Fanfiction and the Art of Marketing

[liz_marcs]

*gasp* *hack* *horrors*

“Marketing and fanfiction in the same sentence? That’s soooo wrong! I do this for fun! I do this for me! I do it because I have an artistic urge yearning to be free!”

But if you think about it, marketing is what almost all fanfiction writers do to a greater or lesser degree, whether or not they’re aware they’re doing it.

Don’t believe me?

Okay, fine.

If you’re writing fanfiction just for you, then why are you posting your stories on public Web sites where anyone can read them? Why do you post chapters one-at-a-time in a serial manner (even if the story isn’t a WiP) rather than posting the whole thing at once? Why are you looking for fanfic newsgroups where you can post your work for an audience pre-disposed to liking your stories? Why do you have a LiveJournal account so you can write whatever you want without fear of it being yanked out of the public eye by cautious Web site owners? Why do you get a thrill whenever someone posts a review?

McFly? Hellooooo, McFly? Hey! Where are you going? Don’t walk away yet! I got a simple answer right here.

You want an audience. You want people to read your stuff. You want eyeballs fixed on your every golden word. You want people regularly checking to see if you’ve updated your stories.

Don’t feel bad. Professional writers do the exact same thing. Whether it’s a magazine writer, a novelist, newspaper reporter, or someone toiling anonymously for a client, the writer wants the audience to be eager for the next thing that comes off the keyboard. The difference is professional writers are more aware of the role marketing plays in attracting an audience if only because their paychecks depend on it.

Since fanfic writers don’t get paid, the “coin” is measured in feedback, recommendations, pimping from other people, awards, requests for stories to be archived, and lest we forget, the Google ego search.

This has been something that’s been bubbling in the back of my brain since Writercon in Vegas, but only recently has it somewhat solidified into this bizarre treatise of mine below. It’s something I’ve subconsciously done since I started writing BtVS fanfiction in 2002, but it’s only recently that I’ve consciously realized what I’ve been doing.

Which is funny, since I’m a writer in real life. I should’ve seen the connection and recognized what I was doing a lot sooner than this.

Stop Whining! You’re Giving Me a Headache!

To be honest, several meta discussions on the nature of fanfiction and certain subgenres of fanfiction have brought this connection between fanfiction and marketing into focus:

• het vs. slash divide.
• perception that gen and/or het stories are becoming increasingly ghettoized or dismissed as a legitimate form of fanfiction.
• complaints from some gen/het writers that they feel they’re not taken seriously unless they write male-male (and to a lesser extent female-female) slash.
• proliferation of “all human AUs” in certain fandoms (BtVS and AtS are not the only ones that have this subgenre) and whether this should be considered “original fiction” or actual “fanfiction”
• the relative merits of crossovers and whether or not it’s “permissible” to change canon just to make two incompatible universes fit or (my favorite) why no one appreciates crossovers where one universe is utterly unfamiliar to the vast majority of the fanfic public
• BNFs don’t deserve to be worshipped and are overrated when they produce something/well they’re worshipped because people like their artistic output and you’re just jealous
• RPFs suck/rock/it’s an invasion of privacy/it’s all good clean fun
• RPGs are not real fanfiction/oh yes they are
• character-bashing and Mary Sueing/Marty Stuing

A lot of these discussions very quickly devolve into a “why, god, why” mindset among writers who feel they’ve been unjustly ignored because they’re not writing stories that fit into “trendy” tastes; because they write gen fic instead of shipper fic; because they write het instead of slash; or because they feel they’re being unjustly pissed on because they write for a character or pairing that’s not wildly popular.

Just FYI, the next step after the above complaints and whining is further devolution into accusations of homophobia, rampant snobbery, hints that the other side is mentally unbalanced, generalizations about entire fan groups, invocations of Godwin’s Law and Sturgeon's Law, CAPSLOCK OF RAGE, netspeak, bad spelling, and all sorts of wank.

Between you and me, the issue here is that the writers are asking the wrong question.

It should never be, “Why don’t you love meeeeeeeee?”

It should always be, “Who’s my audience and how do I find them?”

Try Being Inclusive For Once
Using BtVS/AtS as a template (if only because it’s what I’m familiar with), I’m going to talk about “finding the audience.”

The BtVS/AtS fanfiction audience has one umbrella and a lot of subgenres. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Think of it as a rough outline.

The umbrella audience (or “target group” you as a writer you should be marketing to) is fans of BtVS/AtS. It’s a huge umbrella that encompasses a lot of subgroups with very specific reading tastes and interests. However, regardless of the subgenre you tend to write, every single one of these people is your potential audience.

The best stories, IMHO, aims for this huge potential audience.

Let’s be clear: I would never recommend compromising your artistic vision, toning down the sexual and/or language content, or limiting your subject matter just to capture as many eyeballs as you can. Instead, I’m talking about the following:

• making sure your story is well-written, including technical grammar and spelling issues
• a good title…I can’t stress how important this is
• a good story summary, i.e., summing up the plot in a coherent, simple manner; being truthful about the story content; avoiding the temptation to beg potential readers to read and review or threatening to not continue the story unless X number of people review each chapter
• properly warning people about the content, i.e., correct rating, het, slash, pairing, character death, character bashing, disturbing content, language, sex, etc.
• the story somewhat matches up with the source material, i.e., spelling the characters’ names correctly; using details from canon (assuming you’re following canon) properly; how (or if) you’re putting the source material’s “rules” into play, and so on
• the plot has internal logic, i.e., parts build on what was previously written, details remain consistent, characters from the source material are somewhat recognizable to readers, and so on
• avoiding the use of Mary Sues or Marty Stus, whether it’s “perfecting” a character from the source material or creating OCs to interact with characters from the source material
• avoiding character-bashing, even for characters you really and truly hate beyond all reason; if you don’t like them don’t use them or use them sparingly

By doing the above, you’d be surprised how many potential readers might be willing to overcome their fanfiction biases and give your story a chance. A lot of this stuff, such as spelling and grammar, is relatively easy. Some of the other points, such as avoiding the dreaded Mary Sue and Marty Stu and ensuring internal plot consistency, takes a little work. The point, however, is that none of the above is an insurmountable obstacle if you’re willing to put a little thought and work into your story.

