Novelist Holly Lisle promises to prosecute anybody who circulates fanfic based on her work because "fanfic writers demonstrate not just blatant disregard for, but
active antagonism toward, the wishes of individual authors on this
issue."
UPDATE (6-24-05) Holly posted this as a comment on another blog entry:
"Ten years ago, I was, if not wildly supportive of the idea of
fanfic, at least tolerant of it. A few fans asked if they could write
fanfic using my characters, I told them they could as long as they
understood that they could not publish it and that I owned all rights
to the characters, and that under no circumstances would I be willing
to read what they’d written.
Times changed, associates started having to take legal action
against people who were writing in their worlds without permission, and
I asked my fans to please discontinue writing fanfiction in my worlds.
Which they did.
There were some fanfic writers posting in these threads who said
they would respect the wishes of authors who stated clearly that they
didn’t want fanfic written around their characters or worlds.
So obviously there are still some decent people like my fans who are
writing fanfic, and I feel badly about having to post a harsh notice
informing all fanfic writers that under no circumstances will I condone
any fanfic set in my worlds, and that any such writing that IS done
will be treated as derivative work and prosecuted.
Looking at the quality of people posting here, however — people who
are actively hostile toward the creators of the original work, who hold
the rights of the original creators in complete disregard, and who
state that they don’t care whether the original creators want them
writing in their worlds or not — that they intend to do what they want
until someone forces them to stop — I’m confident that the posting of
my notice is necessary.
As for taking heat from the people who have chosen to use my
statements as an opportunity to vilify me — ah, well. They’ve also
done a pretty good job of disseminating my wishing across a number of
sites and boards, thus decreasing the chances that someone writing
fanfic in one of my worlds could claim ignorance of my clearly worded
hands-off post.
So, to all of you who have been spreading the word for me, my deepest thanks."
Holly, Holly, Holly. Wishful thinking, much?
As I already told the members of the MWA:
You HAVE no fandom. What you have is enough buyers to ensure your next book gets published. Many of your books are just commodities casually purchased at the supermarket between milk and eggs and thrown away after reading. Having enough buyers to get published and actually having a living breathing internet fandom are two totally separate things. I hate to disappoint you, but you really, really have to be popular enough first to have fans group together on the net and form actual fandoms, with archives, mailing-lists, chat rooms and, yes, writers. So, for you fanfiction will never be a problem you have to consider. Why worry about it, my dear?
kete
Who?
Holly Lisle is generous with new writers, giving time and encouragement. She’s written a number of essays and columns that many of us found invaluable when we started out. She is quick to point to other tidbits providing insight on agents, writing and publishing. She has a solid mid-list track record. From what I and many others can tell, she’s an all-around nice person.
Her views on fanfic and desire to protect her work have earned her a number of highly insulting comments on Fandom Wank. Considering the source of those comments, I’ll interpret that as a badge of honor.
Some of you so-called “fans” really are raging assholes, aren’t you?
The lady doesn’t want people ripping off her stuff. That’s it. End of story. And no matter how low an opinion you have of her books or readers, she still has way more than you’ll ever have, you or the other fanfic “writers”.
tie me up, tie me down
I just have to point out a few things: (1) he’s entitled to dislike fanfic; (2) he is getting a lot of mileage out of professing his dislike. Rydra Wong points out this very thoughtful essay by Naomi Novik, who summarizes my own opinion (which is …
That they are “fans” does not necessarily mean they are fans of Holly Lisle. In fact, they seem to be quite the opposite. That said, that Ms. Lisle does not want fanfiction of her work published is understandable. It is her right to say so. She does not speak for all writers, though. Many appreciate and even encourage their fans to explore in their worlds. A certain bestselling author who recently held a fanfiction contest, with a prize going to the fan who wrote the best story in her universe, comes to mind.
Yes I’m sure they’ll attach themselves to any authors characters, since they dwell in a creative void that needs a jump start. It’s the MO of the fanficcer parasite.
(SNORT!)
Sure, Holly, sure. If it makes you feel more secure…
What can I say? You do that, Princess. Go get those moral bankrupts. Go get ’em. Rah rah. Prosecute ’em. Call the cops.
“Hello, 9-1-1? My fans are ripping me off! They’re writing stories based on my stories! They’re interfering with my right to decide everything that’s said, done, or thought about my ideas–hello? Hello? I’m being ROBBED here! I’m, like, being VIOLATED! Hello?”
