Here's a portion of the text. However, I would suggest heading over there to read the entire article and the comments as well. This was an announcement from Psymom in regards to Twilighted.net branching out into the world of publishing:
In an attempt to realize my dream of helping the talented authors in the fanfiction community reach their goals of becoming published authors, I have a new venture to announce…
OmniFic Publishing
Omnific Publishing is a publishing company specializing in the publication of authors with a proven track record of online success in transformative works. Omnific Publishing seeks to publish their original fiction in a number of different media, including ebooks, audiobooks, and print books. Omnific Publishing is a publishing house with a myriad of resources for author development and promotion, including post submission editing with Certified Editors, associated art development, publication in various media, national marketing, and profitability.
Here is the website for Omnific Publishing. I would suggest taking a look around. And, in particular, to the staff listed at Omnific, which you can find here.
It's obvious that this little venture was set up to, um, not only 'broaden the horizons' of Twilight FF writers, but for a few gals to take a run at the publishing business and perhaps make some money. If, by chance, someone were to make the big-time, the publishing company - AND Psymom - would make some dough since the fiction would be posted on her site. It's the same set of rules that apply over at FanFiction.Net. If you pull a story for publishing and earn a profit, so do they. But, I might also add that FF TOS does not permit this. And, just in case this was to occur, and a story went big and it was decided that it would be published, they would have a vested interest.
*IdreamofEddy thinks* Hmm... Vested interest. Publishing company. Selling books. E-books. Audiobooks. The Office. Pulled off of FFn and Twilighted because of an 'opportunity that came to light during recent media events' during Fandom Gives Back. FanFiction.net. Hmm... Maybe they could use a little profit so they can fix their shit and the story updates will go out and the review feature will work. I'm sure Fanfiction is very, very happy that they'll see a lucrative profit from The Office.
I think it's safe to say they're all in it together because they want a piece of the pie.
I mean, was it really just coincidence that Psymom used OmniFic as the publishing company of choice? Uhhh, I'd say...NOT. I guess I just think it would have perhaps been better received if she would have chosen a publishing company that wasn't already connected to the fandom by means of operators.
The question is, should they be using the fandom as a means to get their piece of the pie? I mean, we're here to write fanfiction because we love Twilight, right? So, of course, they're going to make their presentation and attempt to market it to the fandom. They're a new business. That's what they do. There are some ladies on the staff there that need no introduction. They are the friendly faces who will woo you and entice you in. I'm sorry, but Psymom, Nina, and Moira? You all are reminding me of the gal that demonstrated the Sham Wow at the Iowa State Fair last June. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
But, hell, don't we all want a piece of the pie?
Not this pie. This shit tastes a little moldy, and I'll be damned if I didn't find a few hairs that smelled like ass.
Honestly, do you think they'd give a rat's ass if Stephenie decided that enough was enough and took away the privilege of letting us rape her tales? Puhleasse. They'll shed a tear while their cashing their checks.
It seems I'm not the only one who finds this all a little on the shady/bullshit side. Here are a few comments I pulled from the A Different Forest post:
I don't get it, honestly. It's like they're just asking for a lawsuit. ESPECIALLY, with its ties to twilighted. And if they do try to rework fics, people in the fandom are going to be mad that they were pulled and won't buy them, and there's not enough exposure for people out of the fandom to buy them.
*sigh*
why cant they leave well enough alone?
I feel it kind of goes against what fanfic is all about. I mean, it's to let our imaginations run wild with characters we love and do it for FREE, right? I think all the authors that want to be published have great stories... but shouldn't they have started out with writing "real books" first? I mean, if their intentions were to be published "authors" why are they writing fanfic? Sure it's a great way to start, but... publish something else that is "original". I teach first grade, I write/read fanfic. I don't want anyone but you guys reading it. Changing the names isn't going to change it for those of us who already read the stories. And I feel there will be an uprising int eh fandom if our fic gets pulled, because DAMN we love it.
