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Writing and writers are severely under appreciated and taken for granted in every fandom space: a thread
I’m not going to bore people with an introduction like this is an actual essay, I’m just going to list things I’ve noticed and points I want to make on this topic.
Let’s begin like this: how many times do you retweet a writer’s post about their new fic on ao3, and how many times do you retweet art?
How likely are you to like those posts about new fics on ao3 and how likely are you to like a new piece of art?
How likely are you to like those posts about new fics on ao3 and how likely are you to like a new piece of art?
Chances are, in both cases, art is in much higher ratio compared to writing. Why is that?
Art is a visual medium, and is easier to quickly consume and share than writing is. That’s how I initially viewed the problem.
Except, even with writing threads, there and immediately
Art is a visual medium, and is easier to quickly consume and share than writing is. That’s how I initially viewed the problem.
Except, even with writing threads, there and immediately
accessible on Twitter, don’t get anywhere near as much traction as art.
Why are we so reluctant to engage with writing?
It’s not because it’s long. If that were the case, then drabbles and ficlets would be wildly popular on ao3, but they’re not.
Why are we so reluctant to engage with writing?
It’s not because it’s long. If that were the case, then drabbles and ficlets would be wildly popular on ao3, but they’re not.
I also have a point about commissions.
Artists are constantly encouraged to charge fair and high prices for commissions, as they should - art is a hard earned skill, and they should absolutely be paid fairly for sharing that skill with people who request it.
Artists are constantly encouraged to charge fair and high prices for commissions, as they should - art is a hard earned skill, and they should absolutely be paid fairly for sharing that skill with people who request it.
How many writers do you see doing commissions? I can think of maybe three off the top of my head, and I don’t see them getting commissioned very often.
This is because writing is seen either as a boring art, or an unskilled art that doesn’t deserve to be charged for in the same
This is because writing is seen either as a boring art, or an unskilled art that doesn’t deserve to be charged for in the same
way that writing is.
Writing is *hard.*
If I were to do commissions, and did what every artist is told to do, “at least charge the minimum wage for how many hours it took you to create,” a 2,500 word fic commission, if I calculated my costs based on federal minimum wage,
Writing is *hard.*
If I were to do commissions, and did what every artist is told to do, “at least charge the minimum wage for how many hours it took you to create,” a 2,500 word fic commission, if I calculated my costs based on federal minimum wage,
that fic would cost the commissioner anywhere from $25 to $43.
Who is going to pay for that?
This doesn’t even include beta-reading, planning, or editing. Just the raw writing process is that expensive.
Writing isn’t fast, but people would rarely, if ever, pay me that much for
Who is going to pay for that?
This doesn’t even include beta-reading, planning, or editing. Just the raw writing process is that expensive.
Writing isn’t fast, but people would rarely, if ever, pay me that much for
my work.
They are more than happy to pay that price for art, but not for fic.
Every writer who I see take commissions undercharges. Severely. Because that’s the only way they can get people to pay for their writing.
People enjoy fic, but they won’t pay for it. Why?
They are more than happy to pay that price for art, but not for fic.
Every writer who I see take commissions undercharges. Severely. Because that’s the only way they can get people to pay for their writing.
People enjoy fic, but they won’t pay for it. Why?
Because people are used to fic being completely free.
There are stories I write that I spend well over a hundred hours on, planning, outline, writing, editing, beta-reading, editing again, formatting, uploading, and promoting.
And for what?
A few hundred kudos and 6 retweets?
There are stories I write that I spend well over a hundred hours on, planning, outline, writing, editing, beta-reading, editing again, formatting, uploading, and promoting.
And for what?
A few hundred kudos and 6 retweets?
The amount we engage with and compensate writing is pathetically low compared to art.
Do not misinterpret me. My point is not that artists don’t deserve the traction and attention they get, they absolutely do.
Art is a difficult skill, and deserve the praise they get for it.
Do not misinterpret me. My point is not that artists don’t deserve the traction and attention they get, they absolutely do.
Art is a difficult skill, and deserve the praise they get for it.
My point is we don’t appreciate writers.
We don’t engage with writing, we don’t pay for writing, yet we constantly want more.
“There’s so little of this on AO3! Writers should make more for it!”
Make us want to.
Make us feel like our efforts are worth something.
We don’t engage with writing, we don’t pay for writing, yet we constantly want more.
“There’s so little of this on AO3! Writers should make more for it!”
Make us want to.
Make us feel like our efforts are worth something.
anyway that was just me rambling for several tweets too many but i think i get my point across.