That is about her work, when she has explicitly said she doesn’t want her characters to be borrowed for fanfiction. That’s fair, but she shouldn’t generalise and say all fanfiction (of everything) is a disregard for the author’s wishes. Because it just isn’t.
Fanfic writer or not, after reading that I wouldn’t be too fussed with Holy. It just comes across as a bit “arseholeish”. Sure, it’s her right an all. But even though she proclaims that she isn’t doing this to be a “bitch”, she sure sounds like one. I’m sure there was another, much more polite way.
Lee, what is this raging war, this mass hatred you have to a group of people of whom you have never met? You’ve not met most of these people who write fanfic, and yet you shove them all in the same boat. That’s rather narrow minded of you.
I think you’re a great writer. But seriously, whether you mean to or not, you do discriminate this vast group.
Holly rather. Shit, I need to learn how to spell!
Hey no name, “I’m sure there was another, much more polite way.” — yeah, and I’m sure if Holly asked everyone nicely and said “Please please leave my stuff alone” it would be respected. Never mind that perhaps the fanficcers should be asking the authors permission first?
And Jocelyn, why would the police be involved in a civil case? Get a grip.
I’ve never seen books in the dairy case, but it sure beats online only.
I can see where she gets that impression when you see the comments here and when she reads statements like this from Naomi Novik:
Lee just because someone feels one way doesn’t mean anyone has to respect their wishes. Granted if you had any respect for the original writer you would, but some people are just assholes. It could very well be argued that anyone who would go straight against a statement like that would not be a true fan. I also wouldn’t doubt that the true fans would hound the writer of any fics. Knowing how others have done so I’d say they would probably do a far better job of punishing them than any legal action would.
Here’s the thing.
It’s one thing to say, “Don’t write fanfiction about my stories”. Fine. Most people, who like the author, will actually listen to that.
But it’s completely different to go out of your way and insult groups of fanfiction writers by saying things like:
“Fanfic is to writing what “Piss Christ” was to art.”
Why would I ever support someone who insulted me like that? I work hard on my fanfiction. I don’t compare it to original work, but it does take more effort than you seem to realize.
If JK Rowling said “Please don’t write fanfiction about Harry Potter,” I would respect that. I would stop writing it and I would still buy her books.
You people have only guaranteed that you have one less potential buyer by spouting off your holier than thou attitude. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way.
But hey, what do I know. I’m not a real writer, I’m just a person who can doesn’t need to resort to insults to discuss my opinion.
“You people have only guaranteed that you have one less potential buyer by spouting off your holier than thou attitude.”
Break out the violins.
The only time you need to break out the violins is when they’re careers start to fail from a lack of buyers.
I don’t think Lee Goldberg is the least bit worried about losing sales or eyeballs to fanficcers. Most fanficcers are rabid science fiction, horror & fantasy geeks (and students of the Klingon language, and people who line up for weeks in front of the wrong theatre for the Star Wars premiere) and make up an immeasurably small percentage of the tens of thousands of readers of Goldberg’s mystery novels books and the millions of viewers of his TV crime shows.
AS anyone even written a known fic set in one of her novels?
A rational human being” Went on to disprove truth in advertising by writing, Most fanficcers are rabid science fiction, horror & fantasy geeks (and students of the Klingon language, and people who line up for weeks in front of the wrong theatre for the Star Wars premiere)
Watch those generalisations. They’ll get you every time.
Most fanfiction writers are perfectly normal people, and seen in a group usually (in my fairly extensive experience) look like an outing of the Mothers Union.
If she doesn’t want fan fiction, that’s her right and I respect that. Any true fan of hers would respect that as well. I’m not a fan of Holly’s and I hadn’t even heard of her before coming across this thread. But, even though I’m not a fan or even familar with her work, I have no problem with not being allowed to write fan fiction based off of her work.
As a fan fiction writer, if I’m told directly not to write fan fiction for a specific fandom, then I don’t. It’s that simple and hardly anything to get bent out of shape over. That goes for both sides of the argument.
It sounds like someone’s keeping score.
“Her views on fanfic and desire to protect her work have earned her a number of highly insulting comments on Fandom Wank. Considering the source of those comments, I’ll interpret that as a badge of honor.”
I don’t think they were mocking her *desire* to protect her work so much as probable “wank” involved. Judging from her overly generalized opinion of fan fiction writers, I can see how she made it to F_W. It worked for Mr. Goldberg. *waves in Lee’s direction*
“The lady doesn’t want people ripping off her stuff. That’s it. End of story. And no matter how low an opinion you have of her books or readers, she still has way more than you’ll ever have, you or the other fanfic “writers”.”
Oh please. Fan fiction is a hobby, nothing more, nothing less. If I or any other fan fiction writer was looking for personal gain, we’d become professional writers and live happily ever after in Royalty Land.
Besides, just because I’m a fan fiction writer doesn’t mean I automatically have a low opinion of an author who refuses to let me write in their fandom.
Stop generalizing!
Lee, I thought you’d like to know. I’ve never read any of your books. (Don’t watch the series most of them are based on.) But given the fact that you’ve pissed off all the right people, I think I’ll start.
Amused: I was talking to the person who was attempting to insult Holly by saying that she had no fans, and was not “worthy” of the massive “compliment” of fanfic. My comment was meant to show that she has more fans than that person, or any other fanficcers, will ever have. They made with the insult, I merely returned the favour.
JIMBO:”My comment was meant to show that she has more fans than that person, or any other fanficcers, will ever have.”
Hmph. The fact that you felt the need to throw “other fanficcers” in that comment and your response to my post makes me doubt that very well.
Believe it or not, fan fiction authors can have fans, or did you think that in order to have a following, one must be professionally published? If this is the case, I highly suggest you get out more.
And thank you, thank you for continuing to generalize.
Well, Jimbo, I have an average of 5,000 readers reading my fic. And I’m not even a very popular writer. Cassandra Claire, who wrote “The Very Secret Diaries” in LOTR and “The Draco Trilogy” in HP has way more than 10,000 readers waiting for every new chapter. How’s that?
kete
Okay kete, and how many of your readers would read your stuff if it wasn’t based on an existing set of characters that they already love? You said yourself you’re not even that popular, that would seem to imply that a lot of them are just desperate to read *anything* that features their favourite character. That’s assuming there really are 5000 readers, and not just 5000 web hits, which is another story altogether.
I’m sure Holly isn’t worried about you overtaking her in the readership department, seeing as she makes a living out of it. And considering the incredibly bitchy, patronising, and just plain fucktarded (Copyright Tod Goldberg 2005) original comment you posted here, I’m sure her life is much brighter without you in it.
<>
How do you know you have 5000 “fans?” Are you counting hits? What? Fan mail. I doubt it. Please, Kete, tell us how you know the exact number of Klingon-speaking mouth-breathers and Harry Potter/Draco masturbators reading your stuff.
Holly Lisle, by comparison, has easily TENS OF THOUSANDS of fans based on the sales of her dozens of books (look her up on Amazon and you’ll get a taste of just how successful she is). I don’t know her sales figures, but the average mass market paperback has a printing of 50,000 or more. Many of her books have gone into multiple printings. You do the math. She HAS fans. You have clicks. And I would argue it’s the show or book you’re ripping off that has fans, not your amazing writing skills. That you could even compare yourself to Holly Lisle is amazing to me. The attitude of entitlement, arrogance, and superiority of all you fanficcers is astonishing, especially that Novic lady. No wonder Goldberg and other pros are pissed off. I’m not a writer and they pissed ME off.
I don’t think Holly Lisle is really doing all that well.
http://www.fmwriters.com/community/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=17&topic_id=54139&mode=full
Sorry, the address got cut off.
http://www.fmwriters.com/community/dc/dcboard.php?
az=show_topic&forum=17&topic_id=54139&mode=full
This leads me to believe Holly isn’t a person who can afford to piss fans off. I guess it’s too late for that though.
Now, Jimbo and blank, I hear the following about Holly:
“The one that Holly Lisle wrote, though? BDSM incest, disembowled puppies, and demonic assrape. That’s all you need to know. Ever.”
http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/732225.html?thread=68374081#t68374081
I think I stick with fanfic, thank you very much.
Btw, I never said I had fans. I said I have readers. And yes, I have counters installed on my sites. Would anybody read my stuff if I wouldn’t write in the fandoms I do? No, probably not. Do I care? No, why should I? Writing fanfic is my hobby like knitting or building model planes is the hobby of other people. I like to do it, some people like to read it. Fine.
And regarding money I always stick to the old rule that one shouldn’t talk about it, one should have it, dear. So, no need for me to sell anything. I couldn’t deal with writing against deadlines anyway.
kete
Your original comment was about Holly’s fans. I suggested that she had more than you. You said you had 5000 readers, implying that that meant you had plenty of fans. Then you said they’re not fans, they’re readers. Which would mean Holly has more fans than you. Thankyou for proving my point for me, do you take cash or PayPal?
