- Everything you wanted to know -

While it's generally accepted practice for fans to write stuff based on works they like, there is a somewhat thin line between what is acceptable practice and what isn't, and publishing or posting a work for public dissemination can cross that line. It's *always* a good idea to write an author and ask for permission before posting or printing something based on their work; even if nothing is wrong with it, it's an excellent goodwill gesture and they may give you guidelines on where rights will or will not come into play in the future....not to mention it covers your ass if the author has a bad hair day later and decides to be unpleasant about something. :-)

Paul Hoeffer has free reign to post anything he likes regarding my work, including fan art and fiction, and that's a good place to put it if you want other fans to see it. Paul consults with me on any disclaimers that might need to be posted along with the work, to make sure that someone doesn't copy it and do things with it you and I wouldn't like, or on information that needs to be passed on to the writer. A general guideline is: you shouldn't do anything with written material that makes money for you or anyone else without the author's permission, it has to be clear somehow that this is fan work and not anything associated with the author's writing (being on a fan page or in a fanzine makes it obvious, but giving out copies that might end up God knows where does not) , it likewise needs to be clear that the author has not "sanctioned" any of your storyline or other creations, and publishing or posting it has to not affect the sales of the author's work. If you satisfy these parameters, then getting permission to post or publish something is usually just a token effort, but it does show respect to an author that you care enough to ask, and makes them much more inclined to provide permissions for borderline rights stuff than they would be if they just happened upon your work by surprise one day :-) Especially on a bad hair day.

BTW, the companies that let you download author's works without paying the authors are being seriously sued. So that should not be taken as any indicator of what is legal or acceptable electronic practice.

Celia Friedman