Publishing Scandals

That article is totally fascinating.

Julie Kenner got plagiarized. Like, the whole story, more or less copied-and-pasted.

Oh my goodness, that sweet young man who got the book and phone call for his friend -- I watched the video and there must still be something in my eye. I work with students all day, and sometimes after a day full of dealing with their self-entitled manufactured crises it's so good to see someone that age who did such a wonderful thing for his friend.

This is also not exactly a scandal, more a bizarre PR thing, but both the Today Show and CBS Morning News had stories the other day about Fifty Shades of Grey - "the new novel sweeping the country" and "the book all the book groups are reading" and so on. None of us at my library had ever heard of it and it appears that exactly 1 copy is owned by exactly 1 library in the entire Commonwealth. It apparently is a BDSM novel which started out as a Twilight fanfic! Naturally we got call after call about it and one book group wants it now. I don't know who this author's PR people are but they are certainly earning their money.

I've read it, and I cannot imagine discussing this in a book group. It is erotic and very graphic. There aren't a whole lot of "themes" - more like, set-ups to the next sexcapade. Filled with cliches, and it cracks me up that it started as fan-fic.

I read it too. In my opinion it was awful, though in the Twi fanfic world, it was hugely popular -- like, THE fic, basically. It was all about Bella as a virginal young college student who meets up with Edward, an emotionless billionaire who seduces her with bondage and punishment. And then falls in love with her (of course!). She doesn't like it when he hurts her (though she's kind of into the spanking part), and works to "reform" him.

The fanfic readers went nuts for it, "Oh Fifty (his nickname, short for "Fifty Shades"), he's SOOO hot!!" and so forth.

Ugh. I'm obviously completely vanilla and/or out of the loop because I so never got it.

You aren't too vanilla, because this is BDSM written by someone who has done almost no research into the topic at all. This is an ugly book about ugly people.

Ah, I wondered why this sounded familiar. Dear Author did a review of it, that was pretty scathing. The conclusion

I find this message foul and damaging. Because of that fact and because it is rendered in dull, robotic prose, I hereby give this book an F.

It does not sound like a good or even entertaining book.

Well, now I can't wait to see the response it gets from the soccer moms in this conservative little town once we get it.

Jude wrote:She doesn't like it when he hurts her (though she's kind of into the spanking part), and works to "reform" him.

The fanfic readers went nuts for it, "Oh Fifty (his nickname, short for "Fifty Shades"), he's SOOO hot!!" and so forth.

Ugh. I'm obviously completely vanilla and/or out of the loop because I so never got it.

Wait, isn't the whole point of BDSM that both people enjoy it? Otherwise isn't it just...sexual abuse?

Wait, isn't the whole point of BDSM that both people enjoy it? Otherwise isn't it just...sexual abuse?

Exactly.

xyzzy wrote:

Wait, isn't the whole point of BDSM that both people enjoy it? Otherwise isn't it just...sexual abuse?

Exactly.

Yeah, I just read the DA review, and it sounds all sorts of fucked up. Say what you will about Twilight, at the very least Bella knew what she was getting into and gave enthusiastic consent. The whole NDA/contract (WTF?!) thing puts this right on the edge of sex slavery. Yuck.

That review is spot-on. Miss Moneypenny, that was my whole problem with it. Bella in Master of the Universe (its original title) is sort of dopey and naive, and Edward takes complete advantage of her. It isn't as though she's fascinated by BDSM in any way; she is just enthralled with Edward for his hotness, basically. So she goes along with his demands up to the point when he canes her, and then she draws the line because it hurts a lot. But it really isn't a two-way street and in no way are they equals. Because he's rich, complicated, and -- oh, did I mention? -- hot, she agrees, with a few changes here and there, to the dom/sub contract.

I found Edward in MotU to be a repulsive character. He makes the Edward in Twilight look reasonable. But for some reason, many in the Twi fanfic community went crazy for this abusive, controlling asshole. Don't misunderstand me: I think there is nothing wrong with doing things sexually that both parties enjoy -- more power to them! But to me, the relationship described was anything but balanced, anything but equal. (And if I never hear "Don't bite your lip," or talk about an "inner goddess" again, it will be too soon for me.)

I do have to agree with several people in the comments section of that review that the only thing good about this story is the email exchanges between Edward and Bella/Christian and Anastasia. Those are pretty clever and enjoyable, actually. Too bad the rest of the book wasn't up to that level. I don't know how I feel about the author taking it from fanfic to a published work. On the one hand, it feels a bit icky, but on the other, the only way I felt that these two characters resembled Bella and Edward was in their names. She did create the story (for what it's worth), and she did have a huge following when it was a fic. Did she take advantage of them? I don't know. They're adults, and if they want to pay money for this thing that they already got for free, that's on them. Would I? Hell no.

