[ SECRET POST #4655 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4655 ⌋

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

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08. [SPOILERS for Chicago Med]

[Conner/Ava]







Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 00 secrets from Secret Submission Post #666.
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

[(Anonymous)]

I feel like your wording is doing you a bit of disservice. I'm also going to say that the average fanficcer doesn't care enough about writing to write an original novel and go professional whether or not they self-pub or go through the query process and traditionally pub.

Traditionally published works are what publishers think are a "sure thing" that are going to make back their advances. They choose things that fit their genre rules and page counts to make as much money as possible. And that's their right. The quality still runs the spectrum of amazing to 'who thought this was a good idea. If this can get published, so can I.' And b/c publishing houses are trying to save money, no one is getting more than one edit now a days.

Self-publishing is a lot of work and the idea that you can throw out something that is unedited and unpolished and have it be okay is no longer acceptable. (Though there will always be those chasing algorithms b/c amazon allows this bullshit.) The advantages to self-publishing are that there are indies out there with mixed genres you won't see in bookstores, from diverse voices you won't see in bookstores, about topics traditional publishers don't want to touch.

Kind of like webcomics.

As a self-pubbed author that has written both fanfic and original fic. If you want to improve your fanfic, you have to treat it like original fic. And you have to want to do so. Most don't because it's a hobby. You have to spend the time to care about writing descriptions, fleshing out canon and original characters, and yes, making a plot with a believable conflict. Fanfic has things that original fic can learn from, such as starting in the middle of things, ignoring description unless it is necessary and characters, characters, characters.

Also, the idea that original fiction is superior is maybe 120 or so years old? Before that people truly believed original ideas didn't sell. You had to rewrite myths and fables and make tales of the lives of the King to get ahead.

From your other comments, you're talking about PWP fics and I'm not sure what fandoms you're running in b/c that's not even even the majority of fanfics word count wise in the fandoms I've been in.

May I recommend Indie Connects Books? It's a curated list of indie published books with decent writing that has been edited. Though, I don't know if any will be to your taste. Good Luck?

https://www.indieconnectbooks.com/

[silverr]

Excellent points, especially

"If you want to improve your fanfic, you have to treat it like original fic. And you have to want to do so. Most don't because it's a hobby. You have to spend the time to care about writing descriptions, fleshing out canon and original characters, and yes, making a plot with a believable conflict. Fanfic has things that original fic can learn from, such as starting in the middle of things, ignoring description unless it is necessary and characters, characters, characters."

[(Anonymous)]

Seconding this. I particularly liked/agreed with that passage as well.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks. That was personal experience.

Being part of both communities (Fanfiction and self-pubbed fiction with a side of trad pubbed news) it's fascinating and frustrating. I see the OPs attitude a lot from readers and self-published/trad authors that haven't ever written fanfic.

It really starts to eat at authors who end up thinking they aren't good enough and they shouldn't take the opportunity to publish their words. Which saddens me b/c they're my friends and I don't want them to feel that way! Especially when I know they've hired editors and paid for book covers and put sweat and tears into their writing to make it good.

A lot of us care, we do.