How to Start a Fan Club

Running a fan club takes a lot of work, but it will also give you the chance to promote a star your admire, meet other people who share your interest and maybe even meet your favorite celebrity.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Calculators
• Printers
• Telephones
• Postage Stamps
• Envelopes
• Printer Paper
• Computers
• Art And Graphics Software
• Office Software
• Publishing Softwares
• Spreadsheet Softwares
• Word-processing Software

1. Contact the artist or the artist's promoter to obtain permission to start your fan club, regardless of whether you want your club to be official or unofficial. This will help you avoid future conflicts regarding copyright or trademark laws.
2. Send self-addressed stamped envelopes to popular fan clubs to learn about what services and products they offer and what fees they charge.
3. Decide what your club will offer, and contact the artist or artist's promoter about merchandising.
4. Estimate the costs of production, mailing and general overhead.
5. Decide on a membership fee, if necessary, to help cover these expenses.
6. Assemble the necessary office, publishing and accounting equipment.
7. Organize a staff (either paid or volunteer) to handle publishing, accounting, merchandising, public relations and general administration.
8. Decide on a format for your club's newsletter or fanzine, including appearance, types of information presented, and writers and editors.
9. Try to get the artist to participate personally in your newsletter.
10. Contact an attorney or the Internal Revenue Service to learn what tax laws and restrictions may apply to your organization.
11. Establish a bank account specifically for your fan club separate from any existing personal or business accounts you may already have.

Tips & Warnings

• Register your club with fan club organizations that will help you publicize your organization and stay up to date on other clubs.
• Keep careful records and document all business transactions related to your club.
• The newsletter or fanzine is a core element of any fan club. Most fan clubs put out such publications about four times per year.
• Membership fees generally don't fully cover a fan club's expenses. Expect to provide your own capital or sell merchandise to meet the club's financial needs.