Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (0)

FanLib Part Two
May 28, 2007

Williams' disclaimer that the controversial pdf. - the one with all the questionable language about controlling writers to the max - applies only to FanLib (the fanfic events), and not FanLib.com, the fanfic aggregator site, may be true -  but it's also disingenuous. 

The intent behind both projects looks to be the same: ""Produce consumer-generated media that is ready for the marketplace. The result: More value for marketers, more manageability for producers..." (From the H.I.G. Ventures website description of FanLib. The page links directly to FanLib.com.)

Both H.I.G and my2centences employ lush, Silicon-Valley-esque terms to describe the “proprietary ‘Massively Social Storytelling™’” method used to run their on-line HarperTeen FanLit, and probably the Ghostwhisperer and L-Word, fanfic events.  They’ve applied for what appears to be a business method patent.

They’ve trademarked the word “fanisode.”  They use the words “patent” and “proprietary” and “democratically” in the same sentence.

Founder Craig Singer leaves surfer-dude messages on blogs touting this technology.

How "obvious" is this method?  It appears to be an on-line writing exercise reminiscent of round-robins.  Per Businessweek, many business method patent applications are "nothing more than combinations of age-old practices with a computer or the Internet."

The grandstanding around these projects makes me uneasy, especially...

when I see that now KEM-owned Entertainment Marketing Partners' heavy-weight Mark Stroman was hired to help Singer and Williams persuade Madison Avenue that fanfic could be used to attract the coveted and elusive young male demo - even though, after 40 years, fanfic remains almost exclusively written by women, and untouched by men in spite of the obvious opportunity and an abundance of techy Internet tools.

........................
UPDATE: It's 3:15a.m./May 29.  my2centences website is suddenly "under construction."  The supporting documentation referenced in the above graf has disappeared.  I captured a number of pdf.'s, something I do routinely.  I will repost the files shortly.

UPDATE#2:
from my files - the Mark Stroman article

from my files - the m2centences marketing pdf. for their on-line fanfic events.

UPDATE #3 -  Since my2centences has obviously flounced off with their documents in the dead of night, forcing me to repost my copies, I can't resist imbedding this icon.

(courtesy of lavenderfrost)

.............................................

As for FanLib.com and the attempt to corral and aggregate fanfic for commercial purposes, this woman immediately intuited that FanLib.com was the Emperor Has No Clothes of the Internet and interrogated one of the FanLib executives in a manner worthy of A Few Good Men.

Corralling writers to hand them (and their audience) over to advertisers and milk them for their user-generated content strikes at the heart of the rebel fanfic culture.  Because, you know, to appeal to advertisers, their faces will have to be washed first and their hair combed. "You've torn your dress, your face is a mess, how could they know?  Hot tramp, I love you so!"

Yeah - that'll go over well with the Tiffany Network (CBS).

Fanfic has always been about boldly going where no studio or network was willing to go.  Fanfic writers explored gay and lesbian relationships decades before Dawson’s Creek got around to the big kiss.

And yeah, a lot of the writers – including some of the most talented - write slash.  Yes, slash.  About gay relationships.  It’s been around since the early days of ST-TOS.  This is such old news.  Can we just talk about this without tittering please?

Sure, a lot of fanfic is silly. But I remember my first encounter with fanfic at a Trek convention in the ‘70’s.  Some of it was, and continues to be, brilliant.  Yes, occasionally fanfic is NC-17.  Shrug.

(Icon courtesy of angelofsnow.)

Fanfic writers have assiduously avoided the “limelight” FanLib is so certain writers crave.  Fanfic writers prefer their underground sanctuaries.

And they are deeply networked, especially on LiveJournal.  They’re smart – really smart - and tech savvy, building livejournals chock full of icons and other nifty tidbits. Some fandoms have set up their own extensive fic archive sites, managed by dedicated volunteers.

CLICK HERE FOR PART THREE

Posted by Mary McNamara on May 28, 2007 | Comments (0)