Finding Your “Fit”

The subgenres (and I admit that I’m painting with a broad brush) are as follows:

Relationships, or Lack Thereof

• Gen: No ships whatsoever, just straight up story, plot, and/or character pieces. There can be friendships or even romantic relationships, but it’s not the focus.
• Het Shipper [classic definition]: The focus of the story is heterosexual relationships or canon homosexual relationships. Further subgenres of this subgenre is angst, mush, domestic, PWP, romance, incest, rape, BDSM, kink, etc.
• Slash Shipper [classic definition]: The focus of the story is slashing characters that are canon heterosexual or canon homosexual (i.e, not that there isn’t any subtext in the source material, the lifeblood of a lot of slashers, but that we didn’t actually see the depicted homosexual or heterosexual relationship in canon). Like het shipper fics, slash fics have the same the exact subgenres in angst, mush, domestic, PWP, romance, incest, rape, BDSM, kink, etc.

Character Love and Hate

• Character Study: Focuses on one character, often includes other subgenres in the mix, generally short.
• Character-centric: Not to be confused with “character study,” which is short. Character-centric fics can vary in length, but the main point of view comes primarily from one or (at most) two characters.
• Ensemble fics: Makes use of many characters and points of view to tell the story.
• Character-bashing: I know I said to avoid this, but there is an audience for it and it is a subgenre. Generally used to beat down one character the author dislikes, often to build up character(s) the author likes/loves.
• Mary Sue/Marty Stu: I know I said to avoid this, but there is an audience for it and it is a subgenere. One version takes canon characters and makes them “perfect” and shiny. Others in this group include “self-insertion” fics or fics with perfect OCs.
• RPFs aka “Actor Fics”: Takes a celebrity (or author if the source material is a book) or the fanfic writer himself/herself and inserts them into the fictional world.

Applying the What If…

• Alternative Takes: Pulls a scene from canon and tells it from a different character’s point of view or “fills in the blanks” about what was happening just out of sight.
• Alternate Universe: Different from alternative take. The author changes one canon element to create a different “reality” than what was shown in the source material. Less skilled writers will simply throw out everything they don’t like from the source material and call it AU. A subgenre of this is all-human AUs, which is limited in use to fantasy, horror, or science fiction source material.
• Crossovers: Universe A meets Universe B. Wackiness ensues.
• DarkFic: A darker take on canon plots and characters than what exists in the source material. Subgenres include character death, abuse, hurt-comfort, rape, angst, bad acts, and so on

Styles of Storytelling

• Drabbles: Those 100-word flashfics you can eat like bonbons all day long.
• Short Stories
• Novellas
• Novels
• SongFic: Writes a story around the words of a song.
• ScriptFic: Fics that are written using some form of “script” format.
• Stand-Alone: Exactly what it says. A single story that does not have a prequel, will never have a sequel, and is not part of a series.
• Serial: A single story that is posted in multiple parts over a period of time.
• Series: A series of completed stories that take place one after the other in a fanfiction author’s specific take on the canon universe. Stories in the series are generally consistent with each other. Stories may be read as a stand-alone with no reference to other stories in the series or they may carry plot points over from previous stories.

Like I said, not a complete list. More like a “starter list.”

Obviously, there aren’t too many stories (either fanfiction or pro) that are pure examples of only subgenre. Very often stories, including something as short as a drabble, will make use of elements from at least several other subgenres to build plot or character.

Whaddya Know? No Such Thing As a “Pure” Reader Either.

It is something of a trueism that readers will focus on finding stories that fall in their comfort zone or contain elements that they prefer reading about. Like all trueisms, it’s maybe true for the minority, but it’s not true when applied across a broad population.

For example, there is a general assumption that het readers will not read slash. There’s also an assumption that slash readers will not read het.

That’s utter and complete bullshit.

While it maybe true for a subgroup within a given population, by and large, people who read shipper fics (het or slash) have an interest in reading stories about their favorite character in the pairing and are certainly willing to give stories that fall outside their preferred reading material a chance. Very often people who read primarily het or primarily slash will cheerfully cross the divide without even thinking twice about it if a trusted source recommends the story or if they stumble across it and are intrigued enough to keep reading.

Most readers will at least sample most of the subgenres. They may not do it often. They may only limit themselves to certain authors when traveling outside their preferred reading material. But the fact is, most people will do it.

False Assumptions: Both Writers and Readers

Now, one thing I do admit that drives me completely around the bend is when I, as a writer, have someone tell me, “Eeeewwwww! You write het? I’ll never, ever read your stuff.”

I bite my tongue to prevent myself from saying, “Have you ever even tried my stuff? If you haven’t, way to be narrow-minded there, sport.”

