Food for thought.

[valis2]

I've always shied away from the thought of having a yahoo group of my own just for my fic (mostly for updates), but after reading this entry about readers who are not on LJ, it kind of makes sense.

What do you think? Do you think it looks silly or like the author is too big for her britches? Perhaps it's all in the way it's presented.

Thing is, I have a great way of notifying people...ffnet. Most of my regulars have gone there, it seems. But I'm always just one complaint away from being yanked, so I wonder if it might be a good idea to do a group, just so that the non-LJ readers have a place to check into in case something does happen.

Any thoughts would totally be appreciated.

Comments

[scatteredlogic.livejournal.com]

I think they're a good way of allowing people to keep track of updates. I have one that I started when I was writing primarily for Labyrinth. At that time, it was the easiest way to keep in touch with people and to store copies of the fics.

Do you think it looks silly or like the author is too big for her britches? Perhaps it's all in the way it's presented.

I think it's in the way that it's presented. Anyone who flounces around, dramatically pointing to their "Yahoo group" is bound to look a bit silly and pretentious, since there's no exclusivity in making a group - anyone can do it. ;)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Hmm...now I'm really thinking about it seriously. Hmm. It would just be nice to have a reliable update system, I think.

*ponders more*

Thanks so much!

[scatteredlogic.livejournal.com]

IIt is very convenient to be able to post one message and let those who are interested know that a story has been updated.

You're welcome.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yes, hence my fascination! I would love to be able to notify people--especially people without LJs--and still be able to contact them should I be yanked from ffnet.

[scatteredlogic.livejournal.com]

especially people without LJs

~nods~ I read that post, and she has a very valid point. It's easy to forget that LJ is really very insular. The majority of readers don't read on LJ at all, and as you pointed out, stories can vanish from ff.net in a instant.

[sylvadin.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think an author is being 'too big for their britches' doing so, particularly if they are a competent writer with a large fan readership. In that case they're simply offering a convenient site for their followers.

There's already plenty of writers and artists who keep their own private Yahoo groups. No reason why you shouldn't also. I've seen plenty of comments on other such groups from readers who, for various reasons, feel more comfortable reading stories on Yahoo than on LJ.



One issue I will warn you about is the reality that Yahoo's management will, at times, nuke a group out of existence without warning, and with the group owner having no options for appeal of that arbitrary action. (An example is what happened to the original Yahoo Snape-Hagrid group.) If you do go with Yahoo, be sure to save a daily digest AND, as owner, keep an up-to-date list of all the current members and their contact email addresses on a safe storage location off Yahoo. That way, if disaster happens, you can reform your group somewhere else AND contact your readership to let them know where to find that new location.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Excellent, sound advice. Thank you so very much.

I think it might be a very good idea. I have long agonized over posting updates at groups; I'm sometimes nervous that I'm "spamming" people. If I update to a newsgroup where everyone wants to receive updates, though, then I won't feel such spammy guilt, I think.

This was so helpful! Thanks.

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

I think it's a great idea - not at all silly or too big for your britches. I mean, I suppose it could come across that way if you were cocky about it, but I don't see you presenting it that way.
I belong to a couple of groups that are for the purpose of posting an author's fics. When I join, I click that I only want special notices, and usually whoever's group it is sends out a special notice when they update. That way I don't even don't have to check the board everyday if I don't want to read all the OT posts.
Then you can also let the ff.net readers know about the group, that way if you do get pulled - and your readers are smart enough to remember your group - the readers can still follow the fic without having to search half the net for other places it is posted.
Go for it!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Oh, you belong to a group like that? Awesome!

Special notices? Ah, I get it. So you don't get daily emails and stuff, just the update notices. Very, very interesting.

This is so helpful, thank you!

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

So you don't get daily emails and stuff, just the update notices.
Yes, I like just getting the notices. I don't want the daily digest of all posts, because I don't need to read the OT posts about praying for someone's sick kitten, or look how funny this joke is, or what movie they saw last night. I'm there for the fics, I have LJ and my flist for the personal stuff.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Oh. Er...sick kittens? movies? You're right, that's what LJs are for...hmm. I'll have to think about this a bit. Maybe if I make it update-only...

