The Writer in the Mirror
| Meta | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Writer in the Mirror |
| Creator: | Merlin Missy |
| Date(s): | January 31, 2008 |
| Medium: | |
| Fandom: | multifandom |
| Topic: | |
| External Links: | The Writer in the Mirror |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Writer in the Mirror is a 2008 essay by Merlin Missy.
The topic: "...how do you know if the company you've handed your lovingly-crafted novel to is a legitimate publisher or a bottom-feeding vanity press?"
Series
This essay is part of a series called Dr. Merlin's Soapbox.
Some Topics Discussed
- follow the money, and if it's going the "wrong direction"; you give someone money to publish your fiction (either as a novel, or to "purchase a copy of an anthology to 'guarantee' a place for your story or poem" you are involved with a vanity press
- real publishers do the work of marketing your book, vanity presses make you do the work
- discussion about the importance of having a good editor
- if you don't mind doing the work, want to get your name out there in certain circles, and don't need the money, then a vanity press isn't all bad
- a mention of Lulu, a warning about selling this sort of books on Amazon as fanfiction is bumping up against copyright issues
From the Essay
The first question you may be asking yourself is why this is relevant in a column dedicated to all things fannish. Fan writers are not pro writers (except of course when they are). Fanfiction has different requirements and expectations than professional fiction (please see "You Mean Everybody Brought Potato Salad?") but while many fan writers are happy to be fan writers, scratch the surface and you'll often find someone who's learning to write in hopes of making it to the big leagues. Even fans who are perfectly happy writing fanfiction daydream about getting to do this all day and getting paid for it. Who wouldn't? But there are things to know and things to consider, and writers need to be careful where they send their work.
Speaking of people, another thing to watch out for is that vanity press publishers are very nice and have fantastic people skills. This is not to say the folks who work for more traditional publishing houses are not nice, nor do I claim they lack people skills. However, vanity publishers are going to go out of their way to be your best friend and biggest fan. You're giving them money, and they want to stay on your good side, just like the salesperson at the car dealership. Ask around, and you'll hear time and again how positive the folks are at vanity presses, and how kind. Great people, salt of the earth, so glad to get that personal touch from someone in the industry.
The nice thing about fanfiction (and yes, this is where I'll end my little rant for now) is that fanfic archives don't charge, fanzines give free contributor copies, and no one cares how long your stories are, from six words to six hundred thousand, as long as you let us know in advance. Fanfic has room for drabbles (which we'll be discussing later) and many-chaptered WIPs and brief little one-line AUs and series and chain stories and everything under the sun. Professional printed markets are a much harder sell, wanting specific lengths for consideration, no matter what the natural length of the story might be. Professional online publishers are springing up every day, and may represent a shift from what used to be standard to what we do in fanfic every day.
It's a great time to dip your toes in the water. Just watch out for sharks.