Instead, I point out that I may write het, but I read and enjoy an awful lot of slash. If I’m really lucky, the other person also writes fanfic. If I’m doubleplusgood lucky, I’ve read that person’s story and can actually talk about it with them and give them positive feedback. I’m over the moon with joy if we move on to a mechanics discussion about writing, characterization, and plotting.

It’s kind of fun watching the other person’s head implode when the stars align like that.

Part of the problem is that readers may have very fixed ideas in their heads about the authors. If someone writes only gen or het stories, it’s necessarily not because they don’t like slash, have a secret fear of homosexuals, or is a prude.

There may be other reasons for it: the author may be a canon whore; the author can’t write smut or sexual situations even if their very souls depended on it; the author for various personal reasons may not feel comfortable writing about something they don’t know and aren’t familiar with; or maybe, just maybe, the author in question doesn’t really focus on ships at all and the het or homosexual aspect of the characters is utterly beside the point.

All of the above, by the way, very much applies to me.

However, just as readers make some false assumptions about writers, writers make some pretty whacked out assumptions about readers.

If you remember the list of writer gripes above, there is an assumption that readers are very narrowly focused to the point of snobbery. There is an assumption that readers OHMYGODWONTEVENGIVEMEACHANCE because all of them won’t sample anything outside their comfort zone. In the minds of these writers, readers are nothing more than sheep led by the BNFs to love certain trendy story types or writers to the point where writers and stories that are “not fashionable” will whither and die on the vine for lack of readership.

Very often, writers fail to take some things into consideration:

• How long have you been doing this again?
  If you just posted your first story in a given fandom a month ago, have you ever considered that your audience hasn’t found you yet? If it’s a fandom that’s been around for awhile, I can almost guarantee that there are writers who’ve been around a hell of a lot longer than you which is why they’re getting the props and you’re not. This shit takes time, grasshopper, so if you’re serious learn a little patience.
• What have you done to help yourself?
  You ain’t Mohammed and the mountains ain’t coming to you. You’ve got to get your fuzzy ass out there and tell people that you’ve got a story. There are a million ways a writer can pimp themselves (more on that below). Just throwing your story up on a general, catch-all archive like Fan Fiction Dot Net or sticking only to newsgroups pre-disposed to liking your stories ain’t gonna win you popular acclaim.
• Your stories really do appeal to a limited audience.
  Hate to break it to you, but fanfiction is subject to market forces. If, for example, you write about an unpopular character (or a character that’s less popular than the hothot character of the moment) or if you write about a crossover where almost no one is familiar with the other universe, guess what? You’ve got a bigger hurdle to jump than writers who put out stories that please the vox populi. That means you’ve got to be better, smarter, and show a little more skill to prove you’re worth paying attention to. Plus, you have to be more patient because it’s going to take longer for you to get noticed no matter how hard you pimp.
• Check out the crowd you run with, it may be used against you.
  Hard truth, I know, but still true. In Buffy fandom, for example, there is a bias against certain fangroups and certain fanfiction lists. Whether it’s deserved or not is utterly beside the point. The fact is the perception is there and it’s up to you to prove that you don’t fit the stereotype. If, for example, you’re a het Xander-centric writer who only posts to the XanderZone, be prepared for some *ahem* interesting reactions from other people. Is it fair to paint a fanfiction list with more than 1,800 people with such a broad brush? Nope. But if you don’t poke your head out of the rabbit hole and let other people who may actually be hostile to het Xander-centric stories at least see your stuff, then you’re kind of asking for it. Hearts and minds, grasshopper, and sometimes you gotta do it one person at a time.
• Maybe you really do suck.
  Okay, that’s harsh, but there may also be some truth to it. One of the most critical skills a writer needs to develop (after the basics, that is) is the ability to self-criticize. Be your harshest critic, go over your old stories with a fine-toothed comb, don’t get huffy when you get well-reasoned criticism from readers and instead really look to see if there’s some merit in what they’re saying. I guarantee that if you’re really serious about improving your writing and attracting more readers (as opposed to just churning out crap), you’re always going to find something that makes you seriously cringe and call for a re-write.

Not Everyone Is Gonna Love You, So Get Over It

That’s not to say there aren’t lines readers won’t cross in reading material. For example, I stay very, very far away from fics with “romantic rape,” incest, or bash Xander as a character. I won’t even try reading them because I know I’ll get pissed off.

Much as I don’t like and avoid these subgenres, I always give the author props for putting up the necessary warnings that tells me right off the bat: “You won’t like this.” Where I get angry is when the author puts up no warnings (lying by omission; false advertising) and I get blind-sided these elements (yes, it’s happened).

Please note that out of a potentially endless list of possibilities, I’ve only listed three lines I won’t cross in my reading material. That means I’ll at least try 95% of the subgenres out there, the 5% I won’t even touch with a 10-foot pole is nothing big in the grand scheme of things.

And let’s all be blunt here: Popularity has something to do with it. No, not necessarily your personal popularity, but the popularity of what you write. As I’ve stated before, if you focus on characters(s) that are not as popular as others or write in a genre that tends to scare people off or if you get a reputation as someone who ain’t all that, then there are readers who won’t even look in your direction.

If you think jumping fandoms, jumping ships, or jumping characters is going to help you gain readers, think again. Yes, you may gain readers, but I can almost guarantee that you’ll lose readers in the bargain. Witness the huge kerfluffle that occurred on LiveJournal two yeas ago when a handful of Spike/Buffy writers switched to writing Spike/Xander. Readers were upset. Writers who remained with Spike/Buffy or had been working Spike/Xander for a long time were resentful. There were fights, recriminations, accusations, and (how can we forget) CAPSLOCK OF RAGE. It didn’t matter that most of these writers who made the switch were simply no longer inspired by the relationship that originally captured their attention and decided to focus on something else.