It’s fine if you don’t like her books, or decide not to read them based on other reviews. But don’t try to pretend she has no fans, you know very well that’s not the case. Your original comment still stands as a twisted, bitter little snark, no matter how noble your opinions on money.
You know, when all this started, I thought fanfic was a fairly harmless thing, the fanficcers a reasonable crowd. I’ve changed my opinion after seeing some of the complete asshattery on display here and in other threads, it’s left a very unpleasant taste in my mouth (and it’s not even Friday night).
Oh, I don’t doubt that Holly has a few fans, after all she sells a few books. But she has no fandom – meaning enough fans to group together and organise themselves in mailing-lists and message-boards etc. Also, try as I might I couldn’t google a single fanfic based on one of her stories. So, threatening to sue fanficcers who are just not interested in her is like a homeless person threatening to sue someone for of breaking and entering. Ridiculous.
kete
The Fan Fiction Rant
I am not rational on the topic of fan fiction. Well, actually, I can be, and in this essay, I will endeavor to be. But people who know me well also know that this is one topic that can make my eyes spin round like pinwheels and steam come out of my ears. In fact, I would venture to say that knowing this brings them great delight in provoking such a show several times a year when the topic comes up at a convention or in a discussion group.
So, rather than continue to publicly rant, unreeling endlessly my venomous diatribe against fan fiction, I thought I’d gather my bile and spill it all here, in a logical and organized flow. Hereafter, I shall simply refer those who query to the infamous red shoe gripped by the mad woman in the attic.
To start my rant, I will first define exactly what fan fiction is, to me. Others may have a wider or narrower definition, but when I am speaking of the stuff I dislike, this is what I mean. Fan fiction is fiction written by a ‘fan’ or reader, without the consent of the original author, yet using that author’s characters and world.
A few specific notes about this definition.
‘Without the consent of the original author’ This means it doesn’t include someone writing a Darkover story, with Marion Zimmer Bradley’s permission. It does include someone writing a Darkover story without Marion Zimmer Bradley’s permission, even if MZB had allowed others to use her world. It does not include professional authors writing Star Trek or X-Files or Buffy the Vampire Slayer stories. All those stories are written and then published with the consent of the copyright owner. Media tie-in novels are not what I’m talking about here. Those stories are not, by my definition, fan fiction.
Now that I’ve defined it, why do I dislike it so much? What, I am often asked, is the harm in fan fiction? I am told that I should be flattered that readers like my stories enough to want to continue them. Another justification is that writing fan fiction is a good way for people to learn to be writers. A fourth point that is often made is that fan fiction doesn’t attempt to make money off the stories, so it doesn’t really violate anyone’s copyright. And finally, I am usually chastised for trying to suppress people’s creativity, or suppressing free speech.
So let me take each of those points one at a time.
“What is the harm in it?”
I might counter by demanding to know ‘What is the good of it?’ I’ll resist that temptation.
Fan fiction is like any other form of identity theft. It injures the name of the party whose identity is stolen. When it’s financial identity theft, the thief can ruin your credit rating. When it’s creative identity theft, fan fiction can sully your credit with your readers. Anyone who read fan fiction about Harry Potter, for instance, would have an entirely different idea of what those stories are about than if he had simply read J.K. Rowling’s books. In this way, the reader’s impression of the writer’s work and creativity is changed. My name is irrevocably attached to my stories and characters. Writers who post a story at Fanfiction.net or anywhere else and identify it as a Robin Hobb fan fiction or a Farseer fan fiction are claiming my groundwork as their own. That is just not right.
“I should be flattered that readers like my stories enough to want to continue them.”
That’s not flattering. That’s insulting. Every fan fiction I’ve read to date, based on my world or any other writer’s world, had focused on changing the writer’s careful work to suit the foible of the fan writer. Romances are invented, gender identities changed, fetishes indulged and endings are altered. It’s not flattery. To me, it is the fan fiction writer saying, “Look, the original author really screwed up the story, so I’m going to fix it. Here is how it should have gone.” At the extreme low end of the spectrum, fan fiction becomes personal masturbation fantasy in which the fan reader is interacting with the writer’s character. That isn’t healthy for anyone.
