Boosting Signal [fandom related]

[lassarina]

Please do yourself a favour and do not take the fanfiction survey that is going around, being done by two guys who are claiming affiliation with Boston University.

The long version (excellent read) is here, and covers all the reasons why these people have no idea what they're doing and are using frankly sketchy data gathering techniques, but the

Comments

[arex]

Next on MSNBC, How to Catch a Fanfic Writer.

[syvia]

Finding them and making them pay for their copyright infringement. Even though they're not making any money off it and the source writers encourage fanfic.

[lassarina]

I mean I think it definitely depends on what fandoms you play in. Authors who've specifically asked for no fanfic--George RR Martin, Nora Roberts, Archie Comics, etc.--probably care a lot more than Squeenix, or certain fabulous authors of whom I know whose stance is "Don't show it to me, don't ask me about it for legal reasons, but do whatever you want on your own time."

[syvia]

*nod* Anne Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton. I'm not sure who else I know of but those two prohibit the fanfic.

Happily so many others are cool about it, see it as a compliment and perhaps so far as to be an advertizing technique. I know I like to go after the source material once I've seen a really good fanfic. Quite often, that involves buying something. Word gets around, and sales go up.

Hell- some fandoms have published fanfic. Star Wars, Star Trek, The Sandman. Lucky are the ones who get paid for showing their love~ XD

:/ If something of mine had fanfic written about it, I think I'd feel the same way. "I didn't see that, and you didn't try to show it to me."

[lassarina]

If I am ever published, my stance is going to be "for legal reasons, I can't read it, so don't send it to me, but I care not in the slightest what you write for yourself."

I think that scott_lynch says it best on his FAQ page. If I didn't already love his books to death ANYWAY, that would pretty much put it over the top. :D

[elfwreck]

(Following linkspam links around)

Other authors who "forbid" fanfic (as if they had that ability): Robin Hobb, Raymond Feist, the Archie Comics, Chelsea Yarbro (what is it with female authors of sexy vampires? Do they think fanfic is stealing their boyfriend?), Terry Goodkind, a handful of others. (Note: I disagree with the legal conclusion of the site, that authors have a legal right to prevent fanfic.)

[lassarina]

Thank you for the additional list :)

I like how some authors denigrate fanfic as "personal masturbation fantasies" and people who aren't clever or creative enough to write their own. To these authors, I wish to point out people like Naomi Novik.

[trialia]

Ahaha, yes. And dduane, who is a published and popular author in her own right as well as having written some of the "authorised fanfiction" Star Trek novels. =P

[arex]

After hearing about the experiences of a former S-E USA employee, I get the feeling that their legal department is always ready to jump at just about anything as they're apparently pretty notorious about protecting their franchises.

To the death.