Believe it or not! The choice is yours!

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Title:	Believe it or not! The choice is yours!
Creator:	Martha/Child of the Night
Date(s):	April 20, 1990
Medium:	online
Fandom:	Anne Rice
Topic:
External Links:	Believe it or not! The choice is yours!, Archived version also also embedded at the end of Immortals of the Insurrection - Louis - Fan Fiction: The Fan Fiction Controversy, Archived version
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Believe it or not! The choice is yours! is an April 20, 2000 post to alt.books.anne-rice by Martha/Child of the Night.

Introduction

"BELOW IS A SATIRICAL PIECE OF WORK.

HOWEVER, IS IT A SATIRE OF A WOMAN WHO WORKS FOR A MAJOR PUBLISHER? OR IS IT A SATIRE OF A SATIRE AND THEREFORE AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT THAT ANNE'S WARRING FANS SHOULD READ?

YOU USE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT AND DECIDE WHETHER THIS MESSAGE IS REAL OR NOT.

I SAY ITS A SATIRE, WHETHER YOU BELIEVE ME OR NOT IS UP TO YOU!"

Related Pages

• Spec Writer Massacre
• Rice's Attitudes Regarding Fans and Fanfiction Based on Her Work: Official Policies

From the Essay

Many of you have been very upset about Anne Rice's stance on fan fiction. Many of you have stated over and over again Anne's position.

Some of you think there are motives other than those Anne has stated. Some of you think she is concerned about protecting her fiction.

You are both right, for reasons neither of you understand.

I work for a publishing company that was until recently considering biding on the paperback rights to Anne's upcoming book Merrick. After meeting with her people we and at least one other publisher have decided to not even bid.

The fiction Anne is aiming at protecting through her latest statements on fan fiction are not her present works but her future release - Merrick.

Some of you may have noticed that she has been asking whether or not she should release Merrick in serialized form on the internet before she releases the hardback. One of the reasons we have decided to not even bid is that the decision has been made to do exactly that. The "feedback forms," whether they started out as legitimate or not, are now just a vehicle to drum up market demand.

How magnanimous, some of you think, that Anne will be posting her work on the net for all to read. Actually, like everything on her website, down to the screen savers, comic books, and bottles of "Lestat wine" these works will be for sale via Amazon or Barnes & Noble, not free. Which she has every right to do.

Perhaps some of you noticed that Stephen King's electronic work "Riding the Bullet," a short story, sold 400,000 copies the first day and has become his most personally profitable work to date. Anne certainly took note of that fact.

However, although the text is supposedly distributed in a manner that is unreadable to anyone without a specific code and piece of software, anything that can be displayed can be electronically copied. Regardless of the fact that this is his most personally profitable piece of fiction to date, this has already occured [sic] and has undeniably cut into Stephen King's profits. Anne has taken note of that fact as well.

Efforts have been made by Anne Rice's people to assure us that very few copies of her electonic [sic] work would be redistributed among her fans, efforts and claims that we found totally unconvincing. You see, they feel that they have come up with a way to get her most "loyal" and most uncontrolable [sic] fans(i.e. writers of fan fiction) to, in the midst of vehement arguing amonst themselves, both commit publicly over and over again that Anne's literal works should never be posted or copied onto the web.

By raising so much ire amongst both her most rabid literalist fans against fan fiction writers she gets them to attack and scream that they are stealing Anne's stories and characters, etc. Implicit in their attacks is the charge that fan fiction writers are theives [sic] , and that furthermore it plainly goes without saying that no one should ever dream of posting Anne's works verbatim on the net.

In defending themselves against such accusations(accusations that went on for years without turning into legal threats and indignation until recently) fan fiction writers have of course been quick to agree with Anne's most orthodox champions of each pearl that escapes from her lips on one issue. Agree you ask? I haven't seen the two camps agree on much you say. True. However, if you read all of the arguments made by both camps of late you will notice that even the most rabid proponents on each side have at every opportunity agreed on one seemingly small point. It is a point which neither side has often devoted more than a single sentence in making, yet is the most important point as far as Anne's people are concerned.

In all of your yelling, all of you have been goaded into stating over and over again that Anne's actual writing should never be posted on the internet for free. That such a thing would be an unforgivable and reprehensibly criminal act.

Do you, as fans of Anne's eloquent prose, really believe she was as blunt and inflamatory [sic] in her language as she was by accident?

Do you really believe that a woman of her age is as thin-skinned and overly sensitive as her statement would lead you to believe?

Especially after the professional publicly humiliating travesties that have been committed against her work for the entire mainstream and fan world to see by Hollywood; do you really think she takes much genuine offense at fan fiction that she has said time and time again she doesn't even read?

Or is there another explanation? Perhaps the explanation my company was given...

Anne Rice doesn't care in the least about fan fiction one way or another. She doesn't hate it, she is simply protecting herself from unwarranted accusations. She simply returns any manuscripts sent to her unopened and refrains from reading it because of the very simple fact that she doesn't want any fan fiction writers to be able to claim she has stolen an idea of theirs. Although the fan could not have copyrighted anything sent to her she just doesn't want to deal with any such creative accusations, even though such fans would have no legally standing.

However, by posting so prominently her last, very pointed and seemingly emotional statement Anne's handlers have been able to pit two very large groups of her fans against one another. In the process of their arguing they have both quickly taken the stand that wholesale copyright violations should never be tolerated. Anne's pretorian [sic] guard fans say this matter-of-factly as an afterthought. Fan fiction writers say it in self defense in order to show that they are defenders of Anne's writing rather than theives of it.

Therefore, when Merrick is serialized on the web, Anne's people predict that both groups will rabidly hunt down and report anyone who decides to repost her soon to be mega-profitable electronic version of Merrick. Thus her electronic venture will not only be more profitable for her, more people would supposedly buy more paperbacks from us because anyone asking for free copies from their internet buddies would be treated like lepers by her emotionally whipped up fans.

You will all be, for free, unwittingly doing for Anne what a thousand lawyers could never accomplish. Even more importantly, since all of you by that time will have gone on record against illegally copying and/or posting Anne's original works; most of you will not even email copies to many of your fellow friends and email penpals, out of fear of being untrue to your stated views - even if you and your fellow fan friends are the only ones that would know.

That phenomenon would probably never have occured [sic] if both ends had not been played so shrewly [sic] against one another. It would have never occured if so many of you had not been egged on into arguing so vehemently with one another.

Thus, when Merrick is released electronically, Anne's people expect far less numbers of copies to be pirated and shared and will thus greatly increase her profits.

And all it took was getting thousands of fans vehemently upset and hostile towards one another! Of late, fans have been viewed by Anne's "handlers" as little more than resources. Perhaps this is genuinely due to her recent illness and not a fault of hers. Sometimes truly nice people end up being represented by not so nice people. Regardless of the reason, however, both groups on both sides of the fan fiction debate have essentially been had.

Unfortunately though for us, though it seems to be working, paperback profits are "ifey" at best so we had to take a pass. Don't get me wrong and think we did it out of concern for the way you fans are being manipulated. It was purely a business decision. As were Anne's statements about fan fiction.

Continue to be pawns, or respect one another and put down your weapons.

Fan Comments

[Victoria]:

So you are saying (satirically of course) that Anne Rice is a puppet and she has not a thought of her own with regard to the inane fan fiction?

Uh huh. Right. Trust me, Anne has never liked it, even before the children on abar even knew what it was. She has always said that she would appreciate that people refrain from sending her manuscripts with ideas for her characters. She has always maintained that she does reads NOT A ONE of them, and could not care less about the "ideas" for her characters. If anything, she has said it stops her creativity.

I did not finish reading this very long nonsense. Believe what you wish.

[Child of the Night]: I meant to ignore you. But this is too important a topic

to disallow misinformation.

You have said time and time again that Anne "hates" fan fiction. Well, bright eyes, something [Martha] wrote reminded me of something I read by Anne on fan fiction before her latest statement. I did some digging and found it again.

The following is Anne's own words, so find a nice prea-deu to kneel on and pay attention!

Taken directly from the official Anne Rice web page at http://www.annerice.com/ques_fnc.htm#fanstory

> Do you ever read short stories or excerpts from novels that your fans have written?" -- J. Alison B. from Virginia

Anne answered:

"No, I never read short stories or manuscripts sent in by my readers. I simply don't have the time, I can't do it. I can't read anything unpublished for several reasons. I don't have the gift of insight to know what to say about other people's writing. I could never keep up with the volume of manuscripts, and lastly, I really don't want anyone to ever accuse me of stealing an idea, or a character, or a vision from his or her manuscript. The danger of reading other people's manuscripts is that someone might do that. And I realize that most of you are writing with your whole hearts and soul, you only want to be read, to be appreciated, and you want help in getting published, and you wouldn't dream of spoiling it by accusing someone of plagiarism, but the risk is simply too great for a published author. Also, I really don't read fiction. I really don't. I look at the poems that are brought to me by readers and I am very touched by them, and very moved by them... >

So much for her "hating" fan fiction! The comment from her that: And I realize that most of you are writing with your whole hearts and soul, you only want to be read, to be appreciated, and you want help in getting published, and you wouldn't dream of spoiling it by accusing someone of plagiarism, but the risk is simply too great for a published author.

is hardly the comment of a woman who "hates" fan fiction as you have claimed in the past so many times. And in case your little comprehension subprocessor is on the fritz, the fact that she mentioned the above directly FOLLOWING the pretty sentences on fan fict writing and BEFORE the sentences on poetry definitely means she was talking about fan fiction and NOT the poetry.

I want to clear that potential mistatement up before you even make it, not that you would ever make such a mistake on purpose.

Clearly, since she enjoys fan poetry about her work and characters she doesn't even have a problem with people using them, only with people using them in fan fiction and thereby possibly charging her with stealing their ideas.

Let's apply a little thing I was taught by the good brothers and sisters in high school and several college professors. It's called logic. Although as Marge points out they wouldn't have any legal grounds to complain, Anne doesn't want to read fan fiction because someone might unjustly accuse her of stealing their ideas.

QUESTION: If all fan fiction is crap and shit as you have stated time and time again, WHY WOULD ANNE BE AFRAID OF BEING ACCUSED OF STEALING A FAN'S IDEAS?

Stay with me now Victoria, TO NOT READ FAN FICTION BECAUSE SHE FEARS BEING ACCUSED OF STEALING A FAN'S IDEAS OR STORYLINES, ANNE WOULD HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF COMING UP WITH THE SAME IDEA AND WANT TO USE HER ISOLATION FROM FAN FICTION TO PROVE HER INNOCENCE, A LEGALLY UNNECESSARY BUT LAUDIBLE REASON.

HOW COULD ANNE COME UP WITH THE SAME IDEA AS A FAN WRITER IF ALL FAN WRITING IS CRAP?

OBVIOUSLY ANNE CANNOT AGREE WITH YOU THAT ALL FAN FICTION IS UNORIGINAL CRAP IF SHE IS AFRAID THAT SHE MIGHT COME UP WITH THE SAME IDEA AS A FAN FICTION WRITER, AND NEEDS TO NOT SET EYES ON IT IN CASE SHE DOES DEVELOP A SIMILAR STORYLINE OR CHARACTER INDEPENDENTLY.

What if something Anne decides to write in the future does inadvertently mirror a storyline or an idea previously written by a fan? She will then rightly be able to say that she came to develop the same idea independantly from what the fan wrote.

SINCE YOU HAVE FLATLY STATED THAT ALL FAN WRITING IS CRAP, YOU HOWEVER, WILL HAVE TO SOMEHOW THINK THAT ANNE'S WRITING IS LIKEWISE CRAP! WHAT BLASPHEMY!

Now take six aspirin and and read the above over and over again until you understand it...

You were kind enough to admit that you didn't take the three minutes necessary to finish the post you called "this very long nonesense." But if you change your mind and do you'll find that Anne's own words agree with everything Marge wrote and clearly contradicts your statements.

It also, for the first time anywhere that I've seen, explains why Anne would go from turning a kindly blind eye to fan fiction for years and years and now suddenly deciding to totally reverse herself.

I agree that Anne is far from a puppet. But if she was totally uncoerced, or not in the least bit steered towards her strong actions of late. Then that reflects more poorly, not less poorly, on those actions.

I too am not sure if I believe all of this. But it's the first explanation I've read that explains every bit of what has been happening lately.

[Victoria]: She wasn't talking about fan fiction brainiac. She was talking about people and THEIR fiction, not HER fiction. They want her to read it and see if it is any good, to help get published. She does not read it for fear that someone may accuse her of STEALING.

[snipped]

Oy. You can make dogshit into a lace tablecloth, couldn't you. Talk about denial.

[Child of the Night]: From now on I'll just write what I think, and then if I see

a response from you I'll simply insert my summary of your arguments to save time:

So no one has to sit through another of Victoria's replys I will summarize everything she has to say to those who disagree with her. Believe it or not the words in quotation are actually hers from various posts. Don't worry about what you disagree with her on. Whatever it is the response is always basically the same. What's not quoted is paraphrased to make her answers more interesting:

blah... blah... "asshole"...blah... What Anne says... blah... blah... What Anne says... blah... blah..."asshole"... blah... blah... blah...What Anne says... blah... "You ass"... blah... blah... copyright... blah... "Hahahahahaha."... blah... blah... blah... What Anne says... no real answer, just lame "You kidding right?"... blah... What Anne says...blah... no real answer, just lame "You kidding right?"... blah... blah... blah... "asshole" ... blah... What Anne said..."Hahahahahaha."... blah... "dumb shit"... blah... blah...blah... "asshole"... blah... "dumbshit"....blah... "You ass"... blah... blah... blah..."dumbshit"... blah...no real answer, just lame "You kidding right?"... blah... blah... blah..."asshole"... blah...

REPEAT CHORUS(although it's totally unnecessary)

From now on, when you see a response from Victoria to a post that exhibits original independant thought just remember the above. You won't even need to open it to know what she's written.

[Creek]: Thank you, Martha, this is the first thing on this topic I read that

makes some kind of sense, even if it is satircal. I was reading a edition of People magazine that had a story about Stephen King's 'net pulication of Riding the Bullet, which pretty much states the same information you've given: i.e.: it being his most profitable work to date. I would also like to state that Arthur C. Clark has also place his lastest publication written with a co-author (both names escape me at the moment) and place it on the 'net. I think this is going to be a growing trend and Anne is testing out the waters. There is nothing wrong with this, however, if this is so, her comments regarding fanfic are hypocritical (I'm refering to another post within this thread) and her reasons for posting them, self-serving.

Again, my thanks.

[Child of the Dark]: The saga continues...

Little Miss Muffet is pissed!!!!!

Today, I was told that several of my bosses had been called into a conference call and warned about about a leak, specifically my leak. (However, no one knows that I'm responsible for the leak).

Actually they were not warned, but threatened(not anyone in our company specifically they are probably balking at everyone who has considered bidding). Miss Muffet must honestly have the stupidest lawyers on the planet!

Why you ask? They apparently don't know the danger in saying that whoever is responsible for the leak will not be able to legally defend themselves. Hmmmm, I thought... If I will be screwed anyway, if discovered, why shouldn't I get my money's worth? Is it wise to tell a cornered, well-armed person that no matter what happens their fate is already set?

Basically they have said that whoever claimed the post I made was satire will not be able to defend themselves on those grounds because we all agreed to non-disclosure.

What frigging idiots!

Number One) As I said previously, this is telling me that if I'm caught I'm screwed, so why not pull out all the stops!

Number Two) I immediately realized this was a bullshit bluff. To sue me, or anyone else they catch talking about the bullshit they are pulling they will have to publicly admit that they are doing it!!!!!!

So above I have reincluded my previous post!

Don't get me wrong, I freely admit I'm disgruntled. I'm not some valiant princess doing something to make the world a better place. But I'm also not insulting the hell out of fans and getting them to attack one another either.

Little Miss Muffet needs to hire smarter lawyers!!!!

END OF STORY!!!!

[Stephanie]: Thanks for posting this - as a satire, grand conspiracy, or what have you.

If it's a satire, than maybe it will give us all pause to think.

If it be a conspiracy, well then, it proves what little is known about ANY of the fans. As far as I can tell in both camps, there's not much interest in an e-book from Anne. Maybe e-book enthusists might run for it, but your average AR fan just doesn't seem to really care much on this issue.

In addition, fanfic writers and supporters are not really that worried about Anne's views on fanfic right now, let alone of revenue lost due to her latest book being potentially electronically copied. No one is going to get so jazzed up as to start a witch-hunt against people copying the book on-line.

In fact, with the divided camps so set on flaming each other, one intent on copying the book could probably do it right under our noses and we'd never think to look at them. Hide in plain sight.

The kids smoking pot get busted while the crack-house next door runs in full swing operation. Isn't that usually the case?

If it's a conspiracy, which it very well could be, it goes to show how whoever cracked this master plan is not in touch with the actual fans. They have seriously underestimated our apathy on this one.