*steps off the soapbox*
Good night :)
I think that it's a positive thing that they're trying to do, but it's seems a little shady to me. Especially given the fact that so many on their staff are known Twilight fanfic writers, many of whom pulled their fics. That raises some red flags for me.
I mean, I am not gonna judge until I see what they have to offer - but right now it sounds just a twinge on the shady side. If this company was started 100% to publish original fiction by writers who HAPPEN to have written fic in the past, I say go for it - and good luck. I don't see how this would need to be tied to Twilighted if that were the case, though. In fact - if I were the person behind this I would make sure it had NO connections to Twilighted just so that it was clear that it was ALL ORIGINAL FICTION. And I wouldn't have "fic" in the company name, either. Knopf isn't called Knopffic. Just call it OMNI PUBLISHING. Or whatevs. Not like what I say matters :)
think that when SMeyer gets wind of this, and I'm fairly certain she will. That'll be the end of twific. Taking out the names Bella and Edward doesn't make it original fiction. It's already on the internet, lots of people have saved stories.. it just won't work like they think it will.
And being good at navigating Twitter doesn't give you the credentials to call yourself a publisher/editor/what have you. And internet popularity doesn't equal talent.
There are quite of few talented individuals out there. I can think of a few who write so well that I wouldn't hesistate to pick up one of their original stories in a heartbeat. However, I would suggest that if it is your intention to reach for your own stars and attempt publishing an original work of art, that you don't waste time with these independent publishing companies and that you go straight to the big dogs instead. There are literally thousands of these little marketing gimics to publish stories out there, and it's not the way to get yourself into Barnes and Noble or Chapters.
Random House recommends that you work with an established literary agent. Each agency has manuscript submission guidelines. You may wish to refer to The Literary Marketplace which contains a HUGE listing of literary agencies if you are really considering publishing an original work.
By the way, if any of you would like to comment that I'm doing this just because I'm a jealous bitch, go right ahead. However, I am not jealous. I just have an aversion to BULLSHIT. And hair in pie.
Wow. I think your lovely bull pic says it all.
ReplyDeleteMe again - realized I have a few more things to say.
ReplyDelete1 - There are some really amazing writers out there with really original storylines. BUT. If they used the same storyline without the characters we already love, would it fly? We forgive fanfic characters of a lot because we love them at the onset.
2 - Twilight is not the first fandom around, nor will it be the last, with some excellent fic writers in all of them. Nothing like this has gotten off the ground in the past, and it won't now either.
*waves at Girlnorth and points at one of the many seats nearby*
ReplyDeleteMe likes you. *grins* Cop a squat. We can watch it unfold together. I have popcorn, soda and even some pretzels but keep them away from JaspersDestiny...
I tell you right now, if SMeyer pulls fanfic rights to her stories there is going to be a shit storm amongst the fandom. Let's see how "popular" these people are if that happens. If what Omni is doing is publishing reworked fanfic's...this is plain and simple greed. I for one will NEVER buy a story that was pulled from FF to be reworked for publishing...that shit pisses me off! There are so many other stories out there that are just as good and many that are better...with authors with integrity and respect for their readers. That is all. :)
ReplyDeleteBitchin'. Pass the popcorn!
ReplyDeleteOk, I LMAO at that part about them using the profits to fix the epic fail that is FFn lately. But in all seriousness, I'm with you on this. The connection to Twilighted is just shady as hell, and I'm going to be really damn pissed if this little venture screws us all with a candy cane. Just saying...
ReplyDeleteAnd finally, if you wrote something good enough to get published, idreamofeddy is right. There are reputable publishers out there, ones who will cut down trees to make your book, and then sell it in a store where people besides the disgruntled FFn members who are pissed that you pulled their favorite fic can see it and buy it.
Umm, Can I just slap a greedy biaytch? If these three ruin the ability of the rest of us to write our beloved characters into stories I will seriously go off on someone. I mean what the hell are they thinking?
