I had been quite impressed with the concepts in this essay when I read it a few years back. Glad I found it again.
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.
Getty Images via @daylife
Will it really work?
I think it could, if you position yourself correctly. If you develop a following on the popular social media platforms.
And especially if you learn what to give away, what to sell, and how much you should charge.
Read 1,000 True Fans and draw your own conclusions. Then, please come back here and share your own views in the comment section below.
One more thing: Thom Chambers has figured out how to make this idea work for his own business by giving away free subscriptions to his magazine. And now he is making the “how-to” information available in his Free Fans Kit.
