I was wondering if you could explain “fandom is marketing”? I think I get what you mean but then also maybe I don’t?
If something has a big fandom, publishers and studios know they can make money off it. This is why we see publishers openly acquiring and selling things that were originally posted as fanfic, like Alchemised, Heated Rivalry, etc. It’s why the horrid wizard woman considers people participating in her fandom to be supporting her political causes.
Word of mouth is the most effective way to sell people on media, and fandom is word of mouth that costs the creators/owners nothing. Doing Fandom Stuff used to be subversive, but media companies have now figured out that fandom is a form of advertising and they’re no longer worried about it. Those of us who still think of fandom like it’s a livejournal-era secret club we can never let the corporations discover have got to update our self-concept





















