Interesting

[ithildin]

Saw this on a comm I'm on:

"The online storytelling community destination fuses the power of the Web with the passion of the most avid entertainment fans. FanLib.com provides fans with a new home to write, showcase, discover, rant and rave about their favorite movies, TV shows, and books.

The launch of FanLib.com represents the coming of age of fan fiction, or "fanfic." Fan fiction is the original consumer generated media — original works of fiction written by fans and based on their favorite TV, film and book characters.

FanLib.com launches with co-promotional partners including HarperCollins, Penguin Books, Showtime Networks, Simon & Schuster, and Starz Entertainment. The launch partners are heavily featured and have customized marketing integrated on the site while providing promotion for FanLib.com."

Comments

[unovis-lj.livejournal.com]

Uh, yeah. Desperate to find some way of feeding on us, aren't they?

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I just find it very odd that publishers are putting money into a fanfic site. What's with that?

[jinxed-wood.livejournal.com]

But...but where are the crossovers? And do MSN, harpercollins, etc, have a say in the content. Is this a way of keeping a closer eye on the ficcers? Will they sue, or complain, if they see something they don't like?

Questions, questions...

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

There are crossovers, but stories seem to only be listed by fandom, like fanfiction.net. Though unlike ff.net, you can actually list all the fandoms in the story.

I find it very strange that actual companies are putting money into this.

[jinxed-wood.livejournal.com]

But a company won't put money in unless they think they'll get money out...hmm, maybe I'll post a short story and see what happens!

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I got an account so I could snag Ithildin. I think I also shall try posting there and see what's what. They seem to have some sort of transfer function so you can copy over fic you have on other archives. That would make it easy if it worked!

[unovis-lj.livejournal.com]

I can't stand outside interests setting themselves up as offering the best fic around -- or the appearance that what they're offering hasn't been offered by genuine fan-run archives for years. Even so, I registered to protect my name; doubt I'll ever put anything up there. Looks like they're attracting very marginal stuff by young writers.

[sophiedb.livejournal.com]

There's a thread about this on fanthropology too, mainly debating what FanLib's definition of "mainstream" means for the site's content, i.e. slash. Common as muck on LJ, read by many etc, but will the "promotional partners" find this acceptable enough to support or will they quietly sidle away from that end of the market?

http://community.livejournal.com/fanthropology/341159.html

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link!

[dejla.livejournal.com]

It's a little unnerving. It always unnerves me when TPTB start paying attention to us.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

IT'S A COOKBOOK!!

Err... sorry bout that [g]

Love it

[gideonblaze.livejournal.com]

To Serve Man. Nice reference.

Re: Love it

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

You win the sooooper doooper grand prize!! [applause] [cheers]

[dejla.livejournal.com]

Errr... what?

[dejla.livejournal.com]

Damn. I'm such an idiot. It's such a perfect reference. Sigh.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

No, you're not! I'm just a hopeless geek :)

I dunno.......

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

I'm not keen on the idea.

Re: I dunno.......

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

It certainly makes you wonder.

[carenejeans.livejournal.com]

That press release is creepy, Wally.

The passion of the most avid entertainment fans is already fused with the web. It's superglued to the web. It's like siamese twins with the web. The passion of the most avid entertainment fans and the web have a soul bond.

And "people-powered," right. "Powered by people who give us stuff for free so we can grab big corporate investor dollars" is more like it.

BTW, one of the FanLib PR people is over on that fanthropology post, whining about all the negative and "hateful" things that are being spread about it on LJ. Heh. If they're going to be doing business in fandom, they'd better get thicker skins. Well, if they're going to be doing business at all, geez. It's a doggie dog world out there! Ruff!

You're right -- IT'S A COOKBOOK! And I'm not getting on board.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Geez, if you're being paid, then deal! Fandom isn't for the fainthearted [g]

So are we appetizers or the main course?