[App] FicFun / Dreame / Stary PTE Ltd

Bolero · Jul 20, 2017

The writing contest is here:
http://ficfun.com/act/novelCompete

Anyone know anything about these folks?

BenPanced · Jul 20, 2017

From the front page:

Please choose the devision you would like to participate in.

Uh, no. Just...no.

ETA: Scrolling through the rest of it, the rules are horribly laden with other formatting errors. Nothing about who they are beyond your standard "book lovers" screed in the "About Us". Partnership with a fanfic site with a Catholic bent (odd, considering many of the fandoms represented). Popularity contest rankings determine winners. First time contest. Serious misgivings.

zmethos · Jul 20, 2017

I always balk whenever a contest is more about getting popular votes than, you know, the actual merit of the writing.

JLinz · Jul 20, 2017

I was contacted by one of the admins (I think) on my FictionPress account. The one thing that was fishy to me was that they informed me that they could post my chapters for me (I told them that I was a grown up and could do that by myself, thank you...). I signed up and started posting my chapters.

They contacted me again, telling me about the contest and put my book in after I gave them permission. Apparently, they weren't accepting stories that were works in progress at the time of the contest but changed and allowed them.

I noticed that they had a Discord chat room and signed up there. There's a member who they have trouble with and they gave me a private message about how the contest is fake. That no one would get any prize and the site only wants to steal your stories. They've denied those claims, of course. But, the whole thing does seem a bit fishy, to the point where I want to close my account.

I have seen the glaring typos throughout their site, which also gives me a red flag.

Bolero · Jul 21, 2017

Thanks all.
Bit of a "doh" moment here - I should have seen those typos.....

JLinz · Jul 21, 2017

To be fair, though and I'm not trying to stereotype but I believe that they're based in China and that the translations get screwed up from Chinese to English. It doesn't excuse the typos but it explains the awkward wording that I've seen when it comes to the actual site.

The Book Elf · Nov 9, 2017

FicFun

Recently I was contacted by a website called FunFic.

This is the email:

I'm (name withheld) for FicFun and came across your novel on (with holding) and was wondering if you’d be interested in working with us as our signed writer.

FicFun is a web publishing and international sharing platform for original English fiction. It was founded by lovers of literature from different countries and regions and is aimed at finding good stories.

After hosting our first successful writing competition, we are now looking to sign talented writers; paid by the chapter and (starting next year) via a paywall. Our signed-writer program pays $10USD per 1,000 words basic; however, this may go up depending on the quality and popularity of an author’s work and I believe you can make an offer.

BTW, our 2nd contest has begun on November 1st. The cash prize sums of up to $10,000 will awarded with a total of over $40,000 up for grabs along with awards of total $1,500 for readers.

We have a review meeting every Tuesday where we review all new submissions and make a decision in regards to contract offers. If you decide to proceed, the next step would be your work being presented at the weekly meeting (you can email it to me directly). We would then contact you soon with our response.

If you are interested please feel free to contact me for more details at (withheld)@ficfun.com or find me at Discord: (name withheld).

Has anybody heard of them?
Anyone have experience?

This excerpt from the contract I'm not sure what to make of it:

3. Grant of License 3.1 Author agrees to publish and update the Work exclusively on FicFun’s Platform. Author grants FicFun, in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, a worldwide, exclusive, transferable and sub-licensable license to use the Work in any form, either separately or as part of a collective work, including but not limited to the exclusive right to revise or edit the Work, publish the Work, distribute the Work, sub-license the distribution and promotion of the Work or any part of it, post and transmit the Work on FicFun’s Platform, in the course of its business and for its own internal business purposes. For avoidance of doubt, FicFun may, at its sole discretions, sub-license all or part of the foregoing license regarding to the Work, whether or not it charges, to any third party without the notice to or consent of Author.
3.2 Author hereby authorizes FicFun as its broker to promote, market and commercialize the Work in any manners including but not limited to plays, adaptions, exhibitions, broadcasts, photographs, translations and compilation of the Work. In consideration of the service provided by FicFun, Author agrees to pay twenty percent (20%) of the total proceeds arising out of such service to FicFun as the service fee. Except the foregoing proceed, FicFun will not claim any other proceed, which may be acquired by Author via other authorization channels. However, Author is obligated to inform FicFun of such authorization channels and authorize FicFun to do related promotions

.