If you’re going to make the jump, make the jump for the right reasons because one way or the other you’re going to pay for it. It’s the nature of the beast, so accept it and move on. Making the switch just to catch the latest trendy fanfiction fashion in an effort to attract more readers is absolutely the wrong reason to make a jump. Do it because you want to. Do it because you’ve lost interest in what you were doing. Do it because your imagination has been captured by something else. Do it because you think it’ll be fun to try.

All the above sounds like I’m negating my point already, but I’m really not. What I’m trying to point out is that while most readers have much more universal tastes than writers are willing believe when they’re in the “woe is me” mindset, sometimes writers just don’t hit the sweet spot. It may be what you choose to write about, or maybe they don’t like the way you write. Either way, it’s a no harm, no foul situation.

But here’s the point: You may try building an inclusive story where you want readers to dive in and feel comfortable with the surroundings. Your job is to put it in front of them. If they don’t like what you’re serving up, taking it personally is foolish. They don’t know you. You don’t know them. It can’t possibly be personal.

[Note: That’s not to say that it can’t get personal. I’ve seen readers set off “personal carpet bombing” because they don’t like a writer’s opinions or are jealous that this writer is getting props they feel they should get for their own work. I’ve seen writers set off “personal carpet bombing” over equally stupid shit.]

Okay, Genius. What Does It All Mean in Your Tiny Pea Brain?

What it means is that if you want readers, then stop bitching and go out there and get them. There are plenty of ways to do it, if you have time and energy:

Playing It Safe

General catch-all fanfiction Web sites
Say what you will about sites like Fan Fiction Dot Net, it’s a great starting point. It’s a way to get your stories in front of a lot of eyeballs. Since they’re there anyway, there’s a good chance they’ll give you a shot if your story summary sounds interesting.

Havens
Try posting your story to newsgroups, autoarchive Web sites, LJ communities, etc. that cater to your particular focus. There are plenty of places that have a narrow focus on a particular fandom, specific characters, subgenres like crossoves and darkfic, specific ships, and het/slash only groups. People who frequent these areas are pre-disposed to wanting to like your stories. They will make the effort to sample your work. They may not stick around to the end of your masterpiece, but they’ll at least give you a fair hearing.

Stick Your Head Out of the Rabbit Hole

Blogging
Sites like LiveJournal, GreatestJournal, Blogger, and other places allow you to post whatever you want without restriction. Plus, it’s a great networking tool through the use of “friending.” You’d be surprised how friends of friends of friends eventually find your little corner. You’d be surprised how many of them just might stick around.

Pimping Is Good
There are plenty of forums where you can go and post a link to your masterpiece, many of which will take pimpage from all corners of your particular fandom galaxy. Let people know, “Hey! I got a story you might like here!” Make sure to give them all of the pertinent information, including any warnings that might apply. Make sure you post to the appropriate forums (spamming is bad, m’kaaaay) in the forums with a narrow focus.

Walk Without a Tightrope Occasionally

Ficathons and Fiction Challenges
Okay, so you’ve got a particular focus as an author, but even you have to admit that it’s a hard hill to climb for various reasons that may or may not be out of your control. How about busting out of your self-imposed prison and trying something different for a change? Sometimes you do need to give people a taste of what they like if you want them to meet you half way.

The really nice thing about this method is that you don’t have to write anything you positively, absolutely don’t want to write. You don’t want to write about a particular character or relationship? Fine. You can stipulate that. Want to avoid writing a specific subgenre? Stipulate that as well.

The bonus here is that you as a writer get to spread your wings a little. If you’re forced to write characters, relationships, or scenarios you don’t normally write, you’d be shocked at what you can accomplish if you set your mind to it and employ all your mad skillz that you learned while keeping it safe.

Network, Network, Network

Guess what sport, you are an ambassador!
Whenever readers and other writers meet you, to an extent you do somewhat represent “your kind of people.” Obviously, most people are aware that you’re a well-rounded person with a life beyond fanfiction, but if they know you primarily as a fanfiction writer and have pigeonholed you as a “type,” it’s up to you to be more than the stereotype.

Sooooo, you hate Xander’s little ass and would like to shoot him into the sun? Can you please not tell the het and slash Xander-centric writers in excruciating detail how much you hate the son of a bitch and how stupid they are for writing about such a worthless character? You secretly have a desire to beat any and all Spike/Buffy shippers senseless with a clue stick for whatever reason? Do the world a favor shove your freakin’ moralistic soapbox under the goddamn table, pack away the tinfoil hat, and be rational.

By all means, have a debate. Be honest. Discuss what excites you about the things you love and they love and why both of you cling to what you do. You’d be surprised that many times the other person does not fit the stereotype. Often, you’ll take them by surprise as well.

Whatever you do, do not be rude, condescending, or mean. The second you put the other person down simply because you don’t like what they write sight unseen, you’re reinforcing every stereotype in the book about you.

Get to “Know” People Virtually or In Real Life
The fanfiction writer and reader community can be incredibly supportive in a number of ways. If readers know you are open to criticism and comment, that you won’t get riled at them if they point out a typo, you’ll get some honest-to-god feedback that will help you improve as a writer. If you know that your readers are willing to give you a chance when you step outside your comfort zone, you’d be amazed how much more courageous you’ll you’ll become.

But that’s just the fandom side of the equation. It, by no means, is the whole picture.

In some ways, blogging makes this ability to cross barriers so much easier. We all learn snippets about other people’s lives in a fairly simple manner. People can learn about each other beyond just fandom or even country of origin. It’s an exciting way to be exposed to different viewpoints (not just in fandom) that just may reside outside your personal comfort zone.

This piece of advice goes beyond just “marketing” your fanfiction and more comes down to “marketing” yourself. Friends can be quite the blessing and anything that helps people make personal connections cannot ever be considered a bad thing. Sometimes that connection comes because you wrote a story that touched someone. Sometimes you make that connection because of an LJ entry that inspired you to respond. Either way, nothing beats getting to know people.

Besides, there may come a day in a real life situation where you can help them or they can help you and that, grasshoper, is bigger and better than any pissing match over fanfiction.

Thanks for hanging on until the end of this monstrosity.

I will eventually make myself available for any flames or tomato throwing at your earliest convenience.

Comments

[othercat.livejournal.com]

This? Is a brilliant essay. :> *rushes off to pimp it*

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

Glad you like. :-)

I just finished properly formatting the thing. *kicks LJ* So thanks for putting up with the wonkiness.

Bed now. Have to work at Borders tomorrow. *yawn*

[spiralleds.livejournal.com]

Wow. Intense. And intensely true.

[invisionary.livejournal.com]

Good point about reader biases. It's true everyone has them, but it's also true that they usually aren't all-encompassing.

I'm biased. I freely admit that I have a strong liking for stories that pair Xander and Willow. But I also have strong biases in favor of good writing, story ideas, and characterization. I would have missed out on a lot of excellent stories if I'd decided I was only going to read Xander/Willow fics (like Contrite Spirits and Whisper, for example), and that would have been a real shame. So I try not to limit myself too much (although, all other things being equal, I'll still read a Xander/Willow story before anything else).

But another important thing for an author to realize is that, no matter what you do, you can't please everyone. Even my own very limited experience has told me that.

Anyway, this was a very interesting essay. Thanks for writing it.

[denny-dc.livejournal.com]

First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to create this wonderful piece. As a relatively new writer (started writing fan fic March 2004), I am still trying to figure out where to post, how to get readers, understand the difference between canon and AU, etc. I attended writercon and it was a fabulous experience and I learned a lot. I continue to learn and the support extended by the LJ community is the primary reason, I'm still out here - slowly but surely learning the art of marketing - and storytelling. I'm going to add your essay to my memories file, and read it again when I'm awake because I really enjoyed it, and want to ask some intelligent questions or offer some comments. But I'm still asleep (sorry).

By the way, I've been in marketing/PR for 20 years. Every word you wrote is spot on - which you already know. But you really do make a case for new writers as well as the seasoned fan fic pro. Sometimes they rest on past successes (and believe me that's really easy to do - not that I've had any in the world of fan fic, I'm talking about RL, just needed to explain), and I really admire the writers who take a chance. You give some really excellent suggestions on ways to keep fresh, and to keep improving and challenging yourself as a writer (and even a reader) of fan fiction. Good job.

[db2305.livejournal.com]

I was steered here by denny_dc and as she said, it's an excellent essay! These are the forces a writer has to contend with, use, or drift along in the bid to get readers...I've slowly figured out some of these same things over the past two years, but I still often have the feeling that I suck at marketing. I'll use your advice to further sling myself into the fan's eye, and thank you!

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

This was an excellent essay.

[moxie-fic.livejournal.com]

I found myself nodding in agreement all the way through that, mostly with a smile on my face. Thanks for writing it, I enjoyed your very astute take on it all. When I beta I always tell my betaes never to forget their audience and to always be mindful that we have to write what people want to read as much as what we want to write. I've betaed several stories for authors who want to turn them into original fics and I always throw my beta hat out of the window then and go at it from a very different perspective. I guess the time to do that radical thing where you push yourself past your comfort zone is when you have built up some sort of relationship with your audience. I'm writing a parody,comedy Spuffy star wars at the moment and yes, the best reaction is coming from my site and lj where people know me and are willing to give it a chance, but I did extensive canvassing via discussion and previews before I started to see if people wanted to read it. Asking for reviews is, I suppose implicit if (as you said above) one posts in a public forum, but I've stopped actually asking for them these days because I want to feel able to write and post something a little radical because it's what I want to do, not because I want people to tell me how much they love me. People can read it, or not as suits them, and feedback if they want to, but I don't have to feel bad because of the people who think it might be a crazy idea and are passing it by. (Although shallow person that I undoubtedly am, I do still get a thrill from a good review.) A lot of people read and never feedback so it can be hard to know who and how large the audience is anyway. And I've found that people will filter towards a story gradually and quite often either wait until it's a good few chapters in to join it, or wait until its complete to read it. Many enjoy and you never know they've been by. Others will faithfully review each chapter.

You are very right though, if you want a big readership then either somehow become a big name author (I've found that the big names usually deserve their accolades because they are damned good writers) or pander to the masses. (Can I say human AU Spike/Buffy, high school or in a band?) I get so tempted sometimes to take an assumed name and write one of those in that particular style that seems to garner a gazillion reviews and see what happens. And yes, it astounds me sometimes to see some of the best of the best (two names come to mind that I saw only today) being virtually ignored hit-wise and review-wise on the big archives. Guess some of these thirteen year old writers (there is one, possibly more LOL) could teach us oldies a thing or two about finding and grabbing your audience. Thanks again for the thought provoking post. Going to stop now before I descend into ramble.

