“Jonathan Coulton sat in Gorilla Coffee in Brooklyn,
his Apple
PowerBook open before him, and began slogging through the day’s e-mail.”
So begins an important article from the New York Times about a new paradigm in the music business: fans want to be – maybe even NEED to be – friends.
This is a reality you have to face and one that I’ve seen first hand through my dear friend, Liz Kilgo.
Like a lot of folks, she’s working hard on a music career as a singer/songwriter. Between appearances in the Virginia area and Nashville, and because of earlier success in the biz and the fact that she’s an amazing young lady, she’s created a very loyal fan base. A fan base that is constantly in touch with her in one form or another. And just like Jonathan Coultan, she spends hours per day keeping up with it all.
So what about you? If you’re pursuing the “artist thing”, are you prepared to dialogue with your fans? Be sure to consider this as you make and execute your plans. How you interact is up to you, but make sure you DO interact.