ReplyDeleteChelsie, I'll give you a cookie if I can watch. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for what they are thinking - it's papery, and green, and you can trade it for stuff. *snorts*
*Peeks in like a sneaky bitch. Ohh. OHHH! Ohhh!
ReplyDeleteOkay, First off, I was a little worried that I would be thought of as just another jealous bitch, because during FGB when I wrote that other piece concerning TBY789 and the pulling of The Office, along with the original statement that was put out by her, I, or we, along with many others were thought of as jealous bitches.
That has never been the case, I just find it completely rude and awful to put a story out there like that which was so well received that some thought it would perhaps be marketable in the future. It was pulled, it will probably make it's way on to Omnific, and that's that. I just kind of thought it was a big 'fuck you' to the fans that made it so popular. And of course, Tby789 DID write an excellent, excellent story. In a way, it was sort of taking advantage of us as well.
1.,Maeyln: Did you wear a hairnet when you made that popcorn? Seriously, this chick at work the other night gave me a piece of Banana Cream Pie and while I was eating it, I pulled out a short black hair. *Nausea.*
2.GirlNorth- You know what? I LOVED The Office. I guess the question is, would it be popular on it's own in a bookstore without the backing of the fandom? I don't know. I'm not into Romance without adventure or lots of drama, crime, or adventure so I guess it depended on if the general population thought it was just as good with characters that weren't named after Twilight heroes.
3. Stacey- Whew. Exactly. There are so many much more that I would enjoy as well. My favorite story as a total review count of like 300 something, and I enjoy that and a few others on a monthly basis in fact.
4. Tara- *Smiles big.* Hi. I just can't help but think that if Stephenie got wind of all this that she might consider it, and that is a scary thought. We as writers have invested so much of our time in this because we love it. I guess if we couldn't share it anymore, that would just really bite the big one. And that does worry me.
This does go back to The Fandom Gives Back Campaign. The fact is that TBY789 pulled The Office with two chapters left to update and the ambassadors thought it would be so much more better to feed us bullshit rather then be completely truthful. If Tby789 had told us that the story would be pulled AFTER completion because an interested party stepped forward and offered a publishing contract, but in order to do that she has to pull the story off of the sites, I would have congratulated the hell out of her. I would have even bought her own book when it was published. Instead it was pulled and we were fed bullshit. With two chapters left! I could have handled the truth so much better.
5. Chelsie- They're thinking about their wallets. But they're going to tell you there first and foremost goal is to broaden our horizons. I guess it depends on what we as individuals want to believe, and all of this is just my opinion. I think into everything way too much sometimes, I'm finding out however that I'm not alone in my thoughts, and that makes me relieved.
Thank You everybody! I was looking for fire when I stepped in after my nap, and I found it. But this fire here didn't burn me. Um, so far. Hahahahah!!
This does go back to The Fandom Gives Back Campaign. The fact is that TBY789 pulled The Office with two chapters left to update and the ambassadors thought it would be so much more better to feed us bullshit rather then be completely truthful. If Tby789 had told us that the story would be pulled AFTER completion because an interested party stepped forward and offered a publishing contract, but in order to do that she has to pull the story off of the sites, I would have congratulated the hell out of her. I would have even bought her own book when it was published. Instead it was pulled and we were fed bullshit. With two chapters left! I could have handled the truth so much better.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually NOT true. The Office was completed when it was pulled.
Has anyone asked Tby789 if she is going to have anything to do with Omnific? This speculation seems like a stretch without much proof, especially since she doesn't show up on the list of Omnific staff.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I hope she's busy writing and not paying attention to the Omnific clusterfuck. That's what I'd do.
I couldn't agree more about Omnific. There isn't much evidence that they can do what they purport to be able to, at least not from what they've shown so far.
ReplyDeleteAs for tby789, I'm going to go ask before I form an opinion. If she were involved in Omnific, wouldn't they be shouting that from their rooftop?