[timeofchange.livejournal.com]

CAPLOCKS OF RAGE hahahahaha!

Good essay, btw. As a voracious reader of fanfic who doesn't write the stuff, I'll read almost any ship or (nonship) and certainly any gen fic if
(1) it's well written,
(2) the writer is pushing herself/himself to reach beyond what's already out there, and
(3) it's been checked for basic grammar, spelling and continuity errors.

I have stopped reading otherwise decent fic because the typos are so egregious. I have read work that is less than perfect stylistically because the writer is taking a chance and I believe s/he will get better with time. I feedback what I like. I ignore what I don't.

Fanfic is an amazing art form. There are so many people with talent, guts and dedication working away out there. A big thank you to those whose stories have brought me so much pleasure!

[spikewriter]

Excellent essay -- and what I found interesting was that much of it was a synthesis of advice that's I'd heard over the years while toiling to sell romances.

There's a lot of good advice here -- and thank you for writing it.

"CAPSLOCK OF RAGE" -- Heh. Good description.

shake it, girlfriend!

[hjcallipygian.livejournal.com]

I love that you've taken the dirty word, "marketing," and pointed out that it's more than just the EVOL TOOL OF THE CAPATILIST MACHINE. It's as simple as saying, "Hey, you might like this," regardless of whether the story is yours or another's. Every time I say, "Hey, Water Hold Me Down is a good story, Friends Listers, go read it," I'm marketing for you.

And that's fine.

[leni-ba.livejournal.com]

Really good essay, you have raised several interesting points and personal experience tells me you're right in all of them. Especially the 'Not Everyone Is Gonna Love You' bit. I figure that if I can't read 100% of the fiction out there, it's impossible that I reach 100% of the audience.

I must admit I rarely go outside my 'comfort zone', mostly because I don't have the time and because, seriously, there's always something good somewhere in the six fandoms I'm interested. *g* But a good title, an interesting summary and a well-written first chapter would reel me into almost anything.

You forgot the highschool method of marketing. They'll never notice you if you don't make them know you're noticing them. Or in fanfic terms: If you want feedback, feedback. It has a childish feeling and sounds highly naïve, but in places like Ff.net, or even LJ, it really works. Especially if you're new to a fandom. Writers tend to want to know who is reviewing them (I know I do), with some luck they'll like what you write and, if the stars are on your side, they'll even recommend it.

[rileysaplank.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is a brilliant essay.

Andy

You're inspired me...

[married-n-mich.livejournal.com]

First of all, excellent essay (but I think you know that) and that’s not meant to sound snotty… when you (the collective you) write something that’s damn good… you know it.

I haven’t been writing fanfiction that long. I’ve finished one story and am currently writing the sequel to it.

You really got me thinking… when I wrote my first one, I was doing it for me. Something I wanted... or maybe even needed because BtVS and AtS were no more. It helped fill the void the missing Jossverse caused.

Someone was kind enough to beta it for me, and said, “This is really good. You should post it.” That’s where my nightmare began.

In the beginning I wrote for me and I thought, “Hey, this isn’t half bad.” Now that I’ve been posting my stories in a few places (LJ being one, the Yahoo Message Boards being another), I’ve lost my writing fire. Somewhere along the lines the few people that are actually reading my stuff got in my head and not by their own means.

Instead of writing what I envision, what I want, what I think will work, I find myself thinking, and not even realizing it, will “they” like it… yep, the collective they.

I found myself yearning for feedback, good, bad or indifferent, wondering if the fact that I don’t write slash a huge issue. The fact that I don’t have a certain pairing… the fact that I like all the characters in BtVS and AtS and I’ll probably be writing stories involved most of them … probably until I find ones that I really enjoy writing.

But you’re absolutely right… I need to go back to the writing for me. Sure I’ll post it, but I won’t beg for reviews. If someone stumbles across my stuff and decides to drop me a note… great it’ll be appreciated, but I won’t bank my writing future on it anymore.

Thank you!

And yes… after this wonderful post, I have friended you. Future words of wisdom are a must.

Thank you…

~smiling

[midnightsjane.livejournal.com]

Wonderful and insightful essay, Liz. I am a reader of fanfic; specifically Buffy and Angel fanfic, although I have read some stories from other fandoms. I prefer fic that doesn't trash any character, that pays attention to canon, and has a plot that makes sense. I don't read slash, although I have on occasion read a few slashy stories to see what that is all about. It's just a personal preference; I don't get slash at all. I suppose I'm pretty much a canon whore. I will certainly give non-canon pairings a try, and if it's well written and the characters are brought together in a believable way, that's fine by me. What is important to me as a reader is that the writer doesn't insult my intelligence; "it's only fanfic, so grammar and plot etc. don't matter" is an attitude that will make me back away from the story very quickly.
I found my first fanfic stories on Fanfic.net, following a rec. from posters to ATPO about a story that honorh had written. I greatly admire her writing, and followed her list of favourite stories and authors to their sites. Many of the writers I enjoy now, like you, and hjcallipygian and masqthephlsphr post here on LJ, and that is where I go first. I have found wonderful stories because someone has linked to them. It helps us readers find you writers if you stick your head up and wave to us. I'm sure I have missed some good things because I simply didn't know where to look.
Just a reader's POV here.

[midnightsjane.livejournal.com]

Sorry, HJ. I was including you in my list of favourite writers of fanfic. That's hjcallipygian, folks. Check out his fic, too.

