Wake Me Up When I Have 1000 True Fans
Will the ‘creator economy’ bring them to me while I sleep?
If you look up the web today, much of the traffic is moving towards building an audience and monetising it. Thirteen years ago, Kevin Kelly proposed the concept of “1000 true fans” who could fund an independent creator and make them creatively secure. Can the ‘creator economy’ bring his idea to life for me?
Work has always meant play to me. Like being part of a comic book that never ceases to delight you. When I was a kid, I half-joked to my father that I’d make him famous. Little did I know that my name (with his initials) would appear in Tinkle, a popular comic book in India. I was only eight years old, but the initiation into content creation had begun. Many more bylines later, I won national contests in short story and essay writing. Fast forward to 2021, and I complete 25 years as a journalist, and 14 years as a content marketer. Work is no longer as much fun. Of course, it has happened in the past. But I have always pivoted to keep my comic book universe intact.
Two decades ago, I found myself building narratives to better inform humanity. From exposing the sales targets set by hospitals, so doctors could conduct more unnecessary surgeries, to pyramid marketing schemes of multinational firms who benefitted a few and defrauded many. After nine years as a reporter, I became the city editor of a daily tabloid to lead a team of reporters into unknown territories.
The stories were eye-opening and mind-numbing. Tailing a tech titan’s daughter receiving a driving licence despite failing the test. Sympathising with a cabinet minister who was not allowed to pee in peace. Or the instance where a pub owner threatened me because I was writing about how one of his patrons was electrocuted in the swimming pool due to shoddy wiring. Not to mention, a Bollywood actress suing me for writing about how she hired a sharpshooter to kill a producer as he had failed to pay her. Or the case of a cabinet minister who claimed that we had misquoted him and made him look like a fool (the cases did not stand up to trial). Or the serial killers from a rural hamlet outside Bangalore, who slit people’s throats because they loved the ‘gurgling’ sound when blood squirts out of them.
I had inherited a world of comic book characters who were shocking, fascinating, and illuminating. There was much variety in the beats that my reporters covered: civic, crime, legal, technology, and politics. But, the job is no fun if you are not on-ground yourself. I fired myself as the city editor to become a freelance content creator.
When work doesn’t seem like play anymore, it loses its comic book touch.
In 2007, I was writing for an audience that stretched from Bangalore to Kentucky. Life had again become a comic book for me as it was ‘all play and all work’. I was not editing or guiding a bunch of reporters, but writing about the things that mattered to me: people, technology, travel, photography, gadgets, culture, business…
I never forgot my roots, though. In 2012, I created a parallel comic book universe by launching a hyperlocal monthly print magazine to champion the cause of the locals in the neighbourhood where I stayed. For six years, the advertising-driven free publication not only survived but also ensured impact on ground. The initiative spawned many resident activists, and fixed several civic issues that needed a powerful voice that the mainstream media could pick up and make it their own. Social impact became an essential component of my work. I was bettering the present for a brighter future.
Five years ago, my comic book world was transformed. Thanks to demonetisation and the general economic downturn, I had to shutter the print magazine and go online. Though there was no digital advertising to support it, I invested my time and continued to nurture it. In 2018, a local non-profit recognised my effort and shortlisted me for the ‘Media Person of the Year’. I expanded into many more neighbourhoods in Bangalore to enhance the hyperlocal impact. In 2020, Google recognised the effort and invested in my publication for six months as part of the Google News Initiative Journalism Emergency Relief Fund.
A dream job is characterised by many fantastical moments. But to continue this streak, I need sustained crowdfunding or advertising. In the era of the creator economy where many people are leaving their 9-to-5 to become freelance content creators, including comic book writers and artists, only subscriptions, sponsorships, and donations can help them carve their unique identities. Platforms like Medium, Substack, Patreon, OnlyFans, Twitch, Vocal, BitClout, Newsbreak, Creative Juice, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are empowering independent producers of news and views to serve discerning audiences. A recent survey states that 43% creators are financially self-sufficient ($50k+ annually) in a $104 billion market.
Will the ‘creator economy’ come to my aid with its new technologies and business models? All my attempts at sustaining the portal through subscriptions, advertising, and donations have failed so far. But I am optimistic, and have pivoted yet again to write a newsletter on Substack. The most valuable pieces will be given away free to build a loyal audience. Only those who benefit from the writing could pay $5 a month and become my true fans. My mission is to simplify people’s lives with actionable insight that could cut their learning curve, thereby saving them time, money, and health. All I need now are “1000 true fans”. Are you one of them?
P.S: If I make enough as an independent content creator, I can continue to fund my ‘passion project’ of running a hyperlocal news website. Crypto platforms like Mirror and BitClout promise to make anybody finance creators they trust. Forget about investing in companies, commodities, and events. You can now fund people. The creator economy is here to stay.
