home is where the reaper is.

someone I follow on the bird app just announced they're starting a very exclusive private fic server because they and a bunch of other people want to talk about how much they love the fics they're reading, and as an author can I just say that a really great place to talk about a fic you love is in the comments for that fic

this is directly related to this post I made about how fanfic authors now are treated like content mills, and not like valued members of a creative community who thrive on interaction. for the past decade, we've watched the fandom ecosystem disrupted over and over, as NSFW fan artists seek safety by putting their work behind paywalls, and self-conscious fic readers squirrel away their feelings in invite-only communities

but don't take my word for it -- here are some responses that my fellow authors have left on this post:

If fanfic/fanart is a meal, then fandom as a whole is a potluck. Everyone should bring something to the table. For some people, that comes in the form of what we now (unfortunately) refer to as “content”: fic, art, gifsets, headcanons, video edits, playlists, etc. That’s a home-cooked dish that the person took time out of their day to make. Other people provide the engagement: comments, likes/kudos, reblogs, inbox asks. That’s a store-bought dish: a box of cookies, a container of macaroni salad, a few bottles of soda. And while those things might not take as much time and effort as the homemade dishes, they’re every bit as essential as the homemade dishes. Everyone who participates in a potluck wants to eat, and people who make their dishes understand that not everyone has the time, energy, or inclination to make their own. They’re just happy to have something else to add to their plate.