Joshua Fortier

The AO3 situation is bringing to the surface a problem we’ve been sweeping under the rug for years: the double standards applied to fanfiction and fanart. An artist can draw whatever they want and post it on social media, benefiting from algorithmic favoritism because their content is quick and easy to consume (because people scroll through social media in a matter of seconds. If something takes even one extra minute of their time, they won’t bother) They can make money, to the point of building an actual career out of commissions (is that legal? Who knows… probably best not to look into it), and receive hundreds of comments or reposts because they deserve it and have worked hard to reach that level (absolutely true, and I agree. But so has anyone else who creates something. I didn’t learn how to sew cosplay costumes or write overnight. It took me just as much time and effort.) A fanfiction writer doesn’t get that. Social media platforms penalize: - External links to websites like AO3. - Walls of text (so no chapters published as posts) - Certain words or phrases. - Posts that don’t get immediately shared or commented on within the first few minutes after publication. (I could go on, but you get the point.) So, if we try to promote our work, we’re forced to commission artwork from artists (for a fee, see above) just to grab people’s attention with content that’s quick and easy to consume. If we dare to ask for comments or any kind of feedback (completely free and anonymous), we get insulted because “well, I don’t want to be OBLIGED to say what I think, or to give a like/kudos/heart/smoke signal or crop circle to that idiot who spent sleepless nights in front of a computer.” And if we ever dared to ask for even a single euro for our work (which nobody does, because we already know how that would end), just imagine the diplomatic incident that would cause. So why bother? And don’t come at me with the joy of creating. I’ve been writing novels on my computer for 25 years, and I’m perfectly happy leaving them right where they are rather than sharing them for free with ungrateful people. This whole situation is bringing one thing into focus: when all is said and done, AI isn’t really the problem.