Do you have 1,000 True Fans?

The idea has been around for nearly two decades.

In case you haven't heard of it, the "1,000 True Fans" theory goes like this:

If you have 1,000 who give you $100 directly every year (tips, direct merch sales, subscriptions, etc.), then you can conceivably have an annual salary of $100,000!*

Here's a video summary explaining Kevin Kelly's 1,000 true fans theory:

You don't need a million fans to make a decent living from your art; you might not even need a thousand. But the fundamental idea is that if you cultivate and nurture a deeper connection with folks "who get you", they're more likely to put their money where their mouth is, because they feel personally invested in you.

Your "True Fans" (or "Super Fans" as Pat Flynn calls them), are folks who will go more than a little out of their way to show support: They will see your shows at many different venues (not just their local bar). They'll toss larger bills in your tip bucket, or more often. They'll buy all your merch. They'll pre-order your music. Hell, they'll buy your CDs even if they don't have a player, just to have multiple physical versions of your autograph, or proudly display as mementos and share those memories. They'll buy multiples of your albums and gift them to others. They'll watch your livestream show and tip, even if they're only catching the last 15 minutes of it. They'll sponsor your next project or tour (e.g. Patreon, Kickstarter, or other crowdfunding sites). They'll create fan art, or help you with graphics for your next T-shirt run. Get the idea?

Again, the key to this particular model is to have direct and genuine contact with your True Fans. They'll willingly give you their email address and/or phone number because they don't want to miss a thing-- they want to stay on top of your latest news, be the first to get tickets to your next show.

We'll dig on some ideas on how to do this in a future post.

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Link to the original article by Kevin Kelly, the originator of this paradigm: https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/

Here's a video with Kevin Kelly quipping on some qualifications/modifications on his original theory:

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UPDATE 2025: Here's a cautionary take on "Why Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans Isn’t Enough in 2024" that includes suggestions on how to work around the new challenges of today's fan landscape. https://veteransclassicrock.com/why-kevin-kellys-1000-true-fans-isnt-enough-in-2024/

We'll dig further into this in a future post as well.

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*$100,000 before taxes, etc.