Posting Fanfiction on Your Blogs?

I think it's a good idea to keep fanfiction a good distance away from original fiction.

For one reason, fanfiction is generally only considered legal as long as it's strictly non-profit, and you'd be blurring that line a little more than I'd be comfortable with. (IANAL, but this is my understanding).

Another reason is that there is a significant portion of the book buying world that, rightly or wrongly, looks down on fanfiction. It would probably cheapen your original fiction in these people's eyes if they associated it with fanfic.

Sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea.

That would be a blog I would not visit...

Go with mythology (Homer's fanfiction is still being taught in schools), or historical figures instead. There is plenty of interesting things which you can do within those limitations, and there is none of the prejudice some might bring to the writing.

Back when I wrote fanfiction, I posted it on my blog, but not the one I use now for actual, professional, writing-related stuff. It probably wouldn't be that hard to find if someone went digging, which would be annoying but tolerable I think. But yeah--I won't do it again, even if I somehow felt moved to write it again, which I doubt.

My rule of thumb is never put anything on the internet you don't want biting you in the ass one day. Because chances are it will.

I agree with Rhoda in that if you really want to, I'd post it to a separate blog specifically for fandom and fanfiction. Many fanfic authors do of course have blog accounts, though rarely on blogger or wordpress which I would consider more like a traditional 'blog'.

I specifically know of one (now published and successful) author who wrote a lot of hp fanfiction and posted it on their blog (a livejournal) along with random other observations before they were published, but they removed all of their fanfiction and posts about it before their first novel was released.

I am aware of a few authors who link between their accounts on fanfiction.net or acknowledge that they used to write it.

I would, however, hesitate to post your fanfic stories on your 'professional' blog, but then, that partly depends on what your writing and it's rating. Sometimes anonymity is better all around when it comes to fanfiction if you plan on publishing.

I started out with fanfiction too, and since I'm just now starting to show off my non-fanfiction, most of my fans like me because of the fandom. I likely wouldn't feel so ashamed to have my fanfiction still around, though most of it is of a far lower quality than my current writing, but only because I know a lot of people have really, really enjoyed it.

I'd mostly just ask what you hope to get from posting the fanfiction (other than it being a shame not to post them). Do you hope that readers of your fanfiction might also read your original fiction? Do you think it will offer you a more diverse audience?

Think about what your readers will get out of it (both of the fandom and not), and what you'll get out of it (in terms of new readers or whatever), and see if it outweighs the potential cons (such as fandom readers being uninterested in your original works and vice versa, potentially alienating both).

I also started out with fan fiction. I think that if you do post fan fiction on your blog maybe you should post it on a separate blog from your original fiction. Maybe you can do your "free reads" that are original pieces on your author blog?

I've done both, and while I haven't written fanfic in a long while, it's not to say I won't. Someone else already mentioned livejournal - I think of that as "where fanfic goes to live" now, after ff.net. I'd recommend you keep your fan journal there and your original material on an independent platform.

oooo completely separate I would think. People visiting your personal blog could hold it against you.

I think it depends on your definition of fan-fiction. I'm writing a series to post on my blog that is something I would consider borderline fan-fiction for the show Supernatural. I use my own characters, my own twists on the mythology and folklore, but the idea is enough of the same that it's not something I would attempt to publish professionally.

Ah, yea, that's a good point to. Are you using original characters in another author's setting, or are you writing Spock/Kirk slash?

I think they'd attract different people and people who read about original characters might be more interested in your original content.

Diana_Rajchel said:

I've done both, and while I haven't written fanfic in a long while, it's not to say I won't. Someone else already mentioned livejournal - I think of that as "where fanfic goes to live" now, after ff.net. I'd recommend you keep your fan journal there and your original material on an independent platform.

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Would you advise keeping it on a website for that fandom? Like, for example, if I was writing something for Buffy or the X-Flies, and I had it on an archive/website that wasn't in anyway connected to my author website/author persona, would that be good?

My fanfic is on its own website and FFNet. But yeah, I'd keep the two separate just for the 'making money' thing. Best not to get even close to that possibility.

shadowwalker said:

My fanfic is on its own website and FFNet. But yeah, I'd keep the two separate just for the 'making money' thing. Best not to get even close to that possibility.

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Yeah. I wanted to post it on Fanfiction.net or a site similar to it. However, it wouldn't be connected to my pen-name(s).

I have a blog that I post my fan fiction to, and I'm somewhat active in online fandoms, but I keep that separate from my original fiction for the most part, and I keep it separate from my "real" identity.

I definitely recommend having a designated blog/site for fanfic if you want to post it online, preferably under a username not associated with your other writing or real life identities so that you can control how separate you keep it.

Silver-Midnight said:

Would you advise keeping it on a website for that fandom? Like, for example, if I was writing something for Buffy or the X-Flies, and I had it on an archive/website that wasn't in anyway connected to my author website/author persona, would that be good?

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A separate website, far from your other stuff - yes.