Comments on: Fandom as a Business? http://themidhavens.net/heretic_loremaster/2008/11/fandom-as-a-business/ Skeptical Readings of Literature and History Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:35:47 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Dawn http://themidhavens.net/heretic_loremaster/2008/11/fandom-as-a-business/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Dawn Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:12:34 +0000 http://themidhavens.net/heretic_loremaster/?p=11#comment-72 Thanks, Marta. The more I think about this, the more I come to the realization that Laura Hale's attitude in itself isn't what bothers me so much as the general attitude in our culture that Laura Hale's post seems to fit so well. What we "do for love" is never as important as what we "do for money." If it's done for love, then it's understood that we can push it to the side when we don't feel like doing it, have more liberty in taking it less seriously, can simply walk away when it gets too hard or inconvenient to continue. I loathe this idea. I don't get paid to run the SWG, no ... but I take my responsibilities in that group as seriously (or more seriously!) than I do my paid job. My paid job is just that: a way to make money so that I can do what I love. I don't want to be a law enforcement research analyst for the rest of my life, and I don't feel that what I do makes that much of a positive difference in the world. I do what I must because I must, but I pour much more of myself into what matters to me, and for those things I do not get paid. I believe in the goals of the SWG, in providing a place for people to celebrate and share their creativity and learn and talk about not only literature but how it reflects on "real life" as well. These things all matter to me; I don't see myself as having the luxury to wave my obligations to the group aside or take them less seriously just because I don't make money on my group. And, yes, that sometimes means making the same hard decisions as a businessperson has to make in order to keep the group going and reaching its goals. Thanks, Marta. The more I think about this, the more I come to the realization that Laura Hale’s attitude in itself isn’t what bothers me so much as the general attitude in our culture that Laura Hale’s post seems to fit so well. What we “do for love” is never as important as what we “do for money.” If it’s done for love, then it’s understood that we can push it to the side when we don’t feel like doing it, have more liberty in taking it less seriously, can simply walk away when it gets too hard or inconvenient to continue.

I loathe this idea. I don’t get paid to run the SWG, no … but I take my responsibilities in that group as seriously (or more seriously!) than I do my paid job. My paid job is just that: a way to make money so that I can do what I love. I don’t want to be a law enforcement research analyst for the rest of my life, and I don’t feel that what I do makes that much of a positive difference in the world. I do what I must because I must, but I pour much more of myself into what matters to me, and for those things I do not get paid.

I believe in the goals of the SWG, in providing a place for people to celebrate and share their creativity and learn and talk about not only literature but how it reflects on “real life” as well. These things all matter to me; I don’t see myself as having the luxury to wave my obligations to the group aside or take them less seriously just because I don’t make money on my group. And, yes, that sometimes means making the same hard decisions as a businessperson has to make in order to keep the group going and reaching its goals.

]]> By: marta http://themidhavens.net/heretic_loremaster/2008/11/fandom-as-a-business/comment-page-1/#comment-71 marta Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:33:13 +0000 http://themidhavens.net/heretic_loremaster/?p=11#comment-71 I found all of this really interesting. You're absolutely right about the MEFAs, btw... I've not lost friends but there are definitely people who, if I talk about the MEFAs they end up gritting their teeth. It *is* a strain. But the MEFAs are serious business, as much as I like for them to also be fun. One of my biggest gripes about fanfic has been the idea that it didn't have to be as good or polished as original fiction (even ofic not intending to be published.) I'm not saying all writing needs to be great because we all have different abilities and differing time for editing; but there seems to be this thought with a lot of people that *because* fanfic can't be published that we don't have to take the craft as seriously. That's a side-note, but I share it to say: I hear you on this one. I found all of this really interesting. You’re absolutely right about the MEFAs, btw… I’ve not lost friends but there are definitely people who, if I talk about the MEFAs they end up gritting their teeth. It *is* a strain. But the MEFAs are serious business, as much as I like for them to also be fun.

One of my biggest gripes about fanfic has been the idea that it didn’t have to be as good or polished as original fiction (even ofic not intending to be published.) I’m not saying all writing needs to be great because we all have different abilities and differing time for editing; but there seems to be this thought with a lot of people that *because* fanfic can’t be published that we don’t have to take the craft as seriously.

That’s a side-note, but I share it to say: I hear you on this one.

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