Scalzi is missing quite a few points here. 1) 1KTF is not about today. It's a future possibility. In a few years there will be a large ebook market with very l

Scalzi is missing quite a few points here. 1) 1KTF is not about today. It's a future possibility. In a few years there will be a large ebook market with very low distribution cost. For True Fans, you'll be able to sell to them directly, with no middleman. 2) 1KTF is about independent artists. His calculations still involve publishers. The publication route will still exist and have large marketing budgets and small royalties--which is great for the right sort of creator. 1KTF is an alternate route. 3) 1KTF requires direct upkeep of your fans. Scalzi talks about exceptional circumstances where he had a connection to the artist--that's the whole point. The 1KTF artist will have to cater directly to the fans. When the artist becomes friends with her fans, suddenly the wallet opens up. This isn't faux "I appreciate you here's an autograph" friendship. It means you respond personally to every single e-mail, tweet, etc. You do work specifically for them. He mentions a drawing of his wife as exceptional circumstances. It's not. To get 1KTF, you may have to draw a lot of folks' wives. As a side note, there are plenty of people out there willing to dole out at 1KTF levels. Every WOW player, for instance, is paying more than $100 a year. There are lots of concert and sports tickets that cost $100 for a single event. There's one thing that Scalzi is right about. Getting to a 1KTF level is extremely hard. It may be one of the least efficient ways to get an income. But it might also make for a fulfilling life.