1,000 True Fans, part three
How many subscribers should a writer aim for?
A thousand eventually, half a dozen to begin with. A thousand readers on a list you own is enough to carry a launch and to outlast a change of publisher. Unlike half a million views, it’s a number you can plan for, and reach.
Litopia Editorial, with Peter CoxUpdated
Why not chase a viral hit instead?
Because nobody can plan for one, and a view isn’t a reader. As Rented or owned explains, short-video platforms count a view the moment a video starts to play. Even a real hit lands with the platform, which then decides whether those viewers ever see you again.
| 500,000 views | 1,000 subscribers | |
|---|---|---|
| What it counts | A video that started playing | A reader who asked to hear from you |
| Do you know who they are? | No | Yes |
| Can you reach them again? | Only if the platform shows them your next post | Yes, every time you write a newsletter |
| Who keeps it? | The platform | You |
| Can you plan for it? | No | Yes, a few at a time |
What are the milestones on the way?
Each stage brings something new, long before you reach a thousand. Not every subscriber will become a true fan, but a growing list is where your true fans gather, and they make themselves known by replying and buying everything.
| Subscribers | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| 6 | A real list: friends, family, the people who already ask what you’re writing. The habit starts here. |
| 50 | Your first replies from people you’ve never met, and a sense of which letters get opened. |
| 100 | An audience for a cover reveal or a short story, and the first readers likely to review your book. |
| 250 | Enough letters and replies to see patterns: what brings replies, and what brings sales. |
| 500 | A launch you can feel: a noticeable first week, and readers telling other readers. |
| 1,000 | A list that carries a launch, keeps a backlist moving, and follows you through any change of publisher. |
How long does it take to reach a thousand?
Longer than you’d like, but less long than you fear. It depends on how many people join each week, and most lists grow in bursts, around a launch, an event or a guest appearance.
| New subscribers a week | Time to 1,000 |
|---|---|
| 3 | About six and a half years |
| 7 (one a day, Kelly’s pace) | About two and three-quarter years |
| 10 | About two years |
| 20 | About a year |
Those are net figures: some people unsubscribe, and that’s healthy. A list of readers who want your letters is worth more than a bigger one that ignores them.
How do you make sure they’re the right readers?
Invite people with your writing, not with prizes. A giveaway of a new e-reader fills a list with people who want an e-reader. A free short story, a newsletter that’s a pleasure to read, or a good conversation fills it with people who want your work.
- Never buy or rent a list. Strangers ignore you, or mark you as spam, which hurts delivery to everyone else.
- Never add people without asking. Every subscriber should have chosen to join, and confirmed it.
- Judge by replies and sales, not size. Fifty readers who open every letter are worth more than five hundred who never do.
What should you do this week?
Start the list, and invite your first seven people. Start before the book explains why the early start matters so much, and Where subscribers come from covers where the next thousand come from.