At the less extreme end, the fan writer simply changes something in the writer’s world. The tragic ending is re-written, or a dead character is brought back to life, for example. The intent of the author is ignored. A writer puts a great deal of thought into what goes into the story and what doesn’t. If a particular scene doesn’t happen ‘on stage’ before the reader’s eyes, there is probably a reason for it. If something is left nebulous, it is because the author intends for it to be nebulous. To use an analogy, we look at the Mona Lisa and wonder. Each of us draws his own conclusions about her elusive smile. We don’t draw eyebrows on her to make her look surprised, or put a balloon caption over her head. Yet much fan fiction does just that. Fan fiction closes up the space that I have engineered into the story, and the reader is told what he must think rather than being allowed to observe the characters and draw his own conclusions.
When I write, I want to tell my story directly to you. I want you to read it exactly as I wrote it. I labor long and hard to pick the exact words I want to use, and to present my story from the angles I choose. I want it to speak to you as an individual. It’s horribly frustrating to see all that work ignored and undone by someone else ‘fixing’ it. If you don’t like the stories as they stand, I can accept that. But please don’t tinker with them.
The extreme analogy: You send me a photograph of your family reunion, titled ‘The Herkimer’s Get Together’. I think it looks dull. So I Photo-Shop it to put your friends and relations into compromising positions in various stages of undress. Then I post it on the Internet, under the title ‘The Herkimers Get Together’, and add a note that it was sent to me from Pete Herkimer of Missoula, Montana. Suddenly there is your face and name, and the faces of the people you care about, doing things that you would never do. Are you flattered that I thought your photograph was interesting enough to use? Or are you insulted and horrified? Are you alarmed that I so clearly connected work that is not yours to your good name?
“Fan fiction is a good way for people to learn to be writers.”
No. It isn’t. If this is true, then karaoke is the path to become a singer, coloring books produce great artists, and all great chefs have a shelf of cake mixes. Fan fiction is a good way to avoid learning how to be a writer. Fan fiction allows the writer to pretend to be creating a story, while using someone else’s world, characters, and plot. Coloring Barbie’s hair green in a coloring book is not a great act of creativity. Neither is putting lipstick on Ken. Fan fiction does exactly those kinds of things.
The first step to becoming a writer is to have your own idea. Not to take someone else’s idea, put a dent in it, and claim it as your own. You will learn more from writing one story of your own, no matter how bad it is, than the most polished Inuyasha fan fiction that you write. Taking that first wavering step out into the unknown territory of your own imagination is what it is all about. When you can write well enough to carry a friend along, then you’ve really got something. But you aren’t going to get anywhere clinging to the comfort of saying, “If I write a Harry Potter story, everyone will like it because they already like Harry Potter. I don’t have to describe Hogwarts because everyone saw the movie, and I don’t have to tell Harry’s back story because that’s all done for me.”
Fan fiction is to writing what a cake mix is to gourmet cooking. Fan fiction is an Elvis impersonator who thinks he is original. Fan fiction is Paint-By-Number art.
Fan fiction doesn’t attempt to make money off the stories, so it doesn’t really violate anyone’s copyright.
I beg your pardon?
Where did you get the idea that copyright is all about money? Copyright is about the right of the author to control his own creation. That includes making money off it. But it also includes refusing to sell movie rights, or deciding that you’re not really proud of your first novel and you don’t wish to see it republished. It’s about choosing how your work is presented. Under copyright, those rights belong to the creator of the work.
I’ve seen all those little disclaimers on stories at fanfiction.net and elsewhere. Legally and morally, they don’t mean a thing to anyone. “I don’t make any claims to these characters.” “I don’t want to make any money off this story.” That isn’t what it is about, and yes, you are still infringing on copyright even if you make those statements. Yes, the author can still sue you, even if you put up those statements.
If you don’t believe me, please go to http://www.chillingeffects.org/fanfic/faq and read what is there. They are pointing out to you that fan fiction can infringe copyright.
“You’re trying to suppress people’s creativity.”
No. I’m doing the opposite. I’m trying to encourage young writers (or writers of any age) to be truly creative. Elvis impersonators are fun for an occasional night out, but surely you don’t want to spend your life being a Rowling or Hobb or Brooks impersonator, do you? What is wrong with telling your own stories? Put in the work, take the chance, and if you do it right, stand in your own spotlight.
“I have a free speech right to put my fan fiction on the Internet.”
