I have a question Cat; about copyright infringement, especially for current pop culture or celebrities? Did you do much research into this with the fan studies? If you have any good links to these I’d greatly appreciate it. I slept on the ideas whirling through my mind after reading your article and reply and have come up with some ideas for some famous anime and TV shows artwork mash ups surface designs but am worried I can’t sell it? Thanks again for the inspiration!
Oh, interesting question. I would say - and I have no legal knowledge or experience to back this up - that fan works generally don't rise to a level of prominence or popularity so humongous that it comes to the attention of the IP owners, and I would also guess that a lot of IP owners realize that fan art probably helps them rather than hurts them, within limits. I don't see NBC coming after people who post The Office fan fiction, and a lot of people at cons are selling superhero art that probably does rise to a definition of infringement, but it's too common to pursue it, and not worth it from a time or money perspective. So while I hesitate to say "don't worry about it" altogether, I think maybe the better advice is to experiment and see where it leads you. Can highly recommend going to a con, walking around the vendor hall, and seeing what folks are doing. A lot of it seems to indirectly inspired by various media properties, which is a good thing. You can address established audiences in ways that are adjacent or sidelong to the central IP.
Thanks! That makes sense, but also with selling online on POD platforms they can have strict takedown policies for these things. I think fan fiction is free to read? I suspect the difference is monetary compensation.
I’m in Australia so unfortunately don’t have access to these huge cons to check out what’s there! So I don’t plan to have physical products to sell. What I have done is look up public domain stuff. There’s a lot. Whether it resonates with me is another matter ☺️ but With some creativity that could work. It’s a good start at least, to tap into an existing fan base. 🙏🏻
But you also made an astute point in your JF article - it could be anything. I could choose to write nonfiction or fiction on anything and find the fan base. So surely I can find something that I’m happy to fully immerse in! Make it my thing. But Is it weird I’m oddly intimidated by committing all-in to writing about just one thing? Not sure if anyone feels this way about their writing career? Yearning for success yet scared of the work. 😿
All the questions you're raising are really important, MJ, or so I think, for what that's worth. One thing that springs to mind is that it can be best to wait to commit to a subject/topic in any major way until you see what sticks. Throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall is GOOD, not bad, because it can take a lot of trial and error to see if there's an audience for something, and whether the audience responds to your take or not, you know what I mean? Your fear of all-in commitment before time is very, very smart, rather than the opposite. I'd vote to test, learn, see what sticks.
Thanks for reply Cat! I appreciate your encouragement 🙏🏻 Often I get myself stuck in thinking that once I’m in I can’t change my mind. All that work wasted! Of course, that’s a silly notion. That would be like staying in a relationship when I’m no longer happy so I don’t waste the time I’ve already spent on it. Hah! I’ll put my thinking cap on and test out some options. Thank you for the inspo!
This is inspiring Catherine thank you! Now, is it weird I’m finding it hard to identify what or who I’m obsessed with?! 🤔
I recently bought a puppy, my first pet. Her name is Ilo and it’s been such a huge learning curve for this first time pet owner. Of course, it occurred to me that I could write a puppy diary but that oddly doesn’t appeal to me. I just don’t know why. It’s very frustrating!
I could barely finish this article because so many responses came to mind! Do you ever think you'll get to Dragon-Con? We get a lot of their traffic in my bookstore as we're nearby. In 2014 someone left a program, and I discovered that the chatty, dynamic duo from my all-time favourite film 2001:A Space Odyssey--Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood--had been guests. I was just glad to know they were alive!
I met my first wife--and ended up in New York for 12 years--because we met through an ELP fanzine, and we also love Kate Bush and Aleister Crowley, Edgar--heavy Capricorn groove--Anne Rice, Ayn Rand, Anaïs Nin, and Anton LaVey.
Finally I love Cheers--particularly Diane--and Frasier as well.
Damn, so glad to hear the post spoke to you. Fascinating about the ELP fanzine meet. People keep mentioning Dragoncon to me - I haven't been, but I hear good things. Would like to go someday. I hear you on the cool guests, too. Kerry Green was at Galaxycon Richmond, and I didn't get a chance to see her or hear her speak but I love her, and I only wish Jenny Lewis did cons, too. Might have to pick your brain about Diane/Cheers. I never watched it while it was on the air, so I'm trying to get a sense of what it felt like to watch it in its original context, particularly how the bar setting came across and why the show felt different from other shows.
I should see MASH sometime - it's not one I know at all. Re: where everybody knows your name, oh my god, there are SO many fascinating things about that set and its origin... Apparently they arranged it left to right because that's how people read. The taps really worked. Norm was drinking salty water and having to pretend to love it. Wild. I'm a big bore about it now.
So glad I rescued this post from the deep dark depths of my Promotions tab. Well done Catherine! So, to Charlotte's earlier comment about the K peeps. I won't go into the multitudinous reasons why I have a visceral reaction to the whole Kardashian grift-system ('coz it certainly ain't eco) but she raises a good point. Fairly easy to observe large communities of fans like this given it's literally everywhere all at once. But what to do when those communities are diametrically opposed, apparently, to the type of story and style that you write? Do you try and explore ways that they might find something of interest in your stories (given that people really are multi-dimensional no matter what the corporations might want to believe), or do you search for communities of people already naturally wired for the type of narrative/subject/style you write? or both?
Yes, I know my focus on sales is causing these posts to hit folks' Promotion tabs, which stinks. Not sure of a way around it yet. You raise interesting questions about writing to and against an audience at the same time. Sounds like that could lead somewhere interesting - and makes me think a trip down a deep Google rabbit hole might turn up some fascinating arcana. Just a hunch, though...
These IG accounts some fun. Makes me think I'd LOVE to see some highbrow Kardashian fan art - hilarious on its face. Somewhat similarly, the New Yorker writer Rachel Symes said a while back that she wanted to write Elizabeth Holmes/Bad Blood fan fiction and that sounded just unbelievably up my alley. Maybe yours too?
Hahaha yes!! That sounds amazing! I’m also super into Margaret Atwood and one of my most popular Instagram reels, maybe the most popular one was a super nerdy analysis of text from a few pages of the Handmaid’s Tale. You’re making me think I should do more of these and really go hard on loving Margaret Atwood.
I've never been able to promote worth 2 cents. But this article grabbed me! I'm going to print this newsletter and the others you shared. Thank you!
Glad to hear it, Linda, and thanks for reading! :)
Great articles in our "mania" culture
Subject: New Play Exchange News - AMERICAN PHANTASMAGORIA
AMERICAN PHANTASMAGORIA (Lulu.com)
AMERICAN PHANTASMAGORIA (Lulu.com)
We followed up w/them this am; stay tuned via Texas.
I have a question Cat; about copyright infringement, especially for current pop culture or celebrities? Did you do much research into this with the fan studies? If you have any good links to these I’d greatly appreciate it. I slept on the ideas whirling through my mind after reading your article and reply and have come up with some ideas for some famous anime and TV shows artwork mash ups surface designs but am worried I can’t sell it? Thanks again for the inspiration!
Oh, interesting question. I would say - and I have no legal knowledge or experience to back this up - that fan works generally don't rise to a level of prominence or popularity so humongous that it comes to the attention of the IP owners, and I would also guess that a lot of IP owners realize that fan art probably helps them rather than hurts them, within limits. I don't see NBC coming after people who post The Office fan fiction, and a lot of people at cons are selling superhero art that probably does rise to a definition of infringement, but it's too common to pursue it, and not worth it from a time or money perspective. So while I hesitate to say "don't worry about it" altogether, I think maybe the better advice is to experiment and see where it leads you. Can highly recommend going to a con, walking around the vendor hall, and seeing what folks are doing. A lot of it seems to indirectly inspired by various media properties, which is a good thing. You can address established audiences in ways that are adjacent or sidelong to the central IP.
Thanks! That makes sense, but also with selling online on POD platforms they can have strict takedown policies for these things. I think fan fiction is free to read? I suspect the difference is monetary compensation.
I’m in Australia so unfortunately don’t have access to these huge cons to check out what’s there! So I don’t plan to have physical products to sell. What I have done is look up public domain stuff. There’s a lot. Whether it resonates with me is another matter ☺️ but With some creativity that could work. It’s a good start at least, to tap into an existing fan base. 🙏🏻
Have you written any fiction based on Poe?
So helpful! Thanks!
But you also made an astute point in your JF article - it could be anything. I could choose to write nonfiction or fiction on anything and find the fan base. So surely I can find something that I’m happy to fully immerse in! Make it my thing. But Is it weird I’m oddly intimidated by committing all-in to writing about just one thing? Not sure if anyone feels this way about their writing career? Yearning for success yet scared of the work. 😿
All the questions you're raising are really important, MJ, or so I think, for what that's worth. One thing that springs to mind is that it can be best to wait to commit to a subject/topic in any major way until you see what sticks. Throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall is GOOD, not bad, because it can take a lot of trial and error to see if there's an audience for something, and whether the audience responds to your take or not, you know what I mean? Your fear of all-in commitment before time is very, very smart, rather than the opposite. I'd vote to test, learn, see what sticks.
Thanks for reply Cat! I appreciate your encouragement 🙏🏻 Often I get myself stuck in thinking that once I’m in I can’t change my mind. All that work wasted! Of course, that’s a silly notion. That would be like staying in a relationship when I’m no longer happy so I don’t waste the time I’ve already spent on it. Hah! I’ll put my thinking cap on and test out some options. Thank you for the inspo!
This is inspiring Catherine thank you! Now, is it weird I’m finding it hard to identify what or who I’m obsessed with?! 🤔
I recently bought a puppy, my first pet. Her name is Ilo and it’s been such a huge learning curve for this first time pet owner. Of course, it occurred to me that I could write a puppy diary but that oddly doesn’t appeal to me. I just don’t know why. It’s very frustrating!
Awesome post, Cat! Well articulated and astute!
Thanks for the help, man!
Catherine;
I could barely finish this article because so many responses came to mind! Do you ever think you'll get to Dragon-Con? We get a lot of their traffic in my bookstore as we're nearby. In 2014 someone left a program, and I discovered that the chatty, dynamic duo from my all-time favourite film 2001:A Space Odyssey--Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood--had been guests. I was just glad to know they were alive!
I met my first wife--and ended up in New York for 12 years--because we met through an ELP fanzine, and we also love Kate Bush and Aleister Crowley, Edgar--heavy Capricorn groove--Anne Rice, Ayn Rand, Anaïs Nin, and Anton LaVey.
Finally I love Cheers--particularly Diane--and Frasier as well.
Damn, so glad to hear the post spoke to you. Fascinating about the ELP fanzine meet. People keep mentioning Dragoncon to me - I haven't been, but I hear good things. Would like to go someday. I hear you on the cool guests, too. Kerry Green was at Galaxycon Richmond, and I didn't get a chance to see her or hear her speak but I love her, and I only wish Jenny Lewis did cons, too. Might have to pick your brain about Diane/Cheers. I never watched it while it was on the air, so I'm trying to get a sense of what it felt like to watch it in its original context, particularly how the bar setting came across and why the show felt different from other shows.
Outside is MASH, there’s never been a show in my mind that strikes the right tone immediately with the theme song.
Oh maybe the Dukes of Hazard.
Anyway, you want to go where everybody knows your name. And they are always glad you came.
You ever notice that Cheers was never packed? That always struck me as odd. 😀
I should see MASH sometime - it's not one I know at all. Re: where everybody knows your name, oh my god, there are SO many fascinating things about that set and its origin... Apparently they arranged it left to right because that's how people read. The taps really worked. Norm was drinking salty water and having to pretend to love it. Wild. I'm a big bore about it now.
You gotta watch some MASH. Humor during war, the struggles of connecting, sacrificing, and all of the human element in the middle of violence.
It was powerful.
Plus, it had a man in drag and no one got upset about it.
So glad I rescued this post from the deep dark depths of my Promotions tab. Well done Catherine! So, to Charlotte's earlier comment about the K peeps. I won't go into the multitudinous reasons why I have a visceral reaction to the whole Kardashian grift-system ('coz it certainly ain't eco) but she raises a good point. Fairly easy to observe large communities of fans like this given it's literally everywhere all at once. But what to do when those communities are diametrically opposed, apparently, to the type of story and style that you write? Do you try and explore ways that they might find something of interest in your stories (given that people really are multi-dimensional no matter what the corporations might want to believe), or do you search for communities of people already naturally wired for the type of narrative/subject/style you write? or both?
Yes, I know my focus on sales is causing these posts to hit folks' Promotion tabs, which stinks. Not sure of a way around it yet. You raise interesting questions about writing to and against an audience at the same time. Sounds like that could lead somewhere interesting - and makes me think a trip down a deep Google rabbit hole might turn up some fascinating arcana. Just a hunch, though...
Love this. I’m especially fascinated by the Kardashian fan community and the many Ig accounts that analyze the Kardashian posts and clips.
These IG accounts some fun. Makes me think I'd LOVE to see some highbrow Kardashian fan art - hilarious on its face. Somewhat similarly, the New Yorker writer Rachel Symes said a while back that she wanted to write Elizabeth Holmes/Bad Blood fan fiction and that sounded just unbelievably up my alley. Maybe yours too?
Hahaha yes!! That sounds amazing! I’m also super into Margaret Atwood and one of my most popular Instagram reels, maybe the most popular one was a super nerdy analysis of text from a few pages of the Handmaid’s Tale. You’re making me think I should do more of these and really go hard on loving Margaret Atwood.
I would watch! Please do this!
And I’m a Three Body Problem Stan myself.
I love the way you put that.