A thought on the state of the fanfic

[owl]

In the course of ScribeGate, I discovered that Cassandra Claire has sold an original fictional series. My first reaction was , 'Hey, she has a built-in fandom, with built in wank!'. My second reaction was, 'Hey, wait, she has a built-in fandom.'

Not to knock CC in particular, but it started me thinking. CC's said that she's not going to use 'Claire' on the front of her books (probably because http://www.cassandraclaire.com takes you to fandom_wank greatest hits—the Dean plagiarism saga), but she's posted the titles and the publisher on her LJs. Of course many of her fans will buy the books on the strength of her name alone. She will profit, indirectly, from her HP fanfiction. There's a flip side to this; she won't get away from anything she did in the fandom, as you can't cherry-pick the fans and leave the wank.

People have moved from fanfic to published work before, but HP is very high-profile and so is CC. It's almost bound to have an effect either on fanfic in general or on people making the transition. If I had an original coming out, I'd want to tell my friends in fandom too, but being a SNF, it's not such an issue.

Comments

[snarkel.livejournal.com]

All it takes is one journalist with half a brain and a fandom connection and the story would be out. Or someone misspelling her name.

The HP aspect alone makes it worth a few lines. The Dean plagarism thing, on the other hand...

I think it's a risky move for her to take. If her books make bestseller, this'll all get dug up. I don't think it would be all that hard to get the FFN folks or Dean to talk.

[owl]

I got the impression that she wasn't going to use 'Clare' either—she said she hadn't yet decided.

So that would cut off the instant original>>Draco trilogy connection, but the fandom>>original link is trivial to make. It only takes one person to blow the gaff loudly and publically.

Yes, the profiting-from-fanfic angle is unprovable, but the plagiarism thing could come back to bite her. Not to mention the various wanks she's been involved in as part of the fandom (though being wanky hasn't stopped Anne Rice yet....)

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

I am that very type of creature. I don't know if I would.... hmm, I might. Yeah, if her book turned up on my desk for me to review, I would. Yes.

[wm-law2003.livejournal.com]

Yes, but she's named one of her books the same title as a Ron/Ginny fic she wrote and if you google Cassandra *Clare* it still takes you to the *Claire* pages.

[owl]

I got the impression that she wasn't going to use 'Clare' either—she said she hadn't yet decided.

Hadn't picked up on the Ron/Ginny thing. Incest'll go down well with the book-burners, won't it?

[ravenclaw-devi.livejournal.com]

Maybe she was hoping that googling the title of said controversial fic will lead people to her book? Any advertising is good advertising...

[owl]

As long as she doesn't start creating flaming socks....

[ladylisse.livejournal.com]

I really admire her for finishing up and selling original fiction, since goodness knows I've never managed that. That said, I would never ever use anything remotely related to Lisse for actual publishing, 'cause eek.

[owl]

And she's still going at the DT, clocking in at ~1000000 words. That's pretty impressive.

[ravenclaw-devi.livejournal.com]

What? I thought that fic was finished - didn't she post the epilogue a while ago? (This is how much I'm caring... ;) )

[owl]

I think it was half an epilogue. The latest thing on her epicyclical journal is a cookie for the second part.

[ravenclaw-devi.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why someone who's been so protective of her RL identity and "No photos!" would allow for her RL work to be linked to her fandom identity (and all the wank that's connected with her fandom identity).

Ah well, she's the one who'll have to live with it. Could (I'd even say, "probably will") get her an instant readership, could also really bite her in the ass.

(And now I'm wondering if her books will have a photo of her on the cover...)

[owl]

And now I'm wondering if her books will have a photo of her on the cover...

LOL!

[leia-naberrie.livejournal.com]

Yeah I heard that. There's even a mailing list for information on the book. The last I checked, she had decided to use Cassandra Clare. I actually thought it was a smart move, business-wise.

What's this about the Dean plagiarism saga?

[owl]

CC's greatest hits: http://www.journalfen.net/community/fwgreatesthits/2663.html

I actually thought it was a smart move, business-wise.

That she had kept the name? I'm sure it'll net her thousands more sales than she otherwise would have. Personally I wouldn't want that fandom history following me.

[leia-naberrie.livejournal.com]

LOL! I Never Knew This!

Wow! *astounded, overwhelmed and completely delighted at someone's dirty laundry*....

[owl]

http://www.cassandraclaire.com takes you to that site; possibly also .org and .net.

[leia-naberrie.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, oh dear. Finally went through everything. This is so outragreously shocking! I can't believe I was so completely in the dark about this.

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

I'm just amazed someone was willing to take a chance on her considering not only the Pamela Dean thing, but that basically her Draco Trilogy has the characters spouting lines lifted directly from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (also completely uncredited). It's not been a one-time incident with her and frankly, if I were her publisher, I'd be worried she'd do it again.

[owl]

Ah, but does her publisher know? (Yet)

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

You'd think so if they did any research on her at all...

[owl]

Perhaps I should start sving copies of the Draco trilogy for posterity?

[aquarius-1977.livejournal.com]

Jean Lorrah and others have moved from Star Trek fandom to profic. It doesn't get much more high-profile than that. Lorrah hasn't stopped writing fanfic, either.