Fanfiction Writers As FanLib Affiliates
Correction: Turns out I leapt to an incorrect conclusion. Please see this post for details:
http://stewardess.livejournal.com/256393.html
Original post.
After studying www.FanLib.com for a couple of days, I figured out one of the crucial ways they plan to make money.
They plan to turn fanfiction writers into their affiliates.
The relevant disclosure is in their press release.
Sharing and Content Syndication - Similar to online video sharing sites, FanLib.com members can extend the audience for their fanfics by embedding customized promos in personal web pages, blogs, and e-mails.
This is, frankly, genius.
The blurb from the press release describes, in a nutshell, how affiliate programs like www.linkshare.com work. Let me describe how it would play out:
You are a fanfic writer in the Stargate Atlantis fandom. You join FanLib, and also sign up for their affiliate program. You can then browse a bunch of ads and decide which ones you will feature in your fanfic, grab the code, and plug it [into your story's html]. For instance, you can choose between ads for the new boxed set of Stargate Atlantis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer action figures, or the latest Harper Collins romance novel. You pick the SGA set because that is your audience. You'll get a percentage of sales [2-5% is typical] and no doubt FanLib will get a cut as well.
No expensive ad targeting stuff. Instead, the workload is dumped on the fanfic writers, who know best what products will appeal to their readers. Not only that, affiliate programs allow you to check sales daily, so the fanfic writers can respond quickly to trends. If something doesn't sell, the fanfic writer can immediately change the ad for another. And the fanfic writers can get together in the FanLib messageboards and discuss which ads are making them the most money [affiilate program reports usually let you know this, too].
FanLib can also control which ads will get the most play by promising a bigger cut [5% instead of 2%, 7% instead of 5%, though I bet they'll offer worthless "prizes" instead], just as linkshare does now.
EDIT: FanLib may believe what they have to offer, incredibly cheap targeted advertising, will protect them from copyright lawsuits. If, say, Warner goes after them over Batman fanfic, FanLib could propose Warner partner with them to sell DC related stuff through the FanLib affiliate program. I don't think it can work, because it would require Warner to bless the Batman fanfic, agreeing it was what they wanted out there representing their brand. That is not likely. It could work in some instances, however. Just not with Warner.
FanLib may not provide open affiliate membership, instead requiring a certain number of fics, a certain amount of membership under your belt, not to mention content that doesn't ruffle feathers. This is typical with affiliate programs. Some are open, some are not.
This changes things a lot, because it means the writers WILL be directly receiving something of value for their fanfiction.
I could be misreading it. Perhaps FanLib will take all the ad revenue for themselves, and reward their top-earning fanfiction writers [typing that makes me gag] with bullshit such as the promise to "extend their audience" mentioned in the press release. That could mean anything from being featured on their main page [earning FanLib even more revenue!] to being published in an anthology, which the fanfiction writer agreed to, royalty free, via the TOS.
Regardless of whether the fanfic writers receive $$ or bullshit promises, this will affect fanfiction. If you write SGA, you can count on lots of relevant tie-in ads and lots of hits = more $$$. But let's say you write The Professionals. Not so much, right? Fanfiction writers participating in the program will feel pressure to go where the action is; whether they will bow to that pressure is unknown.
The program could also affect genre: Do people buy more shit when they read het, slash, or gen? Happy endings or sad endings? WIPs or complete stories? Rodney topping or John topping?
EDIT: FanLib isn't offering something innovative here. Any fanfic writer with a website can sign up with amazon and linkshare and feature relevant ads within a couple of hours. All that FanLib brings to the table is their vague promise to "increase audience."
EDIT: half_elf_lost asked if FanLib was trademarked. msilverstar reports that it is. This is hilarious. We need Livejournal/FanLib porn, like, now. Hurt/comfort would be ideal. With schmoop. Please?
IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: providing temporary use of on-line non-downloadable software to facilitate the creation, conceptualization, and editing of a variety of movies, television shows, novels, plays, videogames, and other content or media, through user suggestions, concepts, ideas, collaboration, and voting. FIRST USE: 20030505. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20030505
Registered: June 29, 2004
Owner (REGISTRANT) My2Centences LLC LTD LIAB CO DELAWARE 9 Desbrosses Street Suite 512 New York NEW YORK 10013
Note: I have participated in affiliate programs since 1999. I know them well.
I take everything back. These fuckers are smart EDIT: completely fucking clueless.
mimbo, ostensibly Chris Williams, CEO of FanLib, is flaming LJ discussions. He is behaving like a classic troll. I've taken the precaution of banning him from my LJ. Sadly, after examining his info, I think he really is the CEO of FanLib. The clincher is the baby pic. I don't know why, but every executive dipshit I've clashed with via LJ has had a baby pic as his default userpic. I think they believe it protects them from evol.
http://stewardess.livejournal.com/256393.html
Original post.