BTW, I think I may have MotU saved somewhere on my computer. Possibly. I seem to recall someone from a foreign country asking for it, so I found and downloaded it to send to her. If anyone wants it, PM me and I'll try to find it. It would only be the first "book"; if I'd had to read any more of it I'm afraid I would have destroyed my monitor with a well-placed boot.

Oh my God. I actually read part of that through a LJ post or something and it was so bad I never got to the actual BDSM part, which apparently is just as well.

It's a random and convoluted story about why I'm reading these books, but it's mainly so I can help someone mock them. I have to read the original source material first, though. THEY ARE SO BAD. I'm halfway through the last one and I just can't make myself read them at this point.

I never read the Twilight books. Is this what they are like?

My friend and I were discussing them last night, and how (and if) they could be improved with an editor. We aren't sure they could.

This probably doesn't belong under Psychotic Fans, so much as "Really Savvy Fan Who Is Getting Away With Murder".

Because this book? Is Twilight fanfic. Well known Twilight fanfic. This isn't Cassie Clare, cutting and pasting her fics together to come up with her series. Bad as that was for many people, this is LITERALLY her Twilight fanfic with a search/replace done on the names. Even the locations are the same as in the fic.

This is now #1 on the NYT Bestseller list. I've seen it on the Today Show. I saw Dr. Ruth tweet about it. It's complete insanity. And the worst is that it's not even GOOD fanfic. It's horribly written soap opera. People even buying it for the smut will be let down.

And yes, this means I read it. Hee. But I read it for FREE (and you can too if you just google "Master of the Universe pdf").

I can't even get into the irony of the NYT writer describing it as "Twilight for grown-ups". *headdesk*

Well these are the same people who liked Twilight to begin with, and it is a horribly written soap opera as well. I guess it doesn't surprise me that much.

On the one hand, it makes me sad that badly written porny fanfic can be that popular. On the other hand, I'm off to badly write some porny fanfic for a popular franchise, find-and-replace the names, and make my fortune!

It's just weird to me how accepted it is. Like when I was in Buffy fandom, any HINT of profiting off it was shut down and publicly shamed ferociously. People lost their minds when someone just mentioned a website to one of the actors.

And I also feel like she's really benefitting from both the origins of her fandom and the timing. Because with Breaking Dawn 2 not yet released and Twilight's fame being so connected to chastity and Meyer's Mormon overtones, I feel like the last thing they want is a lawsuit or a ton of publicity about them trying to shut down a BDSM novel based on Twilight. Hee.

On the one hand, it makes me sad that badly written porny fanfic can be that popular. On the other hand, I'm off to badly write some porny fanfic for a popular franchise, find-and-replace the names, and make my fortune!

Hee. This. I've decided I'm just going to start writing. As long as it contains over the top sex scenes and slightly familiar characters I think I can tap into this gold mine. How many euphemisms are there for the penis? I'm about to find out.

It's just weird to me how accepted it is. Like when I was in Buffy fandom, any HINT of profiting off it was shut down and publicly shamed ferociously. People lost their minds when someone just mentioned a website to one of the actors.

The guy who tried to write the Harry Potter encyclopedia is nodding in agreement with this sentence.

I just quit. There's no point in writing anymore.

and I can think of many euphemisms for penis. But I'm a dork.

I think all of us have read fanfic that's better than Twilight actually is, so I have nothing against fic being published per se, but awful fic being published and lauded is pretty hilarious.

I am also extremely amused by how find-replace may magically make fanfic litigation-proof.

I can assure you, in all seriousness, that this fic makes Stephenie Meyers read like Tolstoy. It's BAD.

A sample and a link for anyone who's curious.

I think all of us have read fanfic that's better than Twilight actually is, so I have nothing against fic being published per se, but awful fic being published and lauded is pretty hilarious.

For me it's not so much hilarious as depressing, because I know a lot of great writers whose work is not getting published or lauded in favor of this reheated dross.

Miss Moneypenny wrote:On the one hand, it makes me sad that badly written porny fanfic can be that popular. On the other hand, I'm off to badly write some porny fanfic for a popular franchise, find-and-replace the names, and make my fortune!

Heh, seriously. My reaction: "Goddamnit, why can't I make money off MY crappy fanfic??"

I did think it hilarious when my Twilight-obsessed friend talked about this book: "I don't know why, but I love it! It's so Edward and Bella!" Me: "Actually, there's a reason for that..."