Stars of 1,000 True Fans"
"Trent Reznor and the Theory of True Fans"
"What Do 1,000 True Fans Look Like in 2012?"
"Your True Fans"
Where It Can Go Wrong
"The Case Against 1,000 True Fans"
"The Problem with 1,000 True Fans"
"When 1,000 True Fans Doesn't Work"
The original article called for 1000 true fans, a term now in wide use. I coined the alternative term k-fan, because I feel that fans can be true without spending money. It's spread to some other crowdfunders. Then there's the matter of amount. Plenty of people feel they could live comfortably on rather less than $100,000 per year. Rather more of a surprise is that some fans will spend more than $100 per year on a favorite project or creator -- sometimes a LOT more. Creators should watch for that, and support it in their reward system.
Some of the articles below stick to the original definition of $100 per year and the goal of 100,000. Others choose different numbers, factor in eyeballs or promotion, or do something else. But these are all about finding and keeping enough of an audience to support a creator, part-time or full-time. You'll find some good advice and a lot of savvy questions in these. For creators, that makes it easier to manage your budget and project(s). For supporters, that helps explain how you can help your favorite projects succeed.
Where It All Started
"1,000 True Fans" by Kevin Kelly
"Interview: 1,000 True Fans with Kevin Kelly" video
Where It's Going
"100 True Customers: A 1,000 True Fans Approach for Entrepreneurs and Freelancers"
"1,000 True Fans: Can Writing Actually Pay the Bills?"
"1,000 True Fans -- Maybe?"
"1,000 True Fans: Making Money Off Your Fiction"
"1,000 True Fans Model"
"1,000 True Fans -- Still Relevant?"
"1,000 True Fans in Teen Lit"
"5 Steps to Getting 1,000 True Fans"
"A 20-Step Process for Finding Your 1,000 True Fans"
"The Argument FOR 1,000 True Fans"
"Facebook and the 1,000 True Fans Concept" video
"Getting a Thousand True Fans"
"How 1,000 True Fans Will Make You 1000% More Profitable"
"How to Attract Your 1,000 True Fans"
"How to Turn 5 True Fans into 1,000"
"In Defense of 1,000 True Fans" series by Ariel Hyatt
"Jane in Her Infinite Wisdom: 1,000 True Fans"
"Keeping 1,000 True Fans" from The Online Photographer
"Kickstarter and the 1,000 True Fans"
"The Magic of 1,000 True Fans"
"One Million True Fans"
"The Passion of 1,000 True Fans"
"The Reality of Depending on True Fans"
"Rethinking 1,000 True Fans" from Novelr
"The ROI of One True Fan"
"The Secret to Attracting 1,000 True Fans"
"Smart Marketing: 1,000 True Fans"
"The Stars of 1,000 True Fans"
"Trent Reznor and the Theory of True Fans"
"What Do 1,000 True Fans Look Like in 2012?"
"Your True Fans"
Where It Can Go Wrong
"The Case Against 1,000 True Fans"
"The Problem with 1,000 True Fans"
"When 1,000 True Fans Doesn't Work"
