Permission to Archive

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Synonyms:
See also: Blanket Statement, Blanket Permission to Podfic
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Permission to Archive is a way for fanfic authors to let archivists know that their fanfic can be archived online. Usually permission is given to a specific archivist or a specific archive and there are caveats or limitations on that permission, such as limiting the fandoms or types of fan fiction (ex: gen, slash) that can be archived. In some cases permission is limited to allowing PDFs to be posted in order to preserve a layout or format (such as a fanzine publication). Permission is usually sent via email, but can also be transmitted in person. Often times permissions are handed over whenever a new archive is created (e.g. when the the Professionals Circuit Archive was transferred from Meri to Justacat).

With the transition from fanzine fic to mailing lists and later websites, it became easier for writers to share their archiving preferences. For example, on many mailing lists it became routine to include the phrase "permission to archive" in either the subject or the body of the posted story.

Permission to Archive Zine Fic

Archiving permissions became more automatic with the introduction of mailing lists and websites, but fanzine authors giving permission to archive their fic is necessarily a manual process. The number of mailing list authors who gave permission to archive is enormous; the number of zine authors who have done the same is not. See List of Authors Who Give Permission to Archive Zine Fic.