[ SECRET POST #3203 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3203 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 062 secrets from Secret Submission Post #458.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

06. http://i.imgur.com/oTZdW1T.png

[(Anonymous)]

It's pretty shitty to pressure people into buying your shit, especially after they've expressed a disinterest.

You're in the right here.

[(Anonymous)]

*buying their shit

haha whoops

[(Anonymous)]

ahhh it was righter the first time

ignore me

[(Anonymous)]

Constantly soliciting someone obviously uninterested is what is rude. It's not criticizing someone to tell them what you want and what you don't. Them being a college student has nothing to do with anything.

(And this doesn't even begin to address the ethics of writing fanfic for profit, which is certainly debatable.)

[(Anonymous)]

I still can't get over my ingrained knee-jerk response to people commissioning fanfic, especially outside of a charity auction. I know it's not actually that strange, but I'm so used to people going to great lengths to disclaim that they're making no money from their fanfic, so please don't send a C&D letter or sue me, etc, etc.

[(Anonymous)]

OP here
Yeah I have the same uncomfortableness. I mean like for charity auctions I'm more lenient (though if the cause is good, I tend to just donate) and... I guess it's just the new thing to do? When I started out in fandom, disclaimers were eeeeverywhere too.

[iggy]

I used to be like this too. It took me years, but I finally got over it.

If people can draw fanart for profit, writers should be able to write fic for profit. Being a writer myself, I think I finally just went y'know fuck this if artists can make money off fandom writers can too.

[diet_poison]

Honestly, people who pester others to buy stuff in general are annoying, and I don't blame you for being irritated. It's like having a salesman constantly knocking on your door. Selling a good or service is perfectly legit; trying to shove it down others' throats isn't, even if you really need the money (and it won't really help you get customers, either).

Unrelated to the above: the art used in this secret is gorgeous!

[(Anonymous)]

Exactly. Even at where I work, if we have deals or coupons or whatever that we offer customers who are actually IN the store and browsing and shopping, and I mention those special offers and sales to the customers, and they say no thanks, they're not interested...then I just drop it. I'm not going to continue hassling and pleading with them and leave them feeling all irritated and annoyed.

[(Anonymous)]

That's really pretty art. What's the fandom?

[(Anonymous)]

Rikka and Makoto from Dokidoki Precure!

It's not official art (I don't think).

[caerbannog]

I can't stand when people pressure or otherwise try to manipulate people into commissioning them. Making ends meet sucks but that doesn't mean you can't take the time to display your work and advertise it rather than preying on friends and the easily influenced >:(

[ketita]

I agree with what everybody else said, so not going to repeat, but I think the added wtf here is that you're an author yourself.
Obviously you could write a lot of what you're interested in? It's so weird to expect that out of all the people, you'd be the one to even want to commission her for a fanfic. I'd assume most interest would be for people who don't write themselves...

[(Anonymous)]

I think, in our fandom at least (unrelated to the image), commissions have kind of taken over giftfics? Like, after looking at the AO3 listing of "for _____" fics, most of them are noted to be commissions (with a link to the author's tumblr commissions' page at the bottom of the fic). So whereas before, you might ask a close friend for a fic/art trade, I'm guessing now you'll just ask them to commission you?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm surprised there's been no wank about paying someone for fanfic. That's been a controversial topic at FS in the past, with people being mostly okay with fanart commissions, but really touchy about doing the same for fanfic. Either way, it's kind of crappy of her to pressure you. You could probably step up the firm "no" a little without being nasty about it.

"Thanks, but I'm good. I will let you know if I ever need a commission done."

"I appreciate your offers, but I'm working on my own fics at the moment."

"It's nice you're willing to do commissions, but you're asking me a lot and it's putting me in an awkward position. I don't want to commission a fic. If I ever change my mind, I will let you know, but please stop asking."

[(Anonymous)]

(OP here)
To be honest, I'm not very comfortable with the idea of commissioning fanart either. It's just bordering the fair-use policy for me. BUT I'm not going to rain on other people's parades especially when you have the existence of 50 shades which S. Meyer is totally okay with so maybe times are changing.

If we were the same age, I probably would, but I remember being really emotional when I first started college too and, um, waiting tables to make nonexistent ends meet (in retrospect, I reeeally should have concentrated on my grades rather than making a quick buck) so I'm just venting on F!S about it. Despite my snideness here, I actually do like talking with her. Our's is a tiny fandom and there are maaaybe a dozen writers in it so I'm happy enough to have a ficwriting friend to talk about the fandom with.

[iggy]

She pressures you individually?

Like if she's just plugging it repeatedly on her blog or whatever, fine. But it's so... weird to me that she'd continually ask a specific person to commission her.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh well the context is we're fandom friends on IM as well and sometimes she talks about being a Poor College Student and I express sympathy and then she links me to her commissions page and asks me to commission her.

To be fair we talk about other things too and obviously I haven't shared my opinions on fanfic commissioning with her, but whenever she brings it up, I just cringe.

Furthermore, I don't think she can make enough to solve her financial problems with her commission rates, but I guess every little bit helps?

[(Anonymous)]

i'm a fanfic writer who (tries to) sell commissions to people - but i charge by word count more than the actual content. and honestly, i just want to apologize because i know i advertise pretty often.

but on the other hand, it feels it's easier to advertise for fanart than fanfic. fanart is hand drawn (either digitally or not) while fanfic - it's a little harder. i feel like i'm selling myself a lot short.

i get you, i do, but i think if you really are tired of her advertisements, it might be time to just tell her.

[(Anonymous)]

All the fic commissions I've seen charge by word count as well.

IDK I have the same problem with both which is that there is very little accountability involved. I mean when they return your money to you after you've waited for months with an apology that they either don't have the inspiration or don't need commission money anymore.

Best of luck with your commissions though anon! As previously noted, not really raining on anyone's parade and I agree that if fanfic commissions should be viewed with the same standards as fanart.

[(Anonymous)]

As an artist who has at times been asked for commissions, I just wanted to say I'm really impressed with the people who can consistently fulfill commissions. I couldn't possibly consider fanart as a source of additional income and seem to have some inability to draw well when prompted to do so. I imagine some fanfic writers are in similar straits. So if there is demand and they have the ability to draw/writer/whatever on command, then why not make use of that talent?

OTOH I would hate to be pestered to commission anyone, especially for stuff I already make for myself. Like... like selling refrigerators to people who live in igloos lol.

[(Anonymous)]

MTE.

I totally thought I could write for money because I love writing and I love writing fanfic and I love writing fanfic for my (already popular) OTP. But it turns out I just can't. :(

Super jealous of people who can though. At times I think, no WAY that's a commissioned work. Except it totally is and it's still amazing. ::sigh::

[litalex]

I've heard of commissioning artwork, but never fic... Seems wonky.

[(Anonymous)]

I know where you're coming from, OP. Just as others have said though, you may need to discreetly tell your friend that although you like their fic, it's kind of rude for them to keep begging you to commission them. I have a friend who also does fic commissions, and I do love their writing, but I made the mistake of saying that maybe I'd commission them eventually. They took it as I would definitely commission them and they kind of started harassing me about it. I had to be blunt and just say that even though I do like their writing, it doesn't mean that I'm obligated to commission them. They've backed off since then, but it was still kind of an awkward situation.