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

Well I have belonged to and still belong to a number of different groups and there are many different 'styles'. Some allow anyone to post their fics and add them to the files. Others are the owner and a few select other authors only, and some are that author/owner only. I think maybe it's all in the way the group is presented. If it's presented as 'come one, come all, it's a party' like some are, then the OT posts get out of hand.
If it's more 'this is my group to update my fics and have them all posted at one mostly secure location', you will mostly get people who are fans of your writing and the most discussion you would have would be your readers discussing the latest update. Which, I would think (not being an author myself) , would be very helpful in seeing how the latest chapters were accepted, and maybe giving you ideas for down the road.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

This is really helpful. Thank you! You've given me tons of food for thought.

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

You're welcome!

[snapesforte.livejournal.com]

I think many people in this fandom spend too much time thinking about what other insignificant people think of them. If you like the idea, I think yuo should do it, and not worry about possibly coming off as too big for your broomstick.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

But if I'm too big for my broomstick I might fall off. *grins*

Thanks for the input! :)

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

Others have already said this, but just to second (or third, or fourth), if the necessity is there, I don't think anyone's going to think you're pretentious. It would be one thing if I had a Yahoo group, because I don't write that much. :) But you have a popular, ongoing story, which is exactly the sort of situation an update announcement mailing list is useful for.

If anyone does think you're pretentious...eff 'em! :)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Hey, thanks! People are all reminding me that it's how you present it, which is so true. I'm going to try to think of it as a public service rather than a preen-a-thon, because it's nice to have a backup system in case the story disappears somewhere, especially for those non-LJ readers.

Thanks so much for the thoughts!

[snarkypants.livejournal.com]

There are two ways to do it. I'm on Arsinoe de Blassenville's Yahoo group, which is extremely useful since she posts her Tavfic at ff.net. No spammage, just update notices, and she's very cool about it.

There's the other way, in which you entitle your group "The Fans Made Me Do It, and They'll Kill Me If They Can't Meet Regularly In My Name" or something like that. Not classy at all, IMHO.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

ahahah! That's great.

Hmm..the Arsinoe thing sounds exactly like what I'm looking for.

Thanks so much!

[aerynstales.livejournal.com]

I don't think people will think you at all pretentious. It sounds like a wonderful idea really...and I may steal it! :D

So let us know when you have it up. :D I do think that it does make a lot of sense; not everyone has a live journal account. *nods*

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I'm going to look into it tonight, possibly, if I have a moment while I'm finishing the fic of doom. ;)

[whitemunin.livejournal.com]

I say go for it. It provides a useful info. conduit for your readers and a place to chat about the work that doesn't get lost in numerous other posts on LJ or other yahoo groups. Besides, who does it hurt? No one. Considering the droves of sites and communities set up strictly for the purpose of bitching and moaning about other people's stuff, it would be nice to see more of the author yahoo groups appear. Pretentious? Only in how you present yourself on it, and there are plenty of other avenues available to throw around a little pretention.

So set it up. I'd like to join. I'm a fan of the SS/OC pairing.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Very true. I think I'm going to look into it tonight, providing I have the time in between working on the fic. *crosses fingers*

[snegurochka_lee]

Eep, sorry I'm late to this, but it's a very interesting discussion (and I read the original post earlier as well, and found it helpful). Not much to add, other than to second other people's opinions to do it if you like.

I'm wondering if it's more for authors with long WIPs that they are updating, though? As opposed to someone like me, who just comes out with 3-4 one-shots every month. :)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

There's this debate about WIPs vs. ficlets. It seems to me that there are less "epics" now and more ficlets, and that LJ is more ficlet driven, but then again, I read from other people that it's the opposite. Perhaps ffnet and ficalley are more conducive to WIPs, and that's why I think there are fewer of them now, because I'm such a LJ creature at this point.

I know that when I'm finished with the Ginormous Fic I will not be writing such a thing again in fandom...at least not for a long time. *knocks on wood*

PS: My very dear friend is from the Ukraine, and when I said your LJ name to her, she immediately said, "Oh! Frost Maiden!" She then asked me to ask you if you knew where the legend of the Frost Maiden and the...er...Snow Father? I can't remember the name...came from. :) So here I am asking.

[snegurochka_lee]

I'm not sure where it originated, but it's an old Russian (and maybe Slavic in general) folk legend or fairy tale. Google the name and about a hundred difference synopses come up (along with my fic site, gah!) In addition to the fairy tale story, Snegurochka is also a current Russian cultural icon around Christmas/New Year's - like we have elves who help Santa, Russians have the super hot snow maiden, who helps Santa (who is called Ded Moroz, or literally, Grandfather Frost). :)

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :)