SPN Fic: The Family Business

[dodger_winslow]

Yo, all. I will be out-of-touch for a bit, starting Monday, and stretching until probably the following Friday. Have some family gigs to attend, and my internet access will be iffy, at best. I'll try to check in now and again, but I can't promise anything, so I won't. Since I'm going to be missing all the chatter that is chatter for 2 whole freakin

Comments

[dodger_winslow]

Twenty years ago, we were charging between $15 and $20 for signficantly smaller page counts and still losing money hand-over-fist on the production costs, so the $35 doesn't really surprise me at all. That being said, I know many won't be able to afford, or wish to expend, that kind of money on a traditional zine when there is so much fanfiction available on the net without charge ... thus why traditional zines are a bit of a vanishing breed.

For myself, I wouldn't publish on the net for years simply because there was so little quality control for net-published fanfic, and I wasn't willing to have my work in the company of work no one was editing, or often even proofreading, before slapping up for consumption. Obviously, that's changed over the years, particularly in community-based fiction forums like LJ; but my traditions are still in paper zines, and it was fun to revisit that aspect of fandom, as well as to enjoy the editorial feedback of the very talented and dedicated editors over at Pyramids Press who helped shape The Family Business into a story it wouldn't have been without their input.

[nightowlv]

It was unfair of me to compare the price of this, a fan-made zine, to the price of a mainstream novel. It makes sense that the zine would need to have a higher price in order for the publishers to make enough money to even try to cover the cost of production. It's just that it costs more than I'd be able to pay.

And I understand why you would be hesitant to put your work, which, if I recall correctly, you spend hours writing and re-writing, online. Too many writers seem to just write whatever pops into their heads and then post it online. This, of course, isn't true of the fantastic LJ writers and ff.net authors whose stories I read, but I've seen a lot of examples of it in the few years I've been reading fan fic.

I'm glad you changed your mind about posting your work online, though. Your stories are some of my favorites, and your John is my favorite version of the character. That's why I'm so excited to read The Family Business if and when you decide to post it online, or if I can find someone who'll lend me their copy of the zine, or if by some miracle my local library decides to order a copy. Which I doubt, but there's nothing wrong with a little hope. :)

Have a nice time with the family!