This year, what are you going to do to make your fandom better?

After spending my year reporting on fandom in all of its forms, I truly believe that what happens to your fandom is entirely up to you. It’s not the creators and their works that primarily drive fandom news. It’s the fans themselves—their projects, gatherings, and derivative works.

Do you think My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic would have been a major news story without fans creating a prime-time commercial inspired by their love for the show? Would the mainstream media care about Homestuck if millions of us didn’t? And how else would a Twilight fanfic become an international bestseller? Now more than ever, fans have a heavy hand in creating the news.

How will you contribute to your fandom in 2013? Will you:

• Quit pirating and spend more money supporting creators?
• Spend less money on your fandom (and put more in the bank)?
• Attend your first fandom convention?
• If you’ve already done that, volunteer for a fandom convention?
• Participate in more discussion on Twitter, Tumblr, and forums?
• Contribute more fanart and/or fanfiction?
• Lead a fandom RP with your friends?
• Start a manga reading or anime viewing club?
• Wear your Homestuck shirt or a casual cosplay in public and see who recognizes you?
• Embark on a reporting project or documentary about your fandom?

My fandom resolution is to share the truest stories I can about fandom by talking directly to fans themselves, preferably in person. There’s only so much an email interview can get across.

Let me know what yours is in the comments!

(Photo by Jack Liu)