Fanworks vs. Published Works
Okay, so, I was on Reddit and there was this discourse of fanfic v. published work, and how the lines are beginning to blur more and more, particularly among readers, and how dangerous this is for fandom spaces because fanfic is not designed for the same sort of engagement one has with a published work. They look similar and feel similar, but equating them can be devastating for fanfic writers, particularly if people start reviewing and critiquing fanworks the same way they do published works.
The comparison on that subredditāwhich I had never encountered but might well have been around forever and new to no one but me because sometimes I do live in a caveāwas that fanfic is like a potluck. And I love that because it's 100% accurate.
At a potluck, you make something for people to enjoy out of love. Itās really shitty to go to a potluck, then walk up to someone who made what you believe is a subpar casserole and start in like youāre a food critic. Youāre missing the point of the potluck. And youāre kind of a dick.
In a restaurant, the rules are different, just like in the publishing industry. You select a restaurant, you pay for a meal, and if the meal isnāt to your liking, you can leave the restaurant a review on Google or Yelp or the platform of your choice (assuming you didnāt just throw a tantrum in the restaurant itself, but thatās another discussion). And sure, YMMV from other dinersā experiences, but even if everyone loves this restaurant and you donāt, itās perfectly acceptable to leave a subpar review listing the reasons why it didnāt meet your standards. Itās fodder for future diners to consider at this point, less for the restaurant itself. The way book reviews are meant to be for readers, not the author. The author will see it, they might get annoyed, but unless they want their career to go up in smoke, they wonāt respond. Just like restaurant owners who go nuclear on bad reviews, word spreads when someone canāt take criticism.
And no, itās still not cool to critique someoneās potluck dish even if that person is a professional chef. They still elected to invest their time, talent, and creativity to bring that dish to the potluck and are getting nothing out of it but the satisfaction of their dish being enjoyed. The potluck should be a safe space for everyoneāthe chef knows to expect unsatisfied customers at work; when theyāre at play, when theyāre relaxed and enjoying something with a chosen community, itās really shitty to start acting like a customer in the restaurant. You donāt have to love what they brought but keep it to yourself and go try something else.
As a published author, it bothers me a lot more when people invade my fanfic space to be critical than it does any of the 20+ works I have for sale on Amazon and other vendors, and this is why. Fanfic is more personal because itās unpaid labor created out of love and a desire for community. Itās not a commodity, and treating it like that is how you murder joy and, for some creators, sometimes the drive to ever create again.
So donāt be a dick at the potluck, okay?
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