The 5000 fan theory

[ysbreker]

This guy got a smart idea. Get 5000 fans to buy stuff from you via your website (downloads/goodies/tickets/whatever) and you can stop working your daytime job.

This is a very good idea I think. Who needs a record company when you got the web on your side?

There is just one (minor?) snag: this is on a yearly basis… youd have to get those 5k of fans to buy $20 of stuff every year. But I really like the idea and I know it can be done. Look at the webcomic artists. they do it all the time. (http://www.penny-arcade.com http://www.pvponline.com ) And all they basically do is ask for cold hard cash and draw the occasional comic

[Roderick]

If you combine this with some merchandise you could easily do it, I think. Of course, my webcomic isn't in the least bit attracting those numbers yet, and I'm still young and have ambitions in many directions (I mean, suppose I could make that much money out of Captain August, do you think I'd quit working? Hell no! I'm going to find work I like regardless of what it pays, and as long as it's fun I'm gonna do it). I like the idea though. I like that I now have a number that tells me when such a thing becomes feasible. And it's not even that high, when you look at how much people you can theoretically reach with a website. I like those odds.

[n0wak]

Merchandise? You don't need no stinking merchandise.

Just ASK people for support (though, in this case, you need more readers instead of buyers) and you might be able to support yourself like this dude: http://www.kottke.org/about/patron/support2005.html

[Erkki]

But... day jobs are fun.

[Chris]

Merchandise? You don't need no stinking merchandise.

Just ASK people for support (though, in this case, you need more readers instead of buyers) and you might be able to support yourself like this dude: http://www.kottke.org/about/patron/support2005.html

Maybe some people can pull that off but from an artist's perspective I would feel more comfortable giving people something concrete for their contribution rather than simply asking for free money. I mean there's nothing wrong with accepting free money if it's offered but I don't know if I would ask for it up front.

[Roderick]

yeah, it wouldn't feel right. Well, on the other hand you ARE providing people with regular doses of free entertainment. I wouldn't call it totally free money. From my point of view I'd do merchandising to give people that extra incentive to 'donate'. I wonder if people would donate year after year, even if they are getting massive amounts of comics or songs for free. Internet pulls some weird stuff out of people.

[Chris]

The internet has made many people ridiculously accustomed to getting practically everything entertainment-related for free.