There’s always a lot of talk in independent creative circles about “building your fanbase.“ And for good reason, it’s basically what makes or breaks you as an independent artist. But I don’t see many people going into the details of what that really means.

Yeah, it means being productive, staying visible, interacting with fans of your work, all that. But it also means boring shit, like marketing. The stuff NO ONE gets into art/gamedev/music/filmmaking to do.

It means maintaining a mailing list, figuring out ads, doing outreach/promo, fostering a sense of community. Like, there’s probably a reason the people who like you aren’t going to Disney or Sony or whatever; you need to figure out what that is and constantly remind ppl of it.

I think there are a few too many folks out there who hear “build your fanbase,“and interpret that as “being quietly productive on Instagram/Twitter until enough people notice you that you can make a living from this.“ And that’s not really it.

The bar to entry is low now, which is good, but what it means on the ground is the competition for attention and patronage is RIDICULOUS.

And overnight successes are the exception, not the rule. very few creators go from obscure to successful instantly. It's a cumulative process, YEARS long, of diligently finding and holding on to reads/listeners/watchers/fans.

And if the idea of marketing yourself makes you feel gross/phony/etc.? I suggest you get over that, quickly, or else find work in a context where you won't have to. If you're not cut out for an independent creative life, that's totally fine. I'm not cut out for a corporate one!

But if the issue is not knowing where to start, there are a LOT of places happy to hold your hand. This is what's included in the free version of Mailchimp, for example.

And if you're recoiling from the thought of automated emails, CRM, Facebook ads, etc., I get it, I totally get it. And you don't HAVE to do them. But if you want to stay independent and cultivate a fanbase to support you, you need to figure *something* out.

And yes, everyone has different goals! "I want an annual Kickstarter that sees me through the year and sell those books at conventions," "I want a 4k-a-month Patreon," "I want my own fashion line," etc.

But they all still need marketing.

Dang, glad you folks like this thread! Two developments.

- I've decided to take some marketing courses on Skillshare, I'll report back on 'em for ya, and
- I have a Kickstarter running right now, for an urban fantasy graphic novel! Check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ironspike/stars-hide-your-fire