I was very concerned when I read this on ADF. I thought this may answer the question as to why popular fics were dropping like flies lately. I was worried about the future of fandom. I joined this for the fun of writing and reading 'normal, regular' people's fics, and in process, meeting great friends along the way.
ReplyDeleteSo I thought I may be overreacting a bit, so I decided to email the link to the lambs. I knew Tina and Kay would be the voice of reason and I was very interested in what they thought.
I was seriously scared of the uproar this may cause if we post this on the blog. People would assume that Kay (we) put this out out of jealousy and spite. But I'm glad they did, because as a reader/writer, the others have the right to know.
I have to agree--the issue of what this means for the future of Twilight fanfic is the largest issue at work here. It's disturbing that these yo-yos at Omnific/Twilighted seem to be so shortsighted and/or arrogant that they are willing to hasten the demise of their reason for being for the sake of a short-term payoff.
ReplyDeleteAnd you know, the fandom won't last forever, anyway. The appearance of negative sites like The Gazebo and the nastiness and drama that occur in the fandom every day only hasten the demise of the Twilight fanfiction community. Omnific is just the icing on the whole rotten cake.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I would hope that what survives are the friendships we've made and that so many women have begun to write and think of themselves as creative beings. For that reason alone, I will always be grateful to have been a part of the fandom, no matter what happens.
You are a wise woman. I had been a hit-or-miss reader of the blog before now, but you can bet I'll make it a regular stop from now on. Thank you for being willing to discuss this so frankly.
ReplyDeleteI have to feel like everything you said in your post is 100% correct, and it doesn't mean you're a jealous bitch. FanFic exists for a reason -- and just because the "Characters are different and the storyline is different" doesn't mean you came up with something original.
ReplyDeleteI feel like it goes against everything FanFic stands for. And yeah, you're right -- if you want to get published, then write your own damned story -- not one that plays off the themes and sybolism present in a book that's already been written.
I just really hope SM doesn't get all pissy when she hears about this. We all know how fickle she can be. (Remember Midnight Sun, anyone?) She's likely to put a stop to ALL of this just because of the actions of a few individuals. And I know I did not spend the last year of my life writing a FanFic only to have no one EVER appreciate it.
More importantly, FanFic is supposed to be free. Now, I can't imagine that this "OmniFic" has the resources or the availability to mass produce thousands of copies of "The Office" and ship them out to Barnes and Nobles outlets nationwide. Would these retail stores even stock such an unknown publishing company? Or would you need to buy it directly from "Omnific," and if that's the case, what kind of advertising money would you need to spend to "Spread The Word," as it were? Once you factor in all of those expenses, is it even worth it to invest in such a pipe dream?
Let's say Omnific makes it so that it's only available online, from Itunes, Twigasm, their website and such -- you would still need to pay for it. And, like someone already said, why would I pay for this fanfic when the names have been changed (So it's not really the same story anymore) and there's over 200,000 other FREE fanfics out there that are probably just as good?
It would be like I went out to buy apples and came home with applesauce because once upon a time, it used to be an apple.
I set out to read fanfiction precisely because it's fanfiction. For some people in the FF world, it doesn't even have to be well written. I've seen some of the dumbest shit with upwards of 2,000 reviews.
Not only that, but seriously think about it -- Would "The Office," as it stands, make a Bestseller? Would "The Dominant" or "The Submissive?" Would "Wide Awake" or "The Red Line?"
Think of the caliber of stories that rank on the NYT Bestseller List. Not only that, but think of the quality of Adult Fiction novels that make that list. TBY and all these "FF World greats" would be competing with such "Real World greats" as Anne Rice (or A.N. Roquelaure as her Pseudonymn) and Nora Roberts.
