Primer
| Synonyms: | fandom primer, starter pack |
| See also: | Canon Resource, Master Post, Ship Manifesto |
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A fannish primer is a nonfiction resource compiled by one or more fans to provide basic information about a fandom, ship, or character for the benefit of others who might be interested in joining the fandom. Primers are intended to lower the barriers to entry (such as decades of convoluted and difficult-to-acquire canon, aka superhero comics) to entice more people into your fandom. The primer may include one or more of the following types of information: canon overview; list of characters; popular ships; popular fanfic tropes; fanwork recommendations; links to forums, archives, and other fannish resources; and an argument for why the fandom/ship is the best ever and everyone should join it.
The meaning of the word in the fannish sense is derived from the education term "primer": An elementary textbook introducing a topic, or teaching basic concepts.[1]
LiveJournal had several communities where primers were posted, including newbieguide, ship_manifesto, and crack_van. Fans also posted (and continue to post) primers on their personal journals.
Primers on Tumblr tend to be image-heavy and/or in the form of Powerpoints.
Examples
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fandom Primers
- Two Pros Primers, Archived version - posted 1992.
- Example of an NSYNC fandom primer posted on a personal fansite - posted late 2001.
- Love Japanese Style! The Lovefest of Love Hina by Skyrocket - posted 2002
- Falling Into Fandom, a Beauty and the Beast (TV) essay by "A Fellow BATB Lover!" posted in 2012
- Jo's Primer for All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven by turtledove - posted 2015
Ship Primers
- A Niall/Harry Ship Primer (One Direction) by bisousniall - posted in August 2012 (actually more of a masterpost)
- HARDENSHIPPING: A PRIMER (Pokémon) by magmaaqua - posted June 2023
Character Primers
- (NONFICTION) Liu Sang 101: An Introductory Course (Daomu Biji) by fox_of_nine_tales - posted May 2021
Primer Archives
- Archived Fandom 411 posts at FanNation
- Fandom Primers at the Ceaser's Palace Forum on Fanfiction.Net
Fanfiction Formatted as Fandom Primers
- Tortall Knights Fandom Primer by andromeda_reinvented, hedgerose, penguinutopia - posted August 2014
Challenges and Fests
- Unconventional Fanworks Exchange is an exchange that allows fandom primers and ship manifestos as well as other meta. (Dreamwidth)
- Meta Manifesto is a fest for meta. (Dreamwidth)
External Links
- The Fandom Primer tag on AO3, although it's not yet canonical.