Hire a Fan!

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~ by N. E. Lilly (November 2000) ~

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Speculative Fiction fans come from all walks of life. Many of them are the part time writers, artists, and designers that make the speculative fiction industry go. But have you considered the strange theory that they are also doctors, lawyers, accountants, and even (especially?) computer programmers?

That's right. Every aspect of your business could be staffed with speculative fiction fans. But, why would you want to do something so foolish? The answer is, because speculative fiction fans would make better employees for a speculative fiction business.

Imagine if every person in your company were devoted to the success of your company. Not simply 9-to-5 devotion, but the 24 hour devotion that often only comes from a fan of the genre.

One of the primary benefits that they would receive in working for a speculative fiction business is that, as fans, they would love their work. Here are some of the benefits that you would receive, because your speculative fiction fan employees would love their work:

They will work harder
Without even realizing it, people who love what they do are more likely to put more of themselves into their work. They are also likely to work longer. (Wow, it's 5:30 already?) That extra half-hour to an hour every week might not seem like much now, but at the end of the year it could add up to an extra week's worth of work, or more.

Their morale will be higher
Doing something that you love everyday increases your morale. When one or more people are happy in their work then it's more likely that the happy feelings will travel throughout the company. When your entire company loves their work, then it will become an enjoyable place to do so.

They are likely to stay longer
Right now we're in a tight labor market. Now is the time when employees are likely to wander about, and see what other companies could offer. People who are happy where they are working are less likely to look at other positions.

They are likely work for less
Given the choice between working for Bill Gates for $80K per year or working for George Lucas for $70K per year, for the same position, which would you choose? Warning: Don't use this as a way to find cheap labor, because even the best job in the world must pay the rent. Just be aware that you may be attracting higher quality people than you would normally be able to afford.

They will have an insight into your company
As an example, the HR Manager who is also a speculative fiction fan may see 'perks' that your company has that would attract other speculative fiction fans to work for your company. An 'ordinary' HR Manager might be clueless about such perks, and even the fact that these perks would sway someone's decision, one way or the other.

Now I'm not saying that every fan is a good worker. What I am saying is that a good worker who is also a fan is someone worth more to you than anyone else.

I know whereof I speak. One of my first jobs was working for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire at the Mount Hope Winery. It was also one of my favorite jobs that I had ever worked, although a simple description of it wouldn't lead you to believe that. The description of my job was as follows: Begin the day at 6 AM and continue working for the next 13 hours, rain or shine. Drag a large wagon filled with pretzels and water ices around the rough terrain, and up hills, in order to sell them to patrons.

There were days where the only lunch that I was able to take was made from goods on my wagon. There were days when it would rain and there would be no one to sell to. There were actually a few days, late in the season when it would actually snow. Between warding off bees and trying to serve customers it was one of the hardest jobs that I had ever worked. If it had been anywhere else, it would not have been worth the trouble.

I'll just leave you with this thought: Working with other Renaissance enthusiasts was what made my job so enjoyable. Actors, Musicians, Artists, Crafts people, and a myriad of other people who loved the Renaissance period made each day an absolute delight. Their cheer, companionship, and friendship made me work harder than I would have otherwise. All because everyone who worked there was a fan.