After studying www.FanLib.com for a couple of days, I figured out one of the crucial ways they plan to make money.
They plan to turn fanfiction writers into their affiliates.
The relevant disclosure is in their press release.
Sharing and Content Syndication - Similar to online video sharing sites, FanLib.com members can extend the audience for their fanfics by embedding customized promos in personal web pages, blogs, and e-mails.
This is, frankly, genius.
The blurb from the press release describes, in a nutshell, how affiliate programs like www.linkshare.com work. Let me describe how it would play out:
You are a fanfic writer in the Stargate Atlantis fandom. You join FanLib, and also sign up for their affiliate program. You can then browse a bunch of ads and decide which ones you will feature in your fanfic, grab the code, and plug it [into your story's html]. For instance, you can choose between ads for the new boxed set of Stargate Atlantis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer action figures, or the latest Harper Collins romance novel. You pick the SGA set because that is your audience. You'll get a percentage of sales [2-5% is typical] and no doubt FanLib will get a cut as well.
No expensive ad targeting stuff. Instead, the workload is dumped on the fanfic writers, who know best what products will appeal to their readers. Not only that, affiliate programs allow you to check sales daily, so the fanfic writers can respond quickly to trends. If something doesn't sell, the fanfic writer can immediately change the ad for another. And the fanfic writers can get together in the FanLib messageboards and discuss which ads are making them the most money [affiilate program reports usually let you know this, too].
FanLib can also control which ads will get the most play by promising a bigger cut [5% instead of 2%, 7% instead of 5%, though I bet they'll offer worthless "prizes" instead], just as linkshare does now.
EDIT: FanLib may believe what they have to offer, incredibly cheap targeted advertising, will protect them from copyright lawsuits. If, say, Warner goes after them over Batman fanfic, FanLib could propose Warner partner with them to sell DC related stuff through the FanLib affiliate program. I don't think it can work, because it would require Warner to bless the Batman fanfic, agreeing it was what they wanted out there representing their brand. That is not likely. It could work in some instances, however. Just not with Warner.
FanLib may not provide open affiliate membership, instead requiring a certain number of fics, a certain amount of membership under your belt, not to mention content that doesn't ruffle feathers. This is typical with affiliate programs. Some are open, some are not.
This changes things a lot, because it means the writers WILL be directly receiving something of value for their fanfiction.
I could be misreading it. Perhaps FanLib will take all the ad revenue for themselves, and reward their top-earning fanfiction writers [typing that makes me gag] with bullshit such as the promise to "extend their audience" mentioned in the press release. That could mean anything from being featured on their main page [earning FanLib even more revenue!] to being published in an anthology, which the fanfiction writer agreed to, royalty free, via the TOS.
Regardless of whether the fanfic writers receive $$ or bullshit promises, this will affect fanfiction. If you write SGA, you can count on lots of relevant tie-in ads and lots of hits = more $$$. But let's say you write The Professionals. Not so much, right? Fanfiction writers participating in the program will feel pressure to go where the action is; whether they will bow to that pressure is unknown.
The program could also affect genre: Do people buy more shit when they read het, slash, or gen? Happy endings or sad endings? WIPs or complete stories? Rodney topping or John topping?
EDIT: FanLib isn't offering something innovative here. Any fanfic writer with a website can sign up with amazon and linkshare and feature relevant ads within a couple of hours. All that FanLib brings to the table is their vague promise to "increase audience."
EDIT: half_elf_lost asked if FanLib was trademarked. msilverstar reports that it is. This is hilarious. We need Livejournal/FanLib porn, like, now. Hurt/comfort would be ideal. With schmoop. Please?
IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: providing temporary use of on-line non-downloadable software to facilitate the creation, conceptualization, and editing of a variety of movies, television shows, novels, plays, videogames, and other content or media, through user suggestions, concepts, ideas, collaboration, and voting. FIRST USE: 20030505. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20030505
Registered: June 29, 2004
Owner (REGISTRANT) My2Centences LLC LTD LIAB CO DELAWARE 9 Desbrosses Street Suite 512 New York NEW YORK 10013
Note: I have participated in affiliate programs since 1999. I know them well.
I take everything back. These fuckers are smart EDIT: completely fucking clueless.
mimbo, ostensibly Chris Williams, CEO of FanLib, is flaming LJ discussions. He is behaving like a classic troll. I've taken the precaution of banning him from my LJ. Sadly, after examining his info, I think he really is the CEO of FanLib. The clincher is the baby pic. I don't know why, but every executive dipshit I've clashed with via LJ has had a baby pic as his default userpic. I think they believe it protects them from evol.