Thank you.

frimble3 · Nov 9, 2017

The real experts will doubtless be here soon, but based on what I've seen discussed here before:
What is a 'sharing platform'?
If this is the result of their first contest, they sound very new.
Sounds like they are grabbing all rights to everything, ever, including the right to edit it to suit themselves. Oh, and the ability to sell your stuff to some other party without your agreement, approval or knowledge. If they are very new, what would lead us to believe that they can do anything with those rights? Except, perhaps, sell your stuff to someone else?

In consideration of the service provided by FicFun, Author agrees to pay twenty percent (20%) of the total proceeds arising out of such service to FicFun as the service fee. Except the foregoing proceed, FicFun will not claim any other proceed, which may be acquired by Author via other authorization channels.[/QUOTE]

Click to expand...

Not sure of my grasp of the publishing legalese, but if there is any money made (proceeds?), you pay 20% of the money to FicFun for their efforts. Such as they may be.

In any manners including but not limited to plays, adaptions, exhibitions, broadcasts, photographs, translations and compilation of the Work.

Click to expand...

And if they are capable of doing all this, where have you heard of them before? Have you seen or heard of them aside from this e-mail? Anything to judge their products by? If these 'lovers of literature' are all over the world it's hard to judge their backgrounds.
And, this weirdness from their contests:

along with awards of total $1,500 for readers.

Click to expand...

Prizes for readers? Based on quantity, speed, or how many writers they can point out to FicFun?

It just seems odd. I'm sure real help will be along soon.

PeteMC · Nov 10, 2017

Never heard of them, but $10 for 1000 words is 1 cent a word, which is pitiful, for which they can do absolutely anything with your work anywhere in the world, forever. Nope.

The Book Elf · Nov 10, 2017

I'll add this: they want a copy of a drivers license. I've never run into that before.

The Book Elf · Nov 10, 2017

frimble3 said:
The real experts will doubtless be here soon, but based on what I've seen discussed here before:
What is a 'sharing platform'?
If this is the result of their first contest, they sound very new.
Sounds like they are grabbing all rights to everything, ever, including the right to edit it to suit themselves. Oh, and the ability to sell your stuff to some other party without your agreement, approval or knowledge. If they are very new, what would lead us to believe that they can do anything with those rights? Except, perhaps, sell your stuff to someone else?

Not sure of my grasp of the publishing legalese, but if there is any money made (proceeds?), you pay 20% of the money to FicFun for their efforts. Such as they may be.

And if they are capable of doing all this, where have you heard of them before? Have you seen or heard of them aside from this e-mail? Anything to judge their products by? If these 'lovers of literature' are all over the world it's hard to judge their backgrounds.
And, this weirdness from their contests: Prizes for readers? Based on quantity, speed, or how many writers they can point out to FicFun?

It just seems odd. I'm sure real help will be along soon.

Click to expand...

Yeah. I didn't catch that. I saw that they are having a writing contest that is open.
I can't get a clear answer on how they get their 20%, and I'd hate to find out that even if I don't get paid I have to pay them.

I was pretty sure when I asked to see the offered contract of what my answer is. Now I just want to verify it so I don't regret it.

As for a sharing platform, it's a website that displays work. So like Wattpad or Radish.

Also, they claim to be going into print works.

PeteMC · Nov 10, 2017

Oh hell no. Run away.

RWrites · Nov 10, 2017

I'd pass, HARD. They want you to sell their work, which they can edit and most likely sell to other people. Not only that, it just seems sketchy when you think about it. They're contacting you to sell your work, for 10 dollars per 1k words. I don't know why, but I feel they will take your work and run off with it. This could be a good opportunity, but too many things are weird and I don't think I have heard of them. For me, it'll be a pass!

eqb · Nov 10, 2017

The Book Elf said:
I'll add this: they want a copy of a drivers license. I've never run into that before.

That smacks of identity theft.

Old Hack · Nov 10, 2017

I wouldn't touch them. And I certainly wouldn't let them see my driving license.

VeryBigBeard · Nov 10, 2017

That rights grant isn't so much a hot potato as the burned, charred, smoking remains of a a root vegetable that "FicFun" is going to try and sell to the highest bidder.

Speculating, because I don't really feel like looking them up, but that contract looks like a user-gen content EULA which suggests yet another tech start-up trying to monetize fiction without realizing it's been successfully monetized for a good few centuries now. You can tell these joints for sure if they start using the word "disrupting" in any of their copy, ever.

Run fast. Run far. Do not pass Go, do not give them your drivers license.

And tell others far and wide because it's too easy for new authors to stumble into schemes like this one and lose not just some rights but all the rights.

frimble3 · Nov 12, 2017

RWrites said:
I'd pass, HARD. They want you to sell their work, which they can edit and most likely sell to other people. Not only that, it just seems sketchy when you think about it. They're contacting you to sell your work, for 10 dollars per 1k words. I don't know why, but I feel they will take your work and run off with it. This could be a good opportunity, but too many things are weird and I don't think I have heard of them. For me, it'll be a pass!

My first thought was much creepier: What if they take your 'sweet' romance (interesting setting and character, perhaps) take 'their' rights, rewrite it as erotica and sell that to some porn producer? Then, they make a few extra bucks as the fee for taking your name off the story.
And, yeah, don't let them anywhere near your driver's license, credit card, or anything else with your name on it.

JennaDanielle · Aug 12, 2019

Good Morning!

FicFun & Dreame apps need original, independent fiction for its digital libraries – now they’re offering cash advances plus royalties and potential promotional opportunities to upload.

Launched in 2017, STARY has signed and paid over 900 writers under its brands, FicFun & Dreame. Among Google Play’s top book apps, FicFun & Dreame have amassed a combined 600K+ downloads. In the second half of 2018, approximately 2,000 works of fiction have been uploaded to its platforms, while simultaneously averaging an increased rate of 400 works per month, a number STARY expects to keep climbing. Boasting a wide variety of genres: STARY features a plethora of genres including YA, romance, teen fiction, horror, suspense, Sci-Fi, fantasy, and LGBTIA+.

Proven to cater to the tastes of its readers, over 40% of STARY’s total books have millions or tens-of-millions of reads. STARY has established a mutually beneficial ecology with the writers’ program – a program that offers remuneration, book promotion and IP adaption, and in return encourages writers to create original stories.

STARY offers support to writers wanting to monetize their content and consistently helps them keep their creative writing via its app’s subscription model. Built on domestic and international publishing experience, STARY maintains a policy of encouraging the creation of localized and original content for local markets.

If you're intersted in making a little money, building an audience, and keeping your rights, e-mail me at jenna . danielle 87 at gmail . com or just inbox me here!

Can't wait to hear from you

CaoPaux · Aug 17, 2019

Moved from Paying Markets.

http://www.ficfun.com/

https://www.dreame.com/

Trawls Wattpad for content, bad contract. Writer Beware: https://www.facebook.com/WriterBewa...wattpad-authors-with-autho/10157093814727458/

[App] FicFun / Dreame / Stary PTE Ltd

Bolero

BenPanced

THE BLUEBERRY QUEEN OF HADES (he/him)

zmethos

from words to worlds

JLinz

Martian Lover

Bolero

JLinz

Martian Lover

The Book Elf

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

PeteMC

@PeteMC666

The Book Elf

The Book Elf

PeteMC

@PeteMC666

RWrites

eqb

I write novels

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

VeryBigBeard

Preparing for winter

frimble3

Heckuva good sport

JennaDanielle

CaoPaux

Mostly Harmless