The Problem with 1000 True Fans

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

John Scalzi is discussing potential flaws to the "1000 True Fan" model of cyber-success. He raises some valid points.

But at a $100 threshold, his question "Would you spend that much money on a single creator in a year?" made me pause ... I can think of at least one person for whom I probably hit that target in the past. If I were not starving-broke, I'd probably be hitting that target for one person consistently, and maybe more than one. In fact if I had plentiful money, I'd be doing that deliberately because I like patronizing the arts. Last night at the harp concert I dropped $25 on CDs and coaxed my partner into buying the third one.

Comments

[newroticgirl.livejournal.com]

I can't think of anybody that I run right out to buy everything they do. Part of this is that I often don't have a single favorite anything, but a changing group of favorites-of-the-moment. When pressed to pick a favorite band, for example, I'd go with REM. But I don't own all their CDs -- despite still listening to the ones I have from time to time and liking them.

And I don't think it's that I don't like them anymore... it's maybe that I have other things that I'm more excited about. The same thing happens to my own story ideas... as if they're in a line, the one at the front of my head is the Most! Exciting! until something else sneaks up and then the old Best Idea falls to the back and rarely comes forward again.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

Hmm. So old things don't bring you comfort?

[newroticgirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, they do.

I didn't delineate clearly enough between what happens to my own story ideas (go away and usually don't come back) and my affection for other people's stuff. Sorry about that. I'm very distracted and agitated and afraid and concerned today... so things aren't coming out of my brain clearly. (Yet I'm so desperate for company that I'm flapping my yap over here... heh.)

But yeah, other people's stuff that is "old" or "not the newest obsession" is comforting. I have favorite books ... hell, I reread everything I own at least once, often more than that. And it may be largely finances that keep me from following old favorites farther -- it's often a choice between old favorite and new exciting thing and the new exciting thing wins the few dollars I can spare.

I'm a contradiction. That's for sure. Sorry to be confusing!

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

Not confusing, but definitely intriguing!