[ex-dovil323.livejournal.com]

So true and so well written.

[(Anonymous)]

Interesting read, although it might be a tad more specific to the dedicated fanfic author.

I'd imagine that a few of us are just dabblers. I just write whatever idea or storyline or vignette gets stuck in my head, to 'write it out,' and then sometimes I post it somewhere, throwing it on my website, and sometimes I don't. (I have written a few things that I just wanted out of my head, since they weren't letting me sleep, and then promptly deleted, since that goal had been accomplished.) It was always nice when someone would write that they'd liked something I'd written, giving me a warm fuzzy for a minute or two, but ultimately, I didn't make it for any specific audience, other than an audience of me. It might be narcissistic in the extreme, but I also like to re-read my own stuff from time to time, which perhaps makes sense, since I kinda wrote it specifically for me... (Though it's always cringe-worthy to find typos in something you've read a half-dozen times over the last couple of years, and somehow not fixed in all this time...)

A lot of times, I read another writers fanfic (or see an episode, or even a random novel or something), and regardless of how good it might be, I think it might have suited my specific tastes better if it ended thusly, and I then write an ending for it that differs from what the author did with the story. In your case, Whispers has a completely different ending in my head (which I think we talked about when I FB'd it back in the day, as where I'd thought the story was going midway through). I rarely post such drabbles, since I imagine some writers would be kinda put off that I would presume to 'fix' their work to my own liking.

I wonder if there should be a classification, the selfish writer versus the 'social' writer who is more motivated by these marketing principles and a desire for feedback? I've seen a few other writers out there who don't seem to give a hoot for feedback and are possibly trying to 'write the demons out' the same way I am, to keep an overactive imagination exercised.

Set

[(Anonymous)]

*bows before Liz in supplication*

You are a much, much smarter person than I am. I agree with just about every word of it. (Of course, you're a professional writer and I'm just a plebian reader, but still.)

I admit that I've got my comfort zones. I've got things I like to read about, and things that I don't want to read about. Some of it is stuff I'd like to have seen in canon, or even just explored a bit more, and some is stuff that I didn't like seeing in canon or that I feel was handled very badly in canon.

For instance, that's a key difference between B/A and B/S to me. Neither was exactly my first choice of 'ship, but IMO there's a galaxy of difference between how ME handled them that affects my ability to watch and appreciate them or not, and, in turn, my ability to read fanfic that features either ship.

Also, I'm not much of an anime fan. I've yet to find an anime crossover whose author understood that not everybody is as big an anime fan as they were, or tried to explain the anime part of the crossover.

Mainly, I'm a Xander-centric fan. Xander was the character that I emotionally identified with more than any other. As the show increasingly treated Xander as a disposible, unimportant character with nothing to contribute whom the writers had little interest in or respect for, I turned to fanfiction to find the stories that the show wasn't giving me. Stories that explored Xander's character, that gave him the opportunity to change and grow and challenged both the reader's and the other characters' conceptions about Xander but managed to do so without completely changing and stomping on everything I thought I knew about him or just going for shock for shock's sake.

(Part of that is that is that I understand Xander as a het character, and that I understand most of the "subtext" slashers point to as evidence of latent or potential homosexuality that wasn't pursued was actually done for the sake of comedy and not for an actual revelation about Xander's orientation. Plus, as somebody else put it, there's a lot about slash that I just...don't get. There are times when sometimes I wonder if slashfans don't believe in the existence of het males, or that het males can have actual nonromantic, nonsexual relationships with each other.)

If somebody posts a story to a Xandercentric list in which Xander merely appears and the thrust is actually about something else (say, fem-slash), or a Xandership-centric story that is really all about the other party and Xander doesn't even really have to appear at all...well, I feel that the author has mislabeled the story and posted it to the wrong forum. If you label your story as being at least in part about Xander (and to me, that includes posting it at a Xander-centric list), then you might want to consider, y'know, including Xander in the story, and not just to be utterly subordinate to or indistinguishable from whomever you pair him up with.

This doesn't mean I can't read genfic. If it's well-written, makes good use of all the characters or even just the characters featured, and is written with respect for all the characters with a minimum of bashing or favoritism, I can read and enjoy it. (A major fault of S6 and S7 for me is that, in hindsight, those seasons are really more about the Fall and Rise of Spike than any other character, and all the other characters are sacrificed to that story, Buffy included.)

Those are my major comfort/discomfort zones, anyway.

--skippcomet

From one slasher's POV

[dessert-first.livejournal.com]

There are times when sometimes I wonder if slashfans don't believe in the existence of het males, or that het males can have actual nonromantic, nonsexual relationships with each other.)

Well, they can, but why would we want them to? ;)

That said, I do love me some good het, too, whether to read it or to write it. Depends on my mood, really, and the story I want to tell.

[sunnyd-lite.livejournal.com]

Wow, what an amazingly comprehensive look at the wacky world o'fanfic. Wish I'd seen this when I first started writing, but glad to read it now, too.

One main giggle:
***It should never be, “Why don't you love meeeeeeeee?”

It should always be, “Who's my audience and how do I find them?***

A change in viewpoint that can make all the difference! Thank you for your on-going thoughtful series of essays about fanfic and Buffy.

In need of advice

[(Anonymous)]

I have often thought about writing some of my own stories, perhaps because I actually DO have a creative side that wants to express itself. I'm not a professional writer (or even an amateur), but I'd like to think that I've read enough books/articles/paperwork that I have SOME sort of idea about how it's supposed to be done. To be more specific, I've had a few BtVS story ideas but I'm holding off because I haven't yet felt ready to write anything.