Do I have a free speech right to write pornography and post it under your name? Do I have a free speech right to put a very poor quality product in the public eye, and connect it to a work that belongs to you? Please try to think of this in terms of your own life and career. It doesn’t matter if you are a writer or a plumber or an aerospace engineer. You have the right to receive credit for the work you do. No one should take that credit from you. No one should be able to connect your good name to work you did not create yourself.
You certainly have a free speech write to post your own fiction on the Internet or anywhere else, and I heartily encourage you to do so.
If you’re really tempted to write fan fiction, do this instead.
List all the traits of the book or character that you liked.
List all the parts that you didn’t like.
List the changes you would make to improve the story.
List all changes necessary so that the changes you want don’t contradict the world, culture, morality or plot of the original story.
Change the proper nouns involved.
Change the setting to one of your own.
Write your story. Write the paragraphs that describe the world. Write the ones that introduce the characters. Write the dialogue that moves your plot along. Write down every detail that you want your reader to know.
Then publish it however you like.
Know that if it’s a bad story, it would still be a bad story even if you had kept the original names and settings. But at least what you now have is your bad story, not your bad imitation of someone else’s story. And it years to come, you don’t have to be ashamed of it anymore than I’m ashamed of my early efforts.
I will close this rant with a simple admonition.
Fan fiction is unworthy of you.
Don’t do it.
Megan Lindholm–
your biggest problem with fanfiction (aside from your concern for our development as writers, for which we kindly thank you, I’m sure) seems to be a fear that something close to you is being violated/warped/altered against your will; that someone is keeping you from ‘choosing how your work is presented.’ you say you wanted to tell the story exactly as you told it, present it as you intended for it to be presented.
well, congratulations– you did.
that’s already done; it’s going to *stay* done. What i don’t understand about your colorful analogies is the way you assume that derivative efforts are capable of warping or changing the original work. anyone that is going to read fanfiction based on an existing property is already familiar with that property. Most likely, they’ve already purchased the hell out of that property (especially if they’re buying klingon dictionaries and star wars movie tickets, ey?)
The property itself *has not been affected.* It is still there, right where you put it. no one can unwrite what you’ve already written. the existence of a story in which Luke Skywalker is having a mad passionate love affair with Han Solo does not in any way compromise the integrity of the ‘real’ version of the story.
idea: fanfiction *is not your work edited.* it is *new* work based on yours.
I don’t write fanfiction, and you (ha)probably don’t read it, but you’ve most likely come across the term ‘canon’ elsewhere. in the fandom, ‘canon’ refers to the original property. it’s a given that fanfiction is *not* canon, but rather a divergence from the canon into that fan-author’s personal tangent (whatever it may be). but the canon, the original work in it’s original form, is always there. the original author always receives credit for the creation of the world, but no blame for what others choose to do with it. there is never any question of exactly who is to thank for creating strong enough characters that the people who read about them and form impressions of them are compelled to share those impressions with others, just as there is never any confusion as to whether the original creator of the property is involved with the narrative efforts of a fan. fanfiction is free advertising, a version of word-of-mouth. it keeps fans interested in the original property, but no-one thinks it *is* the original property.
you like analogies. here:
fanfiction writers are not turning your ken doll into a drag queen. they’re holding up a mirror, and scribbling green lipstick on the reflection. your ken doll is safe, so is your work.
no matter how someone defiles your family photos, the picnic happened the way you remember it, and you’ve still got the negatives.
the toaster manufacturer is not held responsible for the guy that goes bathing with it. you are not held responsible for the bad plotting/grammar/spelling/porn.
if you’ve killed off a character, that character’s going to stay dead no matter how many distraught fans write his eyes open.
we all know it’s not *really* elvis– just a guy who admires the king.
…you seem to see fanfiction as a threat to you; I fail to see why.
“Holly, Holly, Holly. Wishful thinking, much?
As I already told the members of the MWA:
You HAVE no fandom. What you have is enough buyers to ensure your next book gets published. Many of your books are just commodities casually purchased at the supermarket between milk and eggs and thrown away after reading. Having enough buyers to get published and actually having a living breathing internet fandom are two totally separate things. I hate to disappoint you, but you really, really have to be popular enough first to have fans group together on the net and form actual fandoms, with archives, mailing-lists, chat rooms and, yes, writers. So, for you fanfiction will never be a problem you have to consider. Why worry about it, my dear?”
What an absolutely vicious comment. Holly Lisle is a talented writer with many readers, and this steaming bit of bile has no relevance to the debate on whether or not fanfiction is flattering or insulting.