Amazon to sell fanfiction

[Danyealle]

Link

Yeah, it's legit. It's a limited number of fandoms right now, but it's real.

Opinions?

[DemonGoddess]

Even though I don't write, one of the big things I see as issue with this is that you lose rights to anything you develop once it's submitted and accepted.

The publishing agreement shows exactly what it is you're willing to give up once you've submitted in this format. In fanfiction (free), when an author develops an interesting concept that may be sellable in the future, it's still all theirs. If an author opts to remove the fanfiction and submit an original work to a publisher based on their concept, the concept and worlds still remain the author's. In this format, the author loses that.

[Danyealle]

Yeah, i noticed that. I think, from the way it reads, OCs you might develop are that way too. Unless you're publishing in a fandom that is done, like some of the manga, anime or Harry Potter, you have a lot to lose there and it's probably not worth the risk. You're better off taking what you write and making it into something original.

[DemonGoddess]

From the way it reads, anything you submit, once accepted, becomes the property of Amazon. Sure, they pay you royalties, but you lose rights to any of your content that is submitted.

[Danyealle]

That is very much not worth it. And I doubt they're going to get the big fandoms that pull the most people either. Like Harry Potter. The anime they may as those--they tend to be treated differently and, from what i know, some of the companies in Japan are willing to license that. I'm not seeing this as a good thing for the authors, just Amazon trying to cash in on the craze that started with Fifty Shades of Grey when it became well known it started life as a fanfic.

[Dean_Wax]

I hear Anne Rice fanfiction on Amazon is one of the signs of the Apocalypse.

[RogueMudblood]

Parts that immediately catch my attention:

• We may revoke your right to use any of these worlds at any time.
• We may revoke your right to use any elements from any other "Kindle Worlds" works at any time.
• The guidelines may change without notice. If your works are ever found to be in non-compliance with the guidelines, they will be pulled.
• You may include only up to 20% of your work on your own site, and may not state that you are a writer for Kindle Worlds, the original licensor, or any of either 'our' or 'their' affiliates.
• If we are sued because of something in your work, we 'may' withhold fees for attorney payment from any of your sales.
• We can take your work out of the program without telling you, for any reason we like.
• We will not pursue legal action on your behalf should your work be stolen.

All in all, I think I'll research other publishers, like Pocket Books and Random House, who have been marketing licensed fanfiction for ages, before using a new program set out like this that has no protections for the authors introducing new elements into these environments.

[BronxWench]

The whole thing seems dubious at best, and rife for abuse. Right off the bat, if Amazon isn't going to do a thing about stolen works, then they should not be providing a venue for these works. They seems to be declining any and all responsibility in return for money they really are doing nothing to earn.

[Kurahieiritr]

The whole thing seems dubious at best, and rife for abuse. Right off the bat, if Amazon isn't going to do a thing about stolen works, then they should not be providing a venue for these works. They seems to be declining any and all responsibility in return for money they really are doing nothing to earn.

A: I have been following this whole Kindle World division's evolution since I learned about it. Some things about the Kindle World program equal a possible nightmare scenario in the making. With the amount of wealth investment Amazon has backing the venture, I can only hope the current listing of fandoms do not turn into an all out war upon fan fiction archives which feature Pretty Little Liars and the other universes featured at Kindle worlds. worst case scenarios happen when greed is involved, and Amazon has a track record of being greedy.

One thing I have noticed about the terms offered to fan writers: Amazon can take any original characters and settings submitted by a fandom writer, and turn them into tv/movies without giving the fan fiction author any kind of compensation, nor credit for creation what so ever. So Amazon not only refuses any kind of responsibility in this scheme, but they my also be actively looking to defraud the fan fiction writers in the future. The only remedy for this kind of theft is if the fan fiction writer remains purely cannon in both character and setting in anything they choose to submit. They are truly wasting time in submitting anything at all that falls outside of this particular parameter.

Writing pure cannon fan fiction is a tougher job than free writing whatever the imagination conjures up, another negative to the program. Their guidelines will thwart many writers creativity, and we all know that fanfiction often targets the population sectors that the main stream ignores and excludes. Amazon is adhering to mainstream rules which goes against the company's gains category in some respects. Staying true to the original creator's work requires a very strong understanding of the universe getting written. Scenarios can be diverse, yet if a fandom writer submitting a tale adds anything outside of the cannon-verse, they lose everything. Anything outside of purely cannon character and setting will be going into the loss write off column that the blind will come to understand at some point once they start getting burned. Once they get burned, then Amazon's new division will go down in flames the same as Warner Brothers similar scheme did a few years ago.

As to the Anime comment, Amazon has yet to talk to anyone in Japan from the many articles I have been collecting as I go. The Japanese have a very well established system for licensing fan works. I do not see their interconnected publishing houses jumping on board Amazon's Kindle World program with the current policy terms offered to the fan based creators. The Japanese have legitimized fan works for decades, and they do not treat fandom authors and artists in such a shabby manner. Their pride will probably insure they seek real protections for any fandom based creators before they will sign onto Kindle Worlds if they are ever approached is my feeling about the subject.

Only American companies are taking any interest in this Amazon specific scheme. J.K.R. said that although she does appreciate the fan fiction sub culture, she has no intention of ever letting Amazon get their hooks into Harry Potter. She flat out refused to consider the offer Amazon gave her about joining Kindle Worlds. According to some articles I've been reading, Amazon is talking to DC and to Disney, trying to cut deals, but both companies seem to be of the "we are considering test runs" variety answers which may or may not pan out as a long term license agreement for Amazon.

[GeorgeGlass]

Fan writers would also want to nail down the terms of the publication beforehand. When I heard about the possibility of DC Comics' properties becoming open for fan writing, I thought, "Hey, I could do that Wonder Woman TV pilot I've been thinking about as a novel instead!" (It would be ever so apropos if Amazon published a Wonder Woman novel.) Then I realized that if I wrote the thing before making some sort of contract with the publisher first, they could basically offer me any crummy terms they want, because there would be nowhere else I could publish it. Such would be the case for any writer who created something based on a property with a single owner.