1000 True Fans
Kevin Kelly has a very interesting post for artists; blockbuster hits are not necessary, you only need to engage 1000 True Fans.
A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can’t wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.
I feel this is great advice for any artist that wants to live by their art, and the internet makes this effective. A 1000 is a manageable number and is not too intimidating, easy to wrap your head around.
As for the artists that I am a True Fan (or could be), Big Head Todd does a pretty good job (but direct blogging by Todd would be great), NIN is already a superstar but still does a great job for what I’m looking for, and Pete Miser needs to get with the program (he even works in IT!). And yes, I have diverse music taste.
Thanks to Seth.