I've seen all seven seasons and in fact own 'em on DVD. Therefore I have the reasearch materials, but how does one judge the timing? When is one supposed to feel ready to start? It's easy enough to procrastinate even when I don't feel I have a valid excuse, mostly because a lame excuse is enough to prevent the start of a project if I'm too nervous about it.

Right now one excuse to not write is because I haven't seen all of Angel season 5. How mundane is that? My ill-advised reasoning is that I might feel I have to make some reference to the other series and I don't yet have all the facts (my story ideas take place after BtVS season 7).

I guess what I'm looking for is encouragement in the form of an example. When did you know you were ready? Like many other fanfic readers I've seen inconsistencies in stories as it pertains to the series, but I'm only a little nervous of making that kind of mistake because as long as it isn't a HUGE difference from the show it's all forgivable.

What really gets me right now is the terminology. I honestly have no idea what canon, fanon, one-shot, drabble, shipper or quite a few other words in fanfic speak mean. I understand that having this knowledge isn't vital for storytelling, but it's enough of another lame excuse to cause hesitation.

Is writing a story for others something that one should feel completely ready for? Or is it one of those situations where I'll never feel completely ready to start and should just jump into it? The 'sink or swim' method perhaps.

The main reason my lack of knowledge in fanfic terminology keeps me from writing is that I keep thinking this puts me in a position where I don't know enough to be a part of the author experience. I'd hate to seem like an idiot the first time out. I suppose there are methods to finding info on such things, but what I'm really after is some advice from a veteran. How do you suggest I go about prepping myself? I'd ask some other questions but if I start now I could go all night (no sexist joke intended).

I'll continue to read your guideline essay in hopes that it'll eventually all sink in, and who knows? Perhaps the answer to getting started is in there and I just missed it. Wouldn't be the first time.

I have a few story ideas that I'd like to see written but don't have the guts to write myself yet. Maybe that's what those challenges are...

Anyway, keep on truckin' with the writing and I'll be sure to keep reading.

Silverkodiak

[(Anonymous)]

[quote] I've seen all seven seasons and in fact own 'em on DVD. Therefore I have the reasearch materials, but how does one judge the timing? When is one supposed to feel ready to start? [/quote]

For me it was that moment when I was watching an episode and realized that I wasn't satisfied with the execution of the themes being presented (not a shakes fist at the TV moment, just a sort of 'meh, I see where he was going, but I didn't feel a damn thing'), and had to write my own take on it, sort of 'putting my money where my mouth is' in terms of the old adage about complaining about something, and not doing something about it.

Writing for other people? Eh, still haven't mastered that yet. :)

Set

[frimfram.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm a friend of speaker2customrs. In the time-honoured fashion you describe above I just wandered over from the link you left to his latest post - this is a fascinating, inspiring article. I needed a kick in the pants, so thank you :)

[frimfram.livejournal.com]

Bad username! speakr2customrs, should've said. I don't think it's THAT bad :)

[lynnenne]

Very thoughtful and well written post. I love your idea of fanfic-as-marketing-venture. I think it's spot-on, because most of us are, to some extent, writing for an audience. I love getting feedback, positive or negative, about my stories. It doesn't even matter if someone doesn't like the fic... I just want to know that they read it and were paying attention. Yes, I am an attention whore. *g*

I've only been in fandom for about a year, and it's fascinating to learn things about its inner workings. I had no idea there was a kerfuffle when writers "jumped ship," so to speak, and started writing a different pairing. I can see why it would be disappointing to lose a favorite writer; I'd be crushed if kita0610 suddenly decided to write nothing but Spander. But that would be her choice, and I'm not gonna presume to tell her what she should write. On the other hand, if witling started writing Spike/Angel all day, all the time, I'd be doing the dance of joy. I'm not gonna get all bent out of shape just because she's decided to play in my sandbox. It would mean more great fic for my ship, and how can that ever be a bad thing?

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for this insightful post! I am a newbie and very happy to come across your post. It is encouraging to read your advice. Because although if I want to share and get connected, I still feel shy about posting my fics. The old angst of being too vulnerable... or offending someone by posting in a wrong way.

*throws no tomatoes, but bows and offers a bunch of flowers* :-)

attraction of LiveJournal?

[(Anonymous)]

One of the things you mention is the promotion of fics and making it easely availeble for the audience.
In relation to this, perhaps you can explain the attraction of LiveJournal to fanficwriters?

Because I have the idea that there are many fics of a very wide variation (in subject, size and qualety) availeble in there, but they are *very* hard to find.

(From polls in 2 different Yahoo groups, one said 68% was negative over LJ, of the other 70% had never heared of 'LJ-comunity' - and yahoo-groups aren't exactly the easiest archvies either)


Most of the Livejournal fics can only be found mainly from links inside (from one story/author to another), from links outside, and from a handfull indexes of peoples favorites on subject - and none of these are easy to use or find.
And then there is the problem that many of these links are outdated or restricted for LJ-members only.
Combining this with the fact that there is still no geneneral LJ-index on subject/characters/rating or a searchengine for LJ, most LJ-fics are hard to find for the non-writing mainstream reader.

With a little trouble a lot of fics of one's favorite subject/pairing can be found (links or a specialized author), but when occationally looking for a different type of fic, or the exclusive fic from a writer who generally writes other genres, the whole searching trouble starts all over again.

MBB