Now, don't get it twisted. I loved The Office -- but the MAIN reason I loved it was because it was Twilight FanFiction. If I read the same story about two people named Beatrice and Eric, I'm not sure I would have liked it as much. The same with the other stories as well. They stand as FanFiction must reads because people fell in love with Twilight first. These wonderful ladies came along, took a great idea and made it their own. It's good because Edward and Bella are the characters, not two people I have no interest in.
I don't know. Maybe I'm a jealous bitch too -- but I think that authors have been writing their own fiction and publishing it for centuries. Why mess with a good thing? If you want to get published and make some money off your efforts, do it the old fashioned way.
You know what I feel this is like...it is like you getting into a TV sitcom and then right before the season finale they say "sorry you have to by the DVD if you want the finale"...so not cool. I am really shocked at how people are so accepting of fic's getting pulled for this reason. I know it's the authors right to do so but it is so majorly fucked up if you ask me (sadly no one has).
ReplyDeleteI would argue that just like in the music industry, the big-publisher model is ripe for an upset. I'd support a new way of doing things if it were credible, but Omnific is not.
ReplyDeleteAnd if their "Certified Editors" were really good, they would know that it's "Certified Editor WHO", not "THAT". Just a minor complaint, but it does make me laugh.
Let me first say that, to me, Omnific sounds at least a little shady. However, if given the oportunity to become an honest to goodness published writer, I'm sure that any of us as writers would at least stop to consider it. To me, FF is a place to experiment with some great characters and hone your writing skills. The feedback helps us all become better at what we do. But would I take one of my fics, change some characters around and try to publish it? No. Why not? Because changing the characters changes the whole premise of the story. I do have original side projects I'm working that have nothing to do with Twilight or FF, and someday I do hope to have those published, but I will go through the proper chanels to do so. I don't know the facts about who pulled what story for what reason, and I won't speculate. Honestly, I hope things work out for them...but I'm pretty sure they'll be crawling back to us, asking, "please Mistress FF Reader, may I lick your boot, grovel at your feet and let you whip my ass until you see fit to give me my review fix and praise that I didn't know I would miss so fucking much...?" *clears throat* Or something like that. ;)
ReplyDelete"please Mistress FF Reader, may I lick your boot, grovel at your feet and let you whip my ass until you see fit to give me my review fix and praise that I didn't know I would miss so fucking much...?" *clears throat* Or something like that. ;)
ReplyDeleteHhaahhahha! I had to laugh at that, dalia. I can tell you this much, anything author pulling a story when it's not complete for possible publishing isn't going to see me reading anything new they come up with.
Tina was right, I used The Office as only an example. The Best example though, I think. And remember, Omnific is just debuting, on their page they have announced releases pending and I'm only speculating that The Office is one of them. It could also be very well true that the author might have received an offer from another publishing group, so it's JUST speculation.
But I'd bet a buck. Any takers? We could pool and buy Omnific and Psymom an award for best attempt to fuck the fandom up the ass for the year 2010.
The only other thing I would add right now is that Tina is right. We are all very opinionated and we are respectful when it comes to discussion about any topic relating to the fandom. However, I or we will call this shit out when I feel like someone is attempting to possibly take advantage of situation they really have no right to dabble in. If Stephenie wants us to work with our pieces, let her offer us a publishing company to work with. It's hers to offer. As much crap as you hear about what she could have or should have done different with the books, you still have to bow down to the great lady.
I have met people that I will never forget and I've even written a few words here and there. Something I thought I would never do. It will eventually die, but I think there still plenty of times left to create a few more memories.
And I bet my fic wife has at least thought once today 'well shit. If she can write articles like this why the fuck can she give me a fucking chapter to beta?' *Slaps head. Headdesk Headdesk
I'm a different Anon from Anonymous. Really, how many personalities can I have on the Internet? Just call me M0rticia. FF has bee around since the original Star Trek and people can not make a profit from it.
ReplyDeleteHow did I miss this post? I don't know if I'm pissed off or heartbroken... seriously. I don't get angry often, but if someone tells me one day that I can't write Twific anymore fucking heads will roll.
ReplyDeleteI know sweets. It seems to be the general consensus, here and over at A Different Forest. They should just leave well enough alone.
ReplyDeleteJeebus - more than half the staff are from Twilighted - I recognized Psymom, Nina, Moira, Jennifer, CJ, Cindy, Micha, Beverly (half of them headed the ff panels at TwiCon). I'm all for people making a buck, but not at the expense of others. If something like this affected the fandom, I would have a cow. I can't help but to wonder what experience they have in publishing anything at all. Just because you have a degree or two, doesn't make you a publisher, much less one with any clout in the publishing world. There is nothing I hate more than a fic being pulled, whether finished or not. If you published it on ff, then it should remain on ff for the life of the site. I've had fics pulled on me more than once and I'm livid about it everytime. And I agree with those who said that they may not have read the story had it not involved the Twi characters. I only read these stories because they ARE Twilight based.
ReplyDeleteM0rticia again. I've been more in that out of the pit of vipers the most people call the publishing industry for fifteen years. The staff page alone screams unprofessional. Tell us what degrees you have, not what books you like to read! Shit. It doesn't matter if the degree has no application to what you're doing now, at least you have one.
ReplyDeleteIn general, it looks like a half-step up from a vanity press, and Lulu does a better job servicing that market than anyone else right now.
Okay, so far we have Boycotts and Barflies being published for Omnific. Now, I know a few of those staff members, but is there anyone that is still reading this that can give me name=screename list from Omnific? I mean, whose all who?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous- There is no disagreement here, Since the release yesterday of Boycotts and Barflies, I've decided to get FanFiction.net's input to see if maybe TOS has been violated with BAB, and even IF we can get away with this as authors. Which, I don't think we can, if I read it right. Fuck it. It'll either be a yes or a no response. Either way, if I get an answer, I'll be posting another blog on this matter. Thank You.
I've noticed that Emacipation Proclimation has gone dead in the water since this announcment has gone out.
ReplyDeleteKhar has implied that she is interested in publication in a few tweets. She just posted a new chapter yesterday so I imagine she'll try to complete on FF.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine happened to email tby789 about getting a copy of The Office as she did not get to finish it and was told that it may never be put back up due to "issues with plagiarism." I've watched this whole situation unfold on ADF, twitter and during the Fandom Gives Back auction and I'm sad that a select few are willing to risk the end of twific just because they feel the 10k reviews they got pushed them into the "elite" of twific. I'm not about to pay for a fic that was pulled under false pretenses by an author that then insulted the fandom by throwing a massive tantrum because people wanted the chance to finish reading a story. I guess in the end I'll wish "OnMyDick" publishing good luck and keep my fingers crossed that Twilight fanfiction will still be there each time I open FF.net.
To out direct message on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason there is a limited number of copies is because frankly, it's already been a huge investment on their parts. They simply aren't going to shell out a whole bunch of dough and make a bunch of books when they don't know if it's going to fly anyway.
There's so much that needs to be considered. So much of the profit has to go towards costs and administrative fees, not just for print books, but for E-books as well. Then you have royalties that need to be paid to the author. Plus taxes. Plus the costs to make the books. Hmm. After all that's said and done, will it be profitable? That remains to be seen.
There's really not a whole lot of information that has been released, either. My guess is it's because they're still putting the feelers out there, seeing how everyone reacts to this. And the print books. We don't know if they've really gone ahead and made an investment with a bookmaker or not. Are these bound books? Paperback or Hardbacks? Or are they just printed manual like books.
So yes, right now I just think they're waiting to see what type of response they receive to the released books, and they only do have so many copies available. The rest of the orders will have to be back-ordered.
I think, this will really have to take off in order for them to work. I just don't see that happening, or if it does happen, it's not going to be a get rich quick scenario.
We are watching though, and every little piece of information helps